Change In Enrollment Age To Launch In Fall As Pilot; Evaluation Required

The Board of Education voted 5-1 during a special meeting this month to allow students who turn five years old before November 15 to start kindergarten this fall in those schools that can manage the additional enrollment. The current cutoff date is September 15.

Board member Kevin Patterson voted against the plan. The idea is a good one, he said, but the timeline for implementation in the 2003-2004 school year is too short. Board member Michelle Moss was absent.

Similar adjustments to the cutoff date for students entering Early Childhood Education programs as four-year-olds and first-grade as six-year-olds will also be made. Ultimately, as several Board and staff members made clear, the decision on choosing the appropriate grade level should result from a conversation between principals and parents on the academic and emotional readiness of each child.

An evaluation will be conducted after the first semester and a report to the Board will be given no later than March 15, 2004. Depending on the outcome of the evaluation, the Board might consider district-wide implementation for 2004-2005.

Board members James Mejia and Lucia Guzman emphasized a request that the pilot be made available in all areas of the city.

“This is a very important issue,” said Board member Les Woodward, that provides a “solid addition of educational assistance to students in this district.” The decision, he added, helps the district counter some reductions in the number of Early Childhood Education slots available as a result of reductions in state budget cuts.

Several Board members quizzed staff about the ability of kindergarten teachers to handle a broad spectrum of abilities – from children who are starting to read, perhaps, to those who are still working on the sounds of each letter.

Board member Woodward, in particular, said feedback from kindergarten teachers he has received suggests that there is too much pressure to perform academically at the kindergarten level. Producing students ready to learn at the first-grade level ought to be the goal of kindergarten, he suggested.

But Chief Academic Officer Sally Mentor Hay, speaking to the Board during the work session, said both the kindergarten and first-grade programs in the district are flexible enough to accommodate the variety of skill levels at both grade levels. She said the program does not put academic pressure on students.

Cheryl Caldwell, Director of Early Childhood Education, said the staff would strengthen what exists by working during the summer “to put together prototypes and models for reaching a broad variety of student experiences.”

Participating Elementary Schools

As Board News went to press, the list of schools that will participate in the fall 2003 pilot test of the November 15 eligibility date was still being compiled. For a final list of participating elementary schools, visit the DPS web site at www.dpsk12.org.

 

 

 

Kindergarten Comments

Cheryl Caldwell, Executive Director of Early Childhood Education, issued a general response to many queries and e-mails she received about the proposed change in the eligibility date for kindergarten. Following are excerpts from her reply, which is accessible in its entirety online at www.dpsk12.org/news/press/2003/06/3b.shtml.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write both for and against the proposed change in kindergarten entrance age.

There seems to be a perception that the decision to move the date was a budget decision. While the proposal would generate more revenue, it would also generate more expense. In many cases it might necessitate adding a teacher and lowering class size in some schools. I can’t stress too much that this is not a budget driven proposal.

The discussion started when Early Childhood Education (ECE) classes had to be reduced because of legislative cuts, and tuition-based ECE was introduced because of district budget reductions. The concept was that at least some children would not have to wait to begin school. They would have the opportunity to start at an earlier age to attain the language, motor and emotional skills they might lack, rather than having the gap in skills continue to grow. Brain research tells us that the earlier children get the stimulation that they need, the more likely that they will not have long-term deficits in their cognitive, language and social/emotional abilities.

The other concern expressed most often was that children so young are not ready for kindergarten. There is no question that it’s important for preschool and kindergarten children to receive instruction appropriate for their developmental level and that the pressure to reach academic objectives with kindergarten students is increasing, not only in Denver but across the country. The challenge here is an instructional one. We must be sure that our preschool and kindergarten teachers are well grounded in appropriate developmental practices. We must also be sure that our expectations for these children are appropriate for their developmental levels.

June Board Meetings

The following meetings will be held in the first floor Board Room in the Denver Public Schools administration building at 900 Grant St.

5 p.m. Thursday, June 5
Citizens Committee on Facility Needs presentation about November bond and mill levy election

7 p.m. Thursday, June 5
Public hearing on proposed 2003-2004 budget

7 p.m. Wednesday, June 18
Board of Education candidate forum hosted by League of Women Voters
(see May 16 issue of Board News online at www.dpsk12.org/news/boardnews.shtml)

5 p.m. Thursday, June 19
Tribute to Mayor Wellington Webb; 2003-2004 budget adoption

5 p.m. Thursday, June 26
Tribute to resigning Board member James Mejia; appointment of replacement Board member

• Considered a proposal that new textbooks be adopted to support further implementation of the elementary literacy program and to conform to current textbook usage for high school algebra. Staff recommended that the Board of Education adopt the following textbooks: “Cognitive Tutor, Algebra” (high school algebra); “Phonics and Friends” (kindergarten through grade two reading); and “Avenues” (English language development – elementary schools). Public comment about the proposed adoption will be held on June 5, and the Board of Education will act on staff’s recommendation on June 19.
• Accepted the arbitrator’s decision in two DCTA grievances of administrative transfers. In one case, the arbitrator ruled in favor of the district; in the other, the arbitrator ruled against the district.
• Renewed the contract between the district and Wyatt Edison Charter School.
• Revised the contract between the district and Connections Academy.