Transitional kindergarten to be replaced by summer program

The Newton Community School District is eliminating its longstanding transitional kindergarten — and a summer program is taking its place.

Due largely to a state-law clarification made recently by the Iowa Department of Education, the NCSD will no longer offer the transitional section that is typically available to some preschoolers before they start kindergarten. The transitional grade, which has been a part of Newton Schools for at least two decades, is viewed as a sort of retention or remedial program by the DE.

The district will unveil, in the days and weeks ahead, a six-week intensive summer program called “Jump Start.” The comprehensive program, set to run from about June 8 to July 16 at Berg and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools, will help prepare preschoolers in the areas needed to improve their readiness for kindergarten.

Classes will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., with lunch served afterward.

The summer program will be fully funded by categorical state dollars, according to NCSD Director of Pre-K-8 Director of Educational Services Jim Gilbert, and there will be no additional costs to parents.

“The move toward Iowa Core seems to be driving a lot of changes, and this is one of those,” Gilbert said. “The state has made it clear that students who show readiness issues are to receive a higher rigor of education — not sideways.”

In a 13-page position paper, presented by Newton Superintendent Bob Callaghan at the Feb. 23 NCSD board meeting, the DE outlined what qualifies a student as “retained.” The document outlines a number of classifications and remedies for students who present as skill-deficient at a young age, and transitional or “alternative” kindergartens are not one of those state-approved remedies.

Transitional kindergartners will not be considered part of the regular “1.0” students for state-funding purposes. Newton’s weighted certified enrollment total for 2014-15 was 2,954.07, which would have been reduced by the number of transitional kindergartners, had to policy been enforced in this way, leaving NCSD with considerably less state aid.

Not only does this require schools to focus students on Iowa Core standards all the way from kindergarten through third-grade compulsory assessments, but it also saves the state money in the long run. Thirteen years of state funding per student, without a “second year of kindergarten” would save the state thousands of dollars per year on each student that didn’t have that 14th year of K-12 schooling.

Rather than take a chance on losing funding, some districts, including Newton, are eliminating alternative kindergarten programs, and replacing them with ones that focus on Iowa Core skills.

When a pair of teachers were asked at the Feb. 23 meeting how long Newton has had transitional kindergarten, the two agreed it has been around for at least 25 years.

Gilbert said candidates for Jump Start will be determined, in part, from readiness data taken from the district’s own preschool program. Not all Newton kindergartners attended preschool locally; district staff will also observe students at next month’s two “Kindergarten Roundup” sessions.

While late in the school year for a district to be putting together a summer program, Gilbert said the document, published in November, took some time to trickle down to curriculum directors and administrators around the state. “It wasn’t communicated real clearly,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert said the half-day Jump Start program will be more intensive than the 20-day, 1.5-hour-per-day program that was used last summer. Rather than simple familiarity with the basic structure of school, Jump Start students will learn what it’s like to do a half-day at school, and learn valuable academic concepts.

There will be only 10 students in each classroom, with a strong focus on skill development.

Gilbert said while some parents and students might not be excited about school during June and July, the program will be very individualized, and will allow students to not only stay at grade level, but perhaps even get ahead in skills.

“Once a student falls behind, it can be catch-up, all the way through school,” Gilbert said. “I don’t know why a parent would not want to take advantage of something like this.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com