There are a lot of factors that go into deciding when a child is ready for school. Whether or not to send your child to preschool or wait until kindergarten is just one of the considerations. What are the benefits of having your child attend preschool? How old should your child be? What are the requirements for kindergarten eligibility? What is the age requirement in your state? These and other topics are included in these Preschool and Kindergarten articles.
In 2012, West Virginia received national accolades from the independent nonprofit organization the Children’s Defense Fund for offering free full-day kindergarten to its residents. In addition, kindergarten students in the state benefit from a progressive state law that requires universal preschool for the state’s 4 year olds. Here are the top laws and requirements in...
Although many school districts in Virginia are facing strained budgets, most are actively seeking to provide universal full-day kindergarten for their students, which explains why Virginia student participation in full-day programs is between 80 and 89 percent. In addition, the state places a strong emphasis on preschool education, with Comprehensive Standards for 4 Year Olds...
In Vermont, the funding for full- and part-day kindergarten programs is the same, but despite this lack of financial incentive, many school districts have chosen to offer full-day programs. In addition, in 2014 the Vermont Legislature passed a new law (Act 166) providing universal pre-kindergarten for all 3 and 4 year old residents, significantly strengthening...
Although Utah’s state government provides incentives for districts to offer extended- or full-day kindergarten programs, less than 60 percent of kindergarten age students attend a full-day program. Utah does require kindergarten assessments at the beginning of each school year, and kindergarten curriculums are aligned with education standards up through grade 12. Here are the top...
Although full-day kindergarten is not a legal requirement in Texas, the Texas legislature provided funding opportunities for full day programs. Full-day kindergarten students are entitles to a greater degree of funding than half-day students, and the commissioner is able to give grants to those school districts looking to expand to full-day programs. Here are the...
In 2013, the Tennessee changed its kindergarten age law to move the cutoff birth date for turning 5 from September 30 to August 31 for the 2013–2014 school year to August 15 in the 2014–2015 and beyond. This bill was aimed at addressing a lack of readiness for the youngest children who enter kindergarten. Here are the top...
Although South Dakota does not mandate fully funded full-day kindergarten, kindergarten attendance is required to move on to 1st grade, even if the child enters kindergarten at 6 years of age. In addition, there are full-day monies available from the state for participating districts, which accounts for South Dakota’s high full-day kindergarten participation rating at...
In January, 2015, Rhode Island made a significant move toward full-day kindergarten when Senator Hanna M. Gallo submitted legislation that would pay school districts to offer full-day kindergarten by accelerating part of the school funding formula, so that kindergartens that have been converted from half- to full-day beginning with the 2015–2016 school year would be fully...
In Pennsylvania, by law kindergarten attendance is not mandatory, and individual school districts are not required to offer half-day programs, much less full-day programs. Yet district interest in expanding to offer full-day kindergarten has grown in recent years, with programs opening in major districts like Bethlehem, Allentown, and Lehigh Valley. Here are the top laws...
Oregon has been at the forefront for the unequal access issue when it comes to full-day kindergarten implementation (as it pertains to charging tuition for full-day programs), with Oregon’s attorney general stating that school districts do not have the authority to collect tuition for full-day kindergarten. In Oregon, the trend is toward full-day programs, with...