This article was mentioned by AGVIgifted in the "Changes to kindergarten age rule proposed" thread. It is important enough to merit it's own thread IMO.
I think this bill in California is a bad idea. Children of above-average intelligence are ready to start kindergarten earlier than other ohildren (or skip KG entirely). Parents of children whose birthdays fall between Sep 1 and Dec 1 already have the option of "redshirting" their children if they think they are unready.
The bill is driven by budget considerations, but children who start school earlier should also become employed, tax-paying citizens earlier. I don't think that has been considered. I entered KG a month before turning 5 and did well in school.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Calif-bill-seeks-to-raise-age-apf-3057869959.htmlCalif. bill seeks to raise age for kindergarten
Calif. bill would raise kindergarten age to 5, allowing 100,000 children to delay school entry
Robin Hindery, Associated Press Writer, On Monday May 3, 2010, 10:51 am EDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- As a group, California's kindergartners are among the youngest in the nation, but that may change under a bill being considered in the state Legislature.
The legislation by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would require children to have turned 5 by Sept. 1 to begin kindergarten in that school year. The current cut-off date is Dec. 2, one of the latest in the country.
Roughly 100,000 of the state's 430,000 kindergarten students enter school before their 5th birthday, according to the state Department of Education.
The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates Simitian's bill could save the state $700 million per year by reducing enrollment. The measure would direct half of those savings to preschool programs and the rest to help plug the state's $20 billion budget deficit, Simitian said.
Parents whose children do not meet the cut-off age would be able to request exceptions from their local school district.
The bill's supporters say most 4-year-olds are simply unprepared for the rigors of today's kindergarten classrooms, which focus more on preparing students for future standardized testing than fingerpainting.
"We're placing real academic demands on our kids, and the youngest are struggling to keep up," Simitian said.
Elk Grove Elementary School parent Shawnda Pruitt said she agonized over the decision to enroll her 5-year-old son in kindergarten last fall, fearing he wasn't developmentally ready. While he seems to be doing well, she said she believes even age 5 may be too young for many children to start school.
"I think it's a good idea," she said of Simitian's bill. "Kindergarten is a lot tougher than it used to be, and starting them when they're 4 seems pretty early to me."
The hard evidence is murky when it comes to the cognitive benefits of delaying kindergarten.
A 2005 study by the Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation found a significant boost in math and reading scores when children started kindergarten at age 6 instead of age 5. The following year, a study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that a delay was associated with a slight boost in reading scores, but that math scores actually dropped.
Some education experts say delaying kindergarten will place a heavy financial burden on families who will be forced to pay for an extra year of preschool or day care.
"In this economy, many parents can no longer afford private preschool, and research indicates their children are going to face setbacks their entire lives," said Steve Barnett, co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
He said focusing on age is a distraction from the real problem in today's classrooms -- the lack of individual attention.
"There isn't any magic time to start kindergarten," he said. "If kindergarten isn't properly serving the children who are there, then we need to change kindergarten."
Simitian's bill, SB1381, would be implemented over a three-year period, starting in 2012. If the changes appear to be hurting parents financially, lawmakers could opt to funnel a larger share of the $700 million savings into expanding the state's free preschool programs, he said.
<rest of article at link>
