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HR 2528 114th Congress House Education Education of the disadvantaged Education programs funding Family relationships Preschool education School administration Teaching, teachers, curricula Wages and earnings

EARLY Act

Introduced: May 21, 2015 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 16, 2015
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
May 21, 2015
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
May 21, 2015
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Expanded Access to Real Learning for our Young Act or the EARLY Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award competitive grants to states to carry out full-day prekindergarten programs.

The programs must:

  • be located at public schools, if practicable, or otherwise carried out by private or other community providers;
  • permit parents, regardless of income, to voluntary enroll their four-year old children in the programs and do so at no cost if their combined income does not exceed 400% of the poverty line;
  • be full-day programs that run the length of the regular school year;
  • maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom;
  • ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1;
  • be taught by teachers who are paid a salary comparable to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers at the state's public schools; and
  • meet a minimum level of parental engagement set by the state.

Grant priority shall be given to states that carry out the programs at public schools.

The federal share of a grant may not exceed 75% of the prekindergarten program's costs.

What's happening now November 16, 2015

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2