Cascade Elementary School

Location
Cascade Elementary School (preK–1)
89 SW 3rd St.
Chehalis, WA 98532

Contact
Joyce Bacoccina, Principal
Bill Blair, Kindergarten teacher
Phone: 360-748-8853
E-mail: bblair@chehalis.k12.wa.us

Description

Cascade is a Title I Schoolwide elementary school located in an urban area about 100 miles south of Seattle. Cascade is the one school in the district offering kindergarten (Cascade is pre-K–1, Bennett Elementary 2–3, and Olympic Elementary 4–5). Forty percent of students are enrolled in the free and reduced-price meal program.

Cascade Elementary has offered full-day kindergarten for seven years. Currently, the school offers six full-day classes. We talked with Bill Blair, a full-day kindergarten teacher who has taught at Cascade since the beginning of full-day implementation.

The impetus for beginning a full-day program was Washington State’s education reform requirements for all students, the Essential Academic Learning Requirements. The principal brought all staff together to brainstorm ideas for promoting learning in the context of the new requirements. Specifically, the district administration wanted to focus on those children who performed lowest on standardized tests (in the third and fourth quartiles). The collaborative decisionmaking process developed a lot of support among the staff for implementing these changes.

After much discussion, three options were put on the table to consider: full-day kindergarten, grades 1–2 multiage grouping, or grades 1–2 looping (same teacher follows first grade class to second grade). The school was then K–2. "Although the research at the time on full-day kindergarten was scant," says Blair, "the decision to have a full-day option was based on our experience that twice as much learning time could only mean more help for struggling children. We promised parents that their children would have more time to develop more skills than in a half-day class." From the three options, it was decided to implement two full-day kindergarten classes with multiage classes the first year, and looping the second year. During the first year, the school charged $165 a month tuition for full-day. Now there is no tuition. The principal chose teachers who were flexible and had a focus on their children achieving standards with developmentally appropriate practices. Says Blair, "We looked long and hard at different frameworks for full-day kindergarten, visiting other classes and doing research."

Informational meetings about the full-day option were held for the public during the evenings. Although some parents didn’t believe in charging tuition, the idea was well received. Because the meetings were open to the public, emphasized Blair, people were less likely to be concerned about the changes.

Blair offers some observations on outcomes, benefits, challenges, and tips for success on having a full-day kindergarten.

Observed Outcomes/Benefits of Full-Day

• More continuity and time with students is available if only one class rather than two half-day classes are taught.
• As the state adds more subject areas to the assessment schedules, (children are first tested in fourth grade), it is more important that the younger children "get on the right track" earlier in their schooling.
• Full-day kindergarten allows much more time for comprehensive mathematics, reading, and writing curriculum, independent reading, journal writing, and project work.
• There is more time for "cognitively guided learning." In math children have time to ask more questions, to explore topics, and to deepen their learning and investigations. This process takes more time.
• There is more time for "thoughtful playing." "I put out particular toys and plan play activities for specific, planned purposes," says Blair.
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• Full-day kindergarten allows more flexibility for parents to volunteer during the day. Blair often has about 10 parents a week in his classroom.
• Parents have more opportunities to voice their thoughts about their child’s education.
• Full-day children entering first grade are more prepared for first-grade structure and curriculum.

Challenges of a Full-Day Schedule

• Some kids get tired, and allowances need to be made for them.
• Sustained funding is necessary.
• With six full-day classes, space becomes an issue. Sometimes grants will include facilities funding. Districts also need to look at funding for supplies.
• Finding after-school childcare may be more challenging for parents than finding full-day care. At Chehalis, after-school care is provided by the YMCA at the school for children in full- and half-day programs. The school provides the space in exchange for services provided.

Keys to Success

• Find programs in other schools to visit. Most teachers will want to observe how the full day works. They want to ask the "nitty gritty questions" such as: What is the schedule like? Do specialists serve students (e.g., music, PE, library)? Do you have naptime? Do your students have/need snacks? How do you deliver reading instruction to a wide range of development?
• Look at all available research on full-day kindergarten.
• Involve staff and community in making the decision to move to a different schedule. If a change appears to be a top-down decision, it probably won’t work.
• Have common goals, standards, benchmarks for all children. Make sure these are well-coordinated and understood.
• Use older students as reading buddies.
• Use parent volunteers as a valuable resource