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Last chance for kids 4 years old to attend pre-K

Schools will provide 300 hours of classes this summer and urge parents to register so districts can get a head count.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published February 14, 2006

The thousands of parents who skipped Florida's new prekindergarten program during the school year have one last chance to send their 4-year-olds to pre-K.

Local school districts, which must provide 300 hours of pre-K classes this summer, are taking registration information. They want a better picture of how many children to expect when their doors open in late May and early June.

During the school-year program, critics complained that the 540 hours of required instruction were too little. Now they worry the 300 hours required in the summer are too much.

The short time period available for the classes - 30 to 40 days in most districts - has forced most counties to offer daily sessions of seven to 10 hours. And the state has made clear that nap time won't count.

That's a longer school day than most high-schoolers face.

Stephanie Rubin, director of state programs for national advocacy group Pre-K Now, says many children won't have the attention span for that. She wonders if the classes will be effective.

"We don't want to have kids enter kindergarten exhausted and thinking of school as an all-day nightmare," Rubin said.

Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, is more optimistic. The success of summer pre-K classes, he said, will depend on how individual schools execute them.

"It comes down to what is going on in those hours," said Barnett, who said some full-day preschool programs have brought well-documented benefits to children.

The state allows schools to count children as present as long as they show up for part of the day. Whether those students will get the same academic gains remains to be seen. That matters because schools will be rated according to how well they prepare children for kindergarten.

Local districts say they plan to offer a wide range of instruction.

"We are providing wonderful literary activities and music activities for children," said Joyce Haines, general director for elementary education in Hillsborough Schools.

Sandy Show, prekindergarten services supervisor for Pasco County schools, said pre-K planners had long conversations about whether 4-year-olds could handle the long day.

They determined that many children are in day care all day anyway because of their parents' work schedules.

State law requires school districts to admit every child to the program who applies, whenever they register. The districts are hoping the bulk of applications come early so administrators can adequately prepare.

To apply, parents first must get a certificate of eligibility from their local early learning coalition. Parents must provide proof of residency in Florida and a birth certificate showing their child was 4 on or before Sept. 1, 2005.

After getting the certificate, they will receive a list of participating schools and other providers. Not all of the participating sites are in the public schools.

In Pinellas County, for instance, Head Start will offer 10 classrooms and 27 private centers will have summer pre-K, in addition to 38 elementary schools.

Parents then must contact the schools they want their child to attend and sign up for pre-K. In Pinellas, enrollment begins Wednesday. Hillsborough County plans to open an enrollment hotline later this month or early in March.

Schools will accept children on a first-come, first-served basis until classes are full. Some schools might not get enough applicants, and families might have to go to their second choice.

Registration for prekindergarten is ongoing through area early learning coalitions. Some counties plan special meetings in various communities to sign up.

--Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 813 269-5304 or solochek@sptimes.com

[Last modified February 14, 2006, 07:09:10]