July 30, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KCK Students, Families Welcome Full-Day Kindergarten at all Elementary Schools

Malachi Moore is only five years old, but already his mother is seeing that he is bright for his age. In his classes last year at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools' (KCKPS) Education Center Preschool, he soared academically. His mother wants him to continue to be challenged in his learning; that's why she's glad KCKPS is instituting full-day kindergarten this school year.

"I'm all for education and was really happy when I heard about the all-day kindergarten this fall," said Trecia Moore, of KCK. "Anything that's going to benefit my son and his learning makes me happy."

At a May 8 meeting of the KCK Board of Education, members showed their support for the new change in kindergarten from half day to full day at all elementary schools in the district, beginning this fall. Previously only 16 of the 30 elementary schools had the full-day offering. And though the move will cost the district monetarily, it will pay high dividends for students, the district and the community in the long term.

"We believe that all of our students need and deserve to start off their academic years with a quality kindergarten experience," said Dr. Jill Shackelford, superintendent of schools. "By increasing our classroom time in kindergarten, we will have our students 'school ready' by first grade, which is one of our 2010 goals."

A 2006 report by the Kansas State Department of Education states that all-day kindergarten can boost academic performance, allows children and teachers to explore topics on an in-depth basis, provides greater continuity of day-to-day activities, and brings social benefits to students.

Data collected from the district proves that extra time in kindergarten means strong academic gains for students. The reading skills of students with all-day kindergarten experiences were measured against students with half-day kindergarten experiences. The statistics showed that 29.7 percent of the students who attended full-day kindergarten were proficient in reading upon entering first grade compared to only 14.6 percent who had half-day kindergarten experiences.

Cecilia Ysaac, of KCK, is another parent who is more than pleased with full-day kindergarten.

"I just can't imagine students getting the enrichment they need out of half a day," she said. "Kindergarten and preschool are the building blocks for students' lives. When they don't have a solid foundation in school, they get off to a bad start and can fall behind quickly."

Her son, Alberto, will enter kindergarten at Stony Point North this fall, a school that has had full-day kindergarten in the past. Ysaac's older daughter benefited from the offering and she is thrilled that students district-wide will have the same opportunities her daughter has been afforded.

While a number of school districts in the Kansas City metro area offer full-day kindergarten, some charge parents for the extra time. In KCKPS, the district will tighten its belt and incur the cost, rather than passing it along to parents.

"We believe our children deserve a quality kindergarten experience, regardless of their ability to pay," Shackelford said. "It means that we are going to have to make sacrifices in other areas, but it's the right thing to do for our children, and so we are doing it. I am grateful that our Board of Education was willing to make this a priority for the district."