$13 Billion is not enough?

The Eccentric roared about “unfunded mandates” in this editorial:

Eccentric: Good ideas merit adequate funding (08/10/08)

Based on the language, I’ve got to wonder which education official was the ghostwriter.

The editorial suggests that any requirements the state places on schools should be considered an unfunded mandate. What they fail to point out is that the state provides over one-third of the state budget – some $13 billion dollars – to schools. Are these requirements really unfunded?

The editorial takes an unsubstantiated swipe at the migration to all-day kindergarten as another example of an unfunded mandate. What they fail to point out is that schools already receive the full state grant per pupil for kindergarten students, while only providing a half-day of service. Unfunded mandate?

The editorial claims these mandates come “at a time when state aid already has fallen behind increased costs.” They fail to point out that schools are responsible for managing their own budgets, and allow employee costs to balloon out of control.

If the Eccentric does not believe schools get enough money, then exactly how much does the Eccentric think schools should get? How much should it increase each year? Articles like this only further the notion that no amount of money is ever enough.

I’ve pasted the article below in case the link doesn’t work.

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Good ideas merit adequate funding
August 7, 2008

State officials come up with a great idea - so great, they figure every school district in the state should implement it. Do it or else, they say - and, by the way, don't bother asking us for any financial help in paying for it.

The resultant dilemma is called an unfunded mandate.

It's happened time and again, so no one should be surprised that the state Legislature has taken up an all-day kindergarten program that could cost districts plenty.

In her state of the state message, Gov. Jennifer Granholm called it a "simple step" that would make a difference. But simple by whose definition?

While many districts in the area are moving toward that goal, still others know that the mandate will require more space and more teachers at a time when state aid already has fallen behind increased costs.

The problem of unfunded mandates doesn't stop there.

Recently, the state Court of Appeals ruled that the governor and Legislature violated the Headlee Amendment by requiring school districts to compile data on student progress without reimbursing them for the cost.

The issue could be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

"The (state) constitution is very specific" on requiring mandates be funded, Michael Adamczyk said of the ruling. The assistant superintendent for business in the Troy district is also president-elect of the Michigan School Business Officials group.

The frustrating part, he said, is that even though the state has lost the argument in the past, it still puts up a fight.

For some districts with current software, computers take the brunt of the work. But other districts, Adamczyk said, have to either buy new software or update what they currently have.

Districts "don't argue the merits" of gathering data, he added.

Nevertheless, time is money, whether it be in gathering data or fighting a lawsuit.

It not only makes sense to fund mandates, it's the law.

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Can the benefits of All-Day K be proven?

A reader asked me to reference the studies that explain "WHY" all-day kindergarten is better. The "WHY" is shown in those studies that advocate for it. More time on task allows for deeper understanding. More practice time leads to better mastery. More time allows more ground to be covered.

In short, some studies suggest students learn more, and learn it faster.

I think what he was really looking for was the study that proved without a doubt that all-day kindergarten is best. Such a study does not exist. Some will point to positive results, but none of the studies will declare it "best" in such absolute terms.

The reader suggests that all-day kindergarten is nothing more than "cheap childcare for working parents." Perhaps in his district -- and in some other districts for that matter -- it might be.

But a failure to develop a robust all-day kindergarten curriculum in some districts does not mean that the all-day kindergarten lacks merit. Not all districts are irresponsible or ineffective.

Furthermore, I've said repeatedly that all-day kindergarten needs to be part of an overhaul of the subsequent elementary curriculum so that the benefits of all-day kindergarten are not short-lived.

This is a complex issue, and for every study that recommends all-day kindergarten, there is likely to be on that says it doesn’t matter. But this lack of concensus is of little significance, given that most topics in education have similar disagreements.

There is no way that I -- or anyone -- can “prove” to this reader that in every case all-day kindergarten is the best choice.

I have pasted below some links and commentary I pulled together for someone late last year.

I stand by my opinion that all-day kindergarten would be an improvement to our education system.

==> Mike.


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This was discussed last year in Michigan.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/2006-SB-1306

The AFT liked the Senate bill:
http://aftmichigan.org/files/kindergarten.pdf

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http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/244785/

Nationwide, the percentage of full-day programs has grown from about 25 percent in 1984 to 60 percent in 2001, and likely more by now. The trend, if anything, is accelerating. Half-day kindergarten is so unpopular in northern New Jersey that many families hold their kids out of the public schools or send them to private full-day kindergarten programs. A glance at news reports shows that in recent weeks pressure has mounted for such programs in Michigan, North Dakota, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington, Nebraska and Kansas.

Longer classes include more instruction, which is meant to give kids a boost in reading, math and other academic skills. Advocates haul out various studies indicating that all-day kindergarten helps children, especially those from lower-income families, learn more and faster.

We're skeptical. Research going back seven decades suggests that any advantage of early education disappears later on. Earlier this year, for example, the Goldwater Institute in Arizona found that any boost kids received from preschool and kindergarten programs had vanished by the fifth grade.

"This report demonstrates that all-day kindergarten is not an education reform strategy that policymakers can hang their hats on," said Darcy Olsen, president of the institute. "All-day 'k' delivers short-term benefits at best."

[AGAIN, I BELIEVE THIS “SHORT TERM” ARGUMENT IGNORES THE FACT THAT SCHOOLS DON’T ADJUST THEIR CURRICULUM IN GRADES 1-5. – mjr]
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There is apparently some paper referenced here that would be worth tracking down:

http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0103poll-education03.html

He points to a 2004 paper that McMaster University Assistant Professor Philip DeCicca wrote while at the University of Michigan. DeCicca analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education and found that although all-day kindergarten pupils see education gains, those strides may be temporary, especially for minority children. After a few years, some minority children who attend all-day kindergarten do worse than their half-day counterparts, DeCicca's paper suggests.

Napolitano's office argues that the vast majority of data support the positive benefits of full-day kindergarten, though all-day kindergarten isn't a magic bullet, acknowledged Becky Hill, the governor's education adviser.

"There will never be one thing that will make all children better learners," she said. "It's intended to be one piece of a better system."

[MS. HILL HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH THE “JUST ONE PIECE” POINT – mjr]

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Here's something from NCES:

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006031

March, 2006
"Spending more time on subject and working within a full-day kindergarten structure were found to be associated with relatively large gains in achievement."

From ERIC:

http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Full+Day+Kindergarten&searchtype=keyword&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=kw&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b8015f0d5&accno=EJ749462&_nfls=false

Using longitudinal data, I estimate the impact of full-day kindergarten on standardized test scores in mathematics and reading, as children progress from kindergarten to first grade. I find that full-day kindergarten has sizeable impacts on academic achievement, but the estimated gains are short-lived, particularly for minority children. Given the additional expense of full-day kindergarten, information regarding the size and duration of gains should be of great interest to policy makers.

[AGAIN, THE "SHORT-LIVED GAINS" COULD EASILY BE EXPLAINED BY A LACK OF ADJUSTMENT IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS -- mjr]

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A tough "anti" full day K article from The Mackinac Center:

http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?ID=8835

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Some Michigan Full Day Kindergarten Programs:

http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.forparents/ins.k_options/full_day_kindergarten
http://www.bcreek.k12.mi.us/
http://www.albion.edu/pleiad/Fall_2007/issue07/community/community1.asp

http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us/curriculum/fulldayk.php

Conclusions and Recommendations
The All Day Kindergarten Program at William Grace Elementary School has substantially increased tests scores, met the academic and social needs of students, has the overwhelming support of parents, and has the potential to generate additional revenue for the district by attracting additional students to the district. Therefore, it is recommended the program be continued at William Grace. If the district has sufficient resources, the program should be expanded to other schools, particularly those with the greatest needs based on the research that was reviewed.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0309/p01s03-ussc.html?s=u

from the March 09, 2005 edition
Across the country many districts are fighting to retain and boost full-day programs even as budgets grow tighter. Last year, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest, voted to expand full-day kindergarten programs. Maryland school systems are mandated to have full-day kindergarten by the 2007-2008 school year. And in Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry has pushed an initiative to fund $114 million for a school-improvement initiative that includes all-day kindergarten.

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http://www.hometownsource.com/2005/November/1nathan.html

It appears the website here has some missing text, but here is what is says: The new study will be published in February and was discussed on the front page of the non-partisan, well-respected Education Week, October 19. Researchers used data from a nationally representative sample of about 8,000 students.
The authors are from the University of Michigan, University of Oregon in Eugene, and Chicagoís Erikson Institute.

[THIS LINK DOESN'T SAY MUCH, BUT IT IS A PLACEHOLDER TO REMIND ME -- OR SOMEONE! -- TO LOOKUP THE EDUCATION WEEK ARTICLE -- mjr]

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A bit dated, but contains some data:
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/fullday.html


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Negative parent reaction:
http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2007/07/23/full-day-kindergarten-should-it-be-mandatory-in-oakland/


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A bit dated, but still relevent from the National Association of Elementary School Principals
http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=193
There is an impressive amount of research supporting full-day kindergarten’s benefit to students academically, socially, and emotionally. Principals agree.

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All Day K: 12 Down, 16 To Go!

House Bill 4662 is a step in the right direction.

This was pointed out a few weeks ago in the following editorial:

Oakland Press: All-day kindergarten promises benefits to kids (04/09/08)

The bill proposes to “require full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2011-2012 school year”. Unfortunately it adds a condition; it is only required “for schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law for two consecutive years.”

The legislature should instead require all-day kindergarten for all schools.

In its analysis of the legislation, MichiganVotes.com cites MDE data showing that one-third of Michigan schools already offer full-day kindergarten, and another third offer options for all day programs.

Not all parents like it, as shown in a recent Oakland Press article (found here). But some boards are offering half-day kindergarten as an option for those parents who feel their child is not ready for an all day program.

Most studies I’ve seen seem to show that children who have gone through a good all-day kindergarten enter first grade better prepared than those who have only had a half-day. No great surprise there. Some of those studies conclude that this advantage seems to wear off by fifth grade. There is no great surprise there either, given that most moves to all-day kindergarten are myopically focused on kindergarten, and do not include changes to the first grade curriculum to allow for these better prepared children. And, if better prepared kindergarteners need a more challenging first grade curriculum, then those better prepared first graders will need a more challenging second grade curriculum, and so on.

The MichiganVotes.com analysis also articulately cites an argument I’ve made for years, “Proponents argue House Bill 4662 is pre-funded, and not an unfunded policy mandate. Since the state currently pays districts a full foundation allowance for each kindergarten student attending a half-day program, school district officials are obligated to offer a full-day of education. If school district officials are currently using their full per pupil foundation allowance to subsidize other areas of the school operation, they will need to re-prioritize their budgets, and direct the state aid for full-time kindergarten to the program for which it is intended.”

There have been a few more announcements recently in Oakland County, including one today about Walled Lake:

Oakland Press: District offers parents option of all-day kindergarten (04/26/08)

This now means that 12 of the 28 districts in Oakland County offer free all day Kindergarten:

• Berkley
  
• Clawson
  
• Farmington
  
• Ferndale
  
• Holly
  
• Novi
  
• Oak Park
  
• Pontiac
  
• Royal Oak
  
• Southfield
  
• Walled Lake
  
• Waterford

The rest charge parents for various “extended” options. This is downright wrong, given that the school is already receiving taxpayer dollars from the state.

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Another District Moves to All Day K

Just last week I posted an article about Farmington’s move to all-day Kindergarten.

Holly Schools in Oakland County just announced that they too are going to all day K.

Oakland Press: Kindergartners to attend school for full day (02/20/08)

You may recall that Governor Granhom was going to "ask" districts to move to all day K. I had to chuckle at the thought that these two schools are likely be counted next year as those "heeding the Governor's call", despite the fact that they embarked on the "all-day" path long before the Governor's polite request. But I digress....

Boardmember Patrick McKenney noted, “When you look at what’s going to be required of these kids to graduate, the sooner we get them academically involved, the better.”

It appears they are offing a choice for half-day, just as Farmington. But the comments from Superintendent Kent Barnes are important to consider:

Barnes said he understands some parents have concerns, and that’s why the district wanted to offer the half-day option.

“All-day kindergarten has been offered in the south and in many school districts since the ‘80s, even the late ‘70s,” Barnes said.

When Barnes was an elementary school principal in Kentucky, the district he worked for had a full-day kindergarten program that offered parents the option of picking their child up halfway through the day.

“I had one parent who wanted to try that and, after three weeks, the child said, ‘I want to stay and do stuff,’” Barnes said.

Moving to a full-day, five-day a week kindergarten program was not done because of money or any other reason, Barnes said.

“The real reason is to increase student achievement for the benefit of the child — that’s it,” he added.

“We feel it’s in the best interest of the children as far as academics.”

I hope others are listening!

==> Mike.

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All-Day Kindergarten -- An End to a District Cash Cow?

In her State of the State Speech, Governor Granholm indicated that she was going to “ask” school districts to begin offering full day kindergarten.

Unfortunately, most districts are likely to resist her polite request.

Kindergarten is a cash cow for districts. They are able to bill the state -- and taxpayers -- for the full state allowance, but only provide a half-day of instructional service. And, many will then turn around and offer additional aftercare programs, which cost parents thousands per year.

Most districts are unlikely to give up this hidden source of money without a struggle.

You’ll hear plenty of concern over “additional cost”. Yes, it will cost more, but it’s hardly fair to consider it as "additional". These are services that have been denied to kindergarteners since the passage of Prop A and the creation of a state per-pupil grant.

Fortunately some districts have been bucking the trend. A few have been offering full-day kindergarten for years. Yesterday there was an article about another moving to full day:

Oakland Press: Board approves all-day kindergarten classes for fall (02/11/08)

Farmington Public Schools will begin offering all-day kindergarten in the fall. Parents will have the option of enrolling their children in “satellite schools” if they prefer half-day. This sounds like a great step, and I certainly hope other boards are watching.

Making an interesting point, Farmington's district spokesperson notes, “If the program attracts the 72 students that in the past have gone elsewhere but then come to the district in the first grade, it could be a revenue gain of $734,400, which would offset the cost of implementation.”

In Rochester, the district has – for years – documented this same phenomenon. From a recent district report, “Rochester Community Schools has traditionally experienced a significant increase in the number of first graders from the previous year kindergarten class.” The average “jump” over the past five years exceeds 6.6%, which puts Rochester on par with Farmington.

But money aside, I believe the biggest value is in the education gains. There are plenty of studies showing the learning increases that come from all-day kindergarten. Some studies suggest that they long term benefits aren’t as significant, with some of the gains disappearing by fifth grade. But I believe that is probably because the schools move to all-day kindergarten without making corresponding changes to their curriculums for the subsequent grades.

There is a discussion on this topic at the Livonia Neighbors forum that is worth your time if you are interested in all-day K. (The Livonia Neighbors formu, incidentally, is a great online destination. There is always something interesting being discussed there!)

Anyway, I’ve posted the full Oakland Press article below in case the link doesn’t work.

==> Mike.


Board approves all-day kindergarten classes for fall

By JERRY WOLFFE Of The Oakland Press

All elementary schools in Farmington Public Schools will have all-day kindergarten classes starting in the fall of 2008, a school official said.

The proposal was passed Jan. 29 by the school board, said Diane Bauman, director of community relations for the 12,000-student district.

There will be an undetermined number of satellite sites offering half-day kindergarten within the district. Bauman said the sites will be determined by the end of February.

The district, composed of 13 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools and an alternative high school, will hold Kindergarten Information Nights for the 2008-09 school year from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 27-28 at the Maxfield Training Center, Room 1, 33000 Thomas St. in Farmington Hills, she said.

The all-day kindergarten proposal was brought to the Board of Education at the January meeting by the subcommittee of the Learning Configuration and Facilities Study Committee, Bauman said Tuesday.

Several studies presented to the board indicated that students do better when they attend kindergarten for full days, she said.

Currently, the district has an “EduCare Option Program” in the afternoon or morning, Bauman said.

Students now can attend a half-day of class either in the morning or afternoon.

The Feb. 27-28 meetings are designed to provide parents information on the kindergarten program.

It will not cost parents money to have the all-day kindergarten sessions, said Bauman.

“We haven’t decided on the location or number of satellite programs, but will have by the night of the February meetings,” she said.

Some of the studies indicated that all-day kindergarten programs provide more time to meet the academic and social needs of children, said Sarah Haskins, a public relations spokeswoman for the district. Students in all-day programs also score higher on achievement tests, she said. In recent years, higher standards have been established in language arts, math, science and social studies for all students at the kindergarten level.

Providing all-day kindergarten throughout the district also allows for equal opportunities for all students, Haskins said.

All-day kindergarten is available to students at only three neighborhood schools at this time, she added.

Farmington will offer all-day kindergarten at each neighborhood school and other half-day programs at satellite schools, Haskins said.

Transportation will not be provided to satellite schools but will be provided to traditional classrooms.

If the all-day program attracts the 72 students that in the past have gone elsewhere but then come to the district in first grade, it could be a revenue gain of $734,400, which would offset the cost of implementation, said Haskins.

Contact staff writer Jerry Wolffe at (248) 745-4612 or jerry. wolffe@oakpress.com.

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All Day Kindergarten in Public Schools: It's about time -- Literally!

Despite the inflammatory title, this article shows that all-day kindergarten continues to grow.

Detroit News: Districts fear costs as state weighs requiring all-day kindergarten (05/02/07)

Preschools flourish because many parents recognize the value in early education. My own children went to a wonderful preschool, Lyceum Academy in Rochester Hills, beginning at age three. We kept them there for several years, including a complete year of Kindergarten. The initial decision to choose Lyceum kindergarten over Rochester kindergarten was partially influenced by Lyceum's great program, but was primarily driven by the fact that Lyceum had all-day kindergarten, and Rochester does not.

Research clearly shows the value of beginning a child's education early. Over my six years of involvement with Lyceum, I've personally watched hundreds of kids aged 3-6 who not only "endure" a full day of school, but generally flourish! Some of the children need naps, which is fine, but they still benefit from a full day of learning. And many cease taking the naps very early in the school year.

What we didn't realize at the time, but clearly understand now is that the full day kindergarten program is key to a successful start of a child's education. It's time for full-day kindergarten to become a normal feature of public education.

Most non-public schools -- and many parents -- recognize that most children are ready to learn at early ages. This is not yet widely accepted in public schools, and the result is that our children lose a year. I believe the Kindergarten program at Lyceum was at least equal to -- and probably stronger than -- the first grade program at Rochester. This is not because of the teachers; both schools have outstanding teachers (although we like to think Lyceum's kindergarten lead teacher, "Miss Barbara", is extraordinary and unique! :-) . It's instead because public schools still don't seem to fully embrace a robust early learning program, and it's reflected in the curriculum.

Another consequence is that public schools are missing the boat on some additional revenue because their choice to only offer half-day kindergarten drives parents to find private solutions, and districts subsequently lose funding they would've received for those kindergarten students.

This is very clearly shown in the quote from the article:

"Southfield's classes cost $1.3 million more per year, doubling the cost of half-day programs, but it boosted kindergarten enrollment to 508 students this year from 392 in 2004, despite an overall loss of 403 students from the 9,350-student district."

Demographics and student enrollment estimates are tricky, but one analysis would suggests that a system-wide student loss of 4.3% would predict a kindergarten class of 375 students instead of the 508 actual count. At Southfield's funding levels, the additional revenue received for those additional 133 students would've covered the cost increase quoted in the article.

What was not covered in the article was the little known fact that school districts already receive the FULL per-pupil funding allowance for kindergarten students, even though they only offer half-day programs. A reasonable counter point to the "additional cost" argument might be that schools have been being paid for a full day of school, and parents should be able to expect to receive just that. In other words, moving to all-day kindergarten is not an additional cost, but is instead an obligation that schools have been neglecting and it's time to catch up!

==> Mike

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