In the coming days and weeks, we will be providing information about budget issues facing the town in this tough economy.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Connecticut unemployment rate in December 2009 was 8.9%. Translation: 1 out of every 12 Connecticut adults who are able to work are unemployed.
Issue #1 (2/2/10) -- The State of Connecticut requires all schools to report numerous testing measures, in fact, the same measures being used now to justify the budget request for all-day kindergarten.
The latest data we've been able to uncover can be found at http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/databulletins/db_kindergarten_11_07.pdf, which reports data from 2007.
As you can see DRG C (Hebron is a member of DRG C) reports the highest scores in ALL categories: Language Skills, Literacy Skills, Numeracy Skills, Physical/Motor Skills, Creative/Aesthetic Skills, and Personal/Social Skills, with only two exceptions: Charter Schools did score higher by 9 points in Literacy Skills, and 1 point higher in Numeracy Skills. In other words, DRG C schools ruled!!
Let's kick it up a notch. The 2007 state information also shows that in DRG C, 1,705 students were enrolled in half-day kindergarten; 759 were enrolled in "extended-day" kindergarten; but only 300 students were enrolled in full-day kindergarten.
In other words, DRG C was the highest performing district reference group in the EXACT elements quoted by the 2010 Board of Education members, yet only 300 students, or 10.9% of all DRG C students, attended full day kindergarten. Check it out:
"Students placed in performance level three consistently demonstrated most of the skills in the domain and required limited teacher support."
Table 12. Percentage of Students in Performance Level Three|
District Group |
Students Rated |
Language Skills |
Literacy Skills |
Numeracy Skills |
Physical/Motor Skills |
Creative/Aesthetic Skills |
Personal/Social Skills |
|
DRG A |
1,953 |
72 |
71 |
77 |
83 |
80 |
74 |
|
DRG B |
6,453 |
71 |
68 |
77 |
81 |
78 |
73 |
|
DRG C |
2,705 |
81 |
76 |
82 |
89 |
85 |
82 |
|
DRG D |
5,705 |
69 |
64 |
73 |
80 |
76 |
73 |
|
DRG E |
1,784 |
74 |
69 |
75 |
81 |
80 |
76 |
|
DRG F |
2,076 |
71 |
64 |
72 |
82 |
74 |
75 |
|
DRG G |
4,851 |
64 |
60 |
66 |
77 |
68 |
66 |
|
DRG H |
4,698 |
56 |
53 |
58 |
72 |
64 |
62 |
|
DRG I |
7,994 |
53 |
54 |
60 |
75 |
62 |
60 |
|
RESC |
478 |
72 |
69 |
74 |
79 |
74 |
67 |
|
Charter |
359 |
72 |
85 |
83 |
77 |
71 |
65 |
|
State* |
39,064 |
65 |
62 |
69 |
79 |
72 |
69 |
*Total includes eight students from "Other" schools.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education Spring Kindergarten Exit Inventory, May 2007
Table 10. Student Enrollment by Program Length
Number of Students
|
District Group |
Half-Day |
Extended-Day |
Full-Day |
Total |
Pct. In Full Day |
|
DRG A |
332 |
1,589 |
214 |
2,135 |
10.0% |
|
DRG B |
4,037 |
700 |
2,131 |
6,868 |
31.0% |
|
DRG C |
1,705 |
759 |
300 |
2,764 |
10.9% |
|
DRG D |
3,957 |
218 |
1,557 |
5,732 |
27.2% |
|
DRG E |
1,233 |
280 |
357 |
1,870 |
19.1% |
|
DRG F |
1,413 |
131 |
556 |
2,100 |
26.5% |
|
DRG G |
2,390 |
287 |
2,399 |
5,076 |
47.3% |
|
DRG H |
1,518 |
360 |
3,430 |
5,308 |
64.6% |
|
DRG I |
422 |
8 |
7,665 |
8,095 |
94.7% |
|
RESC |
44 |
4 |
524 |
572 |
91.6% |
|
Charter |
0 |
37 |
271 |
308 |
88.0% |
|
State |
17,052 |
4,373 |
19,404 |
40,829 |
47.5% |
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education Public School Information System (PSIS), September 4, 2007
So... what about those arguments that full-day kindergarten is the only answer? Especially with a request for a flat budget increase from our elected officials in what is going to be a very tough budget season?
Stay tuned for more data in the coming days.
Someone's got to do the homework to give ALL Hebron taxpayers the information they need when making their decision on the town's budget at the May polls.