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Research: Full-Day Kindergarten

Full-day kindergarten boosts student achievement for children at all income levels. [i] Full-day programs allow more time for meaningful learning opportunities for cognitive, physical and social-emotional development, all critical to later success. [ii]

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study– Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) data show that compared to children attending half-day programs, children in full-day kindergarten made greater gains in both reading and math achievement– gains that close the achievement gap between the highest and lowest performing students by nearly one-third in reading and by one-fourth in math. [iii]

Full-day Enrollment Has Doubled Over 20 Years. Since 1977, the percentage of kindergartners enrolled in full-day (vs. half-day) programs increased from 28 percent to 65 percent of all kindergartners in 2003. [iv] Also in 2003,

· Non-Hispanic black kindergartners were much more likely than other kindergartners to be enrolled in full-day programs.

· Kindergartners in low-income families were more likely than kindergartners in wealthier families to be enrolled in full-day programs. [v]


[i] Ackerman, D.J., Barnett, W.S., and Robin, K.B. (2005). Making the most of kindergarten: Present trends and future issues in the provision of full-day programs. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers University; Cannon, J.S., Jacknowitz, A., and Painter, G. (2006). Is full better than half? Examining the longitudinal effects of full-day kindergarten attendance. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management , 25 (2), 299-321

[ii] Ackerman, D.J., Barnett, W.S., and Robin, K.B. (2005); Kauerz, K. (2005). Full-day kindergarten: A study of state policies in the United States. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States; Villegas, M. (2005). Full-day kindergarten: Expanding learning opportunities . San Francisco, CA: WestEd

[iii] Walston, J. and West, J. (2004). Full-day and half-day kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

[iv] Child Trends. ( 2006). Full-day Kindergarten [indicator description]. Child Trends DataBank, Web site: http:// www.childtrendsdatabank.org/prekto3.cfm

[v] Child Trends. ( 2006). Full-day Kindergarten [indicator description]. Child Trends DataBank, Web site: http:// www.childtrendsdatabank.org/prekto3.cfm