When I began my career as an educator, kindergarten that was all day long, five days a week was a bit of an anomaly. In fact, my first teaching position was in a school where kindergarten students attended on alternating days, with the exception of Friday when they all came together (in one room mind you). If you are ever interested, sometime ask me about my experience teaching music to thirty-five five year old[s] on Friday afternoons! Nonetheless, what was once a rarity is now commonplace across the state. But here is another interesting fact: were you aware that students are not even required to attend kindergarten? By law, kindergarten remains the one 'grade level' that is exempt according to Iowa's compulsory attendance law. But in spite of that, almost all students who are five years old by September 15th attend kindergarten in Iowa.
The statewide voluntary preschool program that began in the fall of 2007 was set up as a competitive grant program. With a limited number of dollars available, school districts wishing to start preschool programs had to compete for the funds, and as such preschool in Iowa began in what I like to refer to as a 'slow roll'. But in the intervening decade, preschool is now about as common as every other day kindergarten was when I began my career. During those early years, just over 5,000 children were served statewide. Now, the statewide voluntary preschool program has grown exponentially and is expected to serve more than 25,000 students in 2018-2019. Beginning this school year, of the 330 school districts in Iowa, there are only seven remaining who do not have a statewide voluntary preschool program.
From a sheer numbers standpoint, the statewide voluntary preschool program has been a huge success. Coupled with what scholarly research tells us about the impact of early intervention, schools can leverage these benefits in a way that pays dividends later in the child's academic development. Because of the fact a child's brain is 90% developed by the age of five (Iowa Department of Education Fact Sheet), it makes clear that early intervention makes tremendous difference. Prior to preschool programming, struggling students were typically identified in need of special education services and planned educational interventions toward the end of kindergarten. This was done only after following a rigorous process of problem solving, intervention, and finally implementation. On the other hand, what happens if we are able to identify and intervene before the student enters kindergarten? The intervention could then act as a preventative measure, minimizing or mitigating services needed. The fact is that at Hudson, students who are identified early in their academic careers are more likely to be 'aged out' of special education programming. Quite simply stated, that means a student who is in a special education program during their primary years may very well not be in a special education program by the time they get to junior high.
But the benefits of preschool programming aren't limited to just those students who may be eligible for special education. According to a 2017 study by the Brooking Institute and the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, (Phillips, D. A., Lipsey, M. W., Dodge, K. A., Haskins, R., Bassok, D., Burchinal, M. R., Duncan, G. J., Dynarski, M., Magnuson, K. A., & Weiland, C.) for every dollar invested in early learning programs, there is a return on investment between $7-$10.
So the decisions the Iowa Legislature have made since 2007 are wise investments. Further, the decisions made by this body that streamlined the process for schools to begin programs were very well done. Yet work remains. Currently, the law requires schools implementing the program to provide ten hours of developmentally appropriate instruction. That works out to a half day program, four days a week. Our school board would advocate all day everyday preschool. Of course this would require a greater infusion of capital since currently preschool students are weighted at .5. We believe a full day program would require a weighting of 1.0. A heavy lift indeed! Yet if we remember the research: for every dollar spent....
From a sheer numbers standpoint, the statewide voluntary preschool program has been a huge success. Coupled with what scholarly research tells us about the impact of early intervention, schools can leverage these benefits in a way that pays dividends later in the child's academic development. Because of the fact a child's brain is 90% developed by the age of five (Iowa Department of Education Fact Sheet), it makes clear that early intervention makes tremendous difference. Prior to preschool programming, struggling students were typically identified in need of special education services and planned educational interventions toward the end of kindergarten. This was done only after following a rigorous process of problem solving, intervention, and finally implementation. On the other hand, what happens if we are able to identify and intervene before the student enters kindergarten? The intervention could then act as a preventative measure, minimizing or mitigating services needed. The fact is that at Hudson, students who are identified early in their academic careers are more likely to be 'aged out' of special education programming. Quite simply stated, that means a student who is in a special education program during their primary years may very well not be in a special education program by the time they get to junior high.
But the benefits of preschool programming aren't limited to just those students who may be eligible for special education. According to a 2017 study by the Brooking Institute and the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, (Phillips, D. A., Lipsey, M. W., Dodge, K. A., Haskins, R., Bassok, D., Burchinal, M. R., Duncan, G. J., Dynarski, M., Magnuson, K. A., & Weiland, C.) for every dollar invested in early learning programs, there is a return on investment between $7-$10.
So the decisions the Iowa Legislature have made since 2007 are wise investments. Further, the decisions made by this body that streamlined the process for schools to begin programs were very well done. Yet work remains. Currently, the law requires schools implementing the program to provide ten hours of developmentally appropriate instruction. That works out to a half day program, four days a week. Our school board would advocate all day everyday preschool. Of course this would require a greater infusion of capital since currently preschool students are weighted at .5. We believe a full day program would require a weighting of 1.0. A heavy lift indeed! Yet if we remember the research: for every dollar spent....
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