Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin

4K INFORMATION:

Research Related to 4K

Wisconsin does not have data to correlate student performance on statewide tests with past 4K participation. Wisconsin, however, was one of the states that participated in the National Center for Early Development & Learning Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten & Study of State-Wide Early Education Programs (SWEEP). The full report provides a descriptive picture of pre-k children and classrooms across eleven states. Although the authors caution the study was not an experiment in which children were randomly assigned to either attend pre-k or not, making it impossible to know how much of the gains in children’s academic and social skills were caused by their pre-k experiences, they believe the study helps better understand the issues, problems, and opportunities within pre-k education. Information specific to Wisconsin and the children that participated in a 4K program was summarized and shared with the state.  See a summary here.

As enrollment in Wisconsin’s 4-year-old kindergarten (4K) grows, interest in measuring 4K’s impact on child development has also increased. A variety of studies the positive impact of these programs on children, society, and the economy: Research on 4YK

Impact of Community Approaches

The Benefits and Impact of 4K Community Approach Website, helps tell the story of what makes 4-year-old kindergarten community approaches (4KCA) good for children, families, child care, school districts, Head Start, community programs, and the general public.  Wisconsin communities share their perceptions of 54 benefits communities commonly realized after implementing 4KCA.  Additionally you can find Wisconsin Storyteller Bob Kann’s Storytelling Techniques and other strategies to create your story, and resources to promote the development an implelemtation 4K Community Approaches in new settings.  

Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Start Up Grants

The 2008 state budget began start up grants for school districts wanting to implement 4-year-old kindergarten. The statutes required priority to school districts using community approaches to 4K through partnerships with child care and Head Start. Go to our Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Grants page for more details.

The Unique History of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin

This policy brief examines the remarkable history of 4-year-old Kindergarten (4K) in Wisconsin. The paper explores key developments, starting with the inclusion of education for 4-year-olds in the 1848 Constitution and the establishment of first private kindergarten in the country in Watertown in 1856, and follows the surge in public education for 4-year-olds in the late 1800s, the decline from 1920-1970, and the resurgence from 1980-2010. The policy brief examines the causes of the rapid growth in the last 15 years and the emergence of the community approach to 4K, and lays out several implications for the future.  

Additional information about Wisconsin's 4K and 5K history is captured in An Abbreviated History of 4- and 5-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin: 1840-2017

Information and Resources:

•    NEW-The Wisconsin Departments of Children and Families (DCF) and Public Instruction (DPI) Background Check Requirements: This joint memo addresses questions regarding how background check requirements for regulated child care and the new Head Start Program Performance Standards impact collaboration between child care providers, Head Start programs, public schools and special education (and other support services) for children.
• DPI Policy and Information Advisory 2.17 ♦ August 2017 This policy updates and replaces the 2008 bulletin on 4-year-old kindergarten. These Questions and Answers provide information generally to 4-year-old kindergarten and especially to 4-year-old kindergarten implemented in community approaches with child care and Head Start.
• Four-Year-Old Kindergarten is universal and open to all children. When a district offers 4K, it must be open for all age eligible children in the district. This Policy is supported by state statute Section 102. 118.14.​​​​​​
• 1991 ACT 48 4K State legislation
• Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin: Rules and Practices
• 4K Family Outreach Activities
• Benefits and costs for Quality Early Childhood Education  " by W. Steven Barnett, Ph.D., National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
• Rationale and Best Practices for 4-year-old Kindergarten
• Guiding Principles Curriculum Considerations
• Data: 
  • Districts reporting 4K in 2016-17. For more complete information and figures for past years, visit the Public School Program Data page that shows how districts report their 4K design (full day, half day, 2-3 days per week, etc.)
  • ​A list of districts reporting that they are utilizing community approaches to 4-year-old kindergarten.
  • Trends  in 4-Year-Old Kindergarten: The number of Wisconsin school districts offering 4-year-old kindergarten, 1996-2017.
• Forces for Fours (Forces44): Listserv
  • The forces44 listserv facilitates interactive, electronic communication between the agencies, associations, and individuals interested in community collaboration related to services to 4-year-old children and their families. Join the listserv

Lessons Learned from Community Approaches

More and more school districts are taking community approaches to 4-year-old kindergarten by offering the program in an array of settings including schools, childcare, and Head Start. The following links will help you learn more about these approaches.

• Community Approaches to Serving Four-Year-Old Children in Wisconsin: Lessons Learned from Wisconsin Communities
• Creating a Community Approach to Serving Four-Year-Old Children in Wisconsin: Public Awareness Packet
• Sandbox Synergy: This article from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Association News describes efforts in LaCrosse to develop a community wide approach to 4-year-old kindergarten and how child care and the district became partners in 4k.