Implementing Full-Day Kindergarten: Tips for Success

To be sure, there is no one way to design a strong full-day program. As administrators and program planners consider developing a full-day program, however, there are a number of important steps to keep in mind.

• Assess the need and support for full-day kindergarten in your community. Survey parents, Head Start staff, and primary teachers. If possible, gather data on entering kindergartners and first-graders. Which students are most likely to benefit from a full-day kindergarten? Is there a need for a bilingual full-day program? What percentage of parents favor and support full-day programs, and how many favor sticking with half-day kindergarten?
• Form a steering committee to spearhead initial research and planning. The committee should include all stakeholders, from parents and teachers to school board members and local preschool providers. Among other things, the steering committee will need to:

• Examine the impact of a full-day kindergarten on the school budget, including the cost of transportation and additional school staff.
• Solicit and secure program funding.
• Identify available classroom space.

• Draft a statement of program goals and identify underlying philosophies. Is the purpose of moving to full-day to expand the kindergarten curriculum, or to provide students more time to cover existing material in depth? What should full-day kindergartners know and be able to do by the end of the school year? At the beginning? The more specific program planners can be about their objectives and the assumptions driving the program, the easier it will be to develop assessment tools, choose appropriate curriculum, and identify which students it will best serve.
• Determine how students will be selected for the program. In New Mexico, where more than half the students currently attend full-day kindergarten, "indicators determining what kids get phased in [to full-day classrooms] first are poverty/free-reduced [price] lunch rates, mobility and limited English proficiency" (Tirado, 2001, p. 14). Other schools use a lottery system to select students when the demand for full-day kindergarten exceeds available space.
• Devote adequate time to selecting curriculum and preparing teachers to implement it. Fromberg (1995) recommends that teachers be given multiple opportunities to visit existing full-day kindergartens to gather ideas. Both teachers and administrators should be provided time and encouragement to attend professional conferences and other relevant training. Time should also be set aside for kindergarten and first-grade teachers to exchange ideas, discuss gaps in curriculum, and plan collaboratively throughout the school year (Fromberg, 1992).
• Actively solicit parent involvement and support. As early as possible, prepare materials for parents that describe the kindergarten options available at your school. Note opportunities for parents to get involved, share research on ways kindergarten-age children learn, and provide detailed information on your program’s philosophy and goals.
• Provide ample classroom support for teachers. Good (1996) found that "being with the same group of young children for a full-day with the additional responsibilities of dressing/undressing children for recess three times per day, of collecting lunch money and assisting with lunches, of coping with tired children in the afternoon, and of adjusting the curriculum to the new schedule were quite stressful for teachers…" (p. 31). Whether teachers receive help in the classroom from parent volunteers or from paid assistants, regular and reliable support is essential.
• Conduct regular program evaluation. Especially in the early years of a program, collecting data on student performance and feedback from parents provides valuable information for improvement. Clear evidence of program effectiveness may also help secure funding for the full-day kindergarten down the road. If possible, design assessment tools that control for other factors that may have an impact on student performance in kindergarten, and be sure that research groups represent the entire kindergarten population.

The Northwest Sampler at the end of the book provides more specific ideas from educators themselves on developing and implementing a full-day kindergarten program.