Amended  IN  Senate  July 01, 2024
Amended  IN  Senate  June 11, 2024
Amended  IN  Senate  May 15, 2024
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 01, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1947

Introduced by Assembly Member Luz Rivas

January 29, 2024

An act to amend Section 8251 of the Education Code, relating to early childhood education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1947, as amended, Luz Rivas. California state preschool programs: contracting agencies: staff training days.
Existing law, the Early Education Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs, including, but not limited to, part-day and full-day age and developmentally appropriate programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. The act requires part-day and full-day California state preschool programs to operate specified minimum numbers of days per year. The act requires the State Department of Education, in collaboration with the State Department of Social Services, to implement a reimbursement system plan that establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates, which vary with the length of the program year and the hours of service, as specified. The act authorizes an agency contracting with the State Department of Education to provide California state preschool program services to schedule up to 2 days of staff training, per contract period, using state reimbursement funding, as provided.
This bill would instead authorize up to 6 days of staff training, per contract period, using state reimbursement funding. The bill would require a contractor with an enrollment of at least 25% dual language learner children that schedules a minimum of 3 days of staff training to ensure that at least one scheduled staff training day is used to provide staff development that is specific to supporting dual language learner children, as provided. The bill would require a day of staff training scheduled during a contractor’s regular hours of operation to count toward the minimum number of days a California state preschool program is required to operate per year. The bill would require a contractor that schedules staff training during regular hours of operation to notify parents or guardians of children enrolled in the program at least 30 calendar days before a closure due to the scheduled staff training. The bill would require the Superintendent to adopt regulations to implement these provisions, and, on or before August 1, 2025, to develop informal directives and bulletins to implement these provisions until the regulations are adopted, as provided.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 8251 of the Education Code is amended to read:

8251.
 (a) (1) An agency contracting with the department to provide California state preschool program services may schedule up to six days of staff training, per contract period, using state reimbursement funding.
(2) Staff training provided pursuant to paragraph (1) may include, but is not limited to, training on procedures for emergencies in preschool programs, licensing regulations relating to preschool programs, recognition and reporting of suspected abuse of children in preschool programs, managing challenging behaviors and preventing expulsion of children, practices related to trauma-informed care, practices to support dual language learners, improving program quality in alignment with state standards, and addressing items on the program’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Quality plan.
(b) (1) A contractor with an enrollment of at least 25 percent dual language learner children that schedules a minimum of three days of staff training pursuant to subdivision (a) shall ensure that at least one scheduled staff training day is used to provide staff development that is specific to supporting dual language learner children enrolled in the program.
(2) Staff training provided pursuant to this subdivision is encouraged to include, but not be limited to, training on all of the following:
(A) Dual language acquisition.
(B) Biliteracy development.
(C) Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families.
(D) Home language support.
(E) Culturally and linguistically appropriate observation and assessment of dual language learner children.
(F) Identification and support of dual language learner children with special needs.
(3) To the maximum extent possible, staff training provided pursuant to this subdivision shall offer instruction on how to involve parents and members of the community to promote cultural competence and improved understanding of the needs of dual language learner children.

(4)Staff training provided pursuant to this subdivision that incorporates other training related to supporting the whole child and that includes at least 80 percent of training consistent with paragraph (1) meets the requirements of this subdivision.

(c) (1) A day of staff training described in this section that is scheduled during a contractor’s regular hours of operation shall be considered a day of operation for purposes of meeting the minimum days of operation for part-day and full-day state preschool programs required pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 8207.
(2) A contractor that schedules staff training during regular hours of operation shall notify parents or guardians of children enrolled in the program at least 30 calendar days before a closure due to the scheduled staff training.
(d) The Superintendent shall adopt regulations to implement this section. Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the Superintendent shall, on or before August 1, 2025, develop informal directives and bulletins to implement this section until the regulations are adopted.