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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, High quality learning opportunities, beginning at
3birth, are an essential part of our nation's education system;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Young children facing the most significant
6challenges stand to benefit greatly from comprehensive and
7consistent early learning experiences; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Research demonstrates that investing in early
9childhood produces outcomes that help ensure children are
10successful in school and life, such as increased kindergarten
11readiness, increased high school graduation rates and college
12attendance, and reduced special education rates; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is a national leader in
14supporting early care and education programs; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Head Start and State-funded early childhood
16programs in Illinois are required to comply with a set of
17standards related to ensuring a smooth transition of children
18out of the program and into kindergarten; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Preschool for All programs must have a "written
20plan to ensure that those children who are age-eligible for

 

 

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1kindergarten are enrolled in school upon leaving the preschool
2education program"; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Illinois Preschool Expansion Grant
4requirements and federal Head Start Performance Standards hold
5these programs to an even higher standard by requiring programs
6to collaborate with Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to
7support children and families through the transition to
8kindergarten; and
 
9    WHEREAS, While requiring early childhood programs to
10coordinate with the school districts into which children
11transition is a good practice, many LEAs are not familiar with
12the opportunity presented by potential partnerships with early
13childhood providers, like the relationships fostered within
14local early childhood community collaborations; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Illinois State law could better support those LEAs
16by providing a framework that would help LEAs to identify best
17practices for supporting kindergarten transitions and give
18LEAs incentives to adopt these practices; and
 
19    WHEREAS, This framework would help the state build upon its
20successful Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act

 

 

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1(ESSA) provides an opportune moment to develop and put into
2motion such a framework, as the law specifically authorizes
3districts to use resources to support joint efforts to address
4kindergarten transitions; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE
7CONCURRING HEREIN, that the P-20 Council in collaboration with
8the Early Learning Council shall establish an Advisory
9Committee for the purposes of reviewing kindergarten
10transitions; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transitions Advisory
12Committee shall consist of a diverse group of stakeholders and
13practitioners, appointed by the Chair of the P-20 Council, and
14including those from State agencies, early childhood advocacy
15organizations, education related professional associations,
16and members of the General Assembly; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That the Advisory Committee shall submit a report
18to the Governor, State Board of Education, and General Assembly
19that includes recommendations aimed at informing the creation
20of legislation that:
 
21        (1) Addresses the value of K-12 educators and
22    administrators partnering with early childhood programs in

 

 

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1    their communities, including Head Start, Preschool for
2    All, home visiting, and child care;
 
3        (2) Will not be prescriptive and will not place any
4    burdensome requirements on school districts;
 
5        (3) Encourages best practices for supporting
6    kindergarten transitions, including aligned professional
7    development, data collection, data sharing, and family
8    engagement, among others;
 
9        (4) Could define the capacity needed and potential
10    incentives for LEAs and early childhood programs to
11    implement these practices;
 
12        (5) Promotes best practices related to the continuity
13    of care between early childhood (including between
14    infant-toddler programs and programs for preschool-aged
15    children), early childhood special education, and special
16    education in the early elementary grades;
 
17        (6) Could define the role of early learning in required
18    school improvement processes, including the role of
19    kindergarten readiness data in school needs assessments
20    and the expansion of high-quality early learning as a
21    school improvement strategy;
 

 

 

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1        (7) Reinforces the State's commitment to the
2    importance of social and emotional learning for children of
3    all ages; and
 
4        (8) Promotes best practices for dual language
5    learners, which address the cultural and linguistic needs
6    of young children as they transition into kindergarten and
7    ways in which to engage underserved immigrant and mixed
8    status families; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory
10Committee shall first meet at the call of the Chair of the P-20
11Council; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory
13Committee shall elect a Chair or Co-chairs at its first
14meeting; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory
16Committee shall seek input from stakeholders and members of the
17public; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council in collaboration with the
19Early Learning Council shall provide administrative support to
20the Kindergarten Transition Advisory Committee; and be it

 

 

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1further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory
3Committee shall submit its report to the Governor and General
4Assembly by September 29, 2018; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory
6Committee is dissolved upon submission of its report; and be it
7further; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council and the Early Learning
9Council shall post a copy of this resolution and the
10Committee's report to its website.