STATE OF MINNESOTA THIRTY-FOUR THMEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION
EARLY CHILDHOOD FINANCE & POLICY DIVISION
MINUTES
Representative Nora Slawik, Chair of the Early Childhood Finance & Policy Division, called the meeting to order at 4:36 pm on Thursday, March 04, 2010 in Room 200 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
House Members Present:
Slawik (Chair)
Rosenthal (Vice-Chair)
Bly
Downey
Greiling
Hamilton
Jackson
Laine
Mack
Mariani
Nornes
Peterson
Ward
House Members Absent:
Buesgens
A quorum was present.
Presentation from Minnesota Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA):
Wendy Ambrose, Executive Director, FCCLA
Monique Sabby, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher, Centennial High School
Heidi Enninga, Student and former FCCLA State Officer, Fulda High School
Ms. Enninga answered questions: Do you know Ted Winter, former legislator? How has this program changed your life?
Representative Bly moved that the minutes from Tuesday, March 2, 2010 be adopted. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Presentation on School Readiness Connections Pilot Project Final Evaluation:
Cherie Kotilinek, Manager, Child Care Assistance Program, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Laurie Possin, Financial Policy Specialist, Child Care Assistance Program, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Kristen Vosberg, Director, Campus Playhouse, Saint Cloud Technical College
Ms. Kotilinek and Ms. Possin answered questions: How many applied? How did they get the word this was available? Was the work sampling assessment the same as the school readiness assessment?
Ms. Vosberg answered questions: How many were served? How many attending? What was the biggest difference SRC made?
Presentation on Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program Evaluation: Implementation in Year 2:
Rob Grunewald, Associate Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Presentation on Pre-Kindergarten Allowances Project Final Evaluation:
Dr. Scott McConnell, Professor, Educational Psychology and Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota
Mr. McConnell answered questions: Are the allowances big enough? Would more money make a greater impact? Should the allowances be targeted better? If it interferes with CCAP is there another way to do this program?
Mr. McConnell and Mr. Grunewald answered questions: Who was the fiscal agents? What were their roles and oversight? Which model is best? Were some agents more efficient than others?
Mr. Grunewald answered questions: What is better about the scholarship model than greater reach for the public system? What changes would you like to see to non-fee based (i.e. public) programs? What are the problems you see with the public systems? The mentoring portion was shut down in middle of the pilot, was there a loss of efficacy afterwards? Was there any tracking of individual children or were child outcomes assumed? Did this pilot reflect a true market?
The meeting was adjourned at 6:07 pm.
Representative Nora Slawik, CHAIR
Matthew M. Collie
Committee Legislative Assistant