Full Day Kindergarten OverviewCoventry Public Schools

Full Day Kindergarten Committee

Marybeth Moyer, Principal, C.G.S.

Terry Bitwinski, Teacher, C.G.S.

Eileen Hosey, Teacher, C.G.S.

Carrie Houk, Coventry Parent

Erika Nelson, Coventry Parent

Marilyn Piecuch, CECC, Director of Educational Services

Overview

• Kindergarten in Connecticut

• School Readiness

• Recommendations

• Kindergarten Day

• Meeting 21st Century Standards

• District Cost

Kindergarten in Connecticut164 districts

Half day/Extended day

• 58 school districts provide half day kindergarten to all children

• 16 school districts provide extended day to all children

• 13 school districts provide extended day to some children

Full Day

• 65 school districts provide full day kindergarten to all children

• 28 school districts provide full day kindergarten to some children

State of Connecticut Position Statement

• Vision – Ready by Five, Fine by Nine

• Provide comprehensive programs and services to all children

• Ensure that children are physically and emotionally healthy and well prepared for a life in a global society

• Provide high quality environments that recognize individual rates of growth

•Utilize a wide variety of developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant teaching strategies

School ReadinessDevelopment of foundational skills is vital to

student success

Full day Kindergarten fundamentally changes the

nature of activities that occur in the program…..

•Develops literacy and cognitive skills

•Enhances social, emotional and behavioral development

•Allows for better instructional approaches; small group instruction

•Allows time to address differing abilities and standards

Research Summary:

Benefits for Children:

• Lengthened school day

•Increased Opportunities to :

-Build individual understanding of concepts

-Work in small groups, large groups and independently

-Make connections through structured groups, activities and play

-Think, analyze, investigate and question

-Share what they know and think

Research Summary:

Benefits for Teachers:

• Lengthened school day

•Increased Opportunities to :

-Fully expose the students to all aspects of the curriculum

-Address varying learning profiles

-Challenge students at all developmental levels

-Prepare students for the transition to Grade 1

-Work in partnership with children and their families

Parent and Teacher Perspectives

Survey results indicated an overwhelmingly positive response to the possibility of a full day program.

Parents

• Better prepared for Grade 1

• More satisfied with the curricula

• Reduction of transportation and daycare transitions

• Social benefits

• More opportunities for involvement in school

• Lengthened school day

Teachers

• More instructional time

• Extended lessons and development of curriculum

• More time to get to know students and families

• Greater student progress

• Lengthened school day

Recommendation:Full Day Kindergarten

Meet students’ academic needs

•Providing support

•Opportunities to extend and deepen curriculum

•Using developmentally appropriate teaching strategies

•Increase opportunities for language and vocabulary development

•Aligns with our strategic plan and provides time for addressing the new CT Common Core Standards

Meet students’ physical needs

•Gross motor skills

•Fine motor skills

Recommendation:Full Day Kindergarten

A full day program will….

Meet students’ social and emotional needs

• Increase opportunities for socialization

•Provide additional support to address emotional needs

Lasting Benefits beyond Kindergarten

•Increased self-confidence and self concept related to school

•Better prepared for first grade and beyond

Kindergarten Program

450 hours will increase to 900 hours per year in a full day program…

More time spent on:

*Literacy *Enrichment

*Math *Intervention

*Science *Art, Music, PE

*Social Studies *Handwriting

*Health and Safety *Motor Skills

*Opportunities for verbal interactions between peers and adults

A typical day in Kindergarten

Half Day Full day

Small group time(skill groups)

20 minutes 45-50 minutes

Language Arts 35-40 minutes 60 -75 minutes

Math 20 minutes 45 -50 minutes

Science/Social Studies 12 minutes 30 minutes

A typical day…..

Half day Full Day

Physical Education 30 minutes weekly 40 minutes weekly

Art 30 minutes weekly 40 minutes weekly

Music 30 minutes weekly 40 minutes weekly

Recess 10 minutes (3 X a week)

20 – 30 minutes daily

Meeting 21st Century Standards…

Meeting the needs beyond kindergarten…The recent adoption of the Common Core State Standards

(CCSS) by the State of Connecticut will have a significant impact on the content, knowledge and skills required of all students.

In a comparison of our current state standards to the CCSS the following observations were made:

CCSS English Language Arts: There are 25 standards that appear in the CCSS kindergarten standards that are currently in the Grade 1 CT standards

CCSS Mathematics: There are 22 standards in the CCSS kindergarten standards that correlate to present CT standards, primarily in Grade 1, but also in Grade 2 and 3

Can we make it happen in Coventry?

Full Day Kindergarten

Classrooms:6

Teachers:6

Students:Approximately 21 per class

Teacher1.0 FTE with benefits

$48,000

3 half time teachers1.5 FTE, no benefits

$60,000

Para-educator1.0 with benefits

$20,000

Sub total-Staff $128,000

Classroom Furniture $8,000

Instructional Supplies $7,827

Sub-total- Furniture and Supplies

$15,287

Less – Transportation SavingsEliminating mid-day bus runs

-$67,322

Total Net Cost $76,505

Final thoughts….

The kindergarten children are

confident in spirit, infinite in resources, and eager to learn. Everything is still

possible.

~Robert Fulghum