School grade span and Kindergarten learning

Using a nationally representative sample of over 12,000 children and nearly 750 schools from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-kindergarten cohort and hierarchical linear modeling, we investigated the association between literacy and mathematics learning and grade configuration. Preprimary schools-those spanning only preschool through kindergarten-comprise over 12% of U.S. schools that offer kindergarten. These schools tend to be nonpublic, have smaller kindergarten enrollments, and attract more affluent and more academically prepared children than public primary and elementary schools. Despite the initial social and academic advantages of children attending preprimary schools, results indicated that kindergartners in these schools learned significantly less in mathematics and reading over the school year than kindergarten children in differently configured schools, even when children's social and academic backgrounds were taken into account, as well as the structural, social, and academic composition of their schools. Referencing research on grade span and school transitions, we suggest that the influence of grade configuration on student achievement may be mediated by circumscribed opportunities for kindergartners to interact with older children and for kindergarten teachers to align their instruction and curriculum with first-grade teachers' expectations.