In the past few years, there has been a move by school districts across the country toward full-day kindergarten programs. Now, in the Guilderland Central School District, discussions have begun to examine the possibility of implementing a full-day program.
Right now, what we’ve done is pulled together an advisory committee, said Nancy Andress, assistant superintendent for instruction. The committee, which consists of three board of education members, principals from around the district, kindergarten teachers, PTA volunteers, and early childhood education providers, is in the process of discussing the benefits and drawbacks a full-day kindergarten program would have for Guilderland schools.
`The focus of the group is to look at the need for full-day kindergarten, what are the resources needed, and what are the staffing concerns,` said Andress.
Statistics at the National Center for Education Statistics Web site (http://nces.ed.gov) suggest that full-day kindergarten programs benefit children by increasing the amount of time spent focused on key subjects such as mathematics and reading.
So far, Andress said she supports the full-day program.
`I think it would offer expanded opportunities for students. It’s an [additional] two-and-a-half-hour program; it allows for enrichment,` she said. `It’s really a developmental approach, offering them more earlier.`
Harriet Fogarty, who teaches kindergarten at Lynnwood Elementary, agrees. `We already have a wonderful program, but this gives us a chance to develop concepts deeper. It could expand an already developed program,` she said.
The program would use things already in place but on a greater, more focused scale.
`We would be developing their stamina and grade-school behaviors,` said Fogarty.
However, Fogarty recognizes that the shift from half-day kindergarten to full-day could be taxing.
`There are always the adjustments, but we have adjustments all the time,` she said. `The pace is very different.`
Nonetheless, she said she remains supportive of the potential need for a full-day program because it benefits all students and gives teachers a chance to focus on children who are at risk by giving them more time to work.
`I think that with all the expectations schools have, it seems like we have to do it [have full-day kindergarten] to meet the curriculum,` she said.
Andress said that if district decides to implement the program, a new committee will be formed to discuss how to proceed.
`Right now we’re in the exploratory/advisory phase,` said Andress. `The next group I would put together ` the ‘practitioners’ I call them ` would look at how we would structure assessments, curriculum and staffing needs. It would be a lot of nuts and bolts work.`
Although there has been some discussion of a statewide mandate requiring full-day kindergarten, as of now, the state has not earmarked government funding for full-day programs, so only basic aid would be available.
If the full-day program takes effect in Guilderland, it would likely be implemented in the 2009-2010 school year.
Regardless of whether or not the full-day program comes to fruition, Andress stressed the importance of early childhood education.
`The one thing that’s important to me is that we have a rich childhood development program with great teachers,` she said.“