A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND THE SURVEYS IN ORDER TO BUILD A PROPOSAL THAT BENEFITS THE STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES OF DIGHTON-REHOBOTH FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PILOT PROPOSAL

WHAT FACTORS LED TO THE STUDY OF FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN? STATE HAS INCREASED REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE IN KINDERGARTEN WE HAVE AT-RISK READING SCORES IN DISTRICT WE WANT MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON BUILDING SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL GROWTH APPROXIMATELY 90% OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MASSACHUSETTS HAVE SOME FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN AND OUR STUDENTS ARE HELD TO SAME STANDARDS AS THOSE WITH THAT INCREASED TIME

PROCESS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS FOLLOWED  DISCUSSIONS WITHIN THE DISTRICT (TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS) OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WITH OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW LITERACY PROGRAM, THE NEW STANDARDS-BASED REPORT CARDS, AND A NEW MATH PROGRAM  ADMINISTRATIVE DISCUSSION ON FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN BEING A POSSIBLE WAY TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND SUPPORT SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL GROWTH

PROCESS AND TIMELINE THAT THE DISTRICT HAS FOLLOWED  COMMITTEE FORMED TO STUDY FEASIBILITY  RESEARCH  STATE AND NATIONAL PUBLISHED  COMMUNITY (BOTH LOCAL AND OTHER DISTRICTS)  SURVEY TO PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY  SURVEY TO OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN  SURVEY TO OUR 1 ST GRADE TEACHERS

BENEFITS (BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM OTHER DISTRICTS IN MA AND RESEARCH)  MORE TIME ON LEARNING  FULL-DAY STUDENTS SCORE BETTER ON ASSESSMENTS  BETTER ABILITY FOR EARLY INTERVENTION ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT PARTICULARLY WITH READING  INCREASED STAMINA IN FIRST GRADE AS WELL AS BETTER INDOCTRINATION INTO SCHOOL ROUTINES AND SCHOOL COMMUNITY

BENEFITS (CONTINUED)  MORE DEPTH IN ALL AREAS  MORE ENRICHMENT  EASIER TO PLAN FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AS TEACHER/STUDENT RATIO IS CUT IN HALF  HAVE FULL-DAY TO COVER SAME STANDARDS THAT WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE HALF-DAY TO COVER

BENEFITS (CONTINUED)  LESS REFERRALS TO SPECIAL EDUCATION  STRONGER SOCIAL SKILLS  STRONGER TRANSITIONAL SKILLS  INCREASE IN INDEPENDENCE AND MATURITY

MAIN CONCERNS DISPARITY BETWEEN FULL-DAY AND HALF-DAY STUDENTS? RESEARCH FROM OTHER DISTRICTS FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN BASED ON: ALREADY SEE DISPARITIES IN SKILLS IN KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT, PRE-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (IF ATTENDED), AND/OR PRIVATE KINDERGARTEN ALLOW STRONGER MODELS/SUPPORTS FOR ALL STUDENTS BY 1 ST GRADE

CONCERNS (CONTINUED) NOT ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO ENROLL OUR RESEARCH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SHOWS THAT OUR PARENTS WOULD LIKE THE OPTION SOME ARE STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF FULL- DAY KINDERGARTEN SOME WOULD RATHER THEIR CHILDREN NOT ATTEND FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

RESEARCH FROM OUR COMMUNITY OVER 500 RESPONSES TO SURVEY OVER 370 WOULD LIKE TO ENROLL IN FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN (over the next 3 years) OVER 200 RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WOULD ENROLL AND PAY TUITION OVER 200 WOULD BE WILLING TO ATTEND FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN OUTSIDE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, BUT WITHIN THE DISTRICT

RESEARCH FROM OUR COMMUNITY (CONTINUED) TOPICS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT PARENTS FROM WILLINGNESS TO ENROLL WOULD BE: COST, DAY WOULD BE TOO LONG, AND DESIRE TO WORK WITH THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME MOST STATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PAY TUITION THAT IS $2,500 OR LESS CURRENTLY PARENTS WHO PAY FOR DAY CARE OR PRIVATE SCHOOL PAY UP TO $10,000 A YEAR WITH MOST PAYING BETWEEN $3,500 AND $6,000

GUIDELINES FROM STATE REGARDING FULL-DAY TUITION FOR KINDERGARTEN CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT LOTTERY TOTAL SHOULD NOT EXCEED $4,000 USE A SLIDING SCALE FOR TUITION BASED ON INCOME (LIKE WE DO WITH FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH)

PROPOSAL IMPLEMENT PILOT FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM AT BOTH DES AND PRES IN ORDER TO OFFER AS MANY SESSIONS AS POSSIBLE, MOVE DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PALMER RIVER  COMPLIES WITH REGIONAL AGREEMENT, AS IT IS A SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM  WE CURRENTLY HAVE SEVERAL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT CROSS TOWN LINES

PROGRAM PROPOSAL OFFER UP TO 3 FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS AT DES BASED ON COMMUNITY INTEREST OFFER UP TO 4 FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS AT PRES BASED ON COMMUNITY INTEREST CONTINUE TO RUN HALF-DAY KINDERGARTEN AT EACH SITE FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN WOULD BE $3,500 PER YEAR (less than $6 an hour)

EXAMPLE OF COSTS IF WE WERE TO GO TO 2 FULL-DAY SESSIONS AND 2 HALF-DAY SESSIONS AT DES CURRENTPROPOSEDADDITIONAL COSTS 2 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS 3 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS (2 THAT TEACH FULL- DAY SESSIONS AND 1 THAT TEACHES 2 HALF-DAY SESSIONS. THIS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 45 STUDENTS IN FULL-DAY AND 44 STUDENTS IN HALF-DAY) 1 ADDITIONAL TEACHER SALARY ($46,000) AND 1 ADDITIONAL BENEFITS PACKAGE ($14,000) 2 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN ILAs 3 FULL-TIME ILAs (1 IN EACH OF THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS) 1 ADDITIONAL ILA SALARY ($16,000) 1 ADDITIONAL BENEFITS PACKAGE ($14,000) ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES $9,000 TOTAL = $99,000 WHICH TUITION WOULD COVER BASED ON: APPROXIMATELY 75% FULL TUITION, 10% FREE BASED ON IEP, AND 15% REDUCED ON SLIDING SCALE

EXAMPLE OF COSTS IF WE WERE TO GO TO 4 FULL-DAY SESSIONS AND 3 HALF-DAY SESSIONS AT PRES CURRENTPROPOSEDADDITIONAL COSTS 3.5 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS 5.5 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS (4 THAT TEACH FULL- DAY SESSIONS AND 1.5 THAT TEACH HALF-DAY SESSIONS. THIS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 82 STUDENTS IN FULL-DAY AND APPROXIMATELY 44 THAT ATTEND HALF-DAY) 2 ADDITIONAL TEACHER SALARIES ($92,000) AND 2 ADDITIONAL BENEFITS PACKAGES ($28,000) 3.5 FULL-TIME KINDERGARTEN ILAs 5.5 FULL-TIME ILAs (1 IN EACH OF THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS) 2 ADDITIONAL ILA SALARIES ($32,000) 2 ADDITIONAL BENEFITS PACKAGES ($28,000) ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES $18,000 TOTAL = $198,000 WHICH TUITION WOULD COVER BASED ON: APPROXIMATELY 75% FULL TUITION, 10% FREE BASED ON IEP, AND 15% REDUCED ON SLIDING SCALE

PROPOSED TIMELINE (IF APPROVED)  APPLICATIONS OUT TO PARENTS IN MARCH  DETERMINATION OF ROOMS NEEDED BASED ON NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RETURNED  PUBLIC LOTTERY IN APRIL  BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS BASED ON ENROLLMENT

ANALYSIS OF PILOT PROGRAM NEXT AFTER IMPLEMENTATION  SURVEY PARENTS/COMMUNITY  SURVEY TEACHERS  SURVEY STUDENTS  ASSESSMENT DATA (DIBELS, QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK, REPORT CARDS, ETC.)  ANALYSIS OF ALL DATA AND PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE YEARS