The 3 R’s of Full Day Programs for Kindergarteners: Rubric, Resources & Reporting

The 3 R’s of Full Day The 3 R’s of Full Day Programs for Programs for

Kindergarteners:Kindergarteners:Rubric,Rubric,

Resources &Resources &ReportingReporting

The 3 R’s of Full Day The 3 R’s of Full Day Programs for Programs for

Kindergarteners:Kindergarteners:Rubric,Rubric,

Resources &Resources &ReportingReporting

August 16, 2006 MDE 2

OverviewOverview

• Background & Trends• Review of Minnesota

statutes and MDE policies

• Discussion: Issues surrounding full-day kindergarten and related policy questions

“A Constructive Outlet for Pent-Up Feelings”


National Perspective• Kindergarten Funding

– 27 states fund K =/> 1st Grade– 21 states fund K < 1st Grade

• 13 of these states, including MN, fund K @ 50% of 1st Grade

– 4 states have at-risk funding factor for full-day, every day K

• Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten– Only 9 states mandate– 41 states permissive


Regional Perspective

Three of Four Border States fund Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten: – Wisconsin: 2 x Half-Day Kindergarten

• Milwaukee schools get additional at-risk funding

– Iowa & South Dakota: Same level as 1st Grade

– North Dakota: 63% to 85% of 1st Grade, varies by district size


Kindergarten Classroom, State Normal School of Winona


All Districts Must Offer Kindergarten

M.S. 124D.02, Subdivision 1. Kindergarten instruction. … after July 1, 1974, [a board] shall provide kindergarten instruction for all eligible children, either in the district or in another district. ….


Minnesota Trends

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Fiscal Year

Perc

en

t

half day daily full day alternate days

full day three day per week full day everyday


“Consulting the Law about a Kindergarten Regulation”


Statutory Definition of Kindergarten

M.S. 120A.05, Subd. 10a. Kindergarten. “Kindergarten" means a program designed for pupils five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year commences that prepares pupils to enter first grade the following school year.


Kindergarten Is Not…

M.S. 120A.05, Subd. 10a. Kindergarten. …A program designed for pupils younger

than five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year commences that prepares pupils to enter kindergarten the following school year is a pre-kindergarten program. [Laws 2005, 1st Special Session]


Minimum AgeM.S. 120A.20, Subd. 1 … No person

shall be admitted to any public school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, unless the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 … except that any school board may establish a policy for admission of selected pupils at an earlier age.


Requirements for MN Kindergarten Entrance

• At least 5 Years Old on September 1st

• Early Childhood Screening Completed (M.S. 121A.17)

• Current Immunizations (M.S. 125…)


A “Modern” Kindergarten, c.

1960


Kindergarten Schedules

• MARSS identifies six unique kindergarten schedules:– A ‑ Half‑day, daily– B ‑ Full day, alternate days– C ‑ Full day, three days per week– E ‑ Full day, every day throughout the year or full

day, four days per week (no paid parent tuition)– F – Full day, every day funded with Title I money– G – Full day program, funded with a combination of

general revenue and parent tuition.


General Education Revenue

• Minnesota’s general revenue funds half-day, daily or full-day, alternate programming

• Kindergarten students generate 0.557 pupil units as opposed to:– 1.115 for grades 1 – 3– 1.060 for grades 4 – 6


Pupil Unit Weights, From 1982 to Present

- 0.50 1.00 1.50

1982 - 1988

1989 - 1991

1992 - 1993

1994

1995 - 1999

2000 - Present

Secondary

Elementary, Gr. 4-6

Elementary, Gr. 1-3

HK

Kindergarten



First Grade Preparedness

Revenue

• Minnesota Statutes §124D.081• Eligible schools generate additional

state aid based on statutory formula• Revenue can be used for:

– Full-day, every day kindergarten– Programs for four & five year old pre-

kindergarten children



Revenue• Limited state appropriation, $7.25 million/year• Targeted to schools with high poverty in 4

geographic regions• Prior year’s participating schools given first

priority• Allocation and reserve by eligible participating

site• Further information on FGP funding policies at

http://education.state.mn.us under Learning Support/Early Learning Services


First Grade Preparedness UFARS

ReportingFINANCE CODE331 First Grade Preparedness (Fund

01)• Record revenue and expenditures for the First

Grade Preparedness Program….Districts with eligible school sites are notified of their eligibility.... Activity in this account relates to Balance Sheet Code 446, Reserve for First Grade Preparedness.



Revenue

• Allowable expenditures – UFARS Object codes:110-185, 195-305, 329, 350-366, 430-

433, 460, 470-490, 530, 555


“Bouncing a Ball Requires Real Coordination—and Some Fives Have It”


Compensatory Revenue

M.S. 126C.15, Basic skills revenue; compensatory education revenue. Subdivision 1. Use of the revenue.

The basic skills revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 4, must be reserved and used to meet the educational needs of pupils who enroll under-prepared to learn and whose progress toward meeting state or local content or performance standards is below the level that is appropriate for learners of their age. Any of the following may be provided to meet these learners' needs: … (9) all day kindergarten….


General Education Revenue

126C.126 Reallocating general education revenue for all-day kindergarten.

In order to provide additional revenue for an optional all-day kindergarten program, a district may reallocate general education revenue attributable to 12th grade students who have graduated early under section 120B.07. [Laws 2001, 1st Special Session]


Other Revenue Sources

• Learning & Development

• Referendum, Local Levy

• Federal Title I grants

“Wait… I Think I Have a Bite”


Learning & Development Revenue

• District that has met the average 17:1 class size in each of grades K-3 may use L&D revenue for full-day kindergarten – M.S. 126C.12 Subdivisions 4 & 5


Districts May NOT Charge Fees for Kindergarten Instruction

“..statutes…do not allow school districts to charge a fee for all day, every day kindergarten instruction.…”

-January 2004 MDE memo to superintendents, Clarification of Kindergarten and Pre-kindergarten Finance Issues


M.S. §120A.20 Admission to public school. Subdivision 1. Age limitations; pupils. All

schools supported in whole or in part by state funds are public schools. Admission to a public school is free to any person who resides within the district that operates the school, who is under 21 years of age, and who satisfies the minimum age requirements imposed by this section. …



Free Public Education

M.S. §123B.35 General policy. It is the policy of the state of Minnesota that public school education shall be free …. No public school board may require, except as authorized by sections 123B.36 and 123B.38, the payment of fees.



MS §123B.37 Prohibited fees. Subdivision 1. Boards shall not charge

certain fees. (a) A board is not authorized to charge fees in the following areas: (1) textbooks, workbooks, art materials, laboratory supplies, towels; (2) supplies necessary for participation in any instructional course except as authorized in sections 123B.36 and 123B.38… (5) instructional costs for necessary school personnel employed in any course or educational program required for graduation….


School-Age Care Programs M.S. §124D.19

“…this statute allows school districts to charge a sliding fee for a half-day school-age care program for kindergarten-aged students operated in conjunction with a free half day kindergarten program….”

-January 2004 MDE memo to superintendents, Clarification of Kindergarten and Pre-kindergarten Finance Issues


School-Age Care

• Adult supervised programs while school is not in session

• Operated as part of a community education program

• Accounted for within district’s Community Services Fund

“Five-Year-Olds Are Active and Need Equipment Which Provides Vigorous Play”


School-Age Care Fees

M.S. §124D.19 Subd. 11. School-age care programs. …The district may charge a sliding fee based upon family income for school-age care programs. The district may receive money from other public or private sources for the school-age care program.


Other Revenue That Can Be Used for School Age Care

M.S. §124D.20 Subd. 8. Uses of general revenue. (a) General community education revenue may be used for: …(8) extended day programs, according to section 124D.19, subdivision 11.


Disabled School Age Care Levy

M.S. §124D.22 Subd. 2. School-age care revenue. The school-age care revenue for an eligible district equals the approved additional cost of providing services to children with disabilities or children experiencing family or related problems of a temporary nature who participate in the school-age care program.


Disabled School Age Care Levy

• Initial levy limit equals estimated costs, reported on summer levy system

• Levy is equalized…few districts qualify• Levy adjustments reconcile estimated

costs with actual, reported expenditures


UFARSReporting, School Age

Care

PROGRAM CODE570 School Age Care• Consists of childcare cooperatives, regular day

care, and latchkey programs that provide educational, recreational, or custodial experiences for children from kindergarten through grade six that are beyond the scope of regular school programming.


UFARSReporting for DISABLED

School Age Care

FINANCE CODES798 Children with Disabilities in School

Age Care (Fund 04)• Record expenditures incurred for additional costs

of providing services to children with disabilities who participate in the extended day program. Minn. Stat. § 124D.22. This code should be used to record expenditures in Balance Sheet Code 431, Reserved For Community Education.


ContactsContacts

• Early Learning Services - [email protected]

• MARSS [email protected]

• Community Service Aids & Levies - [email protected]

• UFARS [email protected]

“One of the Many Ways in Which the Kindergarten Builds Foundations for Reading”


Questions &Questions & DiscussionDiscussion

“It Is Important to Learn to Listen”


-Baby Blues cartoon

Documents

The 3 R’s of Full Day Programs for Kindergarteners: Rubric, Resources & Reporting