Humble ISD has expanded its full-day Pre-K options each of the past three years.[/caption]Humble ISD will expand its full-day pre-K options to 11 schools within the district in August.
Two schools—North Belt and Oaks elementaries—will expand from half-day to full-day pre-K programs. The expansions will cost HISD $249,500, district spokesperson Jamie Mount said. Meanwhile Groves Elementary School will open in August with full-day pre-K.
The move will provide a full-day option at every elementary school classified as Title I—schools that feature a high concentration of low-income families—except Whispering Pines Elementary School.
Pre-K options were expanded because district data shows full-day pre-K leads to higher student success and provides support for families with low incomes or who have two working parents, said Luci Schulz, who serves as assistant superintendent for elementary schools.
Full-day pre-K has also been shown to help decrease the achievement gap between high and low income students, Shulz said.
“Studies will tell you that if don’t have that prekindergarten early intervention, by third grade there is a huge gap,” she said. “If we’re able to provide a strong, early intervention with a robust system, there is no achievement gap.”
The program was piloted in 2015, when the
district instituted full-day pre-K at three schools, Mount said. In 2016, the district converted eight schools from half-day to full-day pre-K.
Full-day pre-K students had higher attendance rates and scored higher than their half-day counterparts on end-of-year assessments, Shulz said.
Overall, HISD will have 11 full-day and two half-day pre-K programs at 13 elementary schools in August. Eight of the schools offer a bilingual pre-K program. Any student zoned to an HISD school that meets the eligibility requirements can also attend, Schulz said.
To be eligible, students must be 4 years old by Sept. 1, receive free or reduced lunch, be foster children, have difficulty speaking English or be children of an active duty military member.
The program teaches a curriculum that includes core content, such as math, science and social studies, but also focuses on literacy, language development and social skills, Shulz said.
HISD’s pre-K option allows students to come to kindergarten and first grade ready to learn and thrive in a social environment, she said.
The program could be a challenge initially, but could become a rewarding experience, she said.
“Their child is going to be really tired those first six weeks of school,” Shulz said. “They’re probably going to take a nap as soon as they reach the car, but they’re going to get used to that.”
