LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AGENDA Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 3:00 pm Zoom Meeting I. CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call/Quorum Verification A. Patel II. PUBLIC COMMENT I Individuals wishing to address the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County Board of Directors must complete a Public Comment Request Card and submit it to the official recorder prior to the noticed start time of the meeting. Said comments will be limited to three (3) minutes per individual on a first come, first serve basis, and only at such time as is identified on the official meeting agenda for public comment. All public comment in Public Comment I must pertain to an item on the approved agenda. III. ACTION ITEMS IV. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. 2021 AELC Advocacy Priorities (Pgs. 3-5) G. Gillette (1) Appropriations Priorities B. AELC Suggested Priorities for Stimulus Funding (Pg. 6) G. Gillette C. House Bill 419 Overview (Pgs. 7-9) M. Folts/G. Gillette D. Local Legislative Visits Update G. Gillette V. INFORMATION ITEMS A. Legislative Committee Directory (Pgs. 10-32) B. Florida Politics Article (Pgs. 33-34) VI. ADJOURNMENT UPCOMING MEETINGS Board of Director’s Regular Meeting - Monday, February 15, 2021 at 3:00 pm Governance Committee Meeting - March 29, 2021 at 3:00 pm Finance Committee Meeting - April 5, 2021 at 3:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting -April 12, 2021 at 3:00 pm Board of Directors Meeting - April 19, 2021 at 3:00 pm UPCOMING EVENTS Feeding Tampa Bay Mobile Food Pantry- March 2, 2021 at 4:30 pm Zoom Meeting Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/94437884465?pwd=N2d1L2MyQzdJN3BLUXIwUCs2QlQzQT09 Meeting ID: 944 3788 4465 February 9, 2021 Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting 1 of 34 Passcode: 716273 One tap mobile +13126266799,,94437884465#,,,,*716273# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,94437884465#,,,,*716273# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 944 3788 4465 Passcode: 716273 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/advvn6GJfV February 9, 2021 Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting 2 of 34 Empowering Parental Involvement and Choice COORDINATED EFFECTIVE INCREASE SCREENINGAND ACCOUNTABILITY FAMILYACCESS ASSESSMENT SYSTEMFORVPK TOINFORMATION SYSTEM PROGRAMS ANDQUALITY PRIMARYMEASURESOF COORDINATEDSCREENINGAND ENHANCEPROVIDERPROFILE PROGRAM QUALITY SHOULDBE : ASSESSMENTSYSTEMTHAT VISIBILITYTOREFLECTVPK ALIGNSWITHTHE Eligiblity: P r o g r a m ANDSRPROGRAMQUALITY ASSESSMENTS IN K - 1 2 assessment that meets STANDARDSFORFAMLIES Establish a baseline through minimum level of developmental screening and teacher/child interactions pre-assessment upon entering Ongoing Accountability: P r e - the VPK Program; and and post-assessment child INCREMENTALLYADJUST Implement mid-and/or end- learning gains (methodology SCHOOLREADINESS of-program VPK assessments should be evaluated, REIMBURSEMENTRATESAND to assess child learning enhanced and weignted as DIFFERENTIALSTOSUPPORT p r o g r e s s needed by steering LOW - INCOMEWORKING c o m m i t t e e ) FAMLIES ' ACCESSTOHIGH - PERFORMINGPROGRAMS USEDATATOIDENTIFYEARLY DELAYSINDEVELOPMENTAND SUPPORT FOR PROVIDERS ENSUREAPPROPRIATE - Incrementally increase BSA LINKPARENTSTO INTERVENTIONSARE as accountability standards LONGITUDINALDATAONTHEIR IMPACTINGCHILD increase to incentivize CHILD ' SDEVELOPMENTAND DEVELOPMENT improvement INFORMATIONTHATWILL -Provide funding for SUPPORTCHILDDEVELOPMENT interventions for low- ATHOME LOGITUDINALDATAGATHERED performing providers ONCHILD ' SDEVELOPMENT GIVESADEQUATE -Consider differentials to 2021 AELC Advocacy Priorities INFORMATIONTOSUPPORT incentivize high performance LEARNINGANDEMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT February 9, 2021 Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting 3 of 34 COORDINATEDSCREENINGANDASSESSMENT I s s u e : Child development data information is not shared across the early learning and K-20 system which creates duplication across systems. It also negatively impacts the family and child due to a loss of historical information on child interventions and developmental progress. S o l u t i o n : Create a coordinated screenign and assessment sytem that streamlines access to logitudincal data regarding development milestones and interventions achieved in early learning. Eliminate duplicative screening of children across early leraning and K-12 systems, maximizing efficient use of state resources EFFECTIVEACCOUNTABILITYFORVPKPROGRAMS ISSUE: Provider performance is measured on variables that are affected by the previous educational history of the children they serve. Teacher performance and learning gains are not considered, only child outcome data upon kindergarten entry which limits the data needed for designing appropriate interventions as data is received almost two years after the start of a program year SOLUTION: Minimum program quality thresholds for eligibility for VPK - -Require all VPK providers to participate in a program assessment prior to contracting for VPK starting FY 20-21 -Give OEL authority to set a threshold for program entry and a threshold for required quality improvement -Allow authority for waivers in communities where providers are needed to sustain capacity -Allow new providers the option to leverage a CLASS assessment from SR if not VPK class is present -Change Provider Performance Plan to mirror SR’s Quality Improvement Plan or include CLASS training as an option in current PIP (Federal fiscal required) -In Year 2: Use estimates from baseline data to fund tiered/weighted BSAs for provider showing higher levels of quality including incentive for formative child assessment (Fiscal required ) SOLUTION : Child Pre- and Post-Assessment During the VPK Session -Require the K Readiness screener (FLKRS) as a pre- and post-assessment during the VPK year. -The assessment should be done during the first and last 30 days of the school year programs and the first and last 10 days of the summer programs. -Use executive functioning test in addition to pre-post tool -If pre-post scores do not line up with readiness rates, then tests will be proctored for that provider. (GR fiscal required) Solution: Learning Gains are Included in Provider Readiness Rate: -Change provider readiness rate calculation standards to include learning gains calculated from the pre- and post- assessment during the VPK school year (No cost, just statutory change) COORDINATEDSCREENINGANDASSESSMENT ISSUE: Provider profiles do not give adequate information for parents to make informed decisions for their children’s early care and education. SOLUTION: Create longitudinal data system that will collect data and give parents information about their child’s development and progress Create provider profile that informs parents of the quality levels of providers so they can make informed decisions on their child’s education Create increased funding options to remove funding barriers to accessing quality programs. February 9, 2021 Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting 4 of 34 APPROPRIATIONSNEEDS Recommended Program Implementation costs for the items listed above that require an appropriation in order to implement proposed policy changes - Program Assessment for VPK Providers (federal fiscal needed) - Pre-Post Child Assessment (GR fiscal needed) - Longitudinal data system (GR and Federal fiscal needed) - Provider Profile Enhancements (Federal Fiscal needed) Increase teacher credentialing ($10M) – -Sustain current TEACH funding for increasing credentials and degrees Expand system for specialized ECE knowledge – Early Learning Florida ($3M) -Allow the system to be used by SR and VPK providers, increase funding if needed Roll Wait List Funding (set in proviso) to Base ($60M) -Needs to be appropriated as direct services funding, not wait list funding Roll Rate Increase Funding (set in proviso) to Base ($100M) -Evaluate effectiveness of current methodology to ensure most fragile markets are addressed -Needs to be appropriated outside of regular funding formula to sustain current rate i n c r e a s e s Preserve VPK BSA at $2486 (SY) $2122 (Summer) $412,158,000 February 9, 2021 Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting 5 of 34 STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS COVID- RELATED CRISES IN EARLY LEARNING TAILORED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS PROVIDE LOCAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO ENSURE COALITIONS HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO ADJUST THE DOSAGE OF EACH INTERVENTION STRATEGY AND ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH COMMUNITY FINANCIAL SUPPORTS FOR ESSENTIAL SMALL BUSINESSES PROVIDE MAINTENANCE GRANTS TO KEEP THE DOORS OF FLORIDA'S EARLY LEARNING SMALL BUSINESSES OPEN AND MITIGATE THE LOSS OF REVENUE CONTINUED ENROLLMENT PAYMENTS REIMBURSE EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS BASED ON ENROLLMENT RATHER THAN ACTUAL ATTENDANCE TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF LOST REVENUE DUE TO LOW CHILD ATTENDANCE AND ENSURE PROGRAMS REMAIN OPERATIONAL TO SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO DO NEED CARE, SUCH AS FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS WORKFORCE SUPPORTS ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR STRATEGIES SUCH AS SIGNING AND/OR RETENTION BONUSES, PRESERVICE TRAINING FEE WAIVERS OR OTHER SOLUTIONS TO ATTRACT EMPLOYEES TO THE WORKFORCE AND ADDRESS SUBSTANTIAL TURNOVER BURDENING EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS HEALTH & SAFETY SUPPLIES PROVIDE FUNDING TO PROVIDERS FOR PURCHASING CRITICAL SUPPLIES SUCH AS PPE, THERMOMETERS, ETC. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS PROVIDE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS SO PROVIDERS MAY ASSIST CHILDREN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA DURING THE PANDEMIC Association of Early Learning Coalitions, [email protected] 9, 2021 Legislative