(a) On or before June 30, 1999, the State Department of Education shall develop prekindergarten learning development guidelines. The development of these guidelines shall be funded from funds appropriated for this purpose in the Budget Act of 1998. The guidelines shall focus on preparing four- and five-year-old children for kindergarten. The guidelines shall identify appropriate developmental milestones for each age, how to assess where children are in relation to the milestones, and suggested methods for achieving the milestones. In addition, the guidelines shall identify any basic beginning skills needed to prepare children for kindergarten or first grade, and methods for teaching these basic skills. The guidelines shall be articulated with the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The State Department of Education may contract with an appropriate public or private agency to develop the guidelines.

(b) In future expenditure plans for quality improvement activities, the State Department of Education shall include funding for periodically updating the guidelines consistent with academic and performance standards and relevant research, broadly distributing the guidelines, and providing education, outreach, and training services to implement the guidelines.

(c) Programs funded by the State Department of Education under Article 6 (commencing with Section 8230), Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235), and Article 8 (commencing with Section 8240) shall use the prekindergarten learning development guidelines developed pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 78, Sec. 2. Effective July 7, 1999.)