Full-day Kindergarten
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Headline

Since 1977, the percentage of kindergartners enrolled in full-day (in contrast to half-day) programs has more than doubled, increasing from 28 percent of all kindergartners in 1977 to 65 percent of all kindergartners in 2003. (See Figure 1)

Importance

Overall, children who spend time in full-day kindergarten programs are more likely than children who spend time in half-day kindergarten programs to devote time every day to reading, mathematics, and social studies.¹ Full-day kindergarten allows teachers more time to promote formal and informal learning, reduces the number of transitions in a child's day, and allows children to get used to a schedule similar to that which they will have in first grade.² In the short-term, children attending full-day kindergarten programs tend to do better in school than do children attending half-day kindergarten programs, and show stronger academic gains in kindergarten.^3,4,5 Full-day kindergarten programs may be especially beneficial for children from low-income families. However, a new study using nationally representative data found little evidence that full-day programs are particularly beneficial for poor as opposed to non-poor children.⁶

Research is inconclusive on longer-term impacts. A nationally representative study using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Kindergarten Cohort found that academic gains of full-day programs had largely disappeared by the end of first grade.⁷ However, another study found that children in full-day kindergarten programs scored higher on standardized math and reading tests through the second grade.⁸ Additionally, some research found that children in full-day programs showed worse behavior than did children in half-day programs, with differences especially large when comparing half-day programs that met in the afternoon with full-day programs.⁹

Trends

Since 1977, the percentage of kindergartners enrolled in full-day, rather than half-day, programs has more than doubled, increasing from 28 percent of all kindergartners in 1977 to 65 percent of all kindergartners in 2003. (See Figure 1)

Differences by Race and Ethnicity

Non-Hispanic black kindergartners were much more likely than other kindergartners to be enrolled in full-day programs. (See Figure 2) In 2003, 80 percent of non-Hispanic black kindergartners were in full-day programs, compared with 57 percent of Hispanic, 59 percent of Asian or Pacific Islander, and 64 percent of non-Hispanic white kindergartners. Sixty-eight percent of American Indian kindergartners were enrolled in full-day programs.

Differences by Region

Kindergartners in the South are more than twice as likely as kindergartners in the West to be enrolled in full-day kindergarten (85 percent versus 41 percent, respectively, in 2003). (See Figure 3) Kindergartners in the Northeast and Midwest fell in the middle at 63 percent and 59 percent, respectively, in 2003.

Differences by Family Income

Kindergartners in families with low incomes were more likely than kindergartners in wealthier families to be enrolled in full-day programs. (See Figure 4) For example, in 2003, 71 percent of kindergartners with household incomes between $15,000 and $29,000 were enrolled in full-day programs, compared with 58 percent of kindergartners with household incomes of $75,000 or greater.

Differences by Type of School

In 2003, 72 percent of kindergartners in private school were enrolled in full-day programs, compared with 63 percent of kindergartners in public school. (See Table 1)

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Related Indicators

Kindergartners' Social Interaction Skills, Preschool and Prekindergarten Programs

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State and Local Estimates

None

International Estimates

None

National Goals

None Available

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What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

None available at this time.

Research References

¹Walston, J.T., and West, J. (2004). "Full-day and half-day kindergarten in the United States: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class 1998-99." U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (NCES 2004-078). Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004078.pdf

²Kauerz, Kristie. (2005). Full-day kindergarten: A study of state policies in the United States. Education Commission of the States, Denver: CO. Available at http://www.fcdus.org/PDFs/ECS_FDK.pdf

³Finn, Jeremy D. and Pannozzo, Gina M. (2004). "Classroom Organization and Student Behavior in Kindergarten". Journal of Educational Research, 98(2): 79-92.

⁴Kauerz, Kristie. (2005).

⁵Guarino, C.M., Hamilton, L.S., Lockwood, J.R., and Rathbun, A.H. (2006). Teacher Qualifications, Instructional Practices, and Reading and Mathematics Gains of Kindergartners (NCES 2006-031). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006031.pdf.

⁶Cannon, Jill S., Jacknowitz, Alison, & Painter, Gary. (2006). "Is full better than half? Examining the Longitudinal effects of full-day kindergarten attendance," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 25(2): 299-321.

⁷Cannon, Jill S., Jacknowitz, Alison, & Painter, Gary. (2006).

⁸Gullo, Dominic F. (2000). " The long term educational effects of half-day vs full-day kindergarten." Early Child Development and Care, 160: 17-24.

⁹Finn, Jeremy D. and Pannozzo, Gina M., (2004).

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Definition

This indicator includes those kindergartners ages four to six who are enrolled in a full-day kindergarten program, both public and private.

Data Source

Data for 1977-2001: Wirt, J., Choy, S., Rooney, P., Provasnik, S., Sen, A., and Tobin, R. (2004). The Condition of Education 2004 (NCES 2004-077). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available online at: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/pdf/03_2004.pdf.

Data for 2003: Child Trends' original analyses of data from the Current Population Survey October Supplement, 2003.

Raw Data Source

Current Population Survey, October Supplement
http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm

Approximate Date of Next Update

Unknown

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