Funding proposed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expand full-day kindergarten would not likely benefit many low-income communities, where the greatest need is more programs for 3- and 4-year-olds, according to a new analysis.
Among Newsom’s sweeping budget proposals for early childhood is a one-time investment of $750 million for school districts to expand full-day kindergarten programs by building or renovating classroom space.
“Attendance in kindergarten is beneficial to a child’s long-term academic attainment,” reads Newsom’s proposal. “Unfortunately, many California children — including too many low-income kids and English language learners — do not enroll in kindergarten.”
However, an analysis by JoonHo Lee and Bruce Fuller of UC Berkeley’s Early Childhood Think Tank shows that most schools in low-income communities already offer full-day kindergarten programs and the schools that only offer part-day kindergarten programs are primarily located in more affluent communities. Specifically, they found that 82 percent of schools serving mostly low-income students already offer full-day kindergarten, while 63 percent of schools serving mostly higher-income students do. The researchers created a map to show where full-day kindergarten is available.
To read the full article HERE
Comments (0)