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A collaborative initiative between the Duval County Public Schools and the Florida Institute of Education. |
Rationale—Why PK-3 Transitions Are Important: |
Learning Begins Before Formal Schooling
- The first years of school serve as the academic foundation years. Success in the early years is crucial to positive academic outcomes beyond third grade.
- Preschool programs are becoming more widespread. Florida initiated its Voluntary Kindergarten Program (VPK) during the 2005-06 school year.
- In Duval County over 8,500 children were enrolled in VPK throughout 2006-07; 8,000 children substantially completed the program.
- Annually, the kindergarten readiness rate, based on the results of the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) that is administered to all public school kindergartners during the first 30 days of school, is determined by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). VPK program providers are held accountable for the readiness rate of the children who were enrolled in their VPK classrooms.
- The 2006-07 readiness rate across the 340+ VPK providers in Duval County was 248, 4 points higher than the state average of 244 (300 maximum).
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Implications
- With more children enrolling in kindergarten with the prerequisite skills for learning to read, the PK-3 curriculum needs to be reviewed to ensure alignment with state standards and assessments.
- Instructional methods need to include research-based, best practices that meet the developmental needs of young children.
- Professional development must be aligned with the expectations for effective practice and for fidelity of implementation of the curriculum.
- Improving classroom interactions is integral to improving student outcomes; teacher credentials do not ensure effective teaching and classroom interactions.
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PK-3 Transitions: A Critical But Missing Link
- PK-3 transitions must include attention to children’s needs for emotional support, instructional support, and organizational support.
- Transition to kindergarten requires that children interact with peers who are more culturally diverse than peers in preschool and there is more emphasis on academic versus social skills.
- Meaningful family involvement is an essential component of PK-3 transitions and must ensure three-way communications are not only implemented but also are effective in improving the transitions from preschool to more formal school settings.
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PK-3 Transitions: Where We Are Now
- PK-3 transitions are not one-time events; instead PK-3 transitions are ongoing and unfold over time.
- Transitions begin prior to enrollment in kindergarten and continue to develop through the kindergarten year and subsequent primary grades (1st-3rd).
- Currently, transition practices include open houses, screening programs, informational mailings, school/classroom visits or observations. Research has not verified the effectiveness of these types of transition practices, nor is there consistency in the types, frequency, and quality of transition practices across school settings.
- There is a shift in family-school contacts once the child enters kindergarten. Contacts tend to be more formal, e.g., meetings and conferences, and are less frequent than in preschool settings. Family-school contacts actually decrease once children enter kindergarten
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| Where We Need to Be
- A model for PK-3 transitions must be dynamic in nature and based on the premise that the foundation for learning includes interactions among child, school, classroom, family, and community factors and that relationships and trust develop over time.
- Outcomes of early school transitions need to be reconceptualized; family-school relationships should be considered a transition outcome.
- Transitions must focus on frequency of contact, agreed-upon goals, and on support for the child’s skill development in order to minimize at-risk factors. • DCPS and FIE, recognizing this need, are moving forward to develop and implement a comprehensive PK-3 transition model
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Duval County Public Schools/FIE Partnership—PK-3: Success by Design
Goal: Develop a well-coordinated system to improve children’s achievement, promote family involvement, and provide essential support services across the PK-3, early education years.
Potential Impact
- Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has 20 Title I Prekindergarten classes, located in schools with the highest socio-economic need, serving approximately 360 students.
- DCPS enrolls approximately 10,500 kindergarten students per year.
This collaborative initiative will leverage the positive change in children’s readiness for kindergarten taking place as a result of the implementation of VPK throughout Florida.
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| Areas of Focus to Achieve Our Goal
- Staff will work with the Early Learning Coalition of Duval (ELC) and Title I elementary schools to create a seamless continuum of transitions beginning with prekindergarten and moving through 3rd grade.
- Staff will examine current curriculum and instructional practices, including teacher-child interactions, instructional support, organizational support, family-school connections, and transition practices.
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For additional information, please contact:
Dr. Janice Hunter,
Research Fellow for Early Learning and Literacy, FIE
(904) 620-1191
j.hunter@unf.edu
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