High Quality Kindergarten Programs
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Today’s Objective
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Provide an understanding of the current
state of kindergarten and resources to
maximize learning at this grade level.
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
The Kindergarten Experience
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Demographics
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Demographics cont.
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 2.5% of students (1,634 kids) are either reported as
retained in K, or are in a transitional 1st grade
program.
Grade
# of Children
Retained
Retention Costs
K
1,634
$15,766,466
**Assumes base aid amount in the SFRA $9,649 and doesn’t include
any added funding for students who are low-income, ELL, special
needs, etc.
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Snapshot of Quality in K
Total sample = 135 classrooms in NJ
The measures:
Assessment of Practices in Early Elementary Classrooms
(APEEC; Hemmeter, Maxwell, Ault & Schuster, 2001)
Physical Environment room arrangement, child display,
classroom accessibility, and health and classroom safety
Instructional Context use of materials, use of computers,
monitoring child progress, instructional methods,
integration and breadth of subjects
Social Context children’s role in decision-making,
participation of children with disabilities in classroom
activities, social skills, diversity, appropriate transitions,
and family involvement
Early Language and Literacy Classroom
Observation Toolkit (ELLCO; Smith & Dickerson,
2002).
General classroom environment organization, contents,
technology, child choice and initiative, classroom
management and climate
Language, literacy, curriculum supporting language and
literacy through materials, activities, instruction,
strategies and teaching practices
APEEC Findings
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Takeaways
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•In 50 % of the classrooms, children did not have an opportunity to
speak with their peers about classroom activities.
•52% of the teachers did not engage in some informal conversations
with the children.
•Whole group instruction was used during the entire observation in
22% of the classrooms.
•Hands on materials for one or two subject areas were not used in
56% of the classrooms.
•62% of the classrooms did not offer gross motor opportunities to
children daily.
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
ELLCO Findings
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Takeaways
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• In most classrooms, adults did not engage in either individual or
small-group book reading
• Few rooms had times built into their schedules for choice
• Materials to support writing were not located in centers
• Little evidence of scaffolded instruction or differentiation
• Teachers often used whole group instruction with follow-up
workbook activities
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Multi-State K Study
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NCEDL 730 K classrooms across six states (La
Paro, et al. ,2009).
 6% of observed day in free choice/centers
 More time in individual or whole group
 1% of classrooms in kindergarten score high in
Instructional Support
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Teaching practices that promote understanding of
concepts, feedback and language modeling
Such practices are associated with positive child outcomes
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Public Expenditures
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
The Child’s Mind
“Although intelligence is generally thought to play a
key role in children’s early academic achievement,
aspects of children’s self-regulation abilities—
including the ability to alternately shift and focus
attention and to inhibit impulsive responding—are
uniquely related to early academic success and
account for greater variation in early academic
progress than do measures of intelligence.”
Child Development
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“…consistently positive teacher-child relationships in
PK and K have been found to be related to positive
child outcomes, both academic and social.” (Pianta et
al in Bogard, 2005). “…factors such as teacher
sensitivity, the quality of teacher-child interactions,
and teachers’ satisfaction with their job, are also
associated with child outcomes. “ (Bogard, 2005)
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Elevating Learning
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What should kindergarten look like
in the twenty-first century?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTaNRZhRPgk
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
The Guidelines
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Guiding High-Quality Practice
in Kindergarten
School Structures that Support
High-Quality Kindergarten
High-Quality Kindergarten in Action
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Learning through Play
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Environments
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“All kindergarten classrooms should be designed
around learning centers to support purposefully
designed, play based activity as the main vehicle for
children’s learning.” (Kindergarten Guidelines, p. 51)
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Self-regulation
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Decision-making
Reminders and visuals
Make-believe play
Games with rules
Goal-setting
Young children who know how to delay gratification are more
likely to pursue academic and personal goals with less frustration,
with less distraction. (Graziano et al., 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy9614HQ
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Assessment
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Major Purposes of Early Child Assessment
 To plan instruction for individuals and groups
 Identify children for health and special services
 Monitor trends and evaluate programs
 Individual student, teacher, and school accountability
(NAEYC&NAECS/SDE, 2003)
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
“Who has the time?”
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 Literacy
 Blocks
 Free choice/Centers
 Integrated curriculum
 Outside
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Professional Development
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 Kindergarten Seminar
 The PreK-3rd Leadership Training Series
 PreK-3rd Leadership Training Work Groups
3rd Annual PreK-3rd Leadership Conference
October 28, 2011
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
http://www.state.nj.us/education/ece/
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Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017
Renee Whelan, Ed.D.
[email protected]
http://www.state.nj.us/education/ece/guide/Kinderga
rtenGuidelines.pdf
Division of Early Childhood Education
7/13/2017