Full Day Kindergarten in
Woodland School District 50:
Strategic Plan Investigation
June 24, 2014
Full-Day Kindergarten Feasibility
Team Members
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hannah Brignon, 1st Grade East Teacher
Ashley Brooks, 1st Grade East Teacher
David Brown, Elementary West Principal
Kenneth Hyllberg, Elementary East Principal
Katie Jones, Kindergarten Teacher
Erin Landmeier, Primary Literacy Specialist
Robert Leonard, Associate Superintendent
Michele Melvin, LCPC Area Manager - Champions
Marianne Porreca, Routing Coordinator
Allison Schmitt, East Structured Learning Teacher
Don Selzer, Director of Operations and Facilities
Tiffany Soler, Primary Parent
Julie Venus, Kindergarten Teacher
Co-Chairs
• Stacey Anderson, Primary Principal
• Steve Thomas, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
Woodland Strategic Plan
Student Learning – Goal 3 Full Day Kindergarten Investigation
• Action 1 - Establish a Full Day Kindergarten Committee
which represents core classroom teachers, school
administration and parents
• Action 2 - Investigate Full Day Kindergarten systems used in
local districts and national models
• Action 3 - Create a range of options and identify strengths
and costs for best models
• Action 4 - Present the range of options and strengths and
costs to staff, parents, and students and evaluate
feedback
• Action 5 - Present the range of options with strengths, costs
and recommendations to the Board of Education
• Action 6 – Implement accordingly
Timeline
• December, 2012 – Woodland Strategic Plan
• Spring, 2013 – Co-Chairs assigned for Full Day Kindergarten
Feasibility Team
• September, 2013 - Full Day Kindergarten Feasibility Team is
formed and website developed to communicate progress
• November, 2013 through June, 2014 - Full Day Kindergarten
Feasibility Team meets monthly to complete the action plan
for Full Day Kindergarten implementation
• February 4, 2014 - Initial presentation to the Board of
Education
• April 1, 2014 – Second presentation to the Board of
Education
• June 3, 2014 – Third presentation to the Board of Education
• June 24, 2014 – Final Presentation with recommendations to
the Board of Education
Kindergarten Programs
Background Information
Full Day Kindergarten Research Findings
• Research has found that children who attended Full Day
Kindergarten scored higher on standardized test and had fewer
grade retentions
• At-risk students who received Full Day Kindergarten through the
Kindergarten Initiative in Montgomery County, Maryland made
significantly greater progress in language proficiency than
comparable children in Half-Day Kindergarten.
• A study of 17,600 Philadelphia children found that Full Day
Kindergarten helps children from low-income families perform
better and saves the school district millions of dollars through
significantly reduced grade retention in the first through third
grades.
• Research also supports the greater social growth and
interactive skills of children in Full Day Kindergarten programs.
Full Day Kindergarten Research Findings
• Research from Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, where the average entering Kindergartener
was already 22 months below grade level, showed that
children in the school’s Half-Day Kindergarten made an
average gain of 5.4 months during a 9 month period, while
children in the full day classes made a 16 month gain.
• Studies of Minneapolis Public Schools showed that minority
children in Full Day Kindergarten gained literacy skills at a
faster pace than peers in half-day classes.
• There is some debate as to the longitudinal benefits of Full
Day Kindergarten over Half-Day Kindergarten. Many
findings see statistically significant academic performance
in 1st grade and in some findings through 3rd grade. Only
one researcher found significantly better academic
performance through 8th grade when compared to halfday students.
Practical Benefits of Full Day Kindergarten
• Children who attend Full Day Kindergarten learn more in
reading and math over the Kindergarten year than those in
half-day programs.
• Offers more time to progress through a curriculum that has
changed and increased as evidenced by mandates such
as the Common Core State Standards.
• Children in Full Day Kindergarten programs receive more
academic and social instruction than children enrolled in
Half-Day Kindergarten programs.
• More instructional time in Full Day Kindergarten allows for
increased learning activities and strategies such as: group
read-aloud, peer tutoring, mixed-ability grouping, and
child-initiated activities.
Practical Benefits of Full Day Kindergarten
• Children who attend Full Day Kindergarten spend 30% more
time on reading and literacy instruction and 46% more time
on mathematics than children in half-day programs.
• Full Day Kindergarten offers teachers more time to assess
students’ learning needs and strengths and to implement
interventions and extensions to meet individual student
learning goals.
• Full Day Kindergarten offers social, emotional and
intellectual benefits to youngest students. Students have
more time to focus on learning, to reflect on their learning,
and to transition between learning tasks.
Full Day Kindergarten in Illinois
• 76.2% of FY13 Illinois Kindergarten students attended full day
programs – Illinois State Board of Education
• 71.8% of Illinois schools have only Full Day Kindergarten.
17.9% percent of schools offer both half and full day
options. 10% of schools offer Half-Day Kindergarten only.
• Illinois allows School Boards to establish Kindergarten and it
may be half day or full day. If Woodland establishes a full
day program it must still allow parents to choose a half day
option. (Illinois School Code105 ILCS 5/10 - 22.18)
• Woodland does offer both full day (Dual Language, ESL,
Extended K and Special Ed) and half day programs. Twothirds of Woodland Kindergarten students attend Half-Day.
Full Day Kindergarten in Lake County
• Data from Lake County Kindergarten programs
indicate:
– 67% will offer Full Day Kindergarten in FY15
– 6 of the 22 districts offering Full Day Kindergarten
will charge families
• Fees ranges from $3300 to $4800 annually per
student
• Districts charging fees typically are from
homogenously high socio-economic
communities
• Two districts have added Full Day Kindergarten for all
students at no fee.
– Millburn – fall 2014
– Hawthorn – fall 2015
Results from the Community Survey
• Over 89% of the 410 total survey respondents believe
Woodland “should” or “probably should” offer Full
Day Kindergarten
• The three most desirable areas of additional
education are
– More reading and literacy instruction
– More mathematics instruction
– More time for social skills development
• 43% of respondents do not think there should be a
charge for Full Day Kindergarten
• Specific fee questions:
– 94% of parents “would” or “might” send their child
if there is “No” added fee
– 77% of parents “would” or “might” send their child
if there is a $500 fee
Woodland Full Day
Kindergarten Options
After Board discussion at previous presentations the
range of options were reduced to three:
•Option 1 - Maintain Current Half Day Program
•Option 2 - Full Day for All Students
•Option 3 - Full Day for 4 sections (100 Students)
What Could a Woodland
Full Day Program Look Like?
Current Half Day Kindergarten Schedule
(Times can vary due to lunch breaks, specials and other factors)
Possible Full Day Kindergarten Schedule
(Times can vary due to lunch breaks, specials and other factors)
What A Woodland Full Day
Kindergarten Would Provide?
Return on Community Investment
• Based upon the survey results, team
discussion and Board feedback, a Full Day
Program would add these elements which
are not fully supported.
– Additional Reading instruction
– Additional Writing instruction
– Additional Math instruction
– Direct Social Emotional Learning Standards instruction
– Additional Social Studies and Science instruction
– Additional ROAR and Citizenship instruction
– Recess
– Dramatic Play, Technology and Enrichment Choices
Half-Day Option
• As required by Illinois law, Woodland would need to
offer parents the option of a half day program.
• Based upon survey results of 6% (@24 students) not
interested in Full Day Kindergarten would be integrated
into full day classrooms
• The half-day program would be held in the AM
(assuming limited enrollment).
• There would be transportation home at the end of the
half-day program.
• The half-day program implementation will be annual
driven by enrollment.
• Most districts that do not charge a tuition for Full Day
Kindergarten have nearly 100% participation.
Financial Elements
Total Costs
Option 1: Maintain Half-Day - No additional costs
Option 2: Full Day Kindergarten for All Students
– 1st year: $578,618
– Subsequent Annual Cost: $473,343
Option 3: Full Day Kindergarten for 4 Sections (100
students)
– 1st year: $198,408
– Subsequent Annual Cost: $177,133
Fee Options
• There are three options for assessing fees for the full
day program. Woodland’s current Kindergarten
registration fee is $100.
– No Additional Fee
– Doubling the Fee to $200
– Charging $500 for Full Day Kindergarten
• Dual Language, since it is Full Day, would also charge
the same fee.
• It is assumed that 33% of the Kindergarten enrollment
would qualify for a fee waiver.
• The greatest concern with charging a fee is the
number of students that will not participate in Full Day
Kindergarten because of a fee.
Private Kindergarten Comparison
• The Feasibility Team investigated local private
Kindergarten programs.
• Class sizes for these programs range from 10:1
through 20:1. Staffing is based upon a class size
ratio of 22:1.
• Costs for private Kindergarten programs range
from $7,248 per student annually to $11,250. As
presented, Woodland might charge up to $500
per student annually. All fees are for school
hours only, no before or after care is included.
Recommendations
Based upon the research, the Lake County
Kindergarten data, the community survey data and
the options developed, the Full Day Exploration Team
believes Option 2, Full Day Kindergarten for All
Students, best fits the needs of Woodland students.
The Team desires to have all students participate in a
Full Day Kindergarten program. The most likely way to
achieve that goal is by not charging an additional
fee. The data is present for the Board to consider an
additional registration fee should budgetary needs
require it.
Timeline Toward August 2015
• July 29, 2014 Full Day Kindergarten will be an
action item on the governing meeting
agenda.
• If the Board approves a Full Day Kindergarten
option:
– The Full Day Kindergarten Feasibility Team will
continue to meet to break down tasks to implement
for the 2015 - 2016 school year.
– Monthly curriculum planning sessions will begin at the
Primary school
Timeline Toward August 2015
• If the Board approves a Full Day Kindergarten
option:
– Parent information meetings will be held in the fall of
2014 and the winter of 2015 before registration
– The purpose of parent information meetings is to
inform parents of Woodland’s Full Day Kindergarten
programming plans.
– The information meetings would also communicate
the half-day option.