General Provisions Governing Programs Authorized Under the Early Childhood Development Act

PURPOSE: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is authorized by the Early Childhood Development Act to administer a program of grants to local public school districts for the provision of early childhood screening, parent education, and programs for developmentally delayed children. This rule sets forth the general provisions governing those programs. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The secretary of state has determined that publication of the entire text of the material that is incorporated by reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. This material as incorporated by reference in this rule shall be maintained by the agency at its headquarters and shall be made available to the public for inspection and copying at no more than the actual cost of reproduction. This note applies only to the reference material. The entire text of the rule is printed here. (1) All programs and projects carried out by school districts under the Early Childhood Development Act (ECDA) shall be conducted in conformity with— (A) The school district’s annual application for district program approval under the ECDA, pursuant to applicable state laws and regulations and the following: 1. The school district shall designate a supervisor who will be responsible for the oversight, delivery, and evaluation of the parent education program including presenting the goals, objectives, and effectiveness of the program regularly to the local school board; 2. The school district shall establish a Community Advisory Committee or utilize an existing committee that includes key stakeholders such as families, early childhood providers, school administration, school board members, and other community leaders. The purpose of the Community Advisory Committee is to promote, plan, and evaluate the parent education program. The Community Advisory Committee shall meet, at a minimum, twice during the program year; 3. The school district shall provide families with access to qualified parent educator(s) who provide parent education services. The parent educator(s) shall be trained in an approved curriculum and complete the required hours of annual professional development; 4. The school district shall provide an approved parent education program that supports families expecting a child or who have a child under the age of kindergarten entry. These services shall be provided for, at a minimum, nine (9) months during the program year; 5. The school district shall offer families access to personal visits, developmental screenings, group connections, and a network of resources within the community to support their child’s education and development; 6. The school district shall, annually, gather and summarize feedback from families regarding the services received and use the results for program improvement; 7. The school district shall utilize a systematic method for collecting, reporting, and securely storing data; 8. If a school district fails to offer or is unable to offer an approved parent education program, the district shall enter into a contract with another district, public agency, or stateapproved not-for-profit agency to offer a program compliant with this rule; and 9. Funds received from the department, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, for this parent education program cannot be used to support other programs and services provided in the school district. Prior to payment for programs and projects carried out by school districts under the ECDA, the school district shall agree to follow all procurement assurances, including monitoring, for the use of state and/or federal funds by written agreement with the department. (B) The Early Childhood Development Act (ECDA) Administrative Manual for Missouri Parents as Teachers Parent Education Program contains the administrative provisions for the delivery of the state’s school district parent education services. The ECDA Manual is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. A copy of the ECDA Manual (revised September 2022) is published by and can be obtained from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood, 205 Jefferson Street, PO Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480, and at its website at https://dese.mo.gov/ governmental-affairs/dese-administrativerules/incorporatedreference-materials. This rule does not incorporate any subsequent amendments or additions. (2) Any rule or interpretation of a rule promulgated by the State Board of Education in exercising its responsibilities under the statute may be waived by the assistant commissioner, Office of Childhood, upon determination that a situation exists in which the application of the rule or interpretation would cause an extreme hardship upon the affected party, or would work to the detriment of the intended beneficiaries of the program. AUTHORITY: sections 161.092, and 178.691–178.699, RSMo 2016 and Supp. 2022.* This rule previously filed as 5 CSR 50-270.010 and 5 CSR 20-600.110. Original rule filed April 4, 1985, effective Sept. 3, 1985. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Feb. 27, 1992, effective Sept. 6, 1992. Amended: Filed June 29, 1995, effective Jan. 30, 1996. Amended: Filed May 29, 1998, effective Dec. 30, 1998. Amended: Filed July 28, 2000, effective Feb. 28, 2001. Amended: Filed Oct. 29, 2002, effective April 30, 2003. Amended: Filed Jan. 16, 2008, effective Aug. 30, 2008. Amended: Filed June 10, 2010, effective Dec. 30, 2010. Moved to 5 CSR 20-600.110, effective Aug. 16, 2011. Amended: Filed Feb. 27, 2013, effective Sept. 30, 2013. Amended: Filed May 28, 2015, effective Dec. 30, 2015. Moved to 5 CSR 20-100.330 and amended: Filed Nov. 29, 2018, effective June 30, 2019. Non-substantive change filed July 30, 2019, published Sept. 30, 2019. Moved to 5 CSR 25-100.330, effective Aug. 30, 2021. Amended: Filed June 24, 2022, effective Feb. 28, 2023. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014; 178.691, RSMo 1984; 178.693, RSMo 1984, amended 1985, 1993; 178.694, RSMo 2022; 178.695, RSMo 1984, amended 1992; 178.697, RSMo 1984, amended 1993, 2010; 178.698, RSMo 1993; and 178.699, RSMo 1984.