Hamilton Central Schools Pre-Kindergarten Program Megan Biggar, Megan Janson, Josh Wurst, Ray LaMonica

Hamilton Central Elementary School • Rural school • Elementary school average class size is 14-21 students • Provides bussing/transportation • Sends 80-85% to post secondary education

Hamilton Central School Demographics Number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch: • 1998-1999: 124 students (15.1%) • 1999-2000: 136 students (17.1%) • 2000-2001: 111 students (14.3%) • 2001-2002: 113 students (14.7%) • 2002-2003: 97 students (13.1%)

School Drop Out Rate • 1998-1999: 0.7% • 1999-2000: 0.4% • 2000-2001: 2.6%

Citation: New York state school district report card for Hamilton Central school http://emsc33.nysed.gov/repcrd2002/overview/25070104 0000.pdf

District Demographics (2002-2003) Number of Students Race/Ethnicity • American Indian, 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 24 23 Alaskan, Asian, or 22 Pacific Islander: 14 8 8 • Black • Hispanic • White

7

5

11

734

734

701

District Demographics • Population: 6, 263 • Housing Units: 2,087 • Per Capita Income: $41,269

Mission of Project • Our mission was to conduct research about other Pre-kindergarten program, their success, their design and curriculum • We also wanted to find a way to reach the children who needed the program the most, typically those from a low socioeconomic status • We wanted to make a connection between Colgate and Hamilton Central Schools and give back something for our project and continue a lasting tradition

First Meeting • Met with Superintendent Backus to discuss our project • He shared his ideas about implementing a PreKindergarten program within the Elementary School in order to benefit the children who needed the help the most (and the other children as well) • We discussed the different options for this program – Where held – What room – Certified teacher or not

• He expressed many of his concerns about this program – Putting others out of business – How to reach the children in need

Methods 1. Meeting with Superintendent Backus and Principal Winchel 2. Tried to locate desired demographic (lowincome/working families) • Contacted Madison County Department of Social Services • Contacted Head start 3. Feasibility of implementation 4. Researched other schools acquisition of Pre-K programs 5. Examined available space 6. Reviewing budget and comparing tradeoffs

Research and Review of Literature • • • • •

UPK Benefits of Pre-K in low income areas Transportation Head Start Programs Pamphlets and packets given to us by the school

Head Start • Benefits: – Short term: • Improved health and nutrition, prevents of abuse and neglect • Child care

– Prevents special education- saves money for special education services – Prevents grade repetition – Improvements of schooling

Head Start Cont… • Head Start is a beneficial program for bringing kids together and improving child development • But it does not have enough of an educational base • Only eligible for the low income familiesforgetting about abused/neglected children, children of drop outs, ESL children who still need the educational services • Evidence from Head Start shows that there should be a Universal Pre-K Program

Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) • A program developed to serve 4 year olds in a pre-K program • Supposed to provide 4 year olds with “educationally based programs through age and developmentally appropriate activities. These programs shall be designed to meet the needs to children through innovative methods in collaboration with eligible agencies.” • Smaller class size, NY certified teacher in classroom, learner centered programs

Problems with UPK • Difficult program to implement: – – – –

Funding shortages Limited facilities Bringing together all socioeconomic backgrounds Finding those in the middle range (that cannot afford nursery school and do not qualify for Head Start)

*Hamilton Central School was one of the many NY schools that did not receive the benefits and funds from UPK. They ran into many of these problems. This program suffered in many other areas and failed to accommodate the schools that they promised a PreKindergarten program

Benefits of Pre-K in Low Income Areas • High/Scope Perry Preschool Study – a study of the effects of high-quality preschool program for children born into poverty • Abecedarian Project – compared full day care and no preschool program • Chicago Longitudinal Study – compared low income families that entered kindergarten with and without pre-K programs • Project Breakthrough – evaluated benefits of preschool education program on children from public assistance families

Study Findings Day care kids: • complete more years of school than non-day care kids • More enrolled in a 4 year college • More worked in skilled jobs • Less likely to smoke or use marijuana Pre-school programs: • Improves children’s intellectual performance at school entry, which in turn improves their school motivation, makes them less likely to require special education, and improves literacy • Improved school motivation enables increased higher year of schooling which leads to higher monthly earnings in adulthood, and less chance of being arrested for criminal activities • Closes the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged groups that exists before entering school and widens thereafter

Transportation • Essential Aspect in Successful Pre-K Program • Hamilton School District lacked necessary knowledge on how to transport and whether or not to transport these children

How to Transport Toddlers • Infants, toddlers and preschool Transportation.(1999). Pupil Transportation Project Team Infant, Toddler and Preschool Subcommittee. Springfield, IL. • Examines the essential steps to take in order to safely transport toddlers to school. • Looks at the Roles of: – – – – –

Administrator The Bus Driver Bus Attendant Parent/ Guardian The toddler

How to Transport (cont.) • Other issues examined: – Child Restraints – Supervision – Seating

Why is Transportation Essential? •

•

Prekindergarten: Four Selected States Expanded by Relying on Schools and Existing Providers on Early Education and Care to Provide Services. GAO-04-852. Washington, D.C.: September, 2004. What they found:

• According to the United States Government Accountability Office, in a study conducted in 2004, consisting of 12 school districts, 10 schools chose not to provide transportation – Officials in these school districts acknowledged the fact that the lack of transportation decreased participation of children from low-income and working families

GAO Transportation cont…. • Collaborations between programs and community based organizations generally permitted rapid program expansion and were viewed as beneficial to early childhood programs. (Head Start & Child Care Facilities) • Gaps In The Literature • Failed to go into details about the two schools that provided transportation for pre-K • We receive no parent/school feedback on their findings

Findings • Benefits • Difficulties

Benefits • Research on the brain and on learning shows how important the early years are in a child’s learning and development. • Learn skills like getting along with others, thinking of others, and listening to others. • Bring children to a more equal level for entering Kindergarten

Benefits • After a few years, it will be come “normal” and the requirement that when a child turns 4 years old, he or she will enter pre-k • Certified teacher and curriculum of New York State standards would ensure a quality program.

Limitations • Reaching those in need: – Contacted Head Start – Contacted Madison County Department of Social Services – Find the children – Locating Additional Funds

Results/Conclusion Board Presentation

• Successful Presentation to 5 members of the board as well as additional members of the Budget Committee • We hoped to show them how beneficial a Pre-K program like this would be to the Elementary School, we hoped they would consider approving a Pre-K program into next year’s budget • We received positive reactions from the present members and appreciated our concerns and help • Our main points of suggestion: – Make the program “In House” – Require Certified Teachers – Provide Transportation to and from if the budget allows it

Analysis • The Board was already far along in implementing a Pre-K program when they contacted us • In some areas our research was beneficial to them while other times our research was previously known and investigated • Our group centralized the previously known information and other insight we found from research and our own opinions

Where We Stand Now • Working with Broad Street Community Council to organize a wiffleball tournament