Bipartisan Proposal Would Revive Pre-Kindergarten Program
Two-year pilot would fund reading readiness at child care centers.
Public Domain
In an effort to close achievement gaps, Wisconsin legislators want to revive a pre-kindergarten learning program for the state’s poorest families.
The bipartisan legislation is currently being circulated for sponsorship. It would establish a two-year pilot program to offer kindergarten readiness educational opportunities at child care centers in Wisconsin.
The program would be administered by the Department of Children and Families. It would be offered in low-income school districts to families who meet the income requirements, said State Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Caledonia, who co-authored the bill.
“Research has consistently shown that making sure our youngest children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn is a solid predictor of future academic success,” Wittke said. “We are proposing a grant program to deliver high quality educational instruction to students before they enter kindergarten.”
There would be no cost to child care providers and there would be no requirement for participation.
DCF would choose the program and the provider. The program would be paid for with a $500,000 grant each year.
This isn’t the first time this type of program has been introduced in Wisconsin.
Legislation passed with bipartisan support was signed into law in March 2020 establishing a three-year pilot program to provide similar education opportunities.
Waterford Upstart, a Utah-based early education program was awarded the contract to serve Green Bay Area Public School District, Racine Unified School District, Milwaukee Public Schools, Lac du Flambeau No. 1 School District, North Crawford School District and Siren School District.
But the COVID-19 pandemic hit one week later, said Kim Fischer, the national spokesperson for Waterford.
“Unfortunately, we had to go online, just like everyone else, so our recruitment efforts were not as strong as they typically are in other states,” Fischer said. “The lesson learned was, how can we do this if we can’t reach people? The answer is, we have to be in the communities.”
After the original pilot approved in 2020 ended, legislation was brought forward to continue but was vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers. Wittke said the new legislation moves the oversight from the Department of Public Instruction to DCF.
“We’re hoping that by making that change, then the governor will not veto this program,” Wittke said. “There are too many children that are missing out on opportunities. We have families that can’t afford tutors. This gives children the ability to get some skills prior to kindergarten an opportunity to succeed with the fundamentals of reading.”
Fischer said if the new legislation passes in Wisconsin, Waterford plans to submit a request for proposal.
Waterford provides child care providers with a computer and children spend just 15 minutes a day on a personalized reading program. Providers are supported by a coach and given tips to continue engaging their children offline.
On average, 92 percent of the children who use Waterford Upstart are ready for kindergarten, compared to a 65 percent average nationwide and 48 percent for children who qualify for free and reduced-priced meals at school, Fischer said.
Wittke says the bill requires whoever gets the contract to file an annual report with DCF that will include assessment results, participation rate of students and the number of child care providers who participate.
Early childhood practitioners and researchers have long discussed the benefits of investing in the social and emotional development of children before the age of 5.
A report released last year by the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood studying students from the time they entered kindergarten until they turned 18 found that school readiness matters.
The more ready a child was in kindergarten, the higher their performance on standardized English language arts and mathematics tests in third grade and through later years, the study found.
Wisconsin legislators want to renew pre-kindergarten learning program was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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