School Beat: School Board: 4K; Jennifer Petruzello Speaks

(Ed. Note. The audioblogger for this is pending. )


July 10, 2006

RE: Need and Interest in 4K

Dear School Board Members,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak about the proposal for 4 year old kindergarten. It appears to me that members of the 4K Committee have given considerable thought as to how a 4 year old kindergarten program should look in Evansville. For that their efforts should be recognized. However, it appears to me that there has not been sufficient consideration for the need and interest in 4 year old kindergarten in Evansville.

To that end, I would like to refer to the “Pre K Options Survey” conducted by the school district last fall.

♦ 40%, or 78 families reported being enrolled in Pre-school, Montessori, Early Childhood, Headstart programs, or were home-schooled.

♦ The number of families enrolled in Pre K programs increases to 114% if you add Daycare centers and Family daycare centers.

This reveals the first problem with the survey. Because parents were instructed to check all programs that apply, there is a duplication of reporting. In addition, it is not clear whether the daycare centers indicated include preschool curriculum. Because of these factors, we cannot determine how well our children are being served in their Pre K experience. We cannot determine if there is a gap in services provided to 4 year olds. We cannot determine whether there is a need for 4 year old kindergarten.

Parents were then asked to tell why their child did not participate. Nearly half, 48%, of those responding indicated that they did not participate by choice. Fourteen individuals listed cost as a reason for not participating, seven listed work schedule, and three listed transportation. Because these responses could refer to any or all of the above programs, in addition, to library programs, Exchange Family Resource programs, playgroups, or church groups, this info is not particularly helpful in determining whether there is a need for a 4 year old kindergarten program funded by the school district.

Parents were asked if they would be interested in any other programs for their 4 year old. Thirty-eight parents listed 4K, although this includes those who noted conditions/limitations that would not be met under this proposal, including those requesting fewer hours than proposed and those specifying that the program be located within the school district. The same number of parents, 38, indicated that they would not be interested in other programs. Some parents are interested in a program that will reduce their daycare costs (a possible misperception, as those attending daycare the balance of the day would likely see the same fee). The survey results do not provide an adequate means to measure parent interest in the proposed program.

The 4K Committee’s mission, which includes: “(they) deserve a quality foundation for their education including the opportunity for participation in a 4K program”, appears to have precluded a real discussion of whether there is a need and / or interest in 4K.

The 4K Committee’s recommendation notes that the one parent listening session that was held was not as successful as hoped because of poor publicity and they did not have the answers to the questions that arose.

Summary:

♦ The results of the survey are largely inconclusive.

♦ There has not been an identifiable need for 4K in Evansville.

♦ There has not been a documented parent interest in 4K in Evansville.

Recommendation:

If, the Committee feels that this proposal is in the best financial and educational interest for the school district, I recommend taking additional steps to communicate what a program would likely look like in Evansville before voting to approve a pilot program. These steps are critical to determining whether there is in fact a need and interest for the program. At a minimum, I would encourage the school district to conduct a follow-up survey and hold additional community listening sessions.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Petruzzello

Mother of Elizabeth and Gabriella

115 Clifton Street

Evansville, WI 53536