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Committee retains kindergarten literacy readiness bill amid questions about past data and funding
Summary
The Finance Division I work session retained HB 671 after state education and vendor representatives described a pandemic-era pilot that used Waterford's technology and coaching supports. Lawmakers pressed for usage and outcome data, questioned how the program would be funded beyond a token appropriation, and asked the Department of Education to
The Finance Division I retained HB 671 after a work-session discussion focused on program history, results from a pandemic-era contract and outstanding questions about funding and outcomes.
Melissa White, division director for learner supports at the Department of Education, told lawmakers the program was run during the COVID-19 pandemic using relief funds and provided online pre-literacy supports to families statewide through a contract with Waterford. White said the early contract provided devices and internet access to families without them, and included coaching that guided parents through brief, daily learning sessions aimed at children age 0 to 5. The department's contract ended about a year earlier and White said the agency lacked robust pre/post outcome data that would clearly demonstrate the program's effectiveness.
Theresa Rosenberger of Bernstein Shor, representing Waterford, described local pilots that date to before the pandemic and a subsequent statewide effort funded with federal grants that included outreach and in-home engagement in some communities. Rosenberger said Waterford's approach used initial and final assessments for children in active programs; she said early local pilots showed improvements for participating children, particularly among new Americans and low-income families, but that the statewide pandemic contract did not yield comprehensive pre/post outcome measures across all participants.
Committee members asked whether the bill's requirement referencing tier-1 benchmarks under the U.S. Department of Education's Every Student Succeeds Act implied federal funding or federal oversight. White said the ESSA reference is intended to establish a quality standard for any vendor the state selects and does not imply an expectation of federal dollars.
Lawmakers pressed for details about how the program would be procured and funded if the bill becomes law. Rosenberger and department staff said future work would require a request for proposals and state procurement, and that donors or private partnerships had been relied upon previously. Committee members asked for clearer statutory language that would allow the state to accept donations and for written procurement language to be provided to the committee.
After extended questioning about usage counts, outcome measures and the Department of Education's ongoing needs assessment and literacy plan, a committee member moved to retain HB 671 for further information and amendment language; the motion carried by a roll call vote reported as 7-0.
Speakers quoted or referenced in the article are named in the official transcript and included Department of Education staff and a representative of Waterford.
