The bill amends the Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act to establish guidelines, rules, and regulations for the implementation and expansion of high-quality public prekindergarten education programs for children ages three and four. It emphasizes the importance of high-quality early education in developing essential cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills, which can lead to long-term benefits for children and improved family outcomes.

The bill includes new findings that recognize the role of Head Start programs in providing comprehensive services and improving family educational attainment and self-sufficiency. It establishes a goal for the state to ensure that at least 70% of children in this age group are enrolled in high-quality prekindergarten options through a mixed-delivery system that includes Head Start programs, local education agencies, licensed center-based childcare providers, and licensed family childcare providers or networks.

Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of state-managed high-quality prekindergarten options. It mandates the development of research-based quality standards for the state-managed prekindergarten program, which must meet or exceed the recommended quality standards outlined by the National Institute for Early Education Research or the federal Head Start Performance Standards. These quality standards will cover various aspects, including teacher education and certification, class size and staff ratios, learning time, developmentally appropriate learning standards, and support for students with special needs and English language learners.

The bill also allocates funds to sustain and expand the state prekindergarten program and Head Start programs in Rhode Island, ensuring that teacher wages and benefits are competitive with those of similarly qualified kindergarten teachers. The act aims to create a coordinated approach between the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Human Services to support the expansion of prekindergarten education statewide. This act would take effect upon passage.