Why Academic Pre-K
As a Title 1 school, Gocio Elementary has one of the highest levels of children in poverty in Sarasota County, with over 85% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
Gocio also has the second-highest ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) population, at over 60%, and the second-highest minority rate. In August of 2022, children entering Gocio Pre-K scored almost two years lower than other four-year-olds in academic readiness (Brigance Assessments).
The benefits of early learning for school success are well-researched and documented. The better prepared a child is upon entering kindergarten helps ensure the child can academically grow each year as expected, rather than trying to “catch up” in subsequent grades.
Pilot
In 2017, we partnered with Steve Royce, Principal of Gocio Elementary, a Title 1 school in Sarasota, to create a new academic entry point for pre-K students and an alternative to independent commercial pre-K offerings. The goal was to increase learning through a robust curriculum, integrated school day taught by master teachers. and through parent-community partnerships.
Definition of Academic Pre-K
An Academic Pre-K offers very specific components in curriculum, staffing, environment, and support, including:
- Vibrant Curriculum
- Experienced Teachers Qualified in Early Education
- Certified Aides
- Full Day of Academic Instruction in School Environment
- Learning Goals that are Challenging but Achievable with Supportive Instruction
- Promotion of Kindergarten Readiness (Literacy in letters and sounds, language rich environment, phonemic skills; Math in one to one correspondence, counting, subitizing)
- Multigrade Teacher Input in Planning and Designing Program Improvement
- Positive Behavior Management which supports Social and Emotional Learning
- Inclusion of Students’ Families, Languages, and Cultures, Communication with Parents in Home
- Continuous Review of Data to Help Target Need
Results
Now in its fifth year, there are four classrooms of 18 Academic Pre-K students at Gocio, for a total of 72 children.
Based on the success of the Gocio Academic Pre-K Program, the Sarasota School District presented the roll-out of the program as one of its three strategic planks, as included in the 2022 citywide Education Referendum, which 85% of residents supported.
There are now 59 preschool classes at 16 different school sites, including a K-8 school. Forty of the 59 preschool classrooms serve students with disabilities (SWD) through Exceptional Student Education (ESE) self-contained programming.
The long-term results of the Gocio Academic Pre-K Program indicate that students in the inaugural class continue to outperform those who attended other Pre-K’s and those who did not participate in any Pre-K.
Data
Kindergarten Measurements
i-Ready Reading and Math Grade Scores on or above grade level for Kindergarten have dramatically increased:
- Gocio Pre-K Program students i-Ready Kindergarten scores in Reading are more than double than those of non-program students
- Gocio Pre-K Program students i-Ready Kindergarten scores in Math are more 6x greater than those of non-program students
First Grade Measurements
i-Ready Reading and Math Grade Scores on or above grade level for First Grade have dramatically increased:
- Gocio Pre-K Program students i-Ready First Grade scores in Reading are 1 1/2x greater than those of non-program students
- Gocio Pre-K Program students i-Ready Kindergarten scores in Math are more 50% greater than those of non-program students
Summary
- Kindergarteners without any Pre-K program – 1.7x lower in readiness in Reading (i-Ready)
- Kindergarteners without any Pre-K program – 6x lower in readiness in Math
- First Grade – 1 1/2x % increase in Reading
- First Grade – 50% increase in Math
- Pre-K to Kindergarten – 100% increase in Advanced Class placement
- In comparing 4th grade scores for the inaugural Pre-K class of 2017-18 versus a cohort from a different Pre-K program or no Pre-K at all, the data shows sustained learning performance:
| Inagural Pre-K Class of 2017-2018, 4th Grade Data | Attended Gocio Pre-K | Attended Pre-K at a Different Program | No Pre-K |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELA | 54 | 39 | 45 |
| Math | 61 | 54 | 52 |