‘Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:

‘Sec. 5. Basic approval standards; rulemaking. The Commissioner of Education shall amend the Department of Education rule Chapter 125: Basic Approval Standards: Public Schools and School Administrative Units to address developmentally appropriate educational practices for kindergarten to grade 2. The rule must be amended to provide for:

1. Classroom instruction with hands-on experiences with concrete materials and opportunities for students to interact with the world, ask questions, seek answers to questions and reflect on learning;

2. Instruction that includes integration of learning experiences from all content areas arranged around themes relevant to the lives of students in kindergarten to grade 2; and

3. An integrated school day that includes opportunities for student-centered and teacher-directed time combined with large and small group instruction.

Rules adopted or amended pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The commissioner shall provisionally adopt the amended rules and submit the provisionally adopted rules to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council by January 10, 2020.’