Interim Session Study Committee Findings & Recommendations

Written by: Mindi Goodpaster - Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, MCCOY, Inc.

The Interim Study Committees, with the exception of the Department of Child Services Study Committee, have concluded their meetings and have put forth recommendations based on the issues that they were researching.  The following is a summary of select committees that MCCOY was following.  To see a complete list of the study committees, please click here.

Committee on Child Care

The Committee on Child Care made the following recommendations:

• PD 3401- Formal recognition of the Ministries Advisory Group.
• PD 3402- Changes definition of “Child Care Ministry” and gives child care ministries one year to comply with definition.
• PD 3403- Specifies requirements that must be met by a child care provider as a condition of eligibility to receive a CCDF voucher payment.
• PD 3406- Requires a child care provider to use a curriculum approved by the Division of Family Resources as a condition of eligibility for CCDF voucher payments. (must follow the Indiana Department of Education’s early learning standards)
• PD 3407- Specifies health and safety requirements for registration of a child care ministry, including care giver qualifications.
• PD 3419- Requires caregivers at certain child care providers to undergo a national criminal history background check.
• PD 3423- Specifies requirements that must be met by a child care provider as a condition of eligibility to receive a CCDF voucher payment.
• PD 3428- Specifies requirements that must be met by a child care provider as a condition of eligibility to receive a CCDF voucher payment, including discipline process and background checks.

The Committee also endorsed the concept of legislation that provides tax credits to families that use child care providers that are certified by Paths to Quality and to child care providers that make improvements to their child care programs and facilities to advance through the Paths to Quality certification levels.

Department of Child Services Interim Study Committee

The Committee met on November 8 to discuss possible recommendations based on the various issues that came to light during the late summer/early fall meetings.  The main topics being considered are changes to the centralized hotline, provider services and payments, best practices and the creation of a Commission on Children.  The final meeting of the committee will be held on November 27 at 10 a.m. at which time their final report and recommendations will be voted on.

Select Commission on Education

The Legislative Council directed the Commission to study the following topics:

1.    The feasibility of establishing a process by which residents of a part of an existing school corporation may elect to disannex from an existing school corporation and either annex to another existing school corporation or establish a new school corporation (HEA 1047).
2.    The process of adoption and content of rules adopted by the Indiana state board of education concerning categories or designations of school improvement including the matrices used for the A-F designations (HEA 1376).
3.    Proposed rules, adopted rules, and policies of the department of education and the Indiana state board of education to implement the provisions of P.L.90-2011, concerning teacher evaluations and licensing (HEA 1376).
4.    More clearly defining what is included in instructional spending by school corporations and what is included in noninstructional spending by school corporations for purposes of the law concerning reporting of expenditures allocated to school instruction (IC 20-42.5-3-5) (HEA 1072, SB 344, SR 7).
5.    The current oversight structure applicable to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and make recommendations for any changes in the current structure that the committee determines should be considered (SC 19).
6.    Public schools 'cherry-picking' students (the selection of certain students and rejection of others) (Representatives Karickhoff and Mahan).

In addition, the Commission studied turnaround academies and graduation waivers, and received testimony concerning Stand for Children and Teach for America. The Commission made no recommendations.