{ "id": "R44008", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R44008", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455708, "date": "2016-09-07", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:38:19.345575", "title": "Preschool Development Grants (FY2014-FY2016) and Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants (FY2011-FY2013)", "summary": "The importance of children\u2019s early learning experiences to their development and later success in school and the workforce has become a subject of increasing interest to the public, Members of Congress, and the Administration. During recent congresses many bills have been introduced that would provide funding to states aiming to facilitate improvements in the quality of, and access to, early childhood education (ECE) programs. \nThis report focuses on two early childhood initiatives\u2014Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grants for FY2011-FY2013 and Preschool Development Grants (PDG) for FY2014-FY2016. Both programs have been administered jointly by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to background and information on these programs, the report provides data on states that received grants under one or both of these programs. \nThrough the RTT-ELC program, ED and HHS awarded three rounds of RTT-ELC grants in December 2011 ($500 million), 2012 ($133 million), and 2013 ($370 million). Nine states received RTT-ELC grants in 2011 (Phase 1), five states in 2012 (Phase 2), and six states in 2013 (Phase 3). These grants were broadly focused on building comprehensive statewide systems to support high-quality preschool, as well as increasing access to preschool for high-need children. \nThe Obama Administration\u2019s proposed PDG program was intended to build on the RTT-ELC grants program to accomplish similar goals. For FY2014-FY2016, the PDG program focused specifically on expanding access to high-quality preschool for four-year-olds from low-income families. \nThe Administration requested $750 million in FY2014 and FY2016, and $500 million in FY2015 for the PDG program; the program received $250 million in each of the three years. According to the Administration\u2019s FY2016 budget request to Congress, higher funding for the PDG program would help lay the groundwork for the Administration\u2019s larger Preschool for All initiative\u2014which was intended to provide high-quality preschool to all low- and moderate-income children.\nSeparately, the Every Student Succeeds Act (P.L. 114-95), enacted in December 2015, established a standalone authorization for a new PDG program. This new program has not yet been funded; FY2017 is the first year for which funding is authorized. This report is focused on the initial programs, as administered through FY2016. The new PDG program is generally beyond the scope of this report, though some additional information on it can be found in Appendix C.\nOn December 10, 2014, ED and HHS awarded PDG grants to 18 states from FY2014 funding. FY2015 and FY2016 funding allowed existing grantees to receive continuation awards but did not fund any new grantees. PGD grants were divided into two separate funding streams. States with fewer than 10% of their four-year-olds in state-funded preschool that had not received an RTT-ELC grant were eligible for PDG-Preschool Development Grants. Five states received these grants. States with more than 10% of their four-year-olds in state-funded preschool or that had received an RTT-ELC grant were eligible to apply for PDG-Preschool Expansion Grants. Thirteen states received these grants.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44008", "sha1": "a5e214267c48be5890708d2d4a638801323ecafc", "filename": "files/20160907_R44008_a5e214267c48be5890708d2d4a638801323ecafc.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44008", "sha1": "5d813ffb87645fce1ff15092479f47428efee8a1", "filename": "files/20160907_R44008_5d813ffb87645fce1ff15092479f47428efee8a1.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4904, "name": "Early Childhood Care & Education" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 440841, "date": "2015-04-27", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T19:09:23.217105", "title": "Preschool Development Grants and Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants: A Primer", "summary": "The importance of children\u2019s early learning experiences to their development and later success in school and the workforce has become a subject of increasing interest to the public, Members of Congress, and the Administration. During recent congresses many bills have been introduced that would provide funding to states aiming to facilitate improvements in the quality of, and access to, early childhood education programs. \nThis report focuses on two early childhood initiatives\u2014Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grants and Preschool Development Grants (PDG). Both programs are administered jointly by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to background and information on these programs, the report provides data on states that received grants under one or both of these programs. \nPDG is a new program that is intended to build on the RTT-ELC grants program. The PDG program focuses specifically on expanding access to high-quality preschool for four-year-olds from low-income families; in contrast, the RTT-ELC program focuses more broadly on building comprehensive statewide systems to support high-quality preschool, as well as increasing access to preschool for high-need children. \nThe Administration has requested $750 million in FY2016 funding for PDG; it received funding of $250 million in both FY2014 and FY2015. In its FY2016 budget request the Administration stated that this FY2016 investment would build on FY2014 and FY2015 funding by helping to lay the groundwork to ensure that states are ready to participate in the Administration\u2019s planned larger Preschool for All initiative\u2014which is intended to provide high-quality preschool to all low- and moderate-income children.\nPrior to the start of the PDG program, ED and HHS awarded three rounds of RTT-ELC grants in December 2011 ($500 million), 2012 ($133 million), and 2013 ($370 million). Nine states received RTT-ELC grants in 2011 (Phase 1), five states in 2012 (Phase 2), and six states in 2013 (Phase 3). \nOn December 10, 2014, ED and HHS awarded PDG grants to 18 states from FY2014 funding. Grants are divided into two separate funding streams. States with fewer than 10% of their four-year-olds in state-funded preschool that have not received an RTT-ELC grant were eligible to apply for FY2014 PDG-Preschool Development Grants. Five states received these grants. States with more than 10% of their four-year-olds in state-funded preschool or that had received an RTT-ELC grant were eligible to apply for FY2014 PDG-Preschool Expansion Grants. Thirteen states received these grants.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44008", "sha1": "dffb12f23d68affb1dfa20f4627774dabfec427d", "filename": "files/20150427_R44008_dffb12f23d68affb1dfa20f4627774dabfec427d.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44008", "sha1": "b2bedbb82064df23047b06fceb78cc33c07cb720", "filename": "files/20150427_R44008_b2bedbb82064df23047b06fceb78cc33c07cb720.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Education Policy", "Health Policy" ] }