Identical to H 1050, filed 4/29/20.

Amends GS 115C-105.39A to require the superintendent of a local school administrative unit that has been identified as low-performing by the Board of Education to include in the preliminary improvement plan, that the superintendent is required to submit to the State Board within 30 days after identification, specific strategies to improve early childhood learning with measurable goals.

Requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to ensure that the comprehensive needs assessment tool used when providing support to low-performing administrative units through Regional Support Teams includes an examination of early childhood learning. Requires the assessment to at minimum examine five components for preschool through third grade: (1) training levels of early childhood teachers and support staff; (2) the student-teacher ratio; (3) alignment of preschool curricula to curricula of K-3 grades; (4) kindergarten transition supports; and (5) kindergarten preparedness.

Applies beginning with local school administrative units identified as low-performing during the 2019-20 school year.