New Kensington-Arnold considers replacing preschool with 'developmental kindergarten'

New Kensington-Arnold School District is considering replacing its preschool program with a developmental kindergarten.

Developmental kindergarten would be for children who are not yet ready or prepared for regular kindergarten, Superintendent John Pallone said.

Pallone discussed the proposal, also referred to as “transitional kindergarten,” with the school board during a committee meeting Tuesday to gauge the board’s interest.

No board members expressed opposition.

The board could vote to approve the program June 23.

If approved, developmental kindergarten could start in the fall, Pallone said. It would be paid for with grant money that now pays for preschool.

The district’s preschool is a half-day program, in the morning or afternoon. Developmental kindergarten would be full day, Pallone said.

It would be intended for children who aren’t ready for the regular kindergarten program because of their maturity, or social or emotional issues. Its curriculum would differ from regular kindergarten.

“We’re trying to be as kid-friendly as we can and make sure the education experience is not frightening for the student,” Pallone said.

After a year in the developmental program, those children would then move into the regular program.

The hope is it would give children a better educational foundation early and help avoid issues that manifest in high school.

“We can’t fix the problem in ninth, 10th or 11th grade,” Pallone said. “We need to intervene early.”

Nicole Bitar, principal of Martin and H.D. Berkey elementary schools, said developmental kindergarten has been done statewide in California since 2013-14 and research has shown it has better prepared children long-term both academically and emotionally.

“All the research has shown this has been much more helpful or beneficial than the preschool programs,” she said.

The program could avoid having students placed into special education for services they may not need, said Jennifer Pallone, director of special education.

The program could help children who turn 5 just before the cut-off for kindergarten but aren’t ready for it, Jennifer Pallone said.

“A birthday doesn’t always determine readiness for school,” she said.

The district is taking registration for fall 2020 kindergarten on its website. The district was not able to do its normal registration because of the covid-19 pandemic. Children must be 5 by Aug. 31 to enroll.

Filling out the form places children on a list to be contacted to make an appointment to enroll.

Parents are asked to register their children for kindergarten so the district knows what to expect, John Pallone said.