Minnesota Needs All-Day, Every Day Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a child's front door to our K-12 educational system.
We must provide children with the best possible start in education. And we must ensure equal access for all children who need or want all-day, every day kindergarten.
Just under half (48%*) of Minnesota public school children are enrolled in an all-day, every day kindergarten this year because the state's education budget does not pay for all-day K.
Thirty states -- including Alabama , Louisiana , Mississippi , Iowa and Wisconsin -- pay for all-day K. Minnesota 's children need the same school readiness boost.
*Source: Minnesota Department of Education 2006-07 enrollment data
Research shows All-Day, Every Day K works:
- It leads to higher academic achievement and reduces gaps between students of different economic and racial/ethnic groups
- It decreases district costs by reducing the need for additional help in later years.
- It contributes to readiness for the behavior and learning skills required for first grade
- It improves school attendance.
- It supports literacy and language development.
- It promotes a child's social and emotional development.
What would universal access to All-Day, Every Day K require in the state's education budget?
About $160 million annually - 2.5% of the overall K-12 budget.
Minnesota school districts that offer all-day, every day K are forced to divert funds from other important services to pay for this expense. Some ask parents to pay tuition - an obvious barrier to low-income families.
The situation is unfair, especially for low-income families who can't afford fees. It is not a matter of economics. We must choose All-Day, Every Day K for educational equity and excellence.
There are many ways to implement all-day, every day K including ways for districts to have time to prepare for staffing and space and a voluntary program allowing parents to choose half-day for their child if that is their preference.
Ask the experts:
In Burnsville 's all-day K program, researchers found significant increases on every academic skill measured by pre-and post-tests, as well as elimination of the achievement gap among all racial/ethnic groups at the end of the kindergarten year.
--Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191
Superintendent Dr. Benjamin Kanninen
Stillwater credits its all-day K program as partly responsible for later increases in students' third grade state test scores.
--Don Schuld, Stillwater Public Schools
Assistant Superintendent
for Teaching and Learning
After a Winona elementary school implemented an all-day K program, the number of "learning disabled" students dropped by 25%; children's letter sound recognition increased 34%; and children's knowledge of upper and lower case letters increased 24%.
--Elementary Principal Judy Davis
Minneapolis found that enrollment in all-day K rather than half-day K significantly narrowed learning gaps between white children and children of color, as well as greatly increased the gains all children made on key literacy concepts.
--David Heistad, Ph. D., Executive Director
Research, Evaluation and Assessment, Minneapolis Public Schools
"The Rocori School Board recognized the impact of all-day K by opening opportunities for parents to choose all-day kindergarten. Unfortunately we have to place the financial responsibility for that change on our parents through tuition reimbursements in the full-day option."
--Rocori Area Public Schools Superintendent Scott Staska
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The Minneapolis Foundation has chosen to advocate for state funding for all-day, every day kindergarten because it is a policy that can help close the educational achievement gap that plagues students of color. The Minneapolis Foundation has invested in strategies to reduce the educational achievement gap from early childhood through post-secondary education. In partnership with education advocacy groups, the Foundation is promoting policies to ensure all Minnesota families have access to all-day, every day kindergarten.
For more information on all-day K, contact Karen Kelley-Ariwoola at (612) 672-3829 or kkelley-ariwoola@mplsfoundation.org.
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