“The children in Head Start deserve the very best this nation can give them. Nothing less. These children are learning, but they are not learning as much as they deserve to be learning,” said Chairman Boehner. “We, as a nation, are letting them down. We can start to change that by beginning to give states the tools to fix the fragmented delivery system in early childhood education.”

Chairman Boehner continued, “If states are willing to commit to high standards and funding for early childhood education, then the federal government should be willing to let them coordinate Head Start with their own programs. Until it is, we are doing something less than giving disadvantaged children the best start they deserve.”

Studies, including a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/StrengthenHeadStart03/index.htm, have shown that children enrolled in Head Start do make progress, but still lag behind children who attend other pre-kindergarten programs in the crucial early learning knowledge areas - such as letter and number recognition - that are excellent indicators of later school success. H.R. 2210 seeks to close that readiness gap by setting new standards for cognitive development and requiring that all new Head Start teachers have an associates degree by 2005, and 50 percent of all teachers have a bachelors degree by 2008.

“By working with our fellow Committee members and listening to the concerns of our constituents, I believe we have come up with good legislation that builds upon Head Start's previous success,” Rep. Castle said. “The original goal of the Head Start program in 1965 was to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could begin school on an equal footing with middle class children. The School Readiness Act will help us fulfill that worthy mission.”

Republicans used today's committee action to punch holes in Democrat leaders' claims that the state option pilot program included in the bill would create a “block grant” that would “dismantle” Head Start. Boehner read through a list of no fewer than 16 major requirements in the bill that any state hoping to participate in the pilot project would have to meet and agree to maintain in order to even be considered. (See list at end of release.) The requirements virtually rule out any state that could not guarantee services for poor children that are as good as, or better than, the services currently being provided under Head Start.

Amendments made to the legislation today included a number of technical and clarifying changes. In addition, an amendment by Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) would increase the funding available to serve migrant and seasonal Head Start programs, including children with limited English proficiency, by using surplus training and technical assistance funds to increase the number of slots available to this underserved population by as many as 2,500.

The School Readiness Act includes a limited, eight state, five year pilot program that would allow states with a significant and sustained commitment to early childhood education to coordinate Head Start with existing pre-kindergarten programs. In order to be eligible for the pilot, states must have statewide standards for school readiness, comprehensive services and teacher quality that meet or exceed the federal Head Start standards. Only states that match at least 50 percent of the federal Head Start allotment in state and local dollars can participate in the program. In return for a further commitment to increase their current level of funding by an additional five percent, states will have the opportunity to coordinate all early childhood programs, reducing inefficiencies and eliminating overlap.

The state demonstration project in the School Readiness Act reflects the Head Start principles adopted recently by the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA). “Governors believe there is an increased need for greater collaboration among all programs that provide services to children, including Head Start, in an effort to improve child well-being and help to move more individuals and families toward self-sufficiency,” declared the nation's governors policy statement adopted at the NGA's 2002 Annual Meeting. “Governors applaud the President for offering a proposal to improve and build upon the success of Head Start through an increased emphasis on early learning and a greater role for Governors in the oversight of the program.”

The School Readiness Act, which was introduced by Rep. Castle on May 22, would keep Head Start at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). It increases the authorization by $202 million and would reauthorize the Head Start program through Fiscal Year 2008.

1. Only eight states may participate until the next reauthorization (5 years).

2. States must spend at least 50 percent of the federal contribution in state and local dollars in order to qualify.

3. States must match an additional 5 percent of the federal Head Start allotment with state and local funds, once accepted into the pilot program, in order to participate.

4. States must have a publicly funded state pre-kindergarten program or supplement Head Start with state funds.

5. States must have school readiness standards aligned with their state K-12 standards.

6. States must have standards for school readiness and comprehensive services that “generally meet or exceed” the federal Head Start standards.

7. States must require that their early childhood teachers meet or exceed federal Head Start standards: all new hires must have an associates degree by 2005 and half of all teachers have a bachelors degree by 2008.

8. States must have school readiness standards that meet or exceed Head Start standards in the following areas: services to be provided (including health, parental involvement, nutritional, social and transition); education standards to promote school readiness; administrative financial management; the condition and location of facilities operating programs and other standards the state determines to be appropriate.

9. States must continue to provide comprehensive services, including health and nutrition services, parental involvement and social and family support services.

10. States must continue to utilize the same Head Start centers, and fund the grantees at the same level, for at least the first three years of the pilot program.

11. States cannot use federal funds to reduce their state or local spending. Federal funds cannot supplant any other local, state or federal money.

12. States must provide the full range of services that are at least as expansive as federal Head Start standards, to at least as many children.

13. States must establish an extensive collaboration effort, to ensure that all programs work well together, including designating a lead state agency and eliminating any and all barriers to coordination.

14. States must coordinate all early childhood learning programs, including Early Reading First, Even State, Title I preschool, state pre-kindergarten programs, and Ready-to-Learn television.

15. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Department of Education, must approve plans for the state to participate in the pilot program

16. HHS retains federal oversight over the pilot program, and will conduct an independent evaluation of the project after three years.