The effects of extended-day kindergarten on student achievement and eligibility for Chapter 1 service

One of the purposes of this study was to compare student achievement during the kindergarten and first grade of two groups: the extended-day kindergarten and half-day kindergarten. Another purpose was to compare the number of students eligible for Chapter 1 service from the extended-day kindergarten group and the half-day kindergarten group at the end of kindergarten and grade one. One hundred twenty kindergartners from eight Chapter 1 elementary schools comprised the sample. There were 60 students in the experimental group, a Chapter 1 extended-day kindergarten program, and 60 students in the control group, a half-day kindergarten program. The SRA Tests, Level A and Level B, were given at the end of kindergarten and first grade, respectively, to determine the student achievement. The total reading percentiles on the SRA Tests were used to determine the eligibility of students for Chapter 1 service. According to an analysis of covariance, the control group did significantly better than the experimental group on the SRA, Level A, Test administered at the end of kindergarten. There was no statistically significant difference in student achievement at the end of first grade between the daily extended-day kindergarten group and the daily half-day kindergarten group. The results of two t-tests revealed that a greater number of extended-day kindergarten students were eligible for Chapter 1 service than students from the half-day kindergarten group. However, the difference was less at the end of the first grade than it was at the end of the kindergarten year. The subjects for this study began with a difference in ability and the potential for growth. The economic and academic deprivation attributed to the gap between the two groups. With more time for comparison, one might see the differences between the extended-day kindergarten group and the half-day kindergarten group lessen