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November 2023
The 2023 legislative session brought about several exciting changes and opportunities for growth in early childhood. As a result of this, a number of programs and procedures in the Division of Early Learning were affected. Updates will be posted on the Department of Education's Early Childhood Legislation webpage. Find additional information related to these topics at Early Learning.
Table of Contents
- Early Childhood Family Education
- Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS)
- Early Childhood Screening
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Early Learning Scholarships
- Grants to Institutes of Higher Learning for KCF
- Great Start Scholarship Program
- Grow Your Own Grants
- Head Start
- Kindergarten Entry Assessment
- Teacher Licensure Requirement
- Teacher Shortage Grant Program
- Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten and School Readiness Plus
Early Childhood Family Education
Funding was awarded to the Department of Education to hire two licensed parent educators to support and provide technical assistance to Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programs across the state.
Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System (ECLDS)
Funding was awarded to the Office of Higher Education to hire an Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System research analyst to conduct complex research and data analysis activities for early childhood care and education on behalf of the Departments of Human Services, Health, and Education, and the Children’s Cabinet. Interviews are underway with a person starting by the end of the calendar year.
Early Childhood Screening
Beginning July 1, 2023, Early Childhood Screening programs will provide virtual developmental screening upon request to parents/guardians with immunocompromised health or other health concerns (Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.17). Districts will receive an increase of 30% in state aid for each child screened between the ages of three and the first 30 calendar days of kindergarten (Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.19). View the Early Childhood Screening guidance document for more information.
Expanded Early Childhood Screening training (in August, September and October) was provided to districts (and charters who elect to provide screening programs) for virtual screening for families who request it due to health concerns.
We are incorporating parent feedback through other early childhood initiatives, such as the Preschool Development Grant, to build a more sustainable, culturally and linguistically relevant training system to increase equitable access and supports for all Minnesota children.
Early Childhood Special Education
Specific to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), the following changes took place:
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Technical Fix: An unintentional consequence of previous statutory language was fixed in order to now allow districts to receive state aid for school breakfast and English language services for students qualifying for Early Childhood Special Education services.
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Open Enrollment and Parent Choice Statute:
- Open Enrollment may be required at kindergarten for early childhood special education students enrolled out of district for preschool. (Minnesota Statutes 2023, section 124D.03 subdivision 3: Open Enrollment)
- Parent Choice: a student with a disability, not yet enrolled in kindergarten, who is participating in a Head Start or other community preschool or childcare setting in a nonresident district may enroll in a non-resident district in the same manner as a resident student. (Minnesota Statutes 2023, section 125A.13 School of Parents’ Choice)
Early Learning Scholarships
Starting July 1, 2023, the funding appropriation for Early Learning Scholarships increased by $126,028,000 making the total appropriation $196,737,000. The administrative funding for Early Learning Scholarships also increased, and the 2023 Legislature agreed to the use of up to $5,000,000 for technology systems for ELS for an online application, attendance tracking, centralized payment and case management systems.
The most imminent change begins on January 1, 2024, with the expansion of eligibility to Birth to age 4. View the Early Learning Scholarships legislative talking points for more information on the changes, including the expanding eligibility and priorities over the next few years.
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Grants to Institutes of Higher Learning for KCF
Grants were awarded to Institutes of Higher Education to embed the Knowledge and Competency Framework (KCF) in their courses.
The grants team is currently working on developing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the grant opportunity. The plan is to open the RFP in early winter. Applications will be accepted until approximately mid-January and awards will be made in spring.
We will provide more detailed dates and information soon. Watch for updates on the MDE Grants webpage and in the Early Learning Services Newsletter.
Great Start Scholarship Program
Funding was provided for planning and beginning implementation of the Great Start Scholarship Program. The goal is to integrate administrative and funding structures of early care and learning programs, including Early Learning Scholarships and Childcare Assistance Program, and caps family contributions at 7% of income.
Grow Your Own Grants
Minnesota’s legislation has expanded K-12 Grow Your Own Grant funding to include opportunities for Early Childhood Educators. Programs can use these grants to develop an early childhood education workforce that more closely reflects the state's increasingly diverse student population and ensures all students have equitable access to high-quality early educators.
The grant can be used to host, build, or expand an early childhood educator preparation program that leads to an individual earning the credential or degree needed to enter or advance in the early childhood education workforce.
The department is currently working on developing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the grant opportunity. The plan is to open the RFP in early winter. Applications will be accepted until approximately mid-January and awards will be made in spring. We will provide more detailed dates and information soon.
Head Start
An increase in state aid from $25.1 to $35.1 million was awarded to Head Start programs and includes an expanded use of funds to increase capacity of programs to support children and families. Additionally, new bill language requires Tribal Head Start programs receive 10.72% of the total initial allocation of funding.
35.1 million dollars of annual funding has been distributed and is currently being used by all 34 Head Start programs across the state. Tribal Head Start programs received 10.8% of 35.1 million.
Kindergarten Fall Assessment
Funding was provided to implement a Kindergarten Fall Assessment. Year 1 (SY 2023-24) is focused on community and partner input; Year 2 (SY 2024-25) will focus on piloting/testing and continued community and partner input; and Year 3 (SY 2025-26) will focus on implementation, reporting, and continued community and partner feedback.
MDE will provide districts and charter schools with the Kindergarten Fall Assessment, including access to training. MDE must report the percentage of kindergartners who met or exceeded end-of-year prekindergarten standards. Pairing this data with other information can help answer the question “What can families, schools and programs, communities, and state systems do to support seamless transitions into the kindergarten year and beyond?”
Preschool Development Grant Programs and Activities
A number of programs and activities funded by the Preschool Development Grant were affected, including:
Learn more in the Preschool Development Grant Legislative Updates bulletin.
Teacher Licensure Requirement
Effective July 1, 2028, there is a requirement that school-based early learning programs must hire a qualified licensed teacher.
Exemptions: Any teacher who has taught in a preschool, school readiness, school readiness plus, or prekindergarten program, or other early learning program for at least five years prior to September 1, 2028, may continue to teach without obtaining a license. Notwithstanding this exemption from the licensure requirement, these individuals are teachers under section 179A.03, subdivision 18.
Teacher Shortage Grant Program
$500,000/year in ongoing funding was awarded to this grant program, which will be taken over by the Office of Higher Education.
Voluntary Prekindergarten and School Readiness Plus
For Voluntary Prekindergarten and School Readiness Plus, an immediate change was implemented to make permanent the 4,000 0.6 Average Daily Membership (ADM) seats for a total of 7,160 seats. An additional 5,200 seats will be funded in Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026. Plans are also beginning with School Finance to do some joint district engagement on distribution of new seats and clean-up of allocation language.
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Contact
Early Learning Services
mde.els@state.mn.us
651-582-8412
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