Section 26.5-4-302 - Online kindergarten readiness pilot program - created - survey - provider selection - funding(1) There is created in the department the online kindergarten readiness pilot program, referred to in this part 3 as the "pilot program", to provide funding for a voluntary, online kindergarten readiness program that serves children in the year before eligibility for kindergarten enrollment. The purposes of the pilot program are to:(a) Help ensure that, in the year before eligibility for kindergarten enrollment, children receive personalized, online support in reading, mathematics, and science that is developmentally appropriate;(b) Provide training for parents and other family members to help them assist their children in learning; and(c) Raise the level of kindergarten readiness for all children, including children who are in low-income families.(2) The department shall conduct a statewide survey to determine the number of families who would be interested in participating in the pilot program. The department shall compile and submit the results of the survey by December 1, 2022, to the joint budget committee of the general assembly and the office of state planning and budgeting.(3)(a) The department shall issue a request for information for a provider to make an online kindergarten readiness program available to families statewide. At a minimum, a provider must demonstrate:(I) The ability to provide technology to families that choose to participate in the online program but do not have the appropriate technology to be able to do so;(II) The use of a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and evidence based and has demonstrated effectiveness in preparing children to learn in kindergarten;(III) Strong evidence of the effectiveness of the provider's online kindergarten readiness program overall in preparing children to learn in kindergarten and in developing strong social-emotional skills in children who participate in the program; and(IV) An effective plan for recruiting families from diverse backgrounds in all geographic areas of the state to voluntarily enroll in the program.(b) By May 1, 2023, based on the responses to the request for information, the department, subject to available appropriations for the 2023-24 fiscal year, may select and contract with a single provider to provide an online kindergarten readiness program. At a minimum, the contract must require the provider to provide statewide notice of the availability of the online kindergarten readiness program and begin enrolling families, free of charge, for the 2023-24 school year.Added by 2022 Ch. 123,§3, eff. 7/1/2022.