Full-Day K is coming to Colorado
BVSD is ready and will launch program this fall!
We have long dreamed of offering all of our students in Boulder Valley Full-Day Kindergarten. Today it became a reality for kids not only in BVSD, but throughout the State of Colorado.
I am pleased to share that Governor Jared Polis is expected to sign
House Bill 19-1262 State Funding For Full-day Kindergarten. As a result, this fall, all kindergarten classes at BVSD elementary schools will be full-day.
This is a momentous occasion because we know the ability for every child to reach their full potential starts with our earliest learners. Research and our experience shows that providing young children with high-quality, developmentally appropriate instruction, delivered by highly-trained teachers – better prepares them for the rest of their academic careers and life.
In fact, according to the Hechinger Report, a 2010 review of all the research examining the impact of full-day kindergarten found that “children who attended for a full day had better academic outcomes the following year, more self-confidence, and were better at playing with others.”
We would like to take a moment to thank Governor Polis for his leadership. He championed the measure throughout his campaign and during this first year in office. Thank you also to our state lawmakers for their tireless work to make Full-Day Kindergarten a reality.
Not only have we been supportive of the governor’s proposal from day one, but BVSD has been working ahead, preparing for the possibility, ensuring our schools are ready to welcome full-day kindergarten now that funding has been made available from the state.
Thanks to our community’s support of the 2014 Building Student Success Bond, all BVSD elementary schools have (or will have) expanded to offer full-day kindergarten programming next fall.
Additionally, our Board of Education had made this a priority this year and our team created a plan that we are now executing – that ensures that we have high-quality teachers, staff, materials and support needed to make this a success.
Again, in BVSD, this August all half-day kindergarten classes will now become full-day kindergarten.
Full-Day Kindergarten: Frequently Asked Questions
This does mean that after 35 years, we will be discontinuing our Kindergarten Enrichment programming. We would like to take a moment to thank our incredibly talented and dedicated Kindergarten Enrichment staff for their years of service to our young learners.
We are extremely excited about Full-Day Kindergarten. We look forward to the great impact it will have for all of our students and our community in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will ALL kindergarten classrooms in BVSD be full-day?
- Will there be another Open Enrollment Lottery as a result of all schools offering full-day kindergarten in 19/20?
- How will curriculum and instruction be different in the full-day kindergarten model?
- What if my child is not yet registered for kindergarten?
- Is kindergarten required in the State of Colorado under the new legislation?
- What if I have already registered and paid the deposit for Kindergarten Enrichment?
- What if I have already set aside pre-tax income to pay for Kindergarten Enrichment?
Will ALL kindergarten classrooms in BVSD be full-day?
Yes, all classrooms will implement the full-day kindergarten instructional model. For the few students whose families choose to have their child attend only in the morning, children will go home at lunchtime and will not participate in the instruction that occurs in the afternoon. The instruction that a child would miss could include literacy, mathematics, science, or any other content area. The instructional schedule differs in each school.
Will there be another Open Enrollment Lottery as a result of all schools offering full-day kindergarten in 19/20?
How will curriculum and instruction be different in the full-day kindergarten model?
The full-day kindergarten instructional model is rooted in developmentally appropriate practice and brain research on how young children learn. Content is woven together through the development of rich vocabulary, a focus on literacy and learning through literature, play, movement, music, creativity, mathematical and scientific concepts and understanding the world around them.