Texas Education Code

§ 29.161 — SCHOOL READINESS CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

ED § 29.161Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION · Part F. CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES · Ch. 29. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS · Art. E. KINDERGARTEN AND PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS

Statute text

View on source

(a)The State Center for Early Childhood Development, in conjunction with the P-16 Council established under Section 61.076, shall develop and adopt a school readiness certification system for use in certifying the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, government-subsidized child-care programs provided by nonprofit or for-profit entities, government-subsidized faith-based child-care programs, and other government-subsidized child-care programs in preparing children for kindergarten. The system shall be made available on a voluntary basis to program providers seeking to obtain certification as evidence of the quality of the program provided.

(b)In developing and adopting the system, the center shall seek the active participation of all interested stakeholders, including parents and program providers.

(c)The system must:

(1)be reflective of research in the field of early childhood care and education;

(2)be well-grounded in the cognitive, social, and emotional development of young children;

(3)apply a common set of criteria to each program provider seeking certification, regardless of the type of program or source of program funding; and

…

Legislative history

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 3167), Sec. 4.005, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1340 (S.B. 1871), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 5.16, eff. June 20, 2025.