DEVELOPMENTAL KINDERGARTEN ACADEMY A Strong Start for Young Learners Tess Johnson, Coordinator Special Projects, Dublin USD Dr. McCarty, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services

Developmental Kindergarten Academy Information Night Agenda Welcome and Introductions What is Developmental Kindergarten? Question and Answer

What did the legislation do? The Readiness Act of 2010 changed kindergarten enrollment dates over three years from December 2 nd to September 1 st Created a two year Kindergarten for students with Sept. – Dec. birthdays (Developmental Kindergarten) Legislation Passed SB 1381

“Today’s kindergarten classroom is a much different place than most of us experienced. We’re placing real academic demands on our kids, and the youngest are struggling to keep up. The evidence shows that giving these younger kindergarteners an extra year can make a big difference in their long-term success.”

College and Career Readiness Upon completion of K-12 DUSD education, students will be able to choose any post-secondary educational/training institution, work place, or armed services branch. Students will possess the confidence and skills necessary to be productive citizens in a global economy. Academic Knowledge Adaptability/Flexibility Collaborative Communication Metacognition Character Development Career Exploration Technology

Giving your child the gift of time Grade Progression DKA K First Return to home school for Kindergarten Developmental Kindergarten Academy (DKA)

Benefits Research shows that beginning kindergarten at an older age: improves social, emotional and academic development boosts test scores increases the likelihood of entering college and earning higher wages Free Participation in Developmental Kindergarten may reduce rates of grade retention and special education placement.

The Foundations Social and Emotional Development –Self Awareness, Social Interactions, Relationships and Self Regulation Language and Literacy –Listening and Speaking, Reading and Writing Readiness Mathematics –Number Sense, Classification and Patterning, Measurement, Geometry, Math Reasoning

Professional and personal stories and testimonials

Meet Aiden Thomas Born November 13, 2005 (Left: First Day 8/24/2010) (Right: Picture Day 9/14/2010

The school day will be the same as the traditional kindergarten. The DKA class will be taught by credentialed teachers who understand child development and the articulation of skills for success. Developmental Kindergarten Academy

Use the Kindergarten playground Have music, art, computer time, library, and P.E. activities Participate in school events (assemblies, carnival, family fun nights) On-site child care by EDCC, may be available Before and after school.. An example of what DKA students will have:

How is DKA different from Kindergarten ? A Bridge from Pre-School to Kindergarten Does not replace Kindergarten Better prepares students for Kindergarten program Age and Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Use of Pre-School Foundations AND Kindergarten Standards Parent Involvement is encouraged

Developmental Kindergarten Academy Curriculum Developmental Kindergarten Academy is A Bridge from Pre-School to Kindergarten Teacher Presentation

The curriculum includes experiences in…. Self Regulation: DKA Program - Social and Emotional Readiness - Self-Regulation Skills - Social Understanding and Awareness - Initiative in Learning - Perseverance in Problem Solving

The curriculum includes experiences in…. Language Arts: - Children see themselves as readers and writers - Story Awareness, Language Awareness, Print Concepts, using their names -Oral Storytelling, Telling stories through drawing -Writing experiences

The curriculum includes experiences in…. Mathematics Hands-On Exploration with Math - Number Sense - Quantity - Patterning - Comparisons - Mathematical Reasoning

The curriculum includes experiences in…. Large Motor Development Physical Education Playground Learning Through Movement Small Motor Development Handwriting Scissor Skills Art – in a variety of Media Science and Social Studies Integrated through Language Arts

Next Steps Parent Written Agreement regarding grade progression DKA parent consent form due to home school office by May 23 All parents will be notified of placement no later than June 1st Questions?

Thank you for coming! Contact Information: Tess Johnson Judi Fall Assistant to Ed Services Please put DPride in the subject line of all correspondence.