KINDERGARTEN DAYS TO GET LONGER LAUSD SHOOTS FOR MORE TIME WITH LITTLE ONES.

Byline: Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writer

Los Angeles Unified School District officials plan to establish full-day kindergarten to keep pace with national trends, boost test scores and give kids time for activities like show-and-tell and finger-painting, which have been all but eliminated in many classes.

While some parents and teachers worry that youngsters won't be able to handle being in school for six rather than three hours a day, others say the district needs a full-day program if students are to remain competitive. And many parents say they welcome the plan, noting it will not only improve their children's academic performance but cut down on day-care costs.

``Full-day kindergarten is one of the most sound instructional things that could ever happen,'' school board member David Tokofsky said. ``The costs are minimal. It raises revenue by increasing enrollment, and it will improve student achievement.''

The board will discuss the plan Thursday, and is expected to officially endorse the program in February. But it could take several years before all kindergarten students are in full-day programs, even if the funding comes through on schedule.

The extra classroom space needed to provide seats for all kindergartners would come from $100 million earmarked for full-day kindergarten in a $3.87 billion facilities bond measure that voters will be asked to approve in March.

District leaders also plan to lobby the state to change laws so they can get more money for students who attend full-day classes and to see that they don't have to file a waiver to hold all-day kindergarten.

District leaders fear that if full-day kindergarten isn't implemented quickly, students will fall behind. More than half of the country's 5- year-olds already attend an extended-day program.

``That's one of our big pushes right now,'' board member Jon Lauritzen said.

With increasing demands by the federal government to boost academic performance nationally, kindergarten students need more time in class, officials said.

And some of the extra time needs to go toward old classroom staples like finger-painting and show-and-tell - which have been cut in favor of reading and math, said Mike Dreebin, elementary vice president for United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents the district's teachers.

``Kindergarten is very academic,'' Dreebin said. ``There's no more fun stuff. There's no art. There's no music. There's no science. The kids miss it.''

But Dreebin questions whether now is the right time for the district to make a push for full-day kindergarten. Many schools are overcrowded, which forces thousands of students to attend school year-round or be bused to schools far away from their homes.

The district should get a handle on this before they consider expanding kindergarten, he said.

``If full-day kindergarten is a good idea, then it ought to be good for all kids in Los Angeles,'' Dreebin said. ``In the distance, I think it is a good idea, but I think it's a priority and equity issue.''

The district has about 3,000 classrooms for its 55,000 kindergarteners, and officials expect enrollment to jump once the program goes full-day.

The $100 million funding from the bond probably won't provide space for every student to attend full-day, but it will provide classroom space for a large majority, said Glenn Gritzner, special assistant to Superintendent Roy Romer.

``That's a really substantial investment,'' Gritzner said. ``It will get a lot of the way there.''

To convert all LAUSD kindergarten classes to full-day plans quickly, the district may have to consider partnering with private companies or schools, said Kristie Kauerz, program director of early learning for the Education Commission of the States, a Denver-based nonprofit group.

Currently, there's a tremendous national move toward full-day kindergarten. Nearly 50 percent of U.S. students are already enrolled, according to Kauerz.

``It's a much better-paced day,'' she said. ``A full-day program allows for both the play-based, development-appropriate learning that our young students need, as well as the academic preparation.''

In other words, it gives children time to learn their ABCs and time to learn social graces, like not biting classmates who won't share their toys.

And while some parents and educators worry that a full school day may be too long for 5-year-olds, Kauerz said the youngsters do just fine.

Kindergarten originated as a full-day program in the United States in the 1870s. It wasn't scaled back until World War II, when money was tight and the baby boom was under way, Kauerz said.

``It's now sort of beginning to bounce back,'' she said.

Rio Vista School in North Hollywood is leading the charge in the LAUSD. It's the only non-charter school that applied for a waiver this school year to extend its kindergarten day from 200 to 240 minutes.

While that's not quite a full day, Principal Maria Awakian said she can already tell the difference.

``I think there are some real advantages,'' she said.

North Hollywood resident Janna Williams said she's noticed some real improvements in her son, Griffin.

``I've noticed a humongous difference,'' she said. ``He seems to be doing wonderful. He just had three weeks off and he missed school. He wanted to come back to see his friends.''

Jennifer Radcliffe, [phone]

jennifer.radcliffe(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Kindergarten teacher Carrie Gasper reads a book about Martin Luther King Jr. to her students at Rio Vista Elementary School in North Hollywood.

Evan Yee/Daily News