Notes From The Board Table - March 12, 2013

Our March 7th Board meeting was primarily focused on the proposal to implement a full day kindergarten program.  A second major topic was the work of our staff in addressing the new state-mandated teacher and administrator evaluation system that will take effect during the 2013-2014 school year.   

Approximately 70% of districts in Connecticut now have full day kindergarten programs.  The implementation of this approach in Wilton has been on the District’s radar for several years.  We deferred this initiative until we had successfully consolidated Miller and Driscoll Schools in 2011-2012.  As part of our due diligence, kindergarten teachers and administrators made multiple visits to neighboring school districts that offer full day kindergarten and found that teachers who work in this environment had extremely positive experiences. 

A key consideration in the implementation of full day kindergarten was the extent to which the program will provide young children with the time to learn in a
developmentally appropriate manner through exploration, experimentation, and
social interaction in a variety of settings.  At our March 7th Board of Education meeting, several of our kindergarten teachers expressed their strong belief that full day kindergarten would allow them to “slow down” the pace of learning so students could be less rushed and able to learn in a more comfortable atmosphere.   They also reported that they expect the full day approach will be helpful in smoothing classroom transitions and will provide greater consistency of practice in the instructional day. 

As a result of the full day kindergarten experience, we anticipate that students will demonstrate greater readiness for the increased demands of the reading, writing, and mathematics first grade curriculum that is based on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and Wilton’s
corresponding curriculum.  The core standards, along with our new Math in
Focus program, place significant demands on the instructional day and by
moving to a full day program we give educators and students opportunity for
more consistent and age appropriate instruction throughout each day. 

We believe this change will have many benefits for our district.  Some of which include:

• Increased focus on reading and writing:  Each kindergarten class will spend 90 minutes each day in their reading and writing blocks – 60 minutes on reading and 30 minutes on writing.  While we certainly don’t expect our kindergarten-age students to sit quietly for an hour reading, the curriculum and instructional methods will be structured in such a way that learning will be integrated with structured play and other creative methods. 
• Dedicated staffing to maintain low teacher/student ratio:  Each kindergarten class will be assigned a dedicated paraprofessional who will spend 90 minutes each day assisting the classroom teacher with reading and writing. 
  This will be supplemented by a reading teacher, who will assist for 15
  minutes each day.  With the paraprofessional support, the student/adult ratio will be 18:2, which is the same as the 9:1 ratio that currently exists during current extended day reading sessions.
• Early detection of learning and emotional issues:  Research has shown that the earlier a child in need of additional support is identified, the less likely that child will need long-term services.   Full day kindergarten will allow teachers to spend more time with each student, and to better assess each child’s capabilities and needs.
• Social/Emotional Development: A critically positive outcome will be the additional time in the day for students to “just be kids.”  As one parent said during the Board meeting’s public comment period, “Playtime is a child’s work.”  We could not agree more.  The extended day will allow more
  time for structured play and exploration.  Students will have the chance to form relationships with each other in ways not currently possible.  Students
  will eat lunch with their classmates and interact on the playground every day – a critical part of a child’s social development.

Throughout the decision making process our Board members heard from many parents.  Some parents told us they did not believe their child would succeed in an all day kindergarten program, that five full days of school would simply be too much.  To accommodate these concerns, the Board approved an “opt-out”
provision.  Families who choose this option will pick up their student in the office at 1:30 p.m. each day.  I personally believe that the opt-out provision strikes a balance between the benefits of a full day kindergarten program while affording parents the opportunity to choose the daily schedule that is best suited for their children.

I truly believe that the implementation of the full day kindergarten program is a
step forward for the Wilton Public Schools, and a decision that will be affirmed with positive results in the years to come.  That said, I am grateful to the dozens of parents who contacted the Board with their thoughts.  As is the case with any issue, the Board listens and considers all perspectives as it comes to its decisions.  Board members and I continue to encourage parents to remain engaged as their children advance beyond the initial kindergarten year.