The Impact of a Transition Program On Kindergarten Skills and Absenteeism

Abstract In the United States, children typically begin kindergarten, the entry point of compulsory education at around age 5, with a range of experiences and skills, often associated with state-funded (public) and private preprimary educational opportunities available, but not required prior to kindergarten (Duncan et al., 2020; Goldfeld et al., 2016; Montrosse-Moorhead et al., 2019; Prior et al., 2010). Based on these differences, kindergarten transition programs designed to improve connections between children, families, and teachers prior to kindergarten entry have gained traction. One U.S. state developed a program that includes six teacher-facilitated, curriculum-based sessions with children and their families in the months prior to kindergarten entry. More than 1,000 entering kindergartners across the state are served by this program each year. Researchers sought to better understand academic and social impacts of this program through analyzing Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) scores as well as absenteeism rates among program participants and a matched sample of non-participants during a 3-year period. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling nesting kindergartners at the teacher level, findings reveal that the program appears to have a more positive impact related to KRA scores of children who were not enrolled in prekindergarten, publicly funded voluntary 4-year-old programs, and were identified as students in poverty, potentially based on fewer opportunities prior to kindergarten. Findings from absenteeism data reveal lower absenteeism in one of the three years, possibly based on evolving COVID-19 attendance policies from 2021 to 2023. These findings highlight a population that may benefit more from transition programs and the need to recruit families whose children may have fewer opportunities prior to kindergarten entry.