Sharing Web Resources

 

The Education Commission of the States  http://www.ecs.org/

Reading through the many articles, newsletters, emails in NIEER I stumbled across this website. To get a better understanding how the states are working towards the well being of the children, this website has an abundance of information, graphs, articles, etc...

Equity and Equality in Kindergarten

 

All children deserve an equal playing field, especially when it comes to their education. But significant diversity in state kindergarten policies within states has some students not receiving its fair share in equitable education. Public education in the United States has long promised quality education for all children, regardless of ethnicity, race, or income. It is impossible to expect children  in low-quality program to develop at the same speed as their peers. All children are being held to high standards, yet too many are not getting a fair and equitable start.

 

ECS examined six components of kindergarten: availability, length of day, student assessment, quality of instruction, standards and curriculum, and funding. The goal of the report is to illustrate the implications of the presence of such diverse kindergarten policies, to raise questions about the implications of that diversity, and to encourage politicians to consider the impact their state’s policies have on children’s future educational success.

 

Each state needs to take along hard look at the details of their kindergarten policies and programs which are inconsistent and inequitable for the children across the states. 

 

                          

 

 

   Full Day Kindergarten in the States

 

 

 

 A "full day" of kindergarten ranges from four to seven hours, depending on where a child lives. And in 35 states, kindergarten attendance is not mandated even if kindergarten is available.