Approve kindergarten option

Educators have long known that Utah has an achievement gap. While the causes may be many, early childhood education can help to equalize the playing field. That's why voluntary, full-day kindergarten makes sense.

Earlier this week, the House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance a bill that would provide $7 million to all school districts and charter schools to provide voluntary full-day instruction to kindergartners who are academically disadvantaged. Academic research shows that full-day kindergarten improves school readiness skills, supports language development and literacy and encourages regular school attendance. It also results in lower incidences of remediation.

If lawmakers need further convincing, they should visit the full-day kindergarten programs now in existence in 15 Utah school districts, including Salt Lake City, Weber, Ogden and Box Elder. Those districts use federal Title I funds for low-income schools for their respective programs.

Although there may be some philosophical objections to all-day kindergarten, the beauty of the legislation by Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, is that the program is voluntary. Parents are free to make the same choices they have in the past, which could have their child attending a half-day kindergarten program at the neighborhood school or opting for private or at-home instruction. Utah's compulsory education law does not require children to attend kindergarten.

HB107 provides an opportunity for an enriched school readiness experience, which is critical for a child who does not speak English as his or her primary language. It is likewise beneficial to a child who has not been read to or has not had the benefit of any instruction to learn the alphabet, colors or count. Without these foundational skills at the start of first grade, these students may struggle their entire educational careers.

Some people balk at sending kindergartners to school for a full day, noting their time would be better spent with their families. Many children would richly benefit from that experience. But it is a sad fact of life that not all parents are equally invested in their children's school readiness. For those children, a full-day kindergarten experience would help bring them up to speed with their peers as they enter first grade. Just imagine how much more a first-grade teacher could accomplish if the entire class has strong baseline skills. HB107 provides such an opportunity.

Given that it's a voluntary program, lawmakers should support this legislation because it provides full-day kindergarten for children who would arguably benefit most and it enables parents who elect not to participate the continued freedom to make other choices.