“The notion that our country has a PreK-12 education system is a misconception; what we really have is a 1st-12th grade system of education. Neither pre-K nor kindergarten are fully woven into public education and are often treated as add-ons or afterthoughts.”
So begins a new report The New America Foundation, Lessons for the Nation from a State’s Experience with Full-Day Kindergarten.
North Carolina was the first state in the nation to make full-day kindergarten universally available. Today, it is one of only 11 states and the District of Columbia to require public schools to provide free, full-day kindergarten. What’s more, 12 states allow school districts to charge parents for their children to attend the second half of the kindergarten day.
According to a review of research by WestEd, full-day kindergarten:
- Contributes to increased school readiness
- Leads to higher academic achievement
- Improves student attendance
- Supports literacy and language development
- Benefits children socially and emotionally
- Decreases costs by reducing retention and remediation rates