The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) announced some good news today: the number of Wisconsin school districts offering four-year-old kindergarten (4K) has more than doubled during the last ten years and has now reached 90 percent of all districts. The number of children in 4K programs has almost tripled during that time, reaching 46,914 this year, compared to 16,051 in 2002-03.
According to the DPI press release, about one third of the programs use a community approach to 4K, in which the school district, private child care centers, and Head Start centers collaborate to provide services to children and their families. State School Superintendent Tony Evers said “4K simply makes sense. It provides important learning opportunities that prepare youngsters for continued educational success.”
The agency’s release elaborates on the value of 4K:
“Past research studies have shown that students enrolled in quality early education programs perform better in school, are less likely to need special education services, have lower retention rates, and are more likely to graduate from high school, work, and avoid incarceration, providing a return on investment that makes economic sense.”
As Dave Edie described in a WisKids Journal a couple of years ago, regarding the history of 4K in Wisconsin, our state has been a national leader in early education since the mid-1800s. The strong growth in 4K in recent years continues that leadership.
Jon Peacock
