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Archive for the ‘Full-day kindergarten’ Category

Election 2012 Question of the Week

Posted in Election, Full-day kindergarten on October 5, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Election Day is fast approaching, and we want to make sure that candidates include young children and families in their education agendas. So, from now until the Friday before Election Day, I will run a question of the week to ask candidates running for state and federal office. The regular Friday “In Quotes” feature will return after Election Day.

Meanwhile, check out “Eight questions about young children to ask candidates” that I suggest in a new post on MassMoms.com, on the (Worcester) Telegram & Gazette website. And see the Election 2012 page on our website. It provides tips for voters on how to focus attention on high-quality early education and reading proficiency this campaign season and information for candidates interested in becoming champions for young children.

Here is this week’s question:

Research shows that children who attend full-day kindergarten programs make greater gains in reading and math than children in half-day programs. They also exhibit more independent learning, classroom involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness than half-day kindergarteners. What will you do to support high-quality full-day kindergarten and to ensure that all children have access to full-day kindergarten?

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In Quotes

Posted in Family engagement, Full-day kindergarten, Pre-K to 3, Quotes on August 31, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

“There is curriculum in the kindergarten classroom, even though to the naked eye you wouldn’t think so. There’s a lot of learning going on, but it’s also through structured play.”

Carolyn Lyons, Strategies for Children, “So You’re Going to Kindergarten” video, August 2012

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So, You’re Going to Kindergarten

Posted in Family engagement, Full-day kindergarten on August 29, 2012 | 1 Comment »

What does a 5-year-old really need to know before walking through the schoolhouse door for the start of the 2012-13 school year? That there will be cubbies, labeled with their names, for all children. Not to mention books and songs, sand tables and easels, new friends and a playground – and lots of fun ways to learn.  This is how a lovely new video from Milton – “So You’re Going to Kindergarten” –  presents a friendly child’s-eye guide to kindergarten.

The video offers equally friendly guidance for parents, welcoming them as partners in their children’s school experience and letting them, too, know what to expect. “There is curriculum in the kindergarten classroom, even though to the naked eye you wouldn’t think so. There’s a lot of learning going on, but it’s also through structured play,” says veteran kindergarten parent Carolyn Lyons, who’s CEO here at Strategies for Children. “Parents and families are a child’s first teachers, so really being able to align what they’re learning at home with what they’re doing at home is critical. So I think parent engagement in the classroom is the most important thing.”

(Post script. Producer and director Ada Rosmarin is a member of our Early Education for All Campaign Advisory Committee and Policy Committee.)

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Serving and Learning from a Young Age

Posted in Full-day kindergarten, Pre-kindergarten on June 28, 2012 | 3 Comments »

In Massachusetts, students in North Adams, as shown in the video above, created art work, collected toys and wrote a what-to-expect book for the emergency room of a local hospital. Students in Lunenburg and Hudson collected food for a local food pantry. In Medway, students grew crops from seedlings and created compost for a local community farm. Students in Leominster created a book about playground safety and shared it with other classrooms. Students in Dudley-Charlton built planter boxes for outdoor space near a science area.

What these projects have in common is that in each case the students were in kindergarten or pre-kindergarten. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) highlighted them at a recent full-day kindergarten networking conference. They are all examples of service learning, which ESE defines as a “method of teaching and learning that challenges students to identify, research, propose and implement solutions to real needs in their school or community as part of the curriculum.”

The activities, an ESE overview notes, are aligned with the state’s curriculum frameworks in English, math, science and health. The Medway kindergartners, for instance, not only learned about the science of composting, but they practiced the math skills of sorting and classifying and also kept a journal. Likewise, the pre-kindergarten students in Leominster learned about health when the school nurse came to talk to them about playground safety. They also paired written safety rules and signs with appropriate visuals and communicated the rules with other students. (Click here for more information on service learning from ESE.)

“At an early age these young people are practicing responsible citizenship, working in teams and solving problems,” the overview states. “Students are discussing and answering essential questions about helping others, caring and sharing.”

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In Quotes

Posted in Full-day kindergarten, Quotes on May 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

“Beyond cognitive skills related to reading and math, FDK [full-day kindergarten] also contributes to children’s development of other essential learning skills that support social competence and creative problem-solving…. FDK provides more time for children to play and learn experientially, encouraging not only their cognitive development, but also their physical and social-emotional development.”

Foundation for Child Development,  “PreK-3rd: Putting Full-Day Kindergarten in the Middle,” 2010

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Make Access to Full-Day Kindergarten Universal

Posted in Full-day kindergarten, MA Legislature, MA state budget on May 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

In my latest column on CommonWealth magazine’s website, I examine the growth of full-day kindergarten (FDK) in Massachusetts and contend that it is time to make access to FDK universal. The state of Massachusetts funds grants that support the expansion and quality of full-day kindergarten.  The  Senate Ways and Means Committee’s fiscal year 2013 state budget released last week cuts FDK grants to $20.95 million, or $4 million less than what the House of Representatives approved last month. Massachusetts readers, click here to urge your senator to support amendments to fund FDK grants at the level approved by the House.  

Also, we have updated our FDK resources to reflect the current 2011-2012 school year, wherever possible. Please note that tuition levels for 2011-12 are not yet available, so those numbers reflect 2010-11 fees. See Enrollment in Full-Day Kindergarten by City/Town (map), FDK Fact Sheet,  FDK tuition brief. and our Fast Facts for individual cities and towns.

Now here is the CommonWealth column:

Massachusetts has seen a dramatic increase in full-day kindergarten over the past decade and is poised for even more growth. With 83% of children in public school kindergarten now attending full-day programs, up from 29% in fiscal year 2000, the time has come for Massachusetts to make access to full-day kindergarten universal. Kindergarten is the critical bridge between early education and the primary grades, and research shows that children in high-quality, developmentally appropriate full-day programs benefit both academically and socially.

Kindergarten is voluntary in Massachusetts, but state law requires districts to offer tuition-free, half-day kindergarten. Individual communities decide whether to have full-day programs and whether to charge parents for the additional half day. Of the state’s 306 school districts that include elementary grades, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) reports that 283 provide at least one full-day kindergarten classroom. Tuition-free, district-wide full-day programs are provided in 201 districts, including many — such as Boston and 23 of the 24 Gateway Cities – that serve some of the state’s lowest-income families. Of the 77 districts that charge tuition, fees ranged from $1,075 a year to more than $4,000 in 2010-11.

As striking and as encouraging as the growth of full-day kindergarten is in Massachusetts, these numbers highlight substantial issues of equity. (more…)

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MA House Ways and Means Committee Releases FY13 Budget Proposal

Posted in Dept. of Early Education and Care, Early educators, Full-day kindergarten, MA Legislature, MA state budget on April 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

On Wednesday, April 11, the Massachusetts House Ways and Means (HWM) Committee released its recommendations for $32.3 billion in state appropriations for the fiscal year 2013 (FY13) budget. The proposal, which addresses a projected $1.3 billion budget gap, does not call for any new taxes or fees, and makes use of one-time revenue sources such as the state Stabilization Fund.
The House Ways and Means Committee’s recommended budget:

  • Level funds the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program at $7.5 million
  • Level funds the Head Start at $7.5 million
  • Level funds early childhood mental health consultation services in early education and care programs at $750,000
  • Reduces funding for overall child care subsidies by $8.1 million from FY12 levels
  • Provides overall funding for the Department of Early Education and Care of $487 million, compared with $495 million in FY12
  • Increases funding for the full-day kindergarten grant program administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to $24.95 million, a $2 million increase over FY12 appropriations
  • Allocates $86.5 million for the Massachusetts State Scholarship Program, which includes the Early Childhood Educator Scholarship. The State Scholarship Program, which is administered by the Department of Higher Education, was funded at $87.6 million in FY12.

The HWM budget recommendation does not fund the early literacy initiative for family child care providers that Governor Patrick included in his proposed Gateway Cities Education Agenda. It also does not fund a rate increase for early education and care providers serving subsidized children.

Click here for more information about the HWM Committee’s recommendations for programs administered by the Department of Early Education and Care and for other line items related to high-quality early education.

State representatives have until Friday, April 13, at 5 p.m. to file amendments to the House Ways and Means budget. The House will begin debate on the budget the week of April 23.

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Most States Do Not Require Full-Day Kindergarten

Posted in Full-day kindergarten, MA governor, MA Legislature, MA state budget, Research on March 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Massachusetts snapshot: Full-day kindergarten enrollment, by city/town (Click on image to enlarge)

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has taken a state-by-state look at the status of full-day kindergarten (FDK) across the country.  Only 10 states (Massachusetts not among them) and the District of Columbia have enacted statutes requiring school districts to provide publicly funded full-day kindergarten. In many states, including Massachusetts, children in some districts have access to FDK only if their parents pay tuition. In Massachusetts, kindergarten attendance is not mandatory and districts are required to provide half-day programs.

Research finds many benefits of full-day kindergarten, including 30% more time on reading and literacy instruction and 46% more time in mathematics instruction than in half-day programs. Kindergartners in full-day programs also exhibit more independent thinking, classroom involvement, productive work with peers, and reflectiveness.

Check out the Children’s Defense Fund’s interactive map and fact sheets for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (Massachusetts Fact Sheet). Here is a rundown of what CDF found:

  • Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia,  Louisiana,  Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia require districts to provide full-day, publicly funded kindergarten.
  • Twenty-one states require “school districts to offer half-day kindergarten and cannot charge tuition.”
  • Thirteen states, including Massachusetts, “allow school districts to charge families tuition for the ‘other portion of the kindergarten day.’” (Map: FDK tuition in Massachusetts communities)
  • In six states, “no state statute requires any type of kindergarten program although many school districts offer half-day kindergarten at a minimum.”

The fiscal year 2013 budget recommendation that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick released last month includes $25.95 million (up $3 million from FY12 funding) for grants to expand and enhance the quality of full-day kindergarten.

Post script. Check out our Maps & Charts page for information on other issues and trends affecting young children in Massachusetts.

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Early Education is a Dropout Prevention Strategy

Posted in College/career readiness, Full-day kindergarten, Pre-K to 3, Pre-kindergarten on February 7, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Photo: Alessandra Hartkopf for Strategies for Children

In his State of the Union address last month, President Obama called on states to raise the dropout age to 18. With research showing that low-income children who participated in high-quality early education are 30% more likely to finish high school, it is clear that early learning is a critical component of an effective dropout prevention strategy.

Chad d’Entremont, new executive director of the Rennie Center (and former research and policy director of Strategies for Children), tells American Prospect that mandating attendance “is not a silver bullet.”

“Instead, he argued that raising the dropout age ‘needs to be accompanied by a host of supports that address the root causes,’” American Prospect reports. “D’Entremont pointed to options like night classes for students who felt a need to work while in school and a bigger emphasis on goal-setting and counseling so that alienated students had at least on adult in the school they could turn to.

“To really lower the dropout rate, d’Entremont argued for early childhood care, like more pre-k and full-day kindergarten, and a better way to monitor which kids are likely to be at high-risk of dropping out—and provide resources in elementary and middle school. ‘We need to focus more on prevention as opposed to intervention,’ he said, explaining that ‘changes that occur at the very tail end of a student’s career’ are least likely to bring change.”

Laura Bornfreund of the New America Foundation also calls for a balanced approach to dropout prevention that begins with children’s earliest years. “Students who are developmentally and cognitively ready for kindergarten are more likely to be reading on grade level by the end of third grade and on the path to achieve at high levels and graduate from high school,” Bornfreund writes in a National Journal post.

Research backs her up. Children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade are four times less likely to finish high school by age 19.

“Attacking the drop out crisis at both ends,” Bornfreund writes, “should in time lead to less of a need for costly remediation at the secondary level, making additional investment in early learning, birth through third grade, much easier. In tough budget times, states want to get the most bang for their buck.”

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Full-Day Kindergarten Growing in MA

Posted in Full-day kindergarten, MA Legislature, MA state budget on June 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

The proportion of public school kindergartners in Massachusetts who attend full-day programs continues to grow. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) reports that 80% attend full-day (FDK) programs, up from 38% in 2000. Despite the increased access, 80 districts charge tuition for their full-day programs.  Statewide, 11.7% of students pay tuition for full-day kindergarten, up from 9.4% the previous year.

Research shows that children in FDK make more progress in early literacy, math and other skills than children in half-day programs. (Look at a map showing the communities in Massachusetts that offer full-day kindergarten.)

Meanwhile, as noted in a posting last week, funding for full-day kindergarten grants is on the agenda of the conference committee working to reconcile differences in the fiscal year 2012 budgets approved by the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate. The House budget maintains funding at $22,948,947, the same as FY11. The Senate budget includes $20,948,947 for the grants, a cut of $2 million.  Please join us for a conference call at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, to review the Senate budget and discuss next steps for advocacy about full-day kindergarten and other line items related to early education and care.  Click here to RSVP and receive instructions for the 1:30 p.m. call. Click here for more information about the state budget process.

Here are some highlights from ESE’s analysis of kindergarten data: (more…)

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