§ 3602-ee. Statewide universal full-day pre-kindergarten program. 1.\nThe purpose of the universal full-day pre-kindergarten program is to\nincentivize and fund state-of-the-art innovative pre-kindergarten\nprograms and to encourage program creativity through competition.\n 2. All universal full-day pre-kindergarten programs shall demonstrate\nquality on the following elements:\n (a) curriculum;\n (b) learning environment, materials and supplies;\n (c) family engagement;\n (d) staffing patterns;\n (e) teacher education and experience;\n (f) facility quality;\n (g) physical well-being, health and nutrition; and\n (h) partnerships with non-profit, community and educational\ninstitutions.\n 3. (a) The universal full-day pre-kindergarten program shall make\nawards to (i) consolidated applications submitted by school districts\nwhich include pre-kindergarten programs offered by schools, non-profit\norganizations, community-based organizations, charter schools, libraries\nand/or museums, which shall demonstrate geographic diversity within the\narea to be served as well as diversity of providers; and (ii) non-profit\norganizations, community-based organizations, charter schools, libraries\nand museums, which may apply individually to the extent allowed under\nparagraph (b) of this subdivision. Any consolidated application must\ninclude, but is not limited to, the names of individual locations and\nproviders, applicable licenses, facility lease information, and intended\nstaffing plans and certifications.\n (b) Prior to submission of a consolidated application, a school\ndistrict shall widely solicit non-profit organizations, community-based\norganizations, charter schools, libraries and museums located within the\nschool district to be included in its application. The school district\nshall notify any applicant who has been denied for inclusion in the\nconsolidated application no later than two weeks prior to submission of\nsuch application. Such eligible providers denied for inclusion may apply\nindividually as provided in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.\n (c) The department shall establish two application periods in advance\nof a school year.\n (d) Providers awarded slots under this section that they actually\nutilized would continue to have such slots renewed in subsequent years\nprovided the program meets quality standards and all applicable\nrequirements.\n 4. Programs that provide more stimulation, enhance child development\nand demonstrate creative approaches to improve early childhood education\nwill have a competitive advantage in the application process.\n 5. The department shall develop a scoring system, which it shall use\nto evaluate which applications shall be funded on a competitive basis\nbased on merit and factors including but not limited to the criteria\nlisted above and student and community need. Upon review of\napplications, if the program is oversubscribed in any region or regions\nof the state, the department shall notify the division of the budget,\nwhich shall develop a plan for distribution of available slots within\nany oversubscribed region. The subscription for the New York city region\nis three hundred million dollars. The department shall allocate full-day\npre-kindergarten conversion slots and new full-day pre-kindergarten\nslots based on available funding and shall make payments upon\ndocumentation of eligible expenditures in the base year, which shall be\nlimited to the actual number of slots operated and paid on a per-pupil\nbasis pursuant to subdivision fourteen of this section.\n 6. The department shall develop a statewide inspection protocol, which\nshall provide for annual inspections of all universal full-day\npre-kindergarten providers, and shall develop a quality assurance\nprotocol and physical plant review protocol for such reviews.\n 7. Statewide universal full-day pre-kindergarten slots shall only be\nawarded to support programs that provide instruction for at least f
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