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Texas Education Code - Section 29.161. School Readiness Certification System

Legal Research Home > Texas Laws > Education Code > Texas Education Code - Section 29.161. School Readiness Certification System

§ 29.161. SCHOOL READINESS CERTIFICATION SYSTEM.  (a) The 
State Center for Early Childhood Development, in conjunction with 
the P-16 Council established under Section 61.077, shall develop 
and adopt a school readiness certification system for use in 
certifying the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs, Head 
Start and Early Head Start programs, government-subsidized 
child-care programs provided by nonprofit or for-profit entities, 
government-subsidized faith-based child-care programs, and other 
government-subsidized child-care programs in preparing children 
for kindergarten.  The system shall be made available on a voluntary 
basis to program providers seeking to obtain certification as 
evidence of the quality of the program provided.
	(b)  In developing and adopting the system, the center shall 
seek the active participation of all interested stakeholders, 
including parents and program providers.
	(c)  The system must:                                                          
		(1)  be reflective of research in the field of early 
childhood care and education;
		(2)  be well-grounded in the cognitive, social, and 
emotional development of young children;  and
		(3)  apply a common set of criteria to each program 
provider seeking certification, regardless of the type of program 
or source of program funding.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 275, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2005.           

Last modified: August 11, 2007