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TO ESTABLISH A PILOT FIRST STEPS TODDLER LEARNING CENTER PROGRAM IN EIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICTS EFFECTIVE BEGINNING WITH THE 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR, TO PROVIDE PROGRAM ELEMENTS, AND TO DIRECT THE OFFICE OF FIRST STEPS TO SCHOOL READINESS TO DEVELOP ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES AND AN ASSESSMENT ELEMENT FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) Effective beginning for the 2006-2007 school year, the First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall establish as a pilot program, the First Steps Toddler Learning Centers (TLC) Program, which must develop, implement, and monitor education programs in this State for at-risk children from birth to four years old. The TLC program must be implemented in existing preschool and childcare programs in the following school districts: Allendale, Dillon 2, Florence 4, Hampton 2, Jasper, Lee, Marion 7, and Orangeburg 3.
(B) The TLC program shall focus on providing high-quality curricula and instruction to childcare providers and children, supporting incentives for personnel, enriching the facilities with proper instruction materials and equipment, providing parenting workshops and home visits, and recruiting participation by at-risk families through tuition assistance.
(C) The Office of First Steps to School Readiness shall develop accountability measures and an assessment element for the TLC program. The Office of First Steps shall track measurable progress in the TLC program in the following five areas: establishment of data-collection procedures, enrollment, accreditation of centers, improvement of school readiness, and collaboration of the centers with business partnerships and other youth-oriented community programs.
(D) The First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall promulgate regulations and prescribe procedures as necessary to implement the provisions of this joint resolution.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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