Being a 5-year-old isn’t easy. The transition from preschool to full-time kindergarten is an adjustment for many, and the newfound academic rigors may not be as simple as 1, 2, 3 or even A, B, C.
But with the recent passage of the Kindergarten Inventory Bill, kindergarteners have a better chance at thriving in the classroom, as teachers will better understand the special needs and abilities of each of their students.
The bill — which passed the state Senate on March 2 and will be signed by the Gov. Chris Gregoire — continues the three-year pilot run of the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) program.
“The bill was well received [by lawmakers]” said Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (D-Seattle), who co-sponsored the House bill.
Readiness assessments
With WaKIDS, kindergarten teachers meet with families and early learning providers before the year starts to discuss each child’s strengths and needs. In the fall, kindergarten teachers complete a somewhat formal assessment of each child’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive and linguistic skills. Early learning providers and kindergarten teachers continue to meet during the year to develop new ways to collaborate and share information.
Through the WaKIDS program, kindergarten teachers have better information on how to improve classroom teaching and tailor instruction to the individual needs of each student. In addition, WaKIDS helps determine the best practices for engaging with families and informing decisions at the community, district and state levels for future investments in early learning.
Each year, 70,000 students enter kindergarten with a varying degree of skills.
WaKIDS was piloted during the 2010-2011 year. During the 2011-2012 year, 68 districts voluntarily participated in the program, including 165 schools, 479 teachers and 11,000 full-time kindergarteners. The 2011-2012 year also provided opportunities for teachers and school administrators to provide feedback to WaKIDS to help refine the system.
Starting in 2012-2013, WaKIDS will become mandatory in every state-funded, all-day kindergarten classroom in Washington state, to the extent that funding is available.
“We think it was a successful pilot program,” said Nathan Olson, communication manager of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
The new legislation will phase in the WaKIDS program statewide by 2018, according to Olson.
WaKIDS is a partnership paid for with state, federal and private funding, but there is some question if the state can support the program.
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