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Preschool Program Review

And Full-Day Kindergarten
Research Report No. 450
Office Of Education Accountability

Preschool Program Review
And Full-Day Kindergarten
Project Staff
Sabrina J. Olds
Christopher B. Joffrion
Chris Riley
Deborah Nelson, PhD
Albert Alexander
Logan Rupard
Bart Liguori, PhD
Bart Liguori, PhD

Research Division Manager
David Wickersham
Deputy Director for the Office of Education Accountability
Research Report No. 450

Revised July 10, 2018
Legislative Research Commission

Frankfort, Kentucky
lrc.ky.gov
Accepted September 17, 2017, by the

Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee
Paid for with state funds. Available in alternative format by request.

Legislative Research Commission Foreword
Foreword
For more than 25 years, the Office of Education Accountability (OEA) has played an important
role in reporting on education reform in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Today, the employees
of OEA strive to provide fair and equitable accountability, documenting the challenges and
opportunities confronting Kentucky’s education system.
In November 2016, the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee

approved the OEA 2017 study agenda, which included the report you’re reading now. This study
analyzes revenues, expenditures, enrollment, characteristics, and outcomes of preschool and
include an analysis of full-day kindergarten at the state and district levels.
The Office of Education Accountability would like to thank staff at the Governor’s Office of
Early Childhood and the Kentucky Department of Education for their assistance with this report.
The Legislative Research Commission comprises more than 400 professionals who work to
make the legislative process accessible, informative, and relevant to the citizens of the
commonwealth. OEA is an important part of that mission. Thank you for your interest in this
report and for your interest in preschool and kindergarten in Kentucky.
David A. Byerman
Director

Frankfort, Kentucky
September 2017
i
Legislative Research Commission Contents
Contents
Summary ........................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter 1: Preschool And Kindergarten Program Overview ..........................................................1

Background ....................................................................................................................1
Preschool ............................................................................................................1
Kindergarten ......................................................................................................3
Description Of The Study ..............................................................................................4
Data Used For The Study ...................................................................................4
Organization Of The Report ..........................................................................................5
Major Conclusions .........................................................................................................6
Preschool ...........................................................................................................6
Kindergarten .....................................................................................................7
Statutes And Regulations ...............................................................................................8
District And School Preschool Program Supports .........................................................9
Kentucky Department Of Education ..................................................................9
Administrative Support ........................................................................10
Compliance And Quality Improvement Support .................................10
Professional Learning Support .............................................................10
Assessment Support .............................................................................10
Collaborative Support ..........................................................................11
Early Childhood Regional Training Centers....................................................11
Professional Learning Support .............................................................11
Compliance And Quality Improvement Support .................................12
Lending Library Support......................................................................12
Consultation And Technical Assistance Support .................................12
Governor’s Office Of Early Childhood ...........................................................12
Chapter 2: Preschool Funding .......................................................................................................15

Introduction .................................................................................................................15
General Assembly Appropriations ...............................................................................15
Allocations To School Districts ...................................................................................16
At-Risk Students And Students With Disabilities ...........................................17
At-Risk Preschool Students .............................................................................18
Recommendation 2.1 ................................................................19
Students With Speech/Language Disorders .....................................................20
Students With Developmental Delays .............................................................20
Severe And Multiple Disabilities .....................................................................21
Flexible Focus Fund .....................................................................................................22
Other Preschool Revenues ...........................................................................................22
Federal Grants ..................................................................................................23
Head Start.............................................................................................23
Blending Of Programs .........................................................................24
IDEA-B And IDEA-B Preschool Funds ..............................................24
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Contents Legislative Research Commission
Race To The Top Grants ......................................................................25

Title I Funds .........................................................................................25
Additional State Grants ....................................................................................25
Family Resource Center .......................................................................25
Preschool Partnership Grants ...............................................................26
Survey Results .....................................................................................27
Preschool Tuition .............................................................................................29
Expenditures ..............................................................................................................30
Preschool Expenditure Comparison With Bordering States ............................30
District Preschool Expenditures ...................................................................................31
Chart Of Accounts ...........................................................................................31
Preschool Expenditures Survey Results...............................................31
Fiscal Reporting In The Every Student Succeeds Act .........................32
Recommendation 2.2 ................................................................32
Expenditures By Fund And Expense Codes ....................................................32
Special Education Preschool Expenditures ..................................................................33
Preschool Transportation Expenditures ...........................................................34
Recommendation 2.3 ................................................................35
Total Preschool Expenditures ..........................................................................35
Preschool Survey Responses........................................................................................35
Chapter 3: Types Of Preschool Programs .....................................................................................37

Introduction .................................................................................................................37
Preschool Program Proposals ..........................................................................37
Recommendation 3.1 ................................................................38
Operation Of Preschool Programs ...................................................................39
Nontraditional Preschool Programs .....................................................40
Preschool Blended Programs ...............................................................41
Full Utilization Of Head Start ..............................................................41
Recommendation 3.2 ................................................................43
Preschool Staff .................................................................................................43
Comparison To Neighboring States And The Nation And Preschool
Comparison With Bordering States .................................................................45
NIEER Quality Standards. ...................................................................45
Overall Enrollment Comparison. .........................................................47
Special Education Preschool Enrollment Comparison ........................47
Operation Schedule Comparison .........................................................48
Demographics ..................................................................................................49
Gender ..................................................................................................49
Race/Ethnicity ......................................................................................50
Free Or Reduced-Price Lunch Status ...................................................50
Special Education.................................................................................51
Limited English Proficiency ................................................................52
Recommendation 3.3 ................................................................53
State Funded 3-Year-Old Preschool Students..................................................54
Preschool Attendance.......................................................................................54
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Recommendation 3.4 ................................................................55

Day Care Services ............................................................................................55
Day Care Services And Enrollment .................................................................55
Chapter 4: Preschool Program Evaluation .....................................................................................59

Introduction .................................................................................................................59
Preschool Program Review And Annual Evaluations .................................................59
Findings............................................................................................................60
Annual Self-Assessments.....................................................................60
Recommendation 4.1 ................................................................62
Kentucky All STARS Program ....................................................................................62
Preschool Participation And Enrollment .....................................................................63
Recruitment Strategies .....................................................................................63
OEA Survey .........................................................................................63
P2R Evaluation Of Recruitment ..........................................................64
Enrollment........................................................................................................64
Enrollment Barriers ..............................................................................72
Recommendation 4.2 ................................................................73
Recommendation 4.3 ................................................................73
Preschool Outcomes.....................................................................................................73
Preschool Outcome Data..................................................................................74
Common Kindergarten Entry Screener ................................................74
Brigance Kindergarten Screen II Pilot .................................................74
Brigance Kindergarten Screen III ........................................................75
Brigance Kindergarten Screen III National Standardization
Sample..................................................................................................75
Generalizability Of Brigance Kindergarten Screen III ........................76
Recommendation 4.4 ................................................................76
Prior Setting Information .................................................................................76
Recommendation 4.5 ................................................................76
Preschool Assessments ........................................................................78
Kindergarten Readiness ...................................................................................78
State-Funded Preschool Students Compared To All Students .........................79
FRPL Students .....................................................................................82
IEP Students .........................................................................................83
Kindergarten Readiness By Prior Setting ............................................84
Kindergarten Readiness By Schedule Type And Hours Of
Instruction ............................................................................................86
Kindergarten Readiness By Race.........................................................87
Long-Term Significance And Meaning Of Kindergarten Readiness ..............90
Recommendation 4.6 ................................................................90
Preschool Assessment Data .............................................................................90
Conclusion .......................................................................................................93
Recommendation 4.7 ................................................................94
v
Chapter 5: Kindergarten ................................................................................................................95

Introduction .................................................................................................................95
Kindergarten Funding ..................................................................................................95
Kentucky Board Of Education Budget Request ..............................................95
Local District Expenditures .............................................................................95
Recommendation 5.1 ................................................................95
Bordering States ...............................................................................................98
Full-Day Kindergarten In The United States .......................................99
Types Of Kindergarten Programs ..............................................................................100
Full-Day Kindergarten ...................................................................................100
Cost Related To Moving To Full-Day Kindergarten .....................................101
Madison County .................................................................................101
Jessamine County...............................................................................102
Full- And Half-Day Kindergarten ..................................................................102
Campbell County ...............................................................................102
Corbin Independent ............................................................................102
Fort Thomas Independent ..................................................................103
Oldham County ..................................................................................103
Half-Day Kindergarten ..................................................................................103
Open-Ended Responses To OEA Survey About Kindergarten .................................104
Full-Day/Half-Day Kindergarten Outcomes..............................................................105
Appendix A: District Document Request ..................................................................................109

Appendix B: Superintendent Survey .........................................................................................111
Appendix C: Preschool Partnership Grants Tier I And Tier II, FY 2017..................................117
Appendix D: Tuition-Based Preschool, FY 2016 ......................................................................119
Appendix E: Preschool Expenses By Source, FY 2016 ............................................................121
Appendix F: Preschool Driver Assistants By Type And Number Of Bus Drivers, FY 2017 ...125
Appendix G: Demographics Of 4-Year-Old State-Funded Preschool Students, School
Years 2014 To 2016, Compared To All Students Entering Kindergarten,
School Years 2015 To 2017 .................................................................................129
Appendix H: P2R Recruitment Evaluation Summary, School Years 2013 To 2017 ................135
Appendix I: Percentage Of Eligible Preschool Students Enrolled By County,
School Years 2014 To 2016 .................................................................................137
Appendix J: Percentage Of Students With Prior Setting Home Eligible For Preschool,
School Years 2015 To 2017 .................................................................................143
Appendix K: Responses From The Members Of The National Technical Advisory Panel
On Assessment And Accountability ....................................................................145
Appendix L: Kindergarten Readiness By District, School Years 2015 To 2017 ......................163
Appendix M: General Assembly Cost For Full-Day Kindergarten, FY 2017 ...........................169
Appendix N: District Kindergarten Expenses By Source, FY 2016 .........................................173
Endnotes ..............................................................................................................................177
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Tables
1.1 Statutes And Regulations Pertaining To Preschool .............................................................8

2.1 Districts Participating In Preschool Grant Flexible Focus Fund Movement And
Amounts, FY 2012 To FY 2016 ........................................................................................22
2.2 District Survey Responses Regarding Why Districts Did Not Apply For Tier II
Preschool Partnership Grant, FY 2017 ..............................................................................28
2.3 Preschool Expenditures For Kentucky And Bordering States, School Year 2016 ............30
2.4 District Preschool Expenditures By Source And Expense Object Code Compared
To Total Preschool Students And Average Per-Pupil Expenditures, FY 2016 .................33
3.1 Districts’ Compliance With Preschool Program Proposal Reporting Requirements
Mandated By KRS 157.3175(5), School Year 2017..........................................................38
3.2 Preschool Teacher Certifications By Type, School Years 2007 To 2017 .........................44
3.3 NIEER Current Quality Standards Met By Kentucky And Bordering States,
School Year 2016 ...............................................................................................................46
3.4 Percentage Of 3- And 4-Year-Olds Enrolled In State-Funded Preschool For
Kentucky And Bordering States, School Year 2016 .........................................................47
3.5 Special Education Preschool Enrollment For Kentucky And Bordering States,
School Year 2016 ...............................................................................................................48
3.6 Preschool Operating Schedules And Minimum Hours Of Operation Per Day For
Kentucky And Bordering States, School Year 2016 .........................................................48
3.7 Number Of State-Funded 4-Year-Old Students And Percent Of Kindergarten
Enrollment, School Years 2014 To 2016 ...........................................................................49
3.8 Race/Ethnicity Of All Kindergarten Students And State-Funded 4-Year-Old
Preschool Students, School Years 2014 To 2017 ..............................................................50
3.9 Percent FRPL, For All Kindergarten Students And State-Funded 4-Year-Old
Preschool Students, School Years 2014 To 2017 ..............................................................41
3.10 Day Care Services By District, School Year 2017 ............................................................56
3.11 Day Care Services Combinations By District, School Year 2017 .....................................56
4.1 Number Of Districts Receiving P2R Findings Related To Annual Self-Evaluation,
School Years 2013 To 2017 ...............................................................................................61
4.2 OEA Survey Common Responses For Recruitment Strategies, 2016 ...............................64
4.3 Preschool And Head Start Enrollment Data By Data Source, School Years 2014
To 2016 .............................................................................................................................67
4.4 Number Of Districts Reporting Preschool Enrollment Barriers, School Years 2016
To 2017 ..............................................................................................................................72
5.1 District Kindergarten Expenditures By Source And Expense Object Code Compared
To Total Kindergarten Students And Average Per-Pupil Expenditures, FY 2016 ............97
5.2 Kindergarten Operating Schedules And Minimum Hours Per Day And Total Hours
Per Year For Kentucky And Bordering States, School Year 2016 ..................................100
5.3 Districts Operating Half-Day Kindergarten Programs During School Year 2009
And Year They Switched To Full-Day Kindergarten ......................................................101
5.4 Estimated Cost And Kindergarten Enrollment Of Districts Switching To Full-Day
Kindergarten, FY 2012 To FY 2017 ................................................................................102
5.5 Districts Operating Full-Day Kindergarten During School Year 2009 And Year
They Switched To Half-Day Kindergarten ......................................................................103
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5.6 Estimated Savings And Kindergarten Enrollment Of Districts Switching To

Half-Day Kindergarten, FY 2013 To FY 2015 ................................................................104
5.7 Selected Summary Statistics For Full-Day Kindergarten Compared To Half-Day
Kindergarten, Kindergarten Year 2013, K-PREP Year 2016 ..........................................106
5.8 Logistic Regression Modeling Output .............................................................................107
Figures
2.A General Assembly Appropriations, FY 2007 To FY 2017 ................................................16

2.B Count Of Preschool Students And Funding, FY 2002 To FY 2017 ..................................17
2.C Kentucky Preschool Population At-Risk Students And Students With Disabilities, School
Years 2006 To 2017 ...........................................................................................................18
2.D Count Of At-Risk Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding, FY 2002 To FY 2017 ....18
2.E Count Of Speech/Language Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding, FY 2002
To FY 2017 ........................................................................................................................20
2.F Count Of Developmental Delay Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding,
FY 2002 To FY 2017 .........................................................................................................21
2.G Count Of Severe/Multiple Disabled Preschool Students And Funding, FY 2002 To
FY 2017 .............................................................................................................................21
3.A Types Of Preschool Schedules, School Year 2017 ............................................................40
3.B Percentage Of Kindergarten Students Qualifying For FRPL By Race, School Years
2015 To 2017 .....................................................................................................................51
3.C Percentage Of All Kindergarten Students And State-Funded 4-Year-Old Preschool
Students Who Qualified For Special Education Services, School Years 2015 To 2017 ...52
3.D Percentage of All Kindergarten Students And State-Funded 4-Year-Old Preschool
Students Identified As LEP, School Years 2015 To 2017 .................................................53
4.A Percentage Of Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool, School Year 2014 To 2016 .......65
4.B Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool By County, School
Years 2014 To 2016 ...........................................................................................................69
4.C Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Head Start By County, School
Years 2014 To 2016 ...........................................................................................................70
4.D Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool Or Head Start By
County, School Years 2014 To 2016 .................................................................................71
4.E Kindergarten Readiness, School Year 2017 ......................................................................78
4.F Kindergarten Readiness Among State-Funded Preschool Students, School Year 2017 ...79
4.G Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool Students And All Students, School Years
2015 To 2017 .....................................................................................................................81
4.H Kindergarten Readiness Among State-Funded Preschool Students And Nonpreschool
Students, School Years 2015 To 2017 ...............................................................................82
4.I Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool And Nonpreschool FRPL Students,
School Years 2015 To 2017 ...............................................................................................83
4.J Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool And Nonpreschool IEP Students, School
Years 2015 To 2017 ...........................................................................................................84
4.K Average Kindergarten Readiness By Prior Setting, FRPL, And IEP Status, School
Years 2015 To 2017 ...........................................................................................................85
4.L Kindergarten Readiness By Hours In Preschool Each Week, School Year 2017 .............87
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4.M Kindergarten Readiness By Race, School Years 2015 To 2017 ........................................88

4.N Kindergarten Readiness Among State-Funded Preschool Students By Race, School
Years 2015 To 2017 ...........................................................................................................89
4.O Percentage Of State-Funded Preschool Students Considered Age-Appropriate On
Social, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes, School Year 2016 ....................................92
4.P Kindergarten Readiness Measures For State-Funded Preschool Students, School
Year 2017 ...........................................................................................................................93
5.A Estimated State Funding Per Kindergarten Student, Kentucky And Bordering States,
School Year 2016 ...............................................................................................................99
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Legislative Research Commission Summary
Summary
Kentucky established its state-funded preschool program through the Kentucky Education
Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). Initially, children qualified to attend preschool if they were 4 years
old and qualified for the federal free lunch program or were 3 or 4 years old with a disability,
regardless of income. By 2016, the General Assembly increased the number of at-risk children
eligible for state-funded preschool by increasing the eligibility requirements to 160 percent of the
federal poverty level.
Head Start was created in 1965 to help communities meet the needs of disadvantaged children. In
Kentucky, state-funded preschool and Head Start served an average of 60.45 percent of eligible
4-year-olds in school years 2014 through 2016. During that same period, 21,634 preschool-
eligible children remained at home with a parent or guardian instead of attending Head Start,
state-funded preschool, or child care.
In establishing Kentucky’s state-funded preschool program, the General Assembly intended for
state-funded preschool to not supplant Head Start funding and for Head Start to continue serving
the number of eligible 4-year-olds that it served in 1989. KRS 157.3175 requires that each school
district’s preschool proposal include a certification from the local Head Start director that the
Head Start program is “fully utilized.” To meet this requirement, each year local school districts
and Head Start providers sign full utilization agreements. Data collected from the 2017 school
year full utilization agreements indicate that 32 percent of districts are not meeting the
pre-KERA Head Start enrollment targets for 4-year-olds, so approximately 1,500 fewer
4-year-olds are served by Head Start in 2017 than in 1989.
Local districts are required to annually submit preschool proposals to the commissioner of
education for review and approval of each program. The preschool proposals are lacking in
several areas.
Districts are only required to offer a half-day preschool program 4 days per week; however,
40 percent of districts are providing full-day preschool 4 or 5 days a week. The most common
type of preschool schedule is a half-day double session 4 days per week, with the fifth day for
services to children and their families, such as home visits, special experiences for children,
parent training, or coordination of medical or social services. In addition, districts tend to believe
that they are serving a greater percentage of preschool-eligible children than they actually are.
The 4-year-old participation rates by county vary from 38 percent to 100 percent of eligible
students enrolling in preschool or Head Start.
The number of at-risk and special education preschool students has fluctuated over the years.
While the income requirement threshold for state-funded preschool has increased in order to
serve more students, overall Kentucky is currently serving 110 fewer preschool students than in
the 2006 school year. The at-risk 4-year-old population participating in preschool increased
13.8 percent, and the special education population decreased by 18.2 percent relative to the
2006 population. In addition, less than half of all limited English proficiency (LEP) students
participated in the state-funded preschool program even though more than 80 percent of them
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Summary Legislative Research Commission
qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL), also qualifying them for state-funded preschool
services. Moreover, less than 8 percent of LEP students were identified as qualifying for special
education services in school years 2015 to 2017, compared to 14 percent of non-LEP students.
After the Education Professional Standards Board adopted 704 KAR 3:410 in 2005, preschool
teachers were required to have an Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE)
certificate. 704 KAR 3:410 allowed preschool teachers who had been teaching without a
certificate, prior to the promulgation of the regulation, to continue teaching preschool as long as
they remained in the same district. These preschool teachers were assigned the title “associate
teacher.” As of 2017, 79 percent of preschool teachers have an IECE certificate. Currently, there
are only 89 preschool associate teachers remaining in the state; preschool associate teachers
comprise 9 percent of all preschool teachers. Only 1 percent of preschool teachers have a
probationary IECE certification, and another 1 percent hold an emergency IECE certification.
Districts reported spending, on average, $4,395 more per child than they received from the
preschool funds allocated by the General Assembly. Of the $9,302 districts reported spending
per child, $2,056 was spent on special education services for preschool students and $1,035 was
spent on transportation. Districts are not required to transport preschool students; however, all
but 13 districts do so. In addition, districts are required to provide a driver’s assistant for every
bus that transports preschool students. Districts providing preschool transportation receive no
additional funds to provide this service. Districts that reported the largest expenditures in
preschool were districts that operated a full-day preschool program.
The educational achievement of state-funded preschool students is measured and assessed in two
ways. First, prior to enrolling in kindergarten, preschool teachers observe and assess students on
academic and social learning outcomes. Since districts have the option to use one of five
different assessments, comparing student progress and achievement across Kentucky’s
173 school districts is difficult. Second, since the fall of 2013, all students entering kindergarten,
statewide, have taken a common kindergarten entry screener to measure kindergarten readiness.
The screener that is used is the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III. The preschool assessments and
kindergarten readiness data for students attending state-funded preschool, however, send
conflicting messages about social and behavioral outcomes. While kindergarten readiness data
suggest that social emotional outcomes are a strength (73 percent average or above), preschool
data suggest the opposite, with only 37 percent considered age-appropriate.
In 2017, the kindergarten readiness rate for all students entering kindergarten was 50.1 percent.
State-funded FRPL preschool students outperformed their nonpreschool counterparts by
approximately 15 percentage points, and state-funded preschool students with individualized
education programs (IEPs) outperformed nonpreschool IEP students by roughly 6 percentage
points. Additionally, kindergarten readiness rates for state-funded preschool students receiving
free or reduced-price lunch or having IEPs are almost twice as high as the readiness rates of
FRPL and IEP students who listed only “home” as their prior setting.
Over the last 3 years, an equal percentage of white students and black students who had a prior
setting of preschool were ready for kindergarten. Among FRPL students who had only a prior
setting of preschool, a greater percentage of black students were ready for kindergarten than
xii
white students. Preschool students who participated in a preschool program for more than
16 hours per week were more likely to test ready for kindergarten than students who attended for
less than 16 hours per week. Among preschool students, the average rate of readiness in districts
with more than 16 hours of scheduled preschool time per week is 13 percentage points higher
than in districts with less than 12 hours of preschool per week. In districts with more than
16 hours of scheduled preschool time per week, the average rate of kindergarten readiness is
54.9 percent, compared to 41.9 percent in districts with less than 12 hours per week.
The Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Race to the Top Grant included $4.9 million for the
Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide training and incentives and for KDE to
reevaluate each district’s preschool program for using the Kentucky All STARS rating system.
All preschools started with a rating of 3 STARS, and preschool programs could ask KDE to
come and perform a reevaluation. Of the 370 preschool programs that KDE has reevaluated,
98 percent, or 364, received a 5-STAR rating.
Kindergarten
As of the 2017 school year, only six districts offered half-day kindergarten, with another four
districts offering both full- and half-day kindergarten. Nine districts had moved to full-day
kindergarten over the prior 7 years. The per-pupil cost to move to full-day kindergarten varied
among these districts, ranging from $844 to almost $3,000. Districts’ largest expense associated
with providing full-day kindergarten was the increase in salaries and benefits. KDE has included
in its 2018–2020 biennial budget a request for the General Assembly to fund full-day
kindergarten at an estimated increase of $171 million.
Compared to students who attended half-day kindergarten, students who had attended full-day
kindergarten were 1.08 times as likely to score proficient or better on the 3rd-grade K-PREP
reading test and 1.12 times as likely to score proficient or better on the 3rd-grade K-PREP math
test when controlling for demographic variables. This result was statistically significant and
consistent with other research on full-day kindergarten results.
This report mentions several issues concerning data used in this study. Areas of concern include
• expenditures reported on annual financial reports for preschool and kindergarten,
• enrollment of preschool and Head Start children,
• lack of preschool attendance records in the student information system,
• prior setting data,
• cut scores used for the kindergarten readiness outcomes, and
• blended and partially blended preschool and Head Start programs.
In addition, there are compliance issues concerning districts’ preschool program proposals and
local annual evaluations.
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Summary Legislative Research Commission
The report makes 15 recommendations:
Recommendation 2.1
The Kentucky Board of Education should update 704 KAR 3:410 to set at-risk 4-year-old
preschool student eligibility to at least 160 percent of the poverty level and review eligibility
regularly to take into account changes made by the General Assembly in the biennial
budget process.
Recommendation 2.2
The Kentucky Department of Education should change the chart of accounts’ instructional
level 11 heading to “preschool” to match the description of the program and should add an
additional instructional level code to track other district Pre-K expenditures. The
Kentucky Department of Education should also work with district finance officers to
correctly record preschool expenditures on annual financial reports.
Recommendation 2.3
The Kentucky Department of Education should consider recommending that the Kentucky
Board of Education allocate a portion of preschool funds to districts that transport
preschool students.
Recommendation 3.1
The Kentucky Department of Education should enforce KRS 157.3175 and require districts
to submit complete preschool proposals that include all data elements. If some of the
documentation can be obtained electronically or is no longer needed, KDE should work
with the General Assembly to modify the requirements of the preschool proposal
documentation.
Recommendation 3.2
The Kentucky Department of Education should provide to the General Assembly, before
the 2018–2019 school year, a district-level analysis of the potential cost of increasing
preschool enrollment of 4-year-old students. This analysis should include an inventory of
available space in district school buildings, supplies, and playground equipment, and the
funding that the General Assembly may have to include in its preschool appropriations.
Recommendation 3.3
School districts, with support and guidance from the Kentucky Department of Education,
should complete a needs assessment analysis in order to determine whether the educational
needs of preschool-age limited English proficiency students are being met and to explore
possible resources that may assist in better meeting the needs of these students.
Recommendation 3.4
Kentucky Department of Education should enforce 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5(4) and require
districts to use Infinite Campus to record the daily attendance of preschool students.
xiv
Recommendation 4.1
The Kentucky Department of Education should ensure that all districts complete an annual
preschool evaluation that meets and fulfills the requirements outlined in 704 KAR 3:410,
sec. 9.
Recommendation 4.2
The Kentucky Department of Education and the Early Childhood Advisory Council should
ensure that all future reporting of preschool and Head Start enrollments is accurate and
consistent.
Recommendation 4.3
School districts, with support and guidance from the Kentucky Department of Education,
regional training centers, and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, should review,
and where necessary revise, their recruitment strategies to increase the enrollment of
children eligible for state-funded preschool in order to more fully comply with
704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5. One possible strategy may include districts adding a question on the
kindergarten enrollment form asking why parents did not enroll their child in an early
childhood education program.
Recommendation 4.4
If the Kentucky Department of Education continues to use the Brigance Kindergarten
Screen III to determine kindergarten readiness, it should recalibrate the criterion/standard
for readiness based on data gathered in the initial years of its use as a common screener in
Kentucky.
Recommendation 4.5
The Kentucky Department of Education should verify prior setting data for students
enrolled in state-funded preschool or Head Start. Students enrolled in blended or partially
blended state-funded preschool/Head Start programs should be accurately identified in the
Kentucky Student Information System.
Recommendation 4.6
The Kentucky Department of Education should engage in a longitudinal assessment of the
relationships between kindergarten readiness and K-PREP and other indicators of future
academic success.
Recommendation 4.7
The Kentucky Department of Education should conduct a full and complete evaluation of
the state-funded preschool program at least every 5 years beginning in 2020. The
evaluation should be provided to the Kentucky Board of Education and to the General
Assembly.
Recommendation 5.1
The Kentucky Department of Education should work with district finance officers to
correctly record kindergarten expenditures on annual financial reports using instructional
level 12.
xv
Legislative Research Commission Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Preschool And Kindergarten Program Overview
Background
Preschool
State-funded preschool was Individual states began funding their own early childhood
created with the Kentucky education programs in the 1980s. Kentucky established its
Education Reform Act of 1990
(KERA). The program originally state-funded preschool program through the Kentucky Education
enrolled 4-year-old students who Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). The preschool program was optional
qualified for free lunch and in 1990–1991 but mandatory in the 1991–1992 school year.
3- and 4-year-old children with a
disability.
Kentucky’s state-funded preschool program enrolls 4-year-old
students who qualify for the federal free lunch program and 3- and
4-year-old children with a disability, regardless of income, as
required by KRS 157.3175. Depending on available space and
district policies, other preschool-age children can be served; the
expense can be covered by the local district or by a fee set by the
local board of education.
Head Start was created by the federal government in 1965 to help

communities meet the needs of disadvantaged children. Head Start
began as a half-day summer pilot program and included not only
an educational component but also several other services for
families, such as parent outreach, health, nutritional, and
psychological supports.
Districts cannot enroll a In creating the preschool program, it appears that the General
4-year-old student in preschool Assembly sought to ensure that districts avoided duplication of
if that student also qualifies for
the Head Start program, until services. To serve as many 4-year-old children as possible, the
Head Start is fully utilized. This General Assembly did not want to supplant federal funds that were
means that the Head Start spent on Head Start. To achieve these goals, local school districts
program is serving the same
number of 4-year-old students
are required to work collaboratively with the local Head Start
as it did in 1989. director to ensure that the Head Start program is at full utilization.
This means that, before a district can enroll a Head Start-eligible
student in its preschool program, the local Head Start center must
be fully utilized (that is, it must enroll the number of students
attending Head Start in 1989).
In 1999, Governor Paul Patton created the Governor’s Early

Childhood Task Force. This task force was charged with
developing a 20-year plan that supported high-quality early
childhood experiences.
1
Chapter 1 Legislative Research Commission
During the 2000 regular session, both chambers of the General

Assembly unanimously passed the Early Childhood Development
Act (House Bill 706). The bill established the Early Childhood
Development Authority in the Governor’s Office. That office was
tasked with managing the expenditures of the early childhood
development fund. This fund received a quarter of the revenues
generated from the Kentucky Phase I Tobacco Settlement.
Preschool teachers were not Prior to the 2002-2003 school year, preschool teachers were not
required to hold a certificate in required to hold a certificate in interdisciplinary early childhood
interdisciplinary early childhood
education prior to the 2002-2003 education (IECE). 704 KAR 3:410 requires preschool teachers to
school year. be certified in interdisciplinary early childhood education.
Preschool teachers who did not hold this certification were
grandfathered in, allowing them to continue to teach preschool as
long as they continued to teach in the district where they were
employed. Their job classifications were changed to “preschool
associate teachers.” There are currently 89 preschool associate
teachers, in 27 school districts, still working as preschool teachers.
In 2009, by executive order, Governor Steve Beshear created the

Task Force on Early Childhood Development. This task force was
created to promote a greater collaboration among service
providers, develop a unified vision for early childhood
development policies, and ensure a successful transition to
kindergarten.
In July 2011, by executive order, Governor Beshear created the

Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC). ECAC replaced the
Early Childhood Development Authority established by the Early
Childhood Development Act in the 2000 session. ECAC includes
26 members who provide guidance and promote program
accountability that affects children and families in Kentucky. In the
2013 legislative session, the General Assembly passed HB 184,
which incorporated the changes made by the executive order.
HB 184 is commonly referred to as the KIDS NOW legislation.
The Governor’s Office of Early In December 2013, the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood
Childhood was awarded a
(GOEC) was awarded a $44.3 million Race to the Top – Early
$44.3 million Race To The Top –
Early Learning Challenge grant in Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant. The grant plan is now
December 2013. referred to as the Kentucky All STARS Plan. Some of the
deliverables in this plan are as follows:
• Expanding the number of United Way Born Learning

Academies
• Creating early childhood standards training modules to
continue developing the skills of early childhood educators
2
• Redesigning the voluntary tiered quality rating improvement

system, called STARS for KIDS NOW. This system expanded
into Kentucky All STARS, a mandatory quality rating and
improvement system serving all early care and education
programs that receive public funds, including state-funded
preschool, Head Start, and child care.
• Developing online models to provide an overview of the early
childhood standards
• Integrating the Strengthening Families Leadership framework
• Developing responsive professional development for teachers
• Integrating data in the Kentucky State Longitudinal Data
System
Kindergarten
There is no statutory There is no statutory requirement that students attend kindergarten,

requirement for students to but several statutes mention kindergarten and age of compulsory
attend kindergarten, but
students must attend public attendance. KRS 158.030 defines common school as an elementary
school at age 6 or qualify for or secondary school of the state supported in whole or in part by
an exemption. public taxation. It furthers states that any child who is 6 years of
age, or who may become 6 years of age by October 1, shall attend
public school or qualify for an exemption. Any child who is
5 years of age, or who may become 5 years of age by October 1,
may enter primary school program. In 2012, Senate Bill 24 moved
the statutory cut-off date for kindergarten from October 1 to
August and created an early enrollment option for those students
not meeting the birthday deadline but wishing to attend
kindergarten. In 2015, SB 201 amended the statute to allow school
districts to charge tuition to those early admission students enrolled
according to the district’s policy and evaluation criteria.
KRS 157.320(7) discusses the full-time equivalent pupil average

daily attendance definition for kindergarten. KRS 157.360(5)(a)1
states the maximum class size for kindergarten as 24 pupils. In
addition, KRS 158.031(6) discusses how a school district may
advance a student through the primary program when it is
determined that it is best for the student. KRS 158.031 also states
that a student who is 5 years old (but not yet 6) and is advanced in
the primary program may be classified as other than a kindergarten
student for purposes of funding under KRS 157.310 to 157.440.
Districts are required to offer at Kentucky, as set out in KRS 158.031(6), requires all children to
least a half-day kindergarten
enroll and attend school before the age of 6 years. Kindergarten
program.
enrollment is further clarified in board policies stating that children
enter primary school and must advance through the primary
program without regard to age. Because districts are mandated to
3
offer at least a half-day kindergarten program, students begin

elementary school in kindergarten. The 2016 50-State Review of
kindergarten by the Education Commission of the States (ECS)
found that only 13 states, mostly in the south, and the District of
Columbia require full-day kindergarten. ECS works with all
50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and
the District of Columbia to provide research and advice, and to
track policies for state policy makers.
Description Of The Study
This study reviews Kentucky’s In December 2016, the Education Assessment and Accountability
preschool program including Review Subcommittee (EAARS) requested that the Office of
funding, expenditures,
enrollment, program Education Accountability (OEA) study Kentucky’s preschool
characteristics, and outcomes. program, including a review of funding, expenditures, enrollment,
Outcomes are measured via the and preschool program characteristics at the state and district
Brigance Kindergarten Readiness
Screener. In addition the report
levels. The committee also requested that OEA examine preschool
examines the cost districts incur attendance rates, along with outcomes measured by the Brigance
above the half-day Support Kindergarten Readiness Screener. In addition, this review includes
Education Excellence in Kentucky
a comparison of Kentucky’s preschool program characteristics to
(SEEK) funding for students who
attend full-day kindergarten. those of the nation and of surrounding states. Finally, OEA was
asked to examine the costs districts incur, above the half-day
Support Education Excellence in Kentucky (SEEK) funding that
districts receive for each student who attends kindergarten. This
examination was also to include a comparison to surrounding
states in regard to funding and instructional time. If data were
available, this report would also explore the relationship between
enrollment in full-day kindergarten and academic achievement.
Data Used For The Study
Data used for this study include In conducting the study, staff relied on data from the Kentucky
data from the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and the Governor’s Office of
Department of Education (KDE),
Kentucky Early Childhood Data
Early Childhood. Data provided by GOEC were submitted both
System, Governor’s Office of directly to OEA and through the Kentucky Center for Education
Early Childhood, interviews, and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS). According to KCEWS, the Head
a survey that was sent to all
Start data provided by KCEWS were submitted to them by GOEC
superintendents.
in aggregate form. The data provided by KDE were submitted to
them by local school districts or collected internally from KDE
support staff. Data include student demographic characteristics,
attendance, and preschool and kindergarten enrollment. KDE also
porvided OEA with preschool program reviews (P2R), Brigance
kindergarten screener data, and preschool assessment data from the
Kentucky Early Childhood Data System, along with financial and
staffing data from the MUNIS financial software system.
4
In addition, OEA used information collected during interviews

with KDE staff within the Division of Program Standards and with
staff from GOEC. OEA staff also used data from a survey that was
sent to all 173 district superintendents. This survey included
several open-ended and Likert-style items. While the survey
received a 100 percent response rate, individual questions did not.
Appendix A includes a copy of the document request and
Appendix B includes the survey. Unless otherwise noted, this
report refers to school years by the year in which the school year
ends. For example, the 2015–2016 school year is called the 2016
school year
Organization Of The Report
Chapter 1 includes major The remainder of Chapter 1 includes the major conclusions,
conclusions, statutes and followed by statutes and regulations, and concludes with program
regulations, and program
supports to schools and districts supports to schools and districts for the preschool program.
for the preschool program.
Chapter 2 discusses preschool Chapter 2 describes the General Assembly’s appropriations to the
appropriations by the General
Assembly, and district revenues
preschool program since its inception, how these appropriations
and expenditures. are allocated across the state, flexible focus fund revenue
movements into the preschool program, preschool tuition rates, and
other types of revenue districts are allowed to spend on preschool
students. The chapter concludes with how much districts spend on
the preschool program by funding source and expenses by object
level, which includes salaries, benefits, special education services,
and transportation.
Chapter 3 discusses the Chapter 3 discusses the preschool program proposal requirements,
requirement for preschool
types of preschool operational schedules, and nontraditional
program proposals, teacher
qualifications, day care services, preschool programs. Preschool teacher qualifications, along with a
and a demographic analysis of comparison from surrounding states, follows. The remainder of the
preschool students. chapter provides a demographic analysis on the state-funded
4-year-old students compared to the demographics of kindergarten
students. Finally, the number of districts offering day care services
to preschool students is provided.
Chapter 4 describes preschool Chapter 4 describes the preschool program evaluations performed
evaluations, recruitment externally and internally, recruitment strategies, and enrollment
strategies, enrollment, and
educational outcomes. barriers districts face in enrolling preschool students. The chapter
also includes an analysis of the percentage of eligible 4-year-olds
attending preschool or Head Start. The chapter concludes by
describing educational outcomes on the Brigance Kindergarten
Screen III by prior setting.
5
Chapter 5 discusses kindergarten Chapter 5 compares Kentucky to surrounding states with regard to
funding, full-day kindergarten the minimum amount of instructional time kindergarten students
and 3rd-grade outcomes
associated with full- and half-day receive and how much funding each state provides. This chapter
kindergarten programs. also addresses the cost when a district switches from a half-day to
a full-day kindergarten program and the savings when it switches
from a full-day kindergarten program to a half-day program. Also
included is what additional funds the General Assembly would
need to appropriate through the SEEK funding program if full-day
kindergarten were mandated. This chapter concludes with 3rd-grade
outcomes associated with full- and half-day kindergarten
programs.
Major Conclusions
Preschool
• Kentucky is serving 1,110 fewer preschool students than in

school year 2006. The at-risk population eligibility has
increased from 130 percent of the federal poverty level to
160 percent, and the population of at-risk students has
increased 13.8 percent while the special education population
has decreased 18.2 percent for the same period.
• Preschool is the largest prior setting for students entering
kindergarten, but individual districts tend to believe that they
are serving a far greater percent of preschool-eligible children
than they actually are.
• Full-utilization certification forms indicate that Head Start
programs in 32 percent of districts are agreeing on a smaller
number than the pre-KERA 1989 number served. This resulted
in 1,512 fewer 4-year-old preschool students being served by
Head Start in the 2017 school year.
• Districts spent $9,302 per pupil for preschool students in
FY 2016: $2,056 for special education, $1,035 per pupil for
transportation, and $6,211 for all other per-pupil expenditures.
• All but 13 districts provide transportation for preschool
students, which costs districts an additional $1,035 per pupil
though they receive no additional funds to provide this service.
• Forty percent of districts are providing full-day preschool 4 or
5 days a week.
• Among preschool students, the average rate of readiness in
districts with more than 16 hours of scheduled preschool time
per week is 13 percentage points higher than in districts with
less than 12 hours of preschool per week.
• Less than half of all students with limited English proficiency
(LEP) participate in state-funded preschool even though more
6
than 80 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL).

Additionally, less than 8 percent of the LEP students were
identified for special education services in school years 2015
through 2017, compared to 14 percent of non-LEP students.
• Kindergarten parents’ perceptions of students considered
average or above average on self-help and social-emotional
skills are twice as high as the percentage reported as
age-appropriate in preschool data by teachers.
• In 2017, the kindergarten readiness rate for all students
entering kindergarten was 50.1 percent.
• Kindergarten readiness among preschool and nonpreschool
students is roughly the same; however, less than a third of
kindergarten students who had a prior setting of home were
deemed ready.
• Free or reduced-price lunch students and students with an
individualized education program (IEP) who enroll in
preschool are more likely to test ready for kindergarten than
their FRPL and IEP peers who do not enroll in preschool.
• Over the last 3 years, an equal percentage of white and black
students with a prior setting of preschool only were ready for
kindergarten. Among FRPL preschool-only students, a greater
percentage of black students were ready for kindergarten than
white students.
• KDE is not requiring districts to submit complete preschool
program proposal documentation, perform annual preschool
program evaluations, and record preschool attendance in
Infinite Campus.
• When reporting preschool and kindergarten expenditures on
annual financial reports, districts are not using the correct
instructional level codes required by the KDE chart of
accounts.
• There is no consistent enrollment count data for the
state-funded preschool program or federally funded Head Start
in Kentucky. Additionally, reliance on parent reporting of prior
settings at kindergarten enrollment makes the data unreliable.
• If Kentucky were to continue using the Brigance screener, it
should recalibrate the criterion/standard for readiness.
Kindergarten
• As of the 2017 school year, six districts offer half-day

kindergarten, four districts offer both full-day and half-day, and
the rest of the districts provide a full-day kindergarten program.
• The per-pupil cost of moving to full-day kindergarten varies by
district. However, districts reported an average per-pupil cost
7
of $3,957 in FY 2016 for salaries, benefits and special

education services related to kindergarten students.
• Students who had attended full-day kindergarten were
1.08 times as likely to score proficient on the 3rd-grade
K-PREP reading test and 1.12 times as likely to score
proficient on the 3rd-grade K-PREP math test.
Statutes And Regulations
Table 1.1 contains a list of preschool statutes and regulations with

a brief description of each, though the list is not exhaustive.
Table 1.1
Statutes And Regulations Pertaining To Preschool
Statute/Regulation Summary
KRS 156.496 Defines family resource youth services centers’ roles, location of centers, and
grant programs. Requires that a family resource/youth service center shall not
provide or make referrals for an abortion. Section 2 requires family resource
center to promote and coordinate existing resources for full-time preschool child
care for children 2 and 3 years of age, to provide after-school child care for
children ages 4 through 12, and to provide full-time service during the summer
and on days when school is not in session.
KRS 157.3175 Establishes eligibility criteria for preschool education, establishes how preschool
funding appropriations are allotted to districts, and outlines the preschool
proposal process that districts should include for approval by commissioner.
Requires that programs reflect equitable geographic distribution representative
of all areas in Kentucky.
KRS 157.318 Establishes network of regional training centers for preschool and early childhood
education.
KRS 161.028 Sets authority of Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) to establish
teaching certification standards and requirements for obtaining and maintaining
teaching certificates.
KRS 161.030 Addresses EPSB teacher certification authority, which includes traditional and
nontraditional certificates, beginning teacher assessments and training,
internship, beginning teacher committee, and resource teachers.
16 KAR 2:040 Establishes interdisciplinary early childhood education (IECE) certificate and
teacher performance standards.
16 KAR 2:140 Establishes 1-year probationary certificate for IECE teachers.
16 KAR 4:020 Establishes requirements for exceptional children teachers, including certification
requirement for assignments of IECE teachers. Allows IECE teacher to serve as
teacher of record for preschool education.
702 KAR 3:250 Establishes funding eligibility for preschool program and requires KDE to annually
recommend a preschool allocation formula to Kentucky Board of Education for
review and approval. Regulation also allows unallotted preschool funds to be
prorated and sent to districts that transport eligible children who are enrolled in
8
Head Start, up to amount per child allowed for transportation in section 5 of this
regulation.
702 KAR 5:150 Requires each school bus transporting 3- and 4-year-old chldren to be staffed
with a minimum of one qualified, trained driver assistant. Requires driver assistant
to deliver and receive child safely to and from parent.
704 KAR 3:410 Establishes criteria for preschool education program, procedures for grant
allocation, program operation guidelines, and facilities and transportation
guidelines, Section 7 details requirement that preschool teachers must hold IECE
certificate or letter of exemption. Preschool associate teachers were
grandfathered into current positions with no additional certification requirements.
704 KAR 3:420 Establishes criteria for paraprofessional instructional personnel, including
differentiated job description, qualifications for position, and responsibilities for
certified personnel to supervise preschool associate teachers.
District And School Preschool Program Supports
Preschool teachers, administrators, principals, and superintendents

have access to several supports when providing preschool
education in Kentucky. Below is a description of the major sources
of support.
Kentucky Department Of Education
The Division of Program The School Readiness Branch, housed in the Division of Program
Standards provides leadership, Standards within the Office of Teaching and Learning, provides
services, and support to school
districts for preschool programs. leadership, service, and support to school districts focusing on
A school readiness consultant is students ages 3 to 8, including those districts implementing state-
assigned to each Kentucky school funded preschool programs. KDE supports local districts by
district.
increasing capacity for high-quality teaching and learning
experiences, and by implementing Kentucky’s K-12 Academic
Standards as well as Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards.
There are seven KDE staff providing school districts with early
childhood leadership, service, and support. A school readiness
consultant is assigned to each Kentucky school district, with
districts grouped into five service regions. The goal is to ensure
that KDE cultivates optimal conditions in school districts to
achieve equitable and comprehensive success for all students in
preschool through 3rd grade. KDE’s supports and oversight
pertaining to preschool include administrative support, compliance
and quality improvement support, professional learning support,
assessment support, and collaborative support.
9
KDE staff guidance includes Administrative Support. KDE staff members help districts with
technical assistance with fall and understanding and fulfilling reporting requirements. Examples
spring enrollment counts,
program approval reports, include guidance and technical assistance with the fall and spring
preschool contract sites, special enrollment counts, preschool performance reports, program
education, and interventions. In approval reports, preschool contract sites, special education (Part C
addition, KDE conducts desk
reviews of the preschool
to Part B data, Kentucky Systems of Intervention guidance, and
program to determine IDEA section 619 activities), Preschool Partnership Grant
compliance and quality applications and reports, and preschool teacher certification. KDE
programs.
staff members take responsibility for implementing state and
national preschool data reporting requirements and expectations,
including special education and the National Institute for Early
Education Research (NIEER) annual report.
Compliance And Quality Improvement Support. Each year,

KDE conducts a desk review of preschool program compliance
and quality in multiple school districts. Also, preschool staff
participate in KDE’s statewide consolidated monitoring process.
Consolidated monitoring involves the coordination of state and
federal program site visits within a selected set of school districts
in an effort to reduce the impact on district time and services. Also,
through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant
initiative, KDE staff contribute to the development and
implementation of Kentucky’s expanded five-star quality rating
and improvement system for early child care and education
programs.
Professional Learning Support. Between 2011 and 2016, KDE

staff administered five Early Learning Leadership Networks
(ELLNs) statewide. ELLNs are designed to ensure that every
district’s preschool program has knowledgeable and cohesive
leadership teams to guide the professional learning and practice of
all administrators, teachers, and staff. ELLNs involved two
network strands, one for teacher leaders and one for administrative
leaders. Each network strand included representatives from state-
funded preschools, Head Start, kindergarten, and child care
organizations. In 2016–2017, ELLN work was integrated into
Kentucky’s Next Generation Leadership Network.
Assessment Support. Each year KDE supports school districts in

administering the Brigance Kindergarten Readiness Screener. This
support includes guidance and help with screening kit orders and
fulfillment, student assessment procedures and tips, and online data
entry. Also, KDE staff are involved in preschool assessment,
working with school districts and the University of Kentucky to
collect data using the Kentucky Early Childhood Data System.
10
Collaborative Support. KDE staff members support statewide

efforts to improve the quality of early childhood service delivery
through participation in multiple interagency teams and
committees. These interagency teams and committees include the
Early Childhood Advisory Council, Kentucky All STARS
workgroup, the Interagency Coordinating Council, the Prichard
Committee for Academic Excellence’s Strong Start workgroup,
and the Strengthening Families workgroup.
Early Childhood Regional Training Centers
The 15 regional training centers As an extension of KDE, regional training centers (RTCs) provide
provide peer-to-peer training,
peer-to-peer training, consultation, technical assistance, and
consultation, and technical
assistance to preschool staff. instructional materials to local school districts and other agencies
operating programs for students with disabilities and for at-risk
students. The support and resources provided by RTCs are
research-based and aligned to Kentucky’s early childhood
standards, standards for professional learning, and criteria for
educator effectiveness.
There are 15 RTC staff, located in five regions, dedicated to

working in conjunction with KDE to promote high-quality learning
environments and continuous quality improvement in state-funded
preschool settings. In addition, there are five RTT-ELC preschool
consultants assigned to the regional training centers, one to each
RTC area. These consultants assist with the evaluation and rating
of preschool sites participating in the Kentucky All STARS
system.
A memorandum of agreement is signed between KDE and each

RTC. Each RTC gets a base operating budget of $312,478, except
for Anderson RTC, whose budget includes an additional $23,000
because it serves Jefferson County’s preschool program. In
addition to the base funding, some RTCs receive additional federal
funds to provide professional learning initiatives, to support the
Classrooms of Excellence initiative, and to support the Kentucky
Initiative for Social Skills and Emotional Development (KISSED)
statewide work. RTCs provide the following supports to districts:
professional learning, compliance and quality improvement,
lending library, and consultation and technical assistance.
Professional Learning Support. RTCs help design, model,

implement, and participate in ongoing high-quality professional
learning. Learning opportunities are based on individual district
needs in each region. Examples include ELLNs, Early Childhood
Environmental Rating Scale, 3rd Edition (ECERS-3) training,
11
KISSED professional learning, teacher and administrator

workshops, and annual regional and statewide institutes addressing
effective programming and administrative issues.
Compliance And Quality Improvement Support. RTCs provide

multiple supports to school districts during the P2R process. RTC
staff share materials, resources, skills, expertise, knowledge, and
competency to ensure that preschool services improve and that
children learn at the highest levels. RTCs provide ECERS-3
training to local school districts, ensuring that local evaluators
achieve inter-rater reliability. In addition, RTCs conduct ECERS-3
evaluations in 30 percent of all preschool classrooms during each
cohort year.
Lending Library Support. RTCs provide school district staff and

families access to high-quality early childhood materials and
program resources through lending libraries.
Consultation And Technical Assistance Support. RTCs assist

school districts with effective program planning, management,
organization, and evaluation. This may include support in
identifying research-based teaching and learning strategies for
classrooms, intervention strategies for individual students,
effective staffing patterns, and high-quality classroom
environments.
Governor’s Office Of Early Childhood
The Governor’s Office of Early Created by executive order in July 2011, GOEC and ECAC
Childhood provides funding, replaced the Early Childhood Develoment Authority. These offices
professional development staff
support, and monitoring for were charged with facilitating systemic changes across early
community early childhood childhood systems. The offices provide funding, professional
programs. development, staff support, and monitoring for community early
childhood programs. The main goal of the offices is to ensure that
at-risk Kentucky children have the supports needed to be ready for
kindergarten. GOEC developed a school readiness definition in
2010, which formed the foundation for a common screener in
kindergarten. The Head Start Collaboration Office is also housed
with GOEC.
GOEC worked with other government entities, stakeholders, and

early childhood advocates in the creation of the Kentucky All
STARS rating system. This rating system was originally created to
rate the quality of private day cares, but it now includes ratings for
preschools and Head Start centers. The expansion of the All
STARS rating system was largely due to the $44 million RTT-ELC
12
grant from the US Department of Education. GOEC helped the

United Way of Kentucky to secure funding from Toyota to expand
academies to schools statewide. This new partnership is called the
Toyota Bornlearning Academies and is a $1 million investment.
These academies include school-based workshops designed to
introduce parents and caregivers to the school system early in a
child’s life and to help parents guide their children with
educational learning experiences.
13
Chapter 2
Preschool Funding
Introduction
In 1991 the General Assembly This chapter discusses General Assembly appropriations for
appropriated $18 million to the preschool programs and how KDE distributes these appropriations to
preschool program. The first year
was a pilot year. All districts were school districts. A discussion on the movement of flexible focus
required to offer preschool by funds (FFF) into the preschool grant follows, and the remainder of
1992. the chapter breaks down what districts spend on preschool programs.
Preschool was voluntary during the first year it was offered in
Kentucky; it wasn’t until 1992 that every district was required to
offer a preschool program.
General Assembly Appropriations
The General Assembly increased In 1991, the General Assembly appropriated $18 million to the
the eligibility for at-risk preschool program, and the following year it doubled the
4-year-olds from 130 percent
of the federal poverty level to appropriation to $36 million. Figure 2.A shows the General
150 percent. In addition, they Assembly appropriations to the preschool program in nominal
appropriated $77 million or dollars, and in inflation-adjusted 2017 dollars for fiscal years 2007
nearly $88 million in
2017 dollars.
through 2017. In 2007, the General Assembly appropriated
approximately $74 million, or nearly $88 million in 2017 dollars. In
2007, the General Assembly also increased the eligibility for at-risk
4-year-olds from 130 percent of the federal poverty level to
150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Eligibility requirements to serve In the 2016 legislative session, the budget bill, HB 303, included an
at-risk 4-year-old students additional increase in the eligibility requirements to serve at-risk
increased again in 2016 to
160 percent of the federal students, to 200 percent of the federal poverty level; however,
poverty level, and appropriations because of a line-item veto, the eligibility requirement for
were increased to $90.1 million. state-funded preschool was set at 160 percent of the federal poverty
level. In 2016, the General Assembly also increased preschool
appropriations to $90.1 million, or approximately $91.4 million in
2017 dollars. In 2016, the General Assembly also reduced the
$91.4 million biennial budget to provide preschool partnership grants
described below for 2017 by $7.5 million. HB 235, passed in the
2014 Regular Session, changed the enrollment eligibility
date-of-birth requirement for preschool students from October 1 each
year to August 1. This change took effect for the 2016 school year.
15
Figure 2.A
General Assembly Appropriations
FY 2007 To FY 2017
100
95 Constant 2017 dollars
90
Millions Of Dollars
85
80 Nominal dollars
75
70
65
60
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
Source: LRC Budget Review.
Allocations To School Districts
Preschool funds are distributed The General Assembly appropriations to the preschool grant are
to districts based on the average distributed by KDE to the school districts that provide education
prior-year enrollment taken on
December 1 and March 1. services to preschool students. There are two districts, Lee County
Two districts, which contract and Wolfe County, that do not provide preschool services. Preschool
with their local Head Start students in these two districts are served through contracts with local
provider, have never enrolled
preschool students since the
Head Start providers. These districts have not received any
inception of KERA preschool. state-funded preschool grants since the inception of KERA
preschool.
Per KRS 157.3175, the preschool funds appropriated by the General

Assembly must be approved by the Kentucky Board of Education
and allotted to school districts. Districts receive funds based on the
average of the number of identified preschool students served on
December 1 and March 1 of the prior academic year. These
enrollment counts are referred to as the semiannual enrollment
counts in this report. Prior to 2014, the funding formula was more
complex, which made it difficult for districts to plan for the amount
of funds from year to year. KDE, accordingly, sought a change in the
statute.
KRS 157.3175 states that local school districts must send preschool
program proposals to KDE for approval by the commissioner of
education. The preschool program proposals will be discussed
further in Chapter 3 of this report.
16
The preschool eligibility Figure 2.B includes the number of total preschool students served
increased from 130 percent of
from fiscal years 2002 through 2017 along with the amount of funds
the poverty level in 2007 to
150 percent and increased again allocated from the preschool grant. The preschool grant revenues
in 2016 to 160 percent of federal doubled in fiscal year 2016 from the 2002 revenues. However, the
poverty. However, the total preschool student population increased by only 2,823 students during
number of preschool students
served prior to the increase in
the same period.
eligibility was lower by
1,110 students in 2017. The General Assembly’s first preschool eligibility increase, in 2007,
raised the 130 percent poverty level to 150 percent. Prior to this
increase the 2006 number of preschool students served was 20,292,
which is still 1,110 more than the 2017 number. In addition, the
General Assembly had increased the 150 percent poverty level to
160 percent in 2016.
Figure 2.B
Count Of Preschool Students And Funding
FY 2002 To FY 2017
24 100
Funding (Nominal Dollars, Millions)

Total Preschool Enrollment (Thousands)
22 Total preschool students 90
20 80
18 70
Total funding
16 60
14 50
12 40
10 30
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
Source: Staff compilation of data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
Between 2006 and 2017, the At-Risk Students And Students With Disabilities. The number of
number of at risk 4-year-old at-risk and special education preschool students has fluctuated over
preschool students served
increased 13.8 percent, while the the years, as seen in Figure 2.C. The at-risk 4-year-old population
special education population served increased 13.8 percent, while the special education population
served decreased by served decreased by 18.2 percent relative to the 2006 population.
18.2 percent.
17
Figure 2.C
Kentucky Preschool Population At-Risk Students And Students With Disabilities
School Years 2006 To 2017
13
Count Of State Funded Preschool
12
At risk
Students (Thousands)
11
10
9
With disabilities
7
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
At-Risk Preschool Students. The per-child preschool rates

approved by the Kentucky Board of Education for at-risk students
and students with disabilities appear in Figures 2.D through 2.G
along with the total number of students in each funded category.
Figure 2.D
Count Of At-Risk Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding
FY 2002 To FY 2017
14 5,000 Funding Per At-Risk Student ($)
At-risk students
At-Risk Students (Thousands)
4,500
12
4,000
10 3,500
3,000
8
Funding per at-risk student 2,500
6
2,000
4 1,500
1,000
2
500
0 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
18
The count of at-risk preschool Figure 2.D shows that, in FY 2002, 6,763 preschool students were
students was 6,763 in FY 2002. enrolled in the at-risk category. The number of funded at-risk
Enrollment was highest in
FY 2011 with approximately students continued to increase through FY 2008, when 9,631 at-risk
12,000 4-year-old preschool 4-year-olds were enrolled in state-funded preschool. In FY 2009, this
students enrolled. By 2017 the population of students dropped to 9,110. By FY 2010, an additional
at-risk enrollment was 9,206.
1,421 at-risk preschool students enrolled, and in FY 2011 the at-risk
population increased again by another 1,408; 2011 had the highest
enrollment of at-risk students with a little under 12,000 students. By
2017, the number of at-risk preschool students dropped to 9,206,
similar to the number enrolled in FY 2009.
The funding per student for The funding for at-risk students was $2,505 per student in FY 2002.
at-risk preschool students was
The per-child amount declined until FY 2007, when it was increased
$2,505 in FY 2002. Funding for
at-risk students in FY 2016 was to $3,168 per at-risk student. The largest at-risk per-child allocation
higher than ever at $4,682. This came in FY 2016, when districts received $4,682 per at-risk student.
amount was decreased by almost This amount decreased approximately $500 per student in FY 2017,
$500 the following year for the
Preschool Partnership Grant
when the General Assembly created the Preschool Partnership Grant,
funding. which is discussed at the end of this chapter.
The federal poverty level to serve at-risk 4-year-old preschool

students has been included in each biennial budget. The 2016–2018
budget included language that raised the eligibility requirements for
preschool students to include a higher percentage of the federal
poverty level than is required by 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 2(c); however,
KRS 157.3175 gives the Kentucky Board of Education the authority
to set the eligibility requirements in regulation. When the governor
line-item vetoed the provision that raised eligibility to 200 percent of
the federal poverty level in the 2016–2018 budget, the eligibility
requirements should have reverted to those set in 704 KAR 3:410,
sec. 2(c); that level was to serve only students eligible for free
lunch—children at 130 percent of the federal poverty level, instead
of the 160 percent set in prior budgets. KDE lacked the explicit
statutory or regulatory authority to modify the eligibility level in
response to the veto. However, KDE determined that districts would
suffer undue harm from a reversion to the 130 percent federal
poverty level. KDE, accordingly, decided to continue to keep
preschool eligibility at the 160 percent poverty level. To prevent this
issue from recurring, OEA offers the following recommendation.
Recommendation 2.1
Recommendation 2.1 The Kentucky Board of Education should update

704 KAR 3:410 to set at-risk 4-year-old preschool student
eligibility to at least 160 percent of the poverty level and review
eligibility regularly to take into account changes made by the
General Assembly in the biennial budget process.
19
Preschool enrollment for Students With Speech/Language Disorders. Figure 2.E shows the
students who require number of preschool students requiring speech/language services
speech/language services
increased slightly over the past
served, along with the per-child funding amount by year. In
15 years. Enrollment was 4,164 in FY 2002, 4,164 preschool students required speech/language
FY 2002 and increased to 4,631 services and by FY 2008 that number increased by 1,225, resulting
by FY 2017.
in a total student count of 5,389. Speech/language preschool students
declined for the following 5 years and, in FY 2013, Kentucky served
approximately 4,500 speech/language students, or roughly the same
number as in FY 2003.
Figure 2.E
Count Of Speech/Language Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding
FY 2002 To FY 2017
6 5,000
Number of students
4,500
Funding Per Speech/Language

5
Speech/Language Students
4,000
3,500
4
(Thousands)
Student ($)
3,000
Funding per student
3 2,500
2,000
2
1,500
1,000
1
500
0 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
The per-pupil funding for The per-pupil funding for students requiring speech/language
students who require services in FY 2002 was $2,639 and fluctuated over the next 6 years
speech/language services was
$2,639 in FY 2002 and increased until it increased to $3,469 per child in FY 2008. The funding per
almost $2,050 per student by speech/language student was highest in FY 2016, at $4,682, which
FY 2016. was an increase of almost $2,050 per student from FY 2002.
There were 4,363 preschool Students With Developmental Delays. Figure 2.F shows the count
students diagnosed with and funding for preschool students with developmental delays (DD)
developmental delays in FY 2002, for fiscal years 2002 to 2017. In FY 2002, there were 4,363 DD
increasing to 4,700 by 2017.
Districts received $3,403 per students, funded at $3,403 per student. The student count for DD
student with developmental preschool students was highest in FY 2005, at 6,595 students. The
delays in FY 2002 and $4,180 in largest amount of per-child funding for DD students was in FY 2016,
2017.
at $4,682 an increase of almost $1,700 per student from the lowest
point, in 2006; however, approximately 250 fewer students were
funded in FY 2016 than in FY 2002.
20
Figure 2.F
Count Of Developmental Delay Preschool Students And Per-Pupil Funding
FY 2002 To FY 2017
8 5,000
Funding per student
Funding Per DD Student ($)

7 4,500
Developmental Delay Students
4,000
6
3,500
5 3,000
(Thousands)
4 2,500
Number of students
3 2,000
1,500
2
1,000
1 500
0 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
Since 2002, preschool students Severe And Multiple Disabilities. Figure 2.G shows the count and
with severe or multiple funding of preschool students who had severe/multiple disabilities.
disabilities grew from
330 students to 644 students in This classification of preschool students received $5,565 per student
FY 2017. In addition, the funding in FY 2002, when there were only 330 preschool students with
increased $3,331 per student severe/multiple disabilities. The number of such students increased
during the same period.
to 644 by FY 2017. The funding per student fluctuated over the
11-year period and was the highest in FY 2016, at almost $8,900 per
student, an increase of $3,331 from FY 2002.
Figure 2.G
Count Of Severe/Multiple Disabled Preschool Students And Funding
FY 2002 To FY 2017
700 10,000
Funding Per Severe Student ($)
9,000
600
8,000
Number of students
Severe Students
500 7,000
400 6,000
Funding per student 5,000
300 4,000
200 3,000
2,000
100
1,000
0 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Fiscal Year
21
Flexible Focus Fund
The Flexible Focus Fund program The General Assembly authorized the Flexible Focus Fund program
allows districts to move in the 2003 budget. The FFF program allows districts to reallocate
allocations among five state
grants. They include preschool, funds in the preschool grant and four other state grants to better
extended school services, address local needs. However, districts are not allowed to move
textbooks, safe schools, and funds out of the preschool grant; they can only transfer funds into
professional development.
However, no funds are allowed
this account. The remaining four grants include extended school
to move out of the preschool services, textbooks, safe schools, and professional development.
allocations. Districts can transfer revenue from and to these four grants as long
as the legal requirements of each grant are met and districts continue
to serve the needs of the intended student populations.
There were 67 districts that Table 2.1 includes the number of districts that took advantage of
participated in FY 2013 and moving FFF into the preschool allocation from KDE between
moved more than $3.8 million
into the preschool grant. Only FY 2012 and FY 2016. In FY 2012, only 17 districts moved FFF
13 districts moved funds into revenues into the preschool account. In 2016, only 13 districts
preschool in 2016. participated in the FFF program. From FY 2012 to FY 2016, the
largest amount transferred into the preschool account was $315,035,
in FY 2014. During FY 2013, 67 districts participated, with a total
amount of $3,832,214 being transferred into FFF.
Table 2.1
Districts Participating In Preschool Grant Flexible Focus Fund Movement And Amounts
FY 2012 To FY 2016
Number Of Districts Smallest Amount Largest Amount Total Amount

Fiscal Year Participating Transferred Transferred Transferred
2012 17 $261 $101,364 $567,398
2013 67 428 299,516 3,832,214
2014 13 3,513 315,035 734,255
2015 23 140 147,691 1,076,702
2016 13 4,606 84,752 612,984
Other Preschool Revenues
There are additional federal and Districts can also use funds from the federal government and other
state funds that districts can use state grants to maximize their investment in preschool education.
to support the preschool
program.
The grants mentioned below are not all inclusive, and OEA staff
cautions the reader on the Title I, IDEA-B and Family Resource
Center total revenues amounts listed. During the analysis of districts’
annual financial reports (AFR) and discussions with district finance
officers, some districts may overstate their preschool expenses,
possibly because districts record expenditures from the kindergarten
and elementary school instructional level to the preschool
instructional level. Other district data may be understated for the
22
same reason. In addition, some districts coded preschool expenses

from funds moved in the FFF program to the preschool instruction
level, instead of moving the revenues as discussed in the FFF
section.
Federal Grants
Districts are allowed to use federal grant revenue to enhance their

preschool programs. Federal law forbids the use of federal funds to
supplant state and local funds, but it encourages grant recipients to
use the grants to supplement state and local funds. One way districts
use federal grant money to supplement existing programs is by
providing professional development for preschool staff.
Head Start serves students whose Head Start. The Head Start program was created in 1965. Federal
family income is at 100 percent
tax dollars are used to help counties offer services to 3- and
of the federal poverty level or
below and can alter entrance 4-year-old children living in poverty. The primary goal of Head Start
criteria to meet community is to increase the school readiness of at-risk children. Head Start
needs. Kentucky spent services are offered to families whose income is 100 percent of the
$108 million on Head Start in
FY 2016.
federal poverty level or below, but Head Start programs may alter
the eligibility criteria to meet community needs. For example, one
community may experience a high rate of child homelessness or
children in the foster care system who would benefit from the Head
Start program despite being over-income. Head Start may also
provide dental, medical, and social emotional services. Head Start
programs are designed to take into consideration the individual needs
of students.
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research

State Of Preschool Yearbook, in FY 2016 Kentucky’s share of
federal spending was $108 million. This provided services for
6,058 3-year-old and 7,567 4-year-old Head Start students, which
translates to a per-pupil amount of $7,924 for FY 2016.
There are currently 31 Head Start Unlike most federal funds, Head Start revenues do not flow through
grantees in Kentucky. Most KDE to districts. These funds are sent directly to the agencies that
school districts do not oversee
the local Head Start program. are awarded Head Start grants. Currently in Kentucky, there are
31 Head Start grantees, of which fewer than half are local school
districts. In addition, some Head Start grantees service more than
one school district. The Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative
(OVEC) Head Start not only provides Head Start for Shelby County,
where OVEC is located, but, as of FY 2017, also manages the Head
Start programs for Owen, Henry, Spencer, Bullitt, and Trimble
Counties. So while almost half of the 31 Head Start grantees are
districts, a much greater number of districts do not oversee the Head
Start program in their district.
23
When the General Assembly created the preschool program, it did

not intend state-funded preschool funds to supplant federal Head
Start funds. In order to ensure that federal dollars were not
supplanted, the General Assembly added provisions in subsequent
budgets that districts must first “fully utilize” Head Start funds
before enrolling students in state-funded preschool. The full
utilization number for each county was set as the number of
4-year-old preschool students served by Head Start in 1989.
Chapter 3 discusses full utilization in detail.
If the preschool center and Head Start center cannot agree on the full
utilization number, then, according to budget language, the
commissioner of education must resolve any disputes. If a district
begins enrolling eligible Head Start students into its preschool
program before full utilization is met, then the commissioner of
education is allowed to withhold preschool funding in an amount
equal to the funding for the number of Head Start-eligible children
serviced in the preschool program.
Districts and Head Start agencies Blending Of Programs. Districts are also encouraged to “blend”
are encouraged to blend
their preschool program with their local Head Start agencies. This
preschool and Head Start
students to maximize funds. means that some services may be financially supported through
several funding sources and agencies. There are both fully blended
and partially blended preschool programs in Kentucky school
districts. For a district to be fully blended, every preschool class in
the district must also include Head Start students. A partially blended
preschool program could mean that at least one preschool classroom
includes students from both Head Start and state-funded preschool.
Chapter 3 discusses blended services in Kentucky.
IDEA-B and IDEA-B Preschool IDEA-B And IDEA-B Preschool Funds. IDEA-B and IDEA-B
funds can be used for preschool Preschool funds are federal funds that are passed through KDE to
expenditures. Districts reported
spending $3.6 million from districts. IDEA-B funds can be used to assist in preschool and
IDEA-B and $9.8 million from school-age screening of students once they have been identified as
IDEA-B Preschool funds in 2016. having a disability. The funds can also be used to produce brochures
explaining what services and programs the districts provide. Other
allowable expenses include supplies and materials needed to
implement students’ IEPs. In FY 2017, 19 districts reported using a
total of approximately $3.6 million in IDEA-B funds to support
preschool programs.
IDEA-B Preschool funds are formula grants awarded to states to

provide special education and related services for 3- to 5-year-old
children with disabilities. Allowable expenditures include direct
services for eligible children, administration expenditures,
supplementary aids, and services. These services may be in a variety
24
of settings, in the regular classroom, and in pull-out services for

occupational, speech, and physical therapy. All but three districts
reported on their AFRs that they used IDEA-B Preschool funds to
support the preschool program. The total amount recorded on AFRs
was almost $9.8 million.
The Ohio Valley Educational Race To The Top Grants. Twenty-two districts from the Ohio
Cooperative and the Green River
Valley Educational Cooperative and the Green River Regional
Regional Educational
Cooperative received $41 million Educational Cooperative received $41 million to pay for additional
in Race to the Top funds for staff, teacher coaches, professional development, and career
preschool programs. counselors in 2013. Of that amount, $1.2 million was allocated to
family resource youth service centers to reduce barriers to
kindergarten readiness and college and career readiness. Another
$2 million was awarded specifically for the Preschool Pals program
and materials for parents and child care providers to get children
ready to attend school. The Preschool Pals supplemental grant was
also to be used to enhance kindergarten readiness through a network
of supports for private preschools and child care providers. Some of
the services offered through the Preschool Pals grant included
dialogic reading, professional development, and supports in taking
next steps to responding to the Brigance Kindergarten Readiness
data.
Districts can use Title I funds for Title I Funds. Districts are allowed to spend Title I funds for the
preschool students who are at preschool program to improve cognitive, health, and social-
risk of not meeting academic
achievement standards. Funds emotional outcomes. If Title I funds are used for the preschool
can be used for tuition for a program, districts and schools must ensure they are used to serve
full-day preschool program or children who are at risk of not meeting the academic achievement
enrichment services. Districts
recorded spending $9.7 million
standards. In addition, if a school is deemed to have a schoolwide
in Title I funds for preschool in Title I program and does not have enough funds to serve all eligible
FY 2016. preschool students who live within school boundaries, it can also use
Title I funds to pay for tuition, increasing the amount of time and
days the student is attending preschool, or enriching services through
additional staff. Nineteen districts used $9.7 million in Title I
revenues for preschool services in FY 2016.
Additional State Grants
This section focuses on two additional state grants that are directly
benefiting preschool students: family resource centers and preschool
partnership grants.
Family resource centers were Family Resource Center. KERA created the family resource youth
created with the KERA reform.
service centers (FRYSC). FRYSCs provide supports for middle and
They can provide before- and
after-school services, school high schools, while the family resource centers provide supports to
supplies, food, clothing, and elementary school-age and younger students. FRYSCs are
medical attention.
25
school-based support centers that focus on removing nonacademic

barriers to learning. Schools are encouraged to work with FRYSCs
to assist in coordinating before- and after-school day care for
preschool students. They also assist with the recruitment of
preschool students, educating parents on early child development,
and providing assistance with home visits. Other services may
include providing school supplies, food, clothing, and medical
attention to children. According to 2016 district AFRs, eight districts
used a total of $267,000 out of their FRYSC allocation to support the
preschool program
Preschool partnership grants Preschool Partnership Grants. HB 303 of the 2016 Regular
were provided in the executive
Session included $7.5 million in FY 2016 and FY 2017 to develop
budget for districts to partner
with child care providers to offer partnerships between school districts and child care providers to
full-day, high-quality programs offer full-day, high-quality programs for at-risk children. The grant
for at-risk children. was developed in collaboration between the Kentucky Board of
Education, KDE, the Early Childhood Advisory Council, the Child
Care Advisory Council, and the Cabinet for Health and Family
Services. Full-day program was defined as a program that provides a
minimum of 6 hours of operation for at least 4 days a week.
Tier I Preschool Partnership • Tier I And Tier II Funds. There were two types of grants for
grants were planning grants for
districts to build a partnership
which districts might apply: Tier I and Tier II grants. Districts
with a child care provider that had the option of applying for one of the two types of funding in
served children in the Child Care the first year. The deadline to apply for each grant was
Assistance Program. Tier II grants August 29, 2016. The Tier I Preschool Partnership grant was a
were used to implement the
plan. Schools could receive up to planning grant for districts to build partnerships with child care
$25,000 for the Tier I grant and providers that served children eligible for assistance from the
up to $150,000 for Tier II grants. Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The partnering child
care providers were required to have a Kentucky All STARS
rating of 3 or higher. School districts that received this grant
were to focus on building partnership and planning outcomes for
children. Expectations included developing a formal plan to
increase the availability of full-day, high-quality preschool
services in their communities. Districts that received the Tier I
grant could receive up to $25,000. Tier I funds were to be used
for conducting early childhood surveys, focus groups, and
meetings to prepare for applying for the Tier II grants. Twenty
districts were awarded the Tier I grant, with the smallest amount,
$7,050, going to Lee County. Tier II Preschool Partnership
grants focused on implementation of full-day, high-quality early
childhood programs. Districts were the primary applicants;
partnering child care providers, or Head Start providers, were
coapplicants. Funds were distributed to districts and could be
spent on salaries to extend program hours or open a new
classroom; travel; training; supplies; and marketing/recruitment
26
activities. The smallest of the 46 Tier II grants, $27,000, was

awarded to Elliott County; 23 districts received $150,000 each,
the maximum Tier II grant possible. Appendix C includes a
complete breakdown of the Tier I and Tier II grant awards.
Tier III funds were distributed to • Tier III Funds. Districts had until May 12, 2017, to apply for
schools to continue the Tier II
Tier III funds. Because this money was to be used to continue the
partnership for 1 more year, but
the funding was limited to Tier II partnership, only districts that received Tier II funds were
$75,000 per school. allowed to apply for the Tier III grants. Awards were announced
in August 2017, and districts will use funds in FY 2018.
Survey Results. The OEA survey asked districts whether they

applied for the Tier II Preschool Partnership Grant. Fifty-four
districts reported that they applied for or were in the process of
applying for a Tier II grant. An independent district with over
70 percent of students on FRPL that applied and received the Tier II
grant provided this survey comment:
We applied [for the preschool partnership grant] because we
knew that we needed to continue to partner with others to do
what is best for all of the children in our community. As you
may know, we applied for a Tier 2 grant and received it—
which we very much appreciated. As a part of that grant we
added two public preschool teachers to one of our childcare
provider locations—one with high numbers of CCAP
children. Due to the timing of grant awards which was well
into the school year, we were not able to post and hire these
two teachers and have them start until January. This means
that those teachers will only really have been in those
classrooms for about 3 to 4 months before the end of the
school year. This would be fine if we could continue with the
Tier 3 and keep them in place. However, the Tier 3 grant
reduces the funding from $150,000 to $75,000. There is no
way we could have had the impact needed in those few
months and no way we can just pick up the cost. In most
grant application processes, the same amount of funding is
typically in place for at least a year and then is not reduced
by half when recipients are looking to sustain the programs. I
am not sure if anything can be done, but most districts are not
going to have had enough time to get started and now will
not have enough time or resources to continue what was
started with the Tier 3 being reduced by this amount. Even if
we were receiving the same amount of funding, we are going
to have to non-renew the teachers because the deadline to let
people know if we are having them back for a second year is
by May 15th. I respectfully wanted to bring this to your
attention and was hoping something might be able to be
27
done—or perhaps some or the RTT funding which seems to

need to be spent could be used to help with this.
On an Office of Education The survey also had an open-ended question for districts that did not
Accountability (OEA) survey, of apply for Tier II funds. A total of 106 districts responded to this
106 districts that indicated they
had not applied for Tier II funds,
question. Thirty-six districts indicated they did not apply because
approximately half cited lack of there were no eligible day cares in their district. Twenty-one districts
local day cares, lack of time to either did not fully understand the grant or did not have enough time
apply, or lack of understanding
of the grant.
to write the grant. Table 2.2 summarizes these responses.
Table 2.2
District Survey Responses Regarding Why Districts Did Not Apply
For Tier II Preschool Partnership Grant
FY 2017
Count
Reason For Not Applying For Tier II Preschool Partnership Grant Of Districts*
Lack of staff or space 11
Lack of partner or day care rated at least 3 STARS 36
District did not fully understand grant, or time line to apply was too short 21
Applied for Tier I grant or ineligible for Tier II grant 29
District preschool is full day or has wrap-around day care already 9
Tier II grant not properly funded or district cannot sustain program after funds are gone 10
Other 8
Total 124
*A total of 106 districts responded. Multiple reasons were allowed, so count does not equal 106.
Source: OEA survey results.
A western Kentucky district with over half of its students receiving

FRPL gave the following examples of why it didn’t apply:
Our district did not apply for a [Tier II] preschool partnership
grant for a variety of factors. One reason being is that the
grant is short term[;] therefore, since those funds are no
longer available, districts became faced with discontinuing
services that families have become dependent upon or
finding the financial resources to sustain the program. If the
partnership services are provided at a local child care facility,
rather than in school owned. We would very much be in
support of all day preschool, however accomplishing this
through the means of partnering and daycares shifts the
responsibility and leads to the school district perhaps looking
at reevaluating the eligibility guidelines for state funded
preschool would allow access to these families.
The total amount awarded to districts was $6,439,659 for the Tier I
grants and $1,060,341 for the Tier II grants, leaving an undistributed
amount of $1,060,341.
28
Preschool Tuition
Districts are permitted to charge Kentucky’s state-funded preschool program is primarily designed to
tuition to students who do not serve at-risk 4-year-olds and also 3- and 4-year-olds with a
qualify for state-funded
preschool when space is disability; however, 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 2 permits school districts
available. Sixty-one districts to enroll 3- and 4-year-old students who do not meet the eligibility
enrolled tuition-paying students requirements as space permits, and districts may charge tuition or a
in FY 2017, resulting in
approximately 1,200 additional
fee for enrollment. When space permits and districts opt to enroll
students in the preschool tuition-paying students, tuition rates are set by the individual
program. districts.
During FY 2017, 61 districts enrolled tuition-paying students;

however, 3 such districts opted to limit the enrollment of tuition-
paying students to the children of faculty and staff. Tuition-paying
students were enrolled in both half-day and full-day preschool
programs: 32 districts enrolled students in half-day programs,
21 districts enrolled students in full-day programs, and 8 districts
enrolled students in both half- and full-day programs.
In total, approximately 1,200 tuition-paying students were enrolled

in state-funded preschool programs during the 2017 school year.
Districts that elected to accept tuition-paying students enrolled, on
average, 20.66 total preschool students. The number of tuition-
paying students enrolled in these 61 districts ranged from 1 to 124.
Of the approximately 1,200 tuition-paying students enrolled in 2016,
729 were enrolled in half-day programs and 468 were enrolled in
full-day programs.
Tuition rates ranged from $900 Annualized tuition rates set by districts ranged from $900 to $5,550.
to $5,550 per year for The average annualized rate of tuition in school year 2017 was
non-state-funded preschool
students. Four districts charge $2,035.96; however, tuition rates for full-day programs were, on
tuition on a sliding scale based average, 47 percent higher than those for half-day programs. The
on parental income. average tuition rate in school year 2017 for half-day programs was
$1,702.28, and the average rate for a full-day program was
$2,496.21. Tuition rates ranged from $900 to $3,800 for half-day
programs and from $1,000 to $5,550 for full-day programs. At the
discretion of the individual school districts, tuition rates may be
charged on a sliding scale based on the parental level of income. In
2017, 4 of the 61 districts that enrolled tuition-paying students opted
to base tuition rates on parental income. A list of these districts
appears in Appendix D.
29
Expenditures
Preschool Expenditure Comparison With Bordering States
Kentucky ranked 21st in the US NIEER publishes an annual report titled The State Of Preschool,
for state spending in The State which provides comprehensive data and analysis regarding
Of Preschool annual report
published by the National state-funded preschool programs across the United States.
Institute for Early Education Information in the 2016 NIEER report was used to compare
Research (NIEER) for 2016. preschool expenditures in Kentucky with those in bordering states.
However, when looking at total
spending per child enrolled,
Kentucky ranked 9th. Table 2.3 shows state-level preschool expenditures and preschool
expenditures from all reported sources for Kentucky and its
bordering states. During school year 2016, Kentucky spent $4,832
per student from state sources, which ranked 3rd highest among
border states and 21st nationally. However, Kentucky’s state
spending per child enrolled was slightly below the national average.
When accounting for preschool funding from all reported sources,
Kentucky ranked 9th nationally, and 2nd among bordering states per
child enrolled.a
Table 2.3
Preschool Expenditures For Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016
State
Spending All
Rank Per All Reported Reported
Total State State Spending Child Spending Per Spending
State/Program Pre-K Spending Per Child Enrolled Enrolled Child Enrolled Rank
West Virginia $97,807,662 $6,472 13 $9,898 5
Indiana 9,542,255 6,020 17 6,594 22
Kentucky 92,677,908 4,832 21 8,110 9
Tennessee 86,097,664 4,753 22 7,037 19
Missouri 11,753,285 4,722 23 4,722 30
Ohio 59,060,000 4,000 27 4,000 36
Virginia 68,651,478 3,740 29 5,964 26
Illinois 246,729,910 3,374 34 3,854 38
United States $7,390,801,796 $4,976 N/A $5,696 N/A
Note: All expenditures have been rounded to the nearest dollar.
Source: National Institute for Early Education Research. The State Of Preschool 2016. Brunswick: Rutgers Graduate
School of Education, 2016.
a
Funding from all reported sources includes local, state, and federal funding. All
reported funding is variable by district, so some districts in Kentucky may spend
more per student than the state average, and some may spend less.
30
District Preschool Expenditures
Chart Of Accounts
While regulation requires Districts are required to record expenditures using the KDE Uniform
districts to code expenditures Chart of Accounts per 702 KAR 3:120. KDE posts the chart on its
using the KDE Uniform Chart of
Accounts, district annual website, along with a description for each of the segments.1
financial reports analyzed for this According to the Uniform Chart of Accounts, districts are to record
study had coding errors making preschool expenditures to instructional level 11. The title of
it impossible to determine the
true cost of preschool
instructional level 11 is Pre-School/Pre-Kindergarten; the description
expenditures. of instructional level 11 states that these are expenses for programs
that are available for all 4-year-old children whose family income is
no more than 160 percent of poverty level; all 3- and 4-year-old
children with developmental delays and disabilities, regardless of
income; and other 4-year-old children as placements are available
based on district decision. Head Start expenditures cannot be coded
to instructional level 11.
OEA staff had planned to use district AFRs to provide trend data on
the cost of preschool at the district level. However, after analyzing
the data from AFRs, it became apparent that too many districts were
not coding preschool expenditures properly. For example, some
districts have a preschool/kindergarten school in one building, and
several of them recorded all of the expenditures to the preschool
instructional level and none to kindergarten. Other districts had their
preschool students in the elementary school and, instead of breaking
out the expenses for preschool, they coded all expenses to the
elementary school instruction level. These coding errors were
sufficiently common and widespread to make AFR data too
unreliable to serve as the basis of trend data.
OEA relied on data captured Preschool Expenditures Survey Results. OEA staff followed up
from a survey that was sent to all with a group of finance officers to discuss how data could be pulled
superintendents to reflect
preschool expenditures for consistently across the state to capture correct expenditures of the
FY 2016. preschool program. During these discussions, it became apparent
that districts were recording preschool expenditures in a variety of
ways and that the most accurate way to capture preschool
expenditures was to obtain information through a survey. As
mentioned in Chapter 1, the survey was sent to all superintendents
and received a 100 percent response rate. The survey asked districts
to report their 2016 preschool expenditures and not include any on-
behalf payments paid by KDE. The survey included a breakdown of
expenditures to be reported by general fund expenses (Fund 1), and
state and federal special grants in the special revenue fund (Fund 2).
In addition, districts were asked to separate the expenditures in
Fund 1 and Fund 2 by certified and classified salaries, substitute
31
salaries, benefits, special education, supplies and equipment, and

transportation. These were the categories that district finance officers
reported as having the most expenditures that were easily obtainable.
Appendix E includes a breakdown of total preschool expenditures.
Six districts did not include preschool expenditure breakdowns, as
noted in Appendix E.
States are required to include Fiscal Reporting In The Every Student Succeeds Act. The Every
per-pupil expenditures
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to include per-pupil
disaggregated by source on the
2018 school report cards per the expenditures disaggregated by source on the 2017 report cards. The
requirements of the Every report cards must report federal, state, and local funds by school. In
Student Succeeds Act. June 2017, the US Department of Education sent letters to local
education agencies giving states an additional year to implement the
new requirement.
OEA recommends the following in order for districts to be able to

comply with the new ESSA requirements and in order for future
research to be conducted using accurate data.
Recommendation 2.2
Recommendation 2.2 The Kentucky Department of Education should change the chart
of accounts’ instructional level 11 heading to “preschool” to
match the description of the program and should add an
additional instructional level code to track other district Pre-K
expenditures. The Kentucky Department of Education should
also work with district finance officers to correctly record
preschool expenditures on annual financial reports.
Expenditures By Fund And Expense Codes
There were 110 districts that Table 2.4 describes average per-pupil expenditures by source of
supplemented the preschool funds, excluding special education and transportation expenditures.
program with general fund
expenditures. These districts
For this analysis, OEA staff deleted districts that did not answer the
spent a total of $8.7 million or OEA survey question and deleted the number of preschool students
$661 per pupil in 2016. these districts served in FY 2016 from the state total. A total of
110 districts were included in the general fund analysis, representing
a total of 13,199 students. Districts spent $6.3 million on salaries in
the general fund for preschool expenditures. Also, districts reported
spending an additional $1.7 million on benefits, not including state
on-behalf payments for Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System
payments and employee insurance. Supplies and equipment for the
preschool program cost districts an additional $734,000. These
amounts total $8.7 million in preschool expenses for the
13,199 preschool students served, a per-pupil average expenditure of
$661. The state grant funds had total expenditures of over
32
$64 million, with a per-pupil average of $3,456. Total federal

expenditures were approximately $29 million, with a per-pupil
average expenditure of $2,094.
Districts reported spending a Table 2.4 also includes the total funds that districts spent by type of
total of $101 million, or $6,211
expenditure. The districts spent a total of $81.6 million in
per pupil, on preschool
expenditures in 2016. This employees’ salaries with another $15.3 million going toward
amount includes only expenses employees’ benefits. Districts spent a little less than $4.9 million on
for the regular preschool supplies and equipment, bringing the total expenditures for these
program and does not include
special education or
categories to almost $102 million. The total number of preschool
transportation costs. students served with these funds was 18,568, bringing the average
per-pupil expenditure to $6,211. For the most part, the districts that
offered full-day preschool had the largest per-pupil expenditures.
After special education and transportation expenses are shown, there
will be a section on the total per-pupil average expenditures for
preschool students.
Table 2.4
District Preschool Expenditures By Source And Expense Object Code
Compared To Total Preschool Students And Average Per-Pupil Expenditures
FY 2016
Total
Supplies Preschool Average
And Total Students Per-Pupil
Source Salaries Benefits Equipment Expenditures Covered Expenditure
General fund $6,336,552 $1,657,518 $734,495 $8,728,565 13,199 $661
State funds 55,372,027 6,042,227 2,745,539 64,159,793 18,563 3,456
Federal funds 19,910,279 7,631,901 1,391,310 28,933,490 13,818 2,094
Total funds $81,618,858 $5,331,646 $4,871,344 $101,821,848 $6,211
Source: OEA survey results; data provided by the Kentucky Department of Education.
Special Education Preschool Expenditures
In addition, 124 districts Districts are required to provide special education services for
responded to the OEA survey
preschool students who have an IEP. The OEA survey asked districts
reporting that they spent an
additional $15.4 million to to provide their 2016 preschool program expenditures. A total of
provide special education 124 districts responded on the cost of their preschool special
services to preschool students in education programs, which amounted to more than $15.4 million. To
FY 2016. This amounted to an
additional $2,056 per pupil
determine a per-pupil average amount, OEA staff divided the
above the regular preschool districts’ reported special education expenses by the total number of
program cost. special education students per district. For FY 2016, the average
per-pupil amount was $2,056.
33
Preschool Transportation Expenditures
Districts are not required to Districts that provide transportation for preschool students currently
transport preschool students. If
receive no additional funds for providing this service. The SEEK
they do, each bus must have a
driver assistant. Districts that do transportation calculation provides districts funding only for
transport students do not get transporting kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
funding for this service.
According to 702 KAR 3:250, sec. 3(2), if there are available funds
after districts have been allotted funds to serve all eligible enrolled
children through the state fund appropriation, then the remaining
funds may be prorated to those districts that transport eligible
children who are enrolled in Head Start, up to the amount per child
allowed for transportation in 701 KAR 3:250, sec. 5; however,
section 5 requires that KDE annually recommend a preschool
allocation formula to the Kentucky Board of Education for review
and approval. The allocation formula must specify the amount of
funds to be allocated for each child. Since the inception of the
preschool program, KDE has never proposed funding transportation.
Furthermore, when extra funds remained in the preschool allocation,
KDE increased one or more of the funded weights for preschool
students, meaning that there were no additional funds to distribute
for transportation of preschool students.
According to 702 KAR 5:150, each local board of education that

provides bus transportation for preschool students must have a
minimum of one driver assistant who is trained and qualified to
responsibly deliver and receive students to and from school. The
driver assistant shall escort any student who crosses a roadway
Driver assistants who receive pay shall be at least 16 years old; if the
driver assistant is a volunteer, there is no age requirement.
The OEA survey to superintendents asked whether their district

provides transportation for preschool students and the number of
driver assistants, including district-employed driver assistants,
student workers, and volunteer driver assistants.
Thirteen districts do not provide According to survey responses, 13 districts do not transport
preschool transportation. preschool students. Of these districts, seven were countywide
districts and six were independent districts. One independent district
that does not provide transportation indicated that it provides midday
transportation to preschool students who attend child care; however,
transportation is available only to the children of working parents.
Of the 156 districts that provide transportation for preschool

students, 143 employed driver assistants, 43 used student workers,
and 10 used volunteers. Districts reported using one, two, or all three
34
types of driver assistant. Two independent districts responded that

they transport preschool students on separate buses, while some
county districts provide transportation at designated stops and did
not pick students up at home. Some districts use their preschool
classroom classified aides as driver assistants. Appendix F lists the
number and type of driver assistants and the number of bus drivers
by district.
The estimated cost to provide The OEA survey asked districts to provide an estimate of how much
preschool transportation was it cost the district to transport preschool students. OEA staff
$1,035 per pupil in 2016.
analyzed the per-pupil cost reported by districts and computed a
per-pupil cost. In FY 2016, the total amount of transportation
expenditures reported by 129 districts was $16,947,941. The
per-pupil cost for transporting state-funded preschool students was
$1,035. Districts must currently cover these transportation expenses
with no funding, which could result either in cuts to other services
provided to preschool students or in the use of general fund dollars
that could have otherwise been spent on supports to other K-12
program initiatives.
Recommendation 2.3
Recommendation 2.3 The Kentucky Department of Education should consider

recommending that the Kentucky Board of Education allocate a
portion of preschool funds to districts that transport preschool
students.
Total Preschool Expenditures
In 2016, districts reported The total amount of preschool expenditures districts reported on the
spending a total of $9,302 per OEA survey includes the total shown in Table 2.4 of $101,821,848,
pupil for regular education,
special education, and
the $15,407,223 spent on special education, and the $16,947,941
transportation of preschool spent on transportation. This brings the total preschool cost per
students. preschool student enrolled to $9,302 in FY 2016. It should be noted
that districts that offer full-day preschool programs tended to have
higher per-pupil preschool expenditures. The types of preschool
programs offered are discussed further in Chapter 3.
Preschool Survey Responses
An open-ended question on the The OEA survey included an open-ended question asking whether
OEA survey asked districts the district had any additional comments that related to preschool.
whether they had any additional
comments on preschool. Funding Forty-four districts commented on preschool. Funding was
was mentioned most frequently, mentioned the most frequently, with 30 comments on this topic. In
with 30 comments on this topic. these comments, four funding issues were raised. Sixteen districts
35
discussed providing universal preschool for all students, as well as

extending preschool to 5 full days a week. One superintendent
stated:
Permanent funding should be provided by the state to provide
full day preschool and kindergarten. Kentucky was a leader
in the country in providing preschool services through school
districts, and we need to continue the commitment to quality
early childhood programs.
Nine districts mentioned funding cuts or the need for additional

funding. Three districts mentioned providing preschool
transportation funding. Another three districts reported issues with
state-funded preschools competing with other pre-K programs, such
as CCAP. A respondent in western Kentucky reported:
Preschool Partnership Grant funding should NOT have
reduced the allocation to public preschool—they should have
been stand alone and not solely tied to a childcare that serves
CCAP children/families. Would love to use these funds to
expand current preschool program to full day as an option.
Love our grant and partner. Universal preschool in Kentucky
should be our state's number one novice reduction and
achievement gap closure strategy.
36
Chapter 3
Types Of Preschool Programs
Introduction
This chapter discusses preschool This chapter describes the requirements of district preschool
program proposals, operational program proposals and the different types of preschool operational
hours, teacher qualifications,
demographics of preschool schedules. Next, there is a discussion of how many districts provide
students, and a comparison of a nontraditional preschool program and of the blending of preschool
Kentucky preschools to those in and Head Start classrooms, followed by an 11-year trend analysis of
surrounding states and the
nation.
preschool teacher qualifications. This chapter also includes a
comparison of the demographic makeup of 4-year-old preschool
students to the kindergarten students of the following year.
Kentucky preschool program attributes will be compared to those of

bordering states and the nation as a whole. A discussion of preschool
attendance follows, and the chapter concludes with a discussion of
the number of districts that provide day care services to schools that
enroll preschool students.
Preschool Program Proposals
A database of preschool program KRS 157.3175(5) requires local school districts to submit preschool
proposals is currently lacking in proposals to the commissioner of education for review. Each
several areas. Only 1 of the
17 requirements was fully met, program proposal must include, at a minimum, the requirements set
and another 2 requirements were out in Table 3.1. KDE provided an electronic copy of each district’s
partially met. preschool program approval plan for the 2017 school year. The
current preschool program database provides some of the data
required for the preschool program proposals, but the proposals are
lacking in several areas.
Table 3.1 describes whether preschool program proposals met,

partially met, or did not meet the requirements established in
KRS 157.3175. The only requirement that was fully met was the
estimated ratio of staff to preschool students. The qualifications of
program staff were included in the proposals, but no documentation
of training was provided. In addition, the proposals provided the
days of the week for the operation of each program, but not the hours
of operation. Some of the required program proposal information,
while not submitted, may be acquired by KDE through alternative
means. For example, each district submits a list of preschool teachers
on the proposal, and KDE can pull teacher credentials from the
Educational Professional Standards Board. While districts are
required to submit their state-funded preschool budgets to KDE on
37
the district’s consolidated budget report, this report only includes a

budget for the allocation the district received from KDE on the
preschool grant. It does not include expenses that districts spend
from other grants on the preschool program or federal and local
expenditures, which may result in districts submitting inaccurate
per-child expenditure estimates.
Table 3.1
Districts’ Compliance With Preschool Program Proposal Reporting Requirements
Mandated By KRS 157.3175(5)
School Year 2017
Summary Of Requirement Met Requirement
Process conducted by district to assure that parents or guardians of all eligible No
participants have been made aware of program and of their right to participate
Description of planned educational program and related services No
Estimated number of participating children No
Strategies for involving children with disabilities No
Estimated ratio of staff to preschool students Yes
Estimated percentage of children participating in program who are at risk of No
educational failure
Training and qualifications of program staff and documentation that staff meet Partial
required standards
Budget and per-child expenditure estimate No
Plan to facilitate active parental involvement, including provisions of No
complementary parent education when appropriate
Facilities and equipment that are appropriate for young children No
Days of week and hours of day when program shall operate Partial
Plan for coordinating program with existing medical and social services, including No
child development and health screening component
Assurance that students will receive breakfast and lunch No
Program sites that meet state and local licensure requirements No
Plan for coordinating program philosophy and activities with local primary No
program
Evaluation component No
Certification from Head Start director that Head Start program is fully utilized No
Source: Staff analysis of data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
Recommendation 3.1
Recommendation 3.1 The Kentucky Department of Education should enforce

KRS 157.3175 and require districts to submit complete preschool
proposals that include all data elements. If some of the
documentation can be obtained electronically or is no longer
needed, KDE should work with the General Assembly to modify
the requirements of the preschool proposal documentation.
38
Operation Of Preschool Programs
Preschool programs must The operation of preschool programs is detailed in 704 KAR 3:410,
provide at least 2.5 hours of sec. 6. This regulation outlines three preschool programs and
classroom time, 4 days a week.
Breakfast or lunch must be requires districts to select one of these options for their preschool
provided and shall not count program:
toward the 2.5 hours of • A standard half-day, 5-day-a-week program with a single
instruction. The staff to student
ratio in preschool is 1 to 10 and
session.
can increase up to 20 students if • A half-day, 4-day-a-week program in single or double session,
there is an instructional assistant. with the 5th day reserved for services to children and their
families, such as home visits, special experiences for children,
parent training, or coordination of medical or social services.
• A locally designed program approved by the commissioner of
education.
For districts that choose the double session program, time must be
allotted to allow staff to prepare for the session, as well as to give
individual attention to children entering and leaving the program and
for adequate break time. The hours of operation for the half-day
program can vary, but it must provide a minimum of 2.5 hours of
classroom time per day for instruction and, in addition, students must
receive breakfast or lunch. The class size shall be 10 students to each
preschool teacher, and a class can have up to 20 students if there is
also an instructional assistant.
Some districts offer a hybrid The OEA survey asked districts to indicate the type of preschool
preschool schedule, where one program they offered in the 2017 school year. A hybrid schedule was
school may offer a full-day
program and a half-day created to categorize districts that offered different schedules to their
preschool program. Twenty students. For example, if a district stated on the survey that it had
districts offered a hybrid one class that operated a full-day program 4 days a week and
schedule in 2017.
3 classrooms with a half-day program 4 days a week, the district was
grouped in the hybrid category. In addition, OEA staff received
copies of documentation submitted to the commissioner of education
by districts that requested approval for a locally designed preschool
program.
Sixty-eight districts (40 percent) Figure 3.A describes the 2017 program schedule provided to
are providing a full-day preschool students by districts. Of Kentucky’s 173 school districts,
preschool schedule 4 or 5 days a
week. Two districts, which 44 percent (76 districts) provided a half-day preschool program 4 or
contract with Head Start to 5 days per week. Of these, 63 districts offered preschool in a double
provide preschool services, have session. Forty percent (68 districts) provided a full-day preschool
never enrolled any preschool
students.
schedule 4 or 5 days per week. Twelve percent (20 districts)
operated a hybrid schedule, offering both full- and half-day schedule
options. Two districts do not offer preschool services; these districts
contract with Head Start to provide preschool services to their
students.
39
Figure 3.A
Types Of Preschool Schedules, School Year 2017
Half-day preschool double session 4 days per week 61
Full-day preschool 4 days per week 57
Hybrid schedule 20
Schedule Type
Half-day preschool single session 4 days per week 12
Full-day preschool 5 days per week 11
Locally designed 7
Half-day preschool double session 5 days per week 2
No state-funded preschool 2
Half-day preschool single session 5 days per week 1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Number Of Districts
Source: OEA staff analysis of data from the Kentucky Department of Education; OEA survey.
The commissioner of education In 2017, seven districts (4 percent of the total) used a locally
has approved seven districts to designed option approved by the commissioner of education. All of
operate locally designed
preschool programs. These the locally designed programs provided a preschool program in
districts offer full-day preschool which students attended school all day (6 hours), 2 days a week.
2 days a week. Each of these districts cited a need to reduce costs as a reason for
seeking approval of a locally designed option. Most of these districts
indicated that a locally designed option would reduce transportation
cost and salaries. Two districts submitted an estimated cost savings:
One district reported saving $198,000 per year, and the other, which
served fewer students, stated that it would save $52,000 per year.
While the commissioner approved all locally designed preschool

programs, in his responses to the district applications he cautioned
applicants that current research does not support alternate day
schedules for kindergarten and could likely have the same
implications for preschool.
Montessori preschool programs Nontraditional Preschool Programs. The OEA survey asked
are offered in Jefferson County whether districts provided a nontraditional preschool program.
and Corbin Independent.
Corbin Independent and Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)
both reported that they offered a Montessori program. Corbin
Independent reported enrolling 69 preschool students in its
Montessori program in the 2017 school year. JCPS stated that it had
two schools that offered a Montessori program in 2017: the John F.
40
Kennedy Montessori Elementary School (10 preschool students) and

Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School (33 preschool students).
Preschool classrooms can be fully Preschool Blended Programs. Preschool and Head Start programs
blended or partially blended with
are encouraged to blend or share classrooms that will service both
Head Start students. There were
55 districts that were fully preschool and Head Start children and are financially supported
blended and 18 districts that through preschool funding and Head Start funding, as well as other
were partially blended in 2017. sources of funding such as Title I. Districts may have fully blended
or partially blended programs. In fully blended programs, every
preschool classroom in the district includes Head Start students.
Partially blended programs have at least one preschool classroom in
which Head Start students are also enrolled, but the remainder of the
preschool classrooms service only preschool students.
The form used for preschool program proposals included a place for
districts to record whether or not they were blending services. For
the 2017 school year, 55 districts stated that they were fully blended,
18 districts stated that they were partially blended, 93 districts said
they had a stand-alone program, and two districts did not have a
preschool program. Five districts reported that they were unsure of
the type of preschool program they had, or that they had an “other”
type of program. OEA could not verify the data on blended
programs; thus, no analysis of blended programs was completed for
this report.
Full Utilization Of Head Start. After the passage of KERA in

1990, to ensure that federal dollars were not supplanted, the General
Assembly added provisions in subsequent budgets that districts must
first “fully utilize” Head Start funds before enrolling students in the
state-funded preschool program. KRS 157.3175(5) states that each
district must work with existing preschool programs to avoid
duplication of programs and services, to avoid supplanting federal
funds, and to maximize Head Start funds in order to serve as many
4-year-old children as possible.
Currently no state statute or There is no statutory or regulatory definition of full utilization;

regulation defines full however, the legislature appears to have intended the use of the
utilization. Head Start centers
and preschool centers must pre-KERA (1989) number of 4-year-old students being served with
agree that they are fully utilized Head Start funds. Furthermore, local districts are required to sign a
each year. The full utilization full utilization certification agreement with Head Start each school
number is the number of
4-year-old students Head Start
year. The certification, made through a form letter, includes the 1989
was serving in 1989. pre-KERA number of 4-year-old Head Start students; however, this
form letter also includes a field for districts and Head Start centers to
mutually agree on a full utilization number. The language allowing
districts and Head Start centers to agree on a different number is not
41
mentioned anywhere in budget language or in statute. According to

budget language,
Each local district shall work with Head Start and other
existing preschool programs to avoid duplication of services
and programs, to avoid supplanting federal funds, and to
maximize Head Start funds in order to serve as many four-
year-old children as possible, and shall maintain certification
from the Head Start director that the Head Start Program is
fully utilized. If a local district fails to comply with the
requirements of this subsection, the Commissioner of
Education shall withhold preschool funding for an amount
equal to the number of Head Start-eligible children served in
the district who would have been eligible to be served by
Head Start under the full utilization certification required
under this subsection (HB 303 (2016)).
Thirty-two districts agreed on a OEA staff analyzed the 2016 GOEC full utilization data, which
full utilization number that is included a listing of districts that met pre-KERA Head Start full
below the 1989 number of Head
Start children being served. The utilization. A total of 32 districts did not meet full utilization and
result is that Head Start funds agreed on another number. In these 32 districts, Head Start served
serve 1,512 fewer 4-year-olds in 1,512 fewer 4-year-old students in 2016 than in 1989.
these districts.
In the OEA survey, several districts reported that they were having
issues trying to enroll preschool students because of the full
utilization requirements. The full utilization numbers have been
unchanged since 1989 despite changes in Kentucky’s demography.
KDE is working with Head Start directors and state-funded

preschool coordinators to revise and modernize the full utilization
agreement process, including its procedures and forms. KDE expects
the work to be completed in 2017, with changes being implemented
in the 2019 school year.
According to the new performance standards set by the US

Department of Health and Human Services (45 CFR,
sec. 1302.14(a)(3)), if a Head Start program operates in a service
area with high-quality publicly funded preschool that is available for
a full school day, the program must prioritize serving younger
children. This means that Head Start programs must shift Head Start
funding slots from 4-year-old and 3-year-old children toward Early
Head Start children. In addition, 45 CFR, sec. 1302.21 states that, by
August 1, 2019, center-based Head Start programs must provide
1,020 annual hours of planned class operations over the course of at
least 8 months per year. Because Head Start will not be allowed to
offer double sessions, Head Start will likely serve fewer students.
42
According to NIEER, Head Start enrollment of children under 3

more than doubled between 2007 and 2015. This would suggest that
Kentucky should be prepared to serve more 4-year-old preschool
students in the future.
Recommendation 3.2
Recommendation 3.2 The Kentucky Department of Education should provide to the

General Assembly, before the 2018–2019 school year, a
district-level analysis of the potential cost of increasing preschool
enrollment of 4-year-old students. This analysis should include
an inventory of available space in district school buildings,
supplies, and playground equipment, and the funding that the
General Assembly may have to include in its preschool
appropriations.
Preschool Staff
Preschool teachers who began Prior to school year 2005, districts were allowed to hire staff without
teaching after 2005 must have a a teaching certificate to instruct preschool students. After 704 KAR
certificate in interdisciplinary
early childhood education (IECE). 3:410 was adopted, the Education Professional Standards Board
Preschool teachers who were required preschool teachers to have a certificate in interdisciplinary
teaching prior to 2005 were early childhood education. Preschool teachers who were teaching
grandfathered in. There are
27 districts that still have at least
without a certificate prior to the passage of 704 KAR 3:410 were
one preschool teacher who has allowed to continue teaching preschool as long as they remained in
been grandfathered in. the same district. They were assigned the title “associate teacher.”
Table 3.2 shows that there were eighty-nine preschool associate
teachers in school year 2017. Twenty-seven districts still have at
least one preschool associate teacher instructing preschool students.
Jefferson County has the largest number of preschool associate
teachers, at 38, followed by Wayne County and Whitley County,
which both employ 4 associate teachers. There are 6 districts that
employ three associate teachers, another 6 districts that employ two,
and 13 districts that have only one preschool associate teacher
employed as of the 2017 school year.
43
Table 3.2
Preschool Teacher Certifications By Type
Certification Type 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
IECE 450 483 505 541 598 644 679 747 759 754 817
Probationary IECE 56 47 41 36 51 37 37 19 23 22 34
Emergency IECE 17 8 7 13 17 8 9 11 10 6 13
Letter certified 184 168 153 149 128 119 111 102 95 84 78
Letter classified (ec) 35 31 28 28 25 27 25 21 19 16 19
Special education 2 1 1 0 0 0 4 4 4 6 7
certified
Preschool associate 303 274 254 233 203 183 158 140 125 105 89
teacher
Total preschool 1,047 1,012 990 1,000 1,022 1,018 1,023 1,044 1,035 993 1,057
teachers
Note: IECE = interdisciplinary early childhood educations; (ec) = early childhood.
Source: Kentucky Department of Education.
Since 2007, the number of From 2007 to 2017, the number of IECE-certified teachers almost
teachers with an IECE certificate doubled. 16-KAR 2:140 allows districts to hire preschool teachers
has doubled.
who hold a probationary IECE certificate. The number of preschool
teachers with a probationary IECE certification has decreased
65 percent since 2007.
Districts also have the option of hiring preschool teachers who have
a bachelor’s degree and/or certification in another content area. This
teacher certification is called an emergency IECE certificate.
Teachers holding this certificate decreased from 23 in 2007 to 10 in
2017. Districts are also allowed to hire special education teachers as
preschool instructors. In school year 2007, there were seven
preschool teachers holding a special education certification; all were
employed by the Jefferson County Public Schools.
704 KAR 3:420, sec. 3(3)(b) allows EPSB to provide kindergarten

and special education teachers with a letter certifying eligibility to
teach preschool students without having one of the other
certifications. Table 3.2 refers to this status as “letter certified,” and
there were 78 preschool teachers holding this letter. A similar letter
is available for those holding a child development degree to be a
state-funded preschool teacher, though there were only 17 teachers
holding this letter in 2017. These two letters do not expire, and they
serve as a lifetime waiver. The use of both types of letters of
certification has decreased over the last 11 years.
44
Comparison To Neighboring States And The Nation

And Preschool Comparison With Bordering States
The State Of Preschool annual NIEER publishes an annual report, The State Of Preschool, that
report by NIEER includes
provides comprehensive data and analysis of state-funded preschool
10 measures of quality for state-
funded preschool programs. programs across the United States. The report’s profiles for each
Kentucky met 9 of the 10 quality state address access to state-funded preschool, NIEER quality
standards in 2016, missing only standards for state-funded preschool programs, and state spending on
the standard that requires
assistant teachers to have a child
preschool programs. These profiles were used to compare the state-
development associate degree. funded preschool program in Kentucky to those of bordering states.a
NIEER Quality Standards. NIEER has developed 10 measures of

quality for state-funded preschool programs, with specific
benchmarks for each targeted policy. Policies included in the quality
standards checklist include early learning and development
standards, preschool teacher degree requirements, standards for
maximum class size, and standards for continuous quality
improvement.
Table 3.3 illustrates how Kentucky and the bordering states fared on
these measures of quality in the 2016 school year. Kentucky met the
benchmarks for 9 of the 10 quality standards, missing only the
standard that requires assistant teachers to have a child development
associate (CDA) credential.b West Virginia was the only bordering
state that met all 10 of the current quality standards for the 2016
school year.c
a
Bordering states are Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and
West Virginia.
b
In order to be eligible for the CDA credential, an individual must have a high
school diploma or be a junior or senior enrolled in a vocational early education
program. According to NIEER, only 19 state-funded preschool programs met the
requirements for this standard during the 2016 school year.
c
NIEER has developed a new set of quality standards to be used for future reports.
The new standards and benchmarks were presented in the 2016 report as
supplementary metrics.
45
Chapter 3
Table 3.3
NIEER Current Quality Standards Met By Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016
Vision,
At least 15 Staff- Hearing,
Assistant hrs/yr In Class Child Health Current
Comprehensive Specialized Teacher With Service Size 20 Ratio And One At Least Quality
Early Learning Teacher Training In CDA Or (For Or 1:10 Or Support One Meal Site Standards
State/Program Standards Has BA Pre-K Equivalent Teachers) Lower Better Service Provided Visits Sum
West Virginia           10
Kentucky          9
Tennessee          9
Illinois         8
Missouri         8
Virginia      5
Ohio     4
Indiana    3
United States 59 35 51 19 49 47 49 41 28 42 N/A
46
Note: The numbers for the United States represent the total number of state preschool programs meeting the criteria; there are 59 state preschool programs in 43
states and the District Of Columbia.
Source: National Institute for Early Education Research. The State Of Preschool 2016. Brunswick: Rutgers Graduate School of Education, 2016.

Kentucky lags slightly behind the Overall Enrollment Comparison. The NIEER report provides
national average in total information on the percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in state-
enrollment of 3- and 4-year-old
funded preschool relative to the total population of 3- and 4-year-old
preschool students. The nation
was at 18.4 percent while children in each state. Table 3.4 shows that, at more than 17 percent,
Kentucky enrolled 17.4 percent. Kentucky ranked third among bordering states in the total percentage
However, the percentage of of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in state-funded preschool during the
3-year-olds in state preschool is
higher in Kentucky than in the
2016 school year. Kentucky was behind the national average
nation as a whole. considering the percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled, but higher than
the national average for 3-year-olds enrolled relative to the state
population.
Table 3.4
Percentage Of 3- And 4-Year-Olds Enrolled In State-Funded Preschool
For Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016
Access Access Total %
% 4-Year-Olds Ranking For % 3-Year-Olds Ranking Of 3- And
State/Program In State Pre-K 4-Year-Olds In State Pre-K 3-Year-Olds 4-Year-Olds
West Virginia 66.4% 6 11.0% 7 38.5%
Illinois 26.1 21 19.9 3 23.0
Kentucky 25.8 22 9.0 9 17.4
Tennessee 21.8 26 0.7 26 11.2
Virginia 17.8 29 — — 8.9
Ohio 7.8 33 2.8 20 5.3
Missouri 2.1 41 1.2 23 1.7
Indiana 1.9 43 — — 0.9
United States 31.8 4.9 18.4
Note: This table is sorted by total percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in state-funded preschool.
Source: National Institute for Early Education Research. The State Of Preschool 2016. Brunswick: Rutgers Graduate
School of Education, 2016.
Kentucky enrolls a larger Special Education Preschool Enrollment Comparison. The

percentage of special education NIEER report also provides a breakdown of 3- and 4-year-olds
students than all bordering
states and the nation. receiving special education services. According to NIEER, Kentucky
had a higher percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds receiving special
education services than any bordering state.a Table 3.5 provides a
comparison of the special education preschool population in
Kentucky and its bordering states.
a
The percentages of 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and 3- and 4-year-olds receiving
special education services in state-funded preschool in Kentucky were all higher
than the national average for those populations.
47
Table 3.5
Special Education Preschool Enrollment For Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016
3-Year- % Of 4-Year- % Of Age 3 % Of Age 3
Olds Age 3 Olds Age 4 And 4 And 4
State Enrolled Population Enrolled Population Enrolled Population
Kentucky 3,697 7% 5,948 11% 9,645 9%
Illinois 9,574 6 13,076 8 22,650 7
Missouri 3,673 5 6,139 8 9,812 7
Indiana 4,510 5 5,959 7 10,469 6
West Virginia 1,000 5 1,611 8 2,611 6
Ohio 5,233 4 8,323 6 13,556 5
Virginia 3,892 4 5,681 6 9,573 5
Tennessee 2,503 3 4,176 5 6,679 4
United States 178,073 4 262,858 7 441,931 6
Note: This table is sorted by percentage of 3- and 4-year-old special education preschool students served.
Source: The National Institute for Early Education Research. The State Of Preschool 2016. Brunswick: Rutgers
Graduate School of Education, 2016.
The minimum number of Operation Schedule Comparison. Table 3.6 displays the minimum
instructional hours for preschool hours of operation per day and the operating schedules for
in Kentucky is 2.5 hours per day.
The data for surrounding states preschools in Kentucky and its bordering states. Kentucky, Illinois,
show that Tennessee provides and Ohio have the lowest required hours of operation per day at
the most at 5.5 hours of 2.5 hours. Tennessee had the highest number of required hours of
preschool.
instruction per day at 5.5 hours. Kentucky and the majority of
bordering states have preschool operation schedules that adhere to a
traditional academic calendar, with Missouri operating on a full
calendar year schedule and Indiana determining preschool operation
schedules locally.
Table 3.6
Preschool Operating Schedules And Minimum Hours Of Operation Per Day
For Kentucky And Bordering States, School Year 2016
State/Program Minimum Hours Of Operation Per Day Operating Schedule

Tennessee 5.5 School or academic year
Indiana 4.0 Determined locally
West Virginia 3.5* School or academic year
Missouri 3.0 Full calendar year
Virginia 3.0 School or academic year
Illinois 2.5 School or academic year
Kentucky 2.5 School or academic year
Ohio 2.5 School or academic year
* According to NIEER, West Virginia requires a minimum of 14 hours per week regardless of whether a district uses a
4- or 5-day school week for preschool. The number provided in this chart assumes a 4-day week.
Source: The National Institute for Early Education Research. The State Of Preschool 2016. Brunswick: Rutgers
Graduate School of Education, 2016.
48
Demographics
On average, 29 percent of From school year 2015 to school year 2017, 153,841 students
kindergarten students in school enrolled in Kentucky kindergartens; of these, 44,064 (29 percent)
years 2015 to 2017 had
previously participated in the had previously participated in the preschool program as state-funded
state-funded preschool program students. Over this 3-year period, the state-funded preschool
as 4-year-olds. program was the most common prior setting for students enrolling in
kindergarten. An average of 14,688 state-funded preschool-eligible
students participated in the program each year. Table 3.7 shows
enrollment numbers for state-funded 4-year-old students in school
years 2014 to 2016.
Table 3.7
Number Of State-Funded 4-Year-Old Students
And Percent Of Kindergarten Enrollment
% Of Next Year’s
School Year Preschool Enrollment Kindergarten Enrollment
2014 15,164 29.84%
2015 13,969 27.65
2016 14,232 28.37
This section provides a brief discussion of the demographic makeup

of 4-year-old state-funded students who enrolled in the preschool
program in school years 2014 to 2016 and compares these students
to their kindergarten cohorts the following year. A more detailed
analysis of preschool student demographics, at the district level,
appears in Appendix G.
The analysis included in this section relied on a combination of

demographic markers included in the kindergarten readiness data
and the semiannual student enrollment data provided by KDE.
Student-level demographic information contained in the kindergarten
readiness data set was paired with student-level preschool enrollment
data to accurately identify state-funded 4-year-olds who had enrolled
in preschool prior to beginning kindergarten. The analysis in this
section does not report demographic information on non-state-
funded 4-year-olds who enrolled in the preschool program, as
demographic information on these students was not available. A
demographic description of special education 3- and 4-year-olds
appears in the next section of this chapter.
The percentage of 4-year-olds Gender. During the 3 years reviewed for this section of the report,
who were male was slightly
the percentage of state-funded 4-year-olds who were male was
higher for preschool than for
kindergarten the following year. slightly higher for preschool populations than for kindergarten
49
populations the following year. Male students accounted for

54.53 percent, 55.27 percent, and 54.78 percent of state-funded
4-year-old preschool students in school years 2014, 2015, and 2016,
respectively. While the majority of students who entered
kindergarten in school years 2015 to 2017 were also male, male
students accounted for just 51.79 percent, 52.15 percent, and
51.77 percent of kindergarten students in school years 2015, 2016,
and 2017, respectively.
Nonwhite students constituted a Race/Ethnicity. Table 3.8 shows the racial and ethnic makeup of
larger share of state-funded
state-funded 4-year-old preschool students compared to the racial
4-year-old students in preschool
than in kindergarten. and ethnic makeup of the kindergarten cohorts in school years 2015
through 2017. In all 3 years analyzed, nonwhite students constituted
a larger share of state-funded 4-year-old preschool students than of
the kindergarten cohort as a whole. The overrepresentation of
minority students in the preschool population can be attributed to the
higher percentage of students receiving FRPL among nonwhite
students.
Table 3.8
Race/Ethnicity Of All Kindergarten Students
And State-Funded 4-Year-Old Preschool Students
State-Funded
All Kindergarten Students Preschool Students
Race 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016
White 76.38% 76.25% 75.65% 68.71% 71.95% 69.73%
Black 10.25 10.06 10.22 14.13 11.04 13.17
Hispanic 7.15 7.21 7.40 10.13 9.68 9.78
Other 6.21 6.48 6.74 6.85 7.34 7.32
Free Or Reduced-Price Lunch Status. For 4-year-olds, eligibility

for the state-funded preschool program is determined by eligibility
for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program. Table 3.9
compares rates of students receiving FRPL for all kindergarten
students and kindergarten students who enrolled in the state-funded
preschool program the previous year.
50
Table 3.9
Percent FRPL For All Kindergarten Students
State-Funded
All Kindergarten Students Preschool Students
Race 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016
Free 59.73% 59.55% 60.31% 77.27% 76.12% 76.60%
Reduced 5.42 4.79 4.56 6.28 5.34 4.97
Free or reduced 65.15 64.34 64.87 83.55 81.46 81.57
In order to further explore the overrepresentation of nonwhite

students in the state-funded preschool program, Figure 3.B illustrates
the percent of kindergarten students, by race, who qualified for
FRPL during school years 2015 to 2017.
Figure 3.B
Percentage Of Kindergarten Students Qualifying For FRPL By Race
90
80
% Qualified For FRPL
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
All American Asian Black Hispanic/Latino Native Two or more White
Indian or Hawaiian or races
Alaska native other Pacific
islander
Race/Ethnicity
During school years 2015 to Special Education. During the 3-year period reviewed in this
2017, the percentage of section, the percent of 4-year-old state-funded preschool students
4-year-old preschool students
who entered kindergarten with who entered kindergarten with an IEP was approximately double that
an individualized education of all kindergarten students. Figure 3.C compares the percentage of
program (IEP) was almost double all kindergarten students who qualified for special education services
that of all kindergarten IEP
students.
and those kindergarten students who had participated as state-funded
4-year-olds in the preschool program.
51
Figure 3.C
Percentage Of All Kindergarten Students
Who Qualified For Special Education Services
35
30 Preschool students
% Special Education
25
20
15
10
All kindergarten students
5
0
2015 2016 2017
Kindergarten Cohort
Limited English Proficiency. Analysis suggests that students who

qualified, as 4-year-olds, for the state-funded preschool program are
more likely to qualify for FRPL and for special education services
than their nonpreschool peers. These students are also more likely to
be identified as having limited English proficiency. Figure 3.D
shows the percentage of all kindergarten students and the percentage
of state-funded 4-year-old preschool students who were identified as
LEP during the 3-year period of this analysis.
Although 80 percent of students Less than 10 percent of all state-funded 4-year-old preschool
with limited English proficiency students who entered kindergarten during school years 2015 to 2017
(LEP) qualify for FRPL, less than
half of all LEP students were identified as LEP. At the district level, the average percentage
participate in state-funded of state-funded preschool students identified as LEP was just
preschool. 4.21 percent over the same period. However, this district-level
average obscures significantly higher rates of LEP students in some
districts. During school years 2015 to 2017, a total of 3,774 LEP
students enrolled in preschool as state-funded 4-year-olds. More than
40 percent of LEP preschoolers were enrolled in the eight districts
with the highest percentage of LEP students. The percentage of
students identified as LEP in these eight districts ranged from
27 percent to 44 percent.
52
Figure 3.D
Percentage Of All Kindergarten Students And State-Funded
4-Year-Old Preschool Students Identified As LEP
10
All kindergarten students
9
8
7
6
% LEP 5
Preschool students
4
3
2
1
0
2015 2016 2017
Kindergarten Cohort
Currently, services for LEP students are determined at the local

level, and districts are not required to screen students for English
proficiency or to provide services aimed at improving English
proficiency prior to entry into kindergarten. In fact, less than half of
all LEP students participate in the state-funded preschool program
even though more than 80 percent of these students qualify for
FRPL. Additionally, less than 8 percent of LEP students were
identified as qualifying for special education services during school
years 2015 to 2017. When that number is compared to the
percentage of all state-funded preschool students (30.98 percent) and
all kindergarten students (14.21 percent) who received special
education services, the data suggest that LEP students may not be
receiving the special education services necessary to better prepare
them for kindergarten.
Recommendation 3.3
Recommendation 3.3 School districts, with support and guidance from the Kentucky
Department of Education, should complete a needs assessment
analysis in order to determine whether the educational needs of
preschool-age limited English proficiency students are being met
and to explore possible resources that may assist in better
meeting the needs of these students.
53
State-Funded 3-Year-Old Preschool Students
The characteristics of 3-year-old In school year 2016, 5,159 3-year-olds enrolled as state-funded
state-funded preschool students students in preschool programs. Three-year-olds qualify for state-
differ from the characteristics of
4-year-olds. A larger percentage funded preschool if they have an identified special educational need
of 3-year-old preschool students and do not qualify for preschool based on income. This section
are male, and a larger percentage compares the gender and race and ethnicity of these students to those
are white students.
of state-funded 4-year-old preschool students.
Overall, 3-year-old state-funded preschool students are more likely

to be male and white than their 4-year-old counterparts. In school
year 2016, 80 percent of state-funded 3-year-olds were white, while
just 70 percent of state-funded 4-year-olds were white. As a result,
black, Hispanic, and other races/ethnicities accounted for a smaller
portion of state-funded 3-year-old preschool students than state-
funded 4-year-old students. This is consistent with data that suggest
that white students are identified for special education services at a
higher rate than nonwhite students. Male students also constitute a
considerably larger percentage of 3-year-old state-funded preschool
students when compared to state-funded 4-year-old students. Among
4-year-olds, just over half are male (55 percent in school year 2016),
but among 3-year-olds the percentage of male students in school
year 2016 was 65 percent.
Preschool Attendance
Current regulations require 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5(4) requires the recording of preschool
districts to record preschool
attendance. This regulation states that daily attendance records must
attendance using the standard
attendance reports or through an be maintained and submitted through the districts’ standard
approved, verifiable alternative attendance reports or through an approved, verifiable alternative
method approved by KDE. Staff method. It further states that parents or legal guardians must be
at KDE stated that they have not
approved an alternative method
contacted when an enrolled child has irregular attendance or has
of reporting. In addition, most been absent for 4 consecutive days.
districts are not recording
attendance through the
Kentucky Student Information
OEA staff received attendance data from the Kentucky Student
System. Information System, Infinite Campus, for school years 2015 and
2016. Approximately half the districts in the state did not have any
excused or unexcused absences for preschool students.
OEA staff met with KDE staff on July 11, 2017, to discuss what
alternative methods of reporting KDE had approved in the past. KDE
staff indicated that no alternative methods are currently approved
and that preschool centers keep track of attendance for preschool
students on attendance books commonly referred to as green books.
KDE staff also indicated that KDE had identified this procedure as
an issue, but adherence to policy has not been strictly enforced
54
because, unlike funding for K-12 students, preschool funding is not

based on daily attendance. KDE staff further stated that during the
preschool P2R evaluations, KDE does review attendance records.
Recommendation 3.4
Recommendation 3.4 The Kentucky Department of Education should enforce

704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5(4) and require districts to use Infinite
Campus to record the daily attendance of preschool students.
Day Care Services
Districts may provide day care The amount of time that state-funded preschool students spend in the
services before and after school classroom each week varies by district. 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 6
as well as on the 5th day when
preschool students are not in requires that preschool students receive a minimum of 2.5 hours of
school. There were 41 districts classroom time per day, 4 or 5 days per week. Preschool programs
that offered day care to are funded by state appropriations at a level sufficient to support a
preschool students.
4-day-a-week, half-day schedule. As a result, nearly half of all
school districts in Kentucky use a 4-day-a-week, half-day schedule
consisting of 2.5 to 3 hours of classroom instructional time per day.
In order to assist parents in meeting additional child care needs,
704 KAR 3:410, sec. 8 permits districts to extend services to provide
child care before or after the standard operating hours of the
preschool program. In addition to before- and after-school child care,
some districts operating on a 4-day preschool schedule also offer
child care on days when preschool is not in session (hereafter
referred to as 5th-day child care). Below is a brief description of the
day care services offered by districts to preschool-age children
across the state.
Representatives from 167 of the 173 school districts in Kentucky

responded to OEA survey questions concerning preschool day care
services. In school year 2017, 41 districts reported that they offer
some form of preschool day care services. A total of 24 districts
offered before-school child care, 38 districts offered after-school
child care, and 30 districts offered 5th-day child care. In addition to
the 41 districts that offered day care services, one district did not
offer day care services but worked with the Head Start program to
allow preschool students to attend day care there. In some cases,
access to day care services varied within a given district, as
15 districts reported offering day care services at only some schools
(26 districts offer day care services at all schools). Table 3.10 details
the number of districts that offered the various forms of day care
services during school year 2017.
55
Table 3.10
Day Care Services By District
School Year 2017
Day Care Service Type Some Schools All Schools
Before-school care 8 16
After-school care 14 24
5 -day child care
th
9 21
Total 15 26
Note: Responses do not sum to totals shown because schools can participate in
more than one type of day care. Data come from 41 districts providing responses
on preschool day care, out of 167 survey respondents.
Source: OEA survey.
In most cases, districts offer a variety of wraparound services. In

school year 2017, 14 districts offered only after-school care and
3 districts offered only 5th-day child care. All other districts offered a
combination of services. Table 3.11 illustrates the combinations of
services offered in 2017.
Table 3.11
Day Care Services Combinations By District
School Year 2017
Some All
Day Care Service Combinations Schools Schools Total
Before- and after-school care 4 2 6
After-school and 5th-day care 4 5 9
Before- and after-school and 5th-day 4 14 18
child care
Source: OEA survey.
Day Care Services And Enrollment
Districts that offered day care Despite the promise of a free preschool education, recruiting and
services enrolled more preschool enrolling eligible preschool-age children can be challenging for
students than districts that did
not offer day care. many districts. Evidence suggests that the inclusion of day care
services may assist districts in recruiting and enrolling students. For
example, in school year 2017, districts enrolled, on average,
46 percent of preschool students who qualify for the state-funded
preschool program. Districts that offered day care services enrolled
more preschool students than districts that did not offer day care
services. In districts where day care services were offered, the
average enrollment rate in 2017 was 50 percent, compared to
44.5 percent in districts where day care services were not offered.
When districts that offered day care services in all schools were
compared to districts that offered day care services in only some
schools, enrollment rates were higher where services were available
56
in all schools (52 percent compared to 46 percent), further

suggesting that the availability of day care services may support
higher enrollment rates.
57
Chapter 4
Preschool Program Evaluation
Introduction
This chapter provides an In requesting that OEA study Kentucky’s state-funded preschool
evaluation of the state-funded program, EAARS specifically requested a review of preschool
preschool program including an
examination of KDE’s Preschool enrollment, preschool outcomes, and characteristics of the preschool
Program Review (P2R), the program. To that end, this chapter provides an extensive evaluation
Kentucky All STARS rating of the state-funded preschool program. The preschool program
program, recruitment and
enrollment of eligible students,
evaluation presented in this chapter begins with an examination of
and a review of preschool KDE’s Preschool Program Review process, including a summary of
assessment and kindergarten results for all P2Rs conducted over the past 5 years. Particular
readiness data.
attention will be paid to annual evaluations conducted at the district
level. This chapter also discusses the Kentucky All STARS
preschool rating program and offers an in-depth, district-level
analysis of participation by and enrollment of eligible students in the
state-funded preschool program. The chapter concludes with a
review of preschool outcomes as measured by the Brigance
Kindergarten Screen III. Based on the data presented in this chapter,
a number of recommendations are also presented.
Preschool Program Review And Annual Evaluations
Preschool programs across the commonwealth are evaluated and

assessed on a regular basis by the individual school districts, by
representatives from regional training centers, and by KDE. Each
district is responsible for conducting an annual self-evaluation.
Under 704 KAR 3:410, annual self-evaluations must include input
from parents, staff, and other professionals. Data gathered from these
sources is to be used to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in
meeting the needs of participating children, the rate of participation
by eligible children, parental satisfaction with services offered, and
the success of participating children as they complete the preschool
program and progress through a primary school program.
KDE developed and implemented KDE developed and implemented the preschool program review
the P2R process in 2009. For the process in 2009. This second evaluation was created in order to
P2R review process, Kentucky’s
173 school districts have been ensure regulatory compliance and high-quality classrooms. The P2R
divided into five cohorts. Each does not currently include an analysis of preschool outcomes, such
cohort is reviewed once every as kindergarten readiness. Outcome data appear to be collected only
5 years.
as part of the annual self-evaluations completed at the district level.
59
Under the P2R review process, each preschool program, or district,

is to be reviewed once during a 5-year cycle. Districts are divided
into five cohorts. Each year, one cohort (one-fifth of the preschool
programs in Kentucky) should complete the P2R process, which
comprises four essential components:
• Completion of the web-based P2R document by a district
representative, such as the preschool program coordinator.
• Classroom evaluations (using the ECERS-3) in all classrooms,
conducted by a district observer, and independent evaluations
conducted by a representative from the local RTC in at least
30 percent of classrooms (at least one classroom per site should
be evaluated).
• Documentation review and verification conducted by a KDE
team, possibly including on-site visits.
• Report prepared by KDE and provided to school districts. The
report may include powerful practices, recommendations for
areas where the district could make improvements, and findings
indicating noncompliance with administrative regulations.2
Findings
An in-depth examination of 142 P2Rs conducted during school years

2013 to 2017 suggests a number of areas of possible concern related
to annual district evaluations, facilities, and safety policies.
Regulations state that districts Annual Self-Assessments. As part of OEA’s analysis of the state-
must conduct an annual self-
funded preschool program, OEA staff asked that the superintendents
evaluation. A review of P2Rs
conducted since school year 2013 of each district submit their most recent annual self-evaluation. In
revealed that 50 percent of response to this request, many districts supplied OEA with their most
districts are in some way recent P2R evaluation. A review of submitted P2Rs suggests that a
noncompliant with the annual
evaluation requirements.
majority of school districts in the commonwealth may not be
meeting their regulatory obligation to complete annual self-
assessments. Under 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 9, preschool programs
should conduct an annual self-evaluation. The annual self-evaluation
should include input from parents, staff, and other professionals and
should evaluate the program’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of
participating children, the rate of participation by eligible children,
parental satisfaction with services offered, and the success of
participating children as they complete the preschool program and as
they progress through the primary school program. Of the 142 P2Rs
examined for this study, 71 included findings related to the annual
self-evaluation requirement. This means that 50 percent of reviewed
programs were in some way noncompliant with the annual
evaluation requirements. Table 4.1 shows the breakdown of findings,
by assurance area, related to annual self-evaluations. As noted
above, OEA asked the superintendents of each district to submit their
60
most recent annual self-evaluation. Only two school districts

provided OEA with a complete evaluation that fulfilled the
requirements for an annual self-evaluation under 704 KAR 3:410,
sec. 9.
Table 4.1
Number Of Districts Receiving P2R Findings
Related To Annual Self-Evaluation, School Years 2013 To 2017
Number Of Districts
Component Of 704 KAR 3:410, Sec. 9 With P2R Findings
Annual evaluation of preschool program 71
“At least annually, parents, staff and other professionals shall be involved in 32
evaluating the local preschool program’s effectiveness in meeting the needs
of participating children.”
“The program shall address rate of participation by eligible children” 36
“The program shall address parental satisfaction with services provided” 14
“The program shall address success of participating children as they complete 49
the preschool program and progress through the primary school program”
Source: OEA analysis of data provided by Kentucky Department of Education.
KDE is aware that many districts In discussions with KDE, OEA was informed that KDE is aware of
do not fully comply with the noncompliance with the annual evaluation requirement and has
annual self-evaluation
requirements and has begun to recently begun to take steps to ensure that districts comply with the
take steps to ensure that districts regulation. Specifically, KDE informed OEA that when, in the
comply fully with the regulation. course of P2R evaluations, it is determined that a district has not
complied with the self-evaluation regulation, the district is required
to submit to KDE an action plan outlining how it intends to come
into compliance; however, there is currently no follow-up process,
until the next P2R evaluation 5 years later, to ensure that action plans
submitted by the districts are being followed.
P2Rs conducted over the period In addition to concerns regarding a lack of compliance with the
of time for this study indicated annual evaluation process, OEA’s review of completed P2Rs
that 64 districts were
noncompliant with
indicated that 64 districts were noncompliant with administrative
administrative regulations regulations regarding space (704 KAR 3:410, sec. 6)a and that
regarding space and 40 districts 40 districts were noncompliant with safety regulations (704 KAR
were noncompliant with safety
regulations.
3:410, sec. 6). The majority of space noncompliance issues stemmed
from improper fencing around playground areas and inappropriately
sized cafeteria furnishings. A majority of safety policy violations
a
Space is a component of the Environment subscale in the P2R. In this context,
space refers not just to the physical space of the preschool classroom but also to
the characteristics and nature of that space. For example, this section of the P2R
includes, but is not limited to, questions concerning fencing around playground
areas; proximity to transportation pick-up and drop-off; proximity to bathroom
facilities; lighting, heating and ventilation; postings of evacuation routes; and
cafeteria seating and utensils.
61
were related to inadequate or improper fencing. While a review of

P2Rs completed over the last 5 years revealed several causes for
concern, the review also identified a number of strengths in
preschool programs across the state. Fifteen districts (10 percent of
districts reviewed) received no findings from KDE, suggesting that
they were in total compliance with all administrative regulations
related to preschool programs.
Additionally, powerful practices, or strengths, in the area of

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (704 KAR 3:410, sec. 6)
were identified in 69 districts (49 percent). Strengths in the area of
Parent/Family Involvement were also identified in 69 districts
(49 percent), and Special Education (707 KAR Chapter 1) was a
strength of 34 districts (24 percent).
Recommendation 4.1
Recommendation 4.1 The Kentucky Department of Education should ensure that all
districts complete an annual preschool evaluation that meets and
fulfills the requirements outlined in 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 9.
Kentucky All STARS Program
In December 2014, the In December 2014, the Governor’s Office for Early Childhood
Governor’s Office of Early received a grant through the US Department of Education’s RTT
Childhood (GOEC) received a
grant through the US fund. A portion of the grant revenue was used to implement the
Department of Education Race to Kentucky All STARS program. According to GOEC,
the Top funds. A portion of that Kentucky All STARS is Kentucky’s expanded five-star
grant was used to expand and
implement the Kentucky All
quality rating and improvement system for early care and
STARS program. The All STARS education programs. Studies show that children who attend
program is a 5-star quality rating high quality early learning environments have better math,
and improvement system for all
language and social skills. The unified system serves all early
publicly funded early care and
education programs. care and education programs that receive public funding
including child care centers, Head Start and public preschool.
Kentucky All STARS is based on Kentucky’s Early
Childhood Standards and research-based indicators of
quality. It recognizes programs that have made a commitment
to continuous quality improvement.3
GOEC partnered with KDE and GOEC has partnered with KDE and the Cabinet for Health and
allocated $1.8 million to KDE to
evaluate state-funded preschool Family Services to evaluate all public preschool, Head Start, and
sites using the All STARS rating child care centers receiving public funding. KDE has received
system. All preschool sites meet $1,808,051 in RTT-ELC funding through GOEC to evaluate
the minimum requirements
necessary to receive a 3-star
preschool locations. In total, KDE received $4,889,000 from the
rating under the new system. RTT grant.
62
Based on the standards identified in 704 KAR 3:410, KDE decided

that all preschool sites in the state meet the minimum requirements
necessary to receive a 3-star rating under the new system. To receive
a higher STAR rating, preschool sites had to request an evaluation.
As of the writing of this report, an individual evaluation had been
requested by 370 preschool sites, of which 364 (98 percent) received
a 5-STAR rating and 6 received a 4-STAR rating.
Preschool Participation And Enrollment
704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5 establishes Enrollment of an eligible child in the state-funded preschool program
the responsibility of school is entirely at the discretion of the child’s parent or legal guardian, but
districts to ensure that children 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5 establishes the responsibility of school
eligible for the preschool
program are served. School districts to ensure that children eligible for the preschool program are
districts must establish a served. According to 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5, school districts must
recruitment strategy that assures • establish a recruitment strategy that assures enrollment of
identification and enrollment of
eligible children.
eligible children,
• identify all eligible children, and
• demonstrate an emphasis on recruiting those eligible children not
currently served by a preschool program.
This section provides an overview of recruitment strategies
employed at the district level, an evaluation of participation and
enrollment in the preschool program by eligible children, and a brief
discussion of perceived barriers to enrollment.
Recruitment Strategies
Per 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5, each local district is required to establish
and maintain an active recruitment process that systematically
assures enrollment of eligible children. The OEA survey asked
districts to provide information about how they recruit preschool
students. The P2R evaluations performed by KDE also include a
section on district recruitment strategies.
In response to the OEA survey, OEA Survey. A total of 145 districts included recruitment strategies
145 districts provided in response to the OEA survey. Table 4.2 summarizes the most
recruitment strategies. Fliers
were most commonly used, commonly reported recruitment strategies, and lists the percentage of
followed by advertisements in respondents indicating that they use that strategy. Fliers were the
the local newspaper. most common recruitment strategy used, with 61 percent of districts
using this method, followed by newspaper advertisements or articles,
at 50 percent. Nineteen percent of respondents said they either go
door to door or provide home visits in their community. Though not
reflected in the table, four districts reported that they were able to get
addresses for families that are participating in the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program in their school district, and
63
two other districts indicated that they advertise at their local movie
theater.
Table 4.2
OEA Survey Common Responses
For Recruitment Strategies, 2016
Number Percent
Strategy Of Responses Of Responses
Fliers 89 61%
Newspaper 72 50
Social media 52 36
School and community events 49 34
Radio 39 27
Doctor or health department 39 27
Unspecified advertisement 38 26
Home visit or door to door 28 19
Day cares 17 12
Cable or local TV 14 10
Source: OEA survey.
P2R evaluations conducted since P2R Evaluation Of Recruitment. A review of P2R evaluations
school year 2013 identified performed during school years 2013 to 2017 found that 9 districts
9 districts that received a total of
23 findings related to
received a total of 13 findings related to their recruitment efforts and
recruitment; 23 districts received strategies, 23 districts received a total of 40 recommendations, and
recommendations, and 18 districts were cited as showing strength in recruiting a total of
18 districts showed strengths
related to recruitment.
25 times. Appendix H provides a detailed breakdown of the findings,
recommendations, and strengths, as well as examples of each from
P2Rs reviewed for this study.
Although a few P2R evaluations directly discussed changes in the

enrollment of eligible children, overall, the P2R reports offered little
detail and discussion regarding the efficacy of recruitment strategies.
Comparing preschool enrollment numbers to the number of eligible
children in a given district enables a more complete assessment of
how effective Kentucky school districts have been at recruiting and
enrolling eligible students.
Enrollment
During school years 2014 to As noted above, during school years 2014 to 2016, more than
2016, less than half of all 44,000 eligible 4-year-olds enrolled in the preschool program,
preschool-eligible children
enrolled in a state-funded making preschool the largest single prior setting for kindergartners
preschool program. who began school between school year 2015 and school year 2017.
Between those years, 99,676 students, or approximately 65 percent
of all students who entered kindergarten, qualified for the federal
free or reduced-priced lunch program, making them eligible for the
64
state preschool program through the income requirement criteria.

Additionally, more than 20,000 kindergarten students in those years
had IEPs. Some of these students may have been served by other
state- and federally funded programs, a point that will be discussed
later, but the fact that less than half of all eligible 4-year-olds
enrolled in state-funded preschool suggests that many eligible
students may not be enrolling in state-funded preschool. Figure 4.A
provides an overview of participation rates by eligible students in the
state-funded preschool program in school years 2014 to 2016.
During those years, participation was highest among students with
IEPs and lowest among reduced-price lunch students.
Figure 4.A
Percentage Of Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool
70
60
IEP
% Enrolled In Preschool
50
Free
40
30
Reduced
20
10
0
2014 2015 2016
School Year
Note: IEP = students with individualized education programs; Free = students
eligible for free lunch; Reduced = students eligible for reduced-price lunch.
Source: OEA staff analysis of data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
While the data presented in Figure 4.A offer an overview of

statewide participation in preschool by eligible students, an in-depth
analysis of participation in preschool and Head Start provides a more
accurate picture of participation. For this report, enrollment in
preschool by eligible students was analyzed at the county level. OEA
staff decided to analyze the data at the county level, and not at the
school district level, for three reasons:
• The overwhelming majority of children who participate each
year in Head Start are also eligible for state-funded preschool.
• KRS 157.3175(6)(q) requires that Head Start programs operating
in a given school district achieve full utilization before the
preschool programs in that district can begin enrolling eligible
4-year-old students.
65
• Head Start does not record enrollment data at the school district
level.
For these reasons, determining the combined enrollment of both
programs at the county level was necessary to accurately assess the
number and percentage of eligible children served.
Head Start enrollment data The combined enrollment of Head Start and the state-funded
provided by GOEC through the preschool program was determined by combining the number of
Kentucky Center for Education
and Workforce Statistics were 4-year-olds enrolled in Head Start as reported to OEA by GOEC
combined with preschool through the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics
enrollment data provided by KDE with the number of eligible 4-year-olds enrolled in preschool as
in the form of the semiannual
preschool enrollment count.
reported by KDE in the semiannual preschool enrollment count data.
It should be noted these two data sources do not represent the only
enrollment counts for Head Start or the preschool program, and that
the various data sets often report different enrollment numbers. OEA
received and reviewed Head Start enrollment numbers from
KCEWS, GOEC, and NIEER. Data from KCEWS were used
because it was the only data set that did not report enrollment at the
state level. To determine preschool enrollment by eligible children,
OEA staff reviewed kindergarten prior setting data, KDE preschool
funding numbers, and the semiannual preschool enrollment counts.
KDE funding data were not used in this instance because the data do
not include information on students’ FRPL or special education
status. Prior setting data were excluded because the data were
determined to be inaccurate, a point that is discussed in greater detail
later in this chapter. Table 4.3 illustrates the various preschool and
Head Start enrollment numbers for school years 2014 through 2016
that OEA received from KDE, KCEWS, GOEC, and NIEER. When
reading preschool data in Table 4.3, prior setting counts should
match the semiannual count for 4-year-olds only, and KDE funding
numbers should match the semiannual total count.
66
Table 4.3
Preschool And Head Start Enrollment Data By Data Source
Preschool Head Start
Semiannual KDE
Prior Count, Semiannual Funding Prior
Setting 4-year-olds Count, Total Number KCEWS GOEC NIEER Setting
2014 15,916 11,617 20,036 20,556 7,929 10,216 8,501 7,040
2015 14,126 12,265 18,205 18,716 7,915 9,071 7,813 6,603
2016 14,525 13,747 18,867 19,182 7,750 8,920 7,576 7,388
Note: Analysis of prior setting data for preschool included only those students who were eligible for state funding
based on free or reduced-price lunch status or individualized education program status. Head Start enrollment data
includes only 4-year-olds. KDE = Kentucky Department of Education; KCEWS = Kentucky Center for Education and
Workforce Statistics; GOEC = Governor’s Office of Early Childhood; NIEER = National Institute for Early Education
Research.
Source: OEA staff analysis of data provided by the Kentucky Department of Education; Governor’s Office of Early
Childhood; Governor’s Office of Early Childhood through the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce
Statistics; National Institute for Early Education Research.
There were 105,377 preschool- Once an estimated combined enrollment for school years 2014
eligible students who began through 2016 was determined for each of the 120 counties in
kindergarten during the time
reviewed for this study, of whom
Kentucky, that number was compared to the number of
60 percent had enrolled in either preschool-eligible students who began kindergarten in school years
preschool or Head Start. 2015 through 2017. A detailed county-by-county breakdown of this
data appears in Appendix I.
Figures 4.B to 4.D illustrate participation rates among eligible

4-year-olds in preschool, in Head Start, and in the two programs
combined. An estimated total of 63,704 4-year-olds enrolled in
preschool and Head Start beginning in school years 2014 through
2016, and 105,377 preschool-eligible students began kindergarten in
school years 2015 through 2017. Therefore, preschool and Head
Start served approximately 60 percent of eligible children over this
3-year period. At the county level, the percentage of eligible students
served ranged from 38 percent to 152 percent, with an average of
64 percent. Three districts reported serving more than 100 percent of
preschool-eligible children who enrolled in kindergarten the
following year. Such a phenomenon may be due to a discrepancy in
the enrollment numbers for 4-year-old preschoolers and Head Start
students, or it may be due to students enrolling in kindergarten in one
district who had lived in a different district the prior year.
According to the OEA survey of As part of the OEA survey, respondents were asked what percentage
district superintendents, many
districts believe they have served
of eligible children they thought enrolled in preschool in their
a greater proportion of preschool district. Of the 167 districts that responded to this question,
eligible students than they 15 districts indicated that they served 100 percent of eligible
actually did. students, 83 districts indicated that they served 75.1 percent to
67
99.99 percent, and 40 districts indicated that they served 50.1 percent
to 75 percent. Based on analysis of enrollment data, many of these
districts appear to be overestimating the percentage of eligible
children served by the preschool program. Even when combined
enrollment for preschool and Head Start was compared to the
number of eligible children in a county, only 17 counties achieved
between 75.1 percent and 99.9 percent participation. A total of 86
counties served 50.1 percent to 75 percent.
68
Figure 4.B

Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool By County
69
Source: OEA staff analysis of data provided by the Kentucky Department of Education.
Chapter 4
Figure 4.C
Chapter 4
Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Head Start By County
70

Source: OEA staff analysis of data provided by the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood through the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics.
Figure 4.D
Percentage Of Preschool-Eligible Students Enrolled In Preschool Or Head Start By County
71
Source: OEA staff analysis of data provided by the Kentucky Department of Education; Governor’s Office of Early Childhood; Governor’s Office of Early
Childhood through the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics.
Chapter 4
According to the OEA survey, the Enrollment Barriers. In an effort to better understand the barriers
most commonly reported barrier and challenges faced by school districts in their attempts to recruit
districts face in enrolling eligible
preschool students was parents and enroll eligible children in the preschool program, the OEA
not wanting children to start survey asked respondents to discuss perceived barriers to enrolling
school before kindergarten. eligible students. Table 4.4 provides information on the most
commonly reported barriers for school year 2017. The most
frequently reported barrier, mentioned by 126 districts, was the
belief that parents may not want their children to start school before
kindergarten.
Table 4.4
Number Of Districts Reporting Preschool Enrollment Barriers
Number Preschool Enrollment Barrier
126 Parents do not want children to start school before kindergarten.
118 Some eligible students attend Head Start.
101 Some eligible students attend private preschool, YMCA, and nonpublic schools.
68 Parent receives Child Care Assistance Program.
64 Full-day preschool is not offered 5 days a week.
26 Transportation.
Source: OEA survey.
A slightly smaller number of districts, 118, suggested that some

eligible students may enroll in Head Start. As has been previously
discussed, Head Start grantees are required to achieve full utilization
before preschool programs begin enrolling students. The full
utilization requirement likely forced some preschool districts to
delay recruitment efforts in the past; however, should Head Start
shift its focus to serving 3-year-olds, as was discussed in Chapter 3,
preschool programs may find it easier to enroll eligible 4-year-old
students in the future.
While some preschool-eligible According to respondents from 101 school districts, recruitment
students may have enrolled in efforts may be hampered because eligible students attend private
other early childhood education
programs, between school years preschool, YMCA, and other nonpublic schools. The Child Care
2015 and 2017, a total of Assistance Program was cited as a possible barrier by 68 districts.
21,634 preschool-eligible An examination of the kindergarten prior setting data, provided to
students entered kindergarten
with a prior setting of “home,”
OEA by KDE, indicated that during school years 2015 to 2017 a
two-thirds of whom were eligible total of 21,634 preschool-eligible children, more than 20 percent of
for preschool. all eligible children, remained at home with a parent or guardian
until they began kindergarten. Prior setting data also showed that
more than two-thirds of all children with a prior setting of home
were eligible for preschool. A map illustrating the percentage of
students with a prior setting of home who were eligible for
preschool, by county, appears in Appendix J.
72
Based on an in-depth analysis of recruitment efforts, enrollment

numbers, the percentage of eligible students served, and perceived
barriers to enrollment, OEA offers the following recommendations
to improve participation by eligible students and to enhance future
efforts to monitor the effectiveness of recruitment strategies.
Recommendation 4.2
Recommendation 4.2 The Kentucky Department of Education and the Early

Childhood Advisory Council should ensure that all future
reporting of preschool and Head Start enrollments is accurate
and consistent.
Recommendation 4.3
Recommendation 4.3 School districts, with support and guidance from the Kentucky
Department of Education, regional training centers, and the
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood, should review, and where
necessary revise, their recruitment strategies to increase the
enrollment of children eligible for state-funded preschool in
order to more fully comply with 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 5. One
possible strategy may include districts adding a question on the
kindergarten enrollment form asking about why parents did not
enroll their child in an early childhood education program.
Preschool Outcomes
The Brigance Kindergarten In 2010, the Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood
Screen III is used to measure Development and Education issued the state’s first definition of
kindergarten readiness
statewide. Kindergarten kindergarten readiness and called for the use of a single
readiness means a child enters kindergarten screener to assess the readiness of all students entering
school ready to engage in and kindergarten. Kindergarten readiness in Kentucky means that a child
benefit from early learning
experiences that best promote
enters school ready to engage in and benefit from early learning
the child’s success. experiences that best promote the child’s success; kindergarten
readiness is assessed using the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III,
which all students take upon entering kindergarten for the first time.
Prior to enrolling in kindergarten state-funded preschool, students
also complete various educational assessments while enrolled in
preschool.
This portion of Chapter 4 is divided into three sections to provide a

complete and holistic picture of preschool outcomes. In the first
section, the validity and reliability of preschool outcome data
currently available to policy makers and educators are discussed.
The second section begins with an overview of kindergarten
73
readiness across Kentucky, with particular attention to readiness

among state-funded preschoolers. With a better understanding of
overall readiness levels, section two concludes with an exploration
of the impact of various factors on kindergarten readiness, including
FRPL and IEP status, early childhood education prior settings,
schedule type and instructional time in the preschool setting, and,
finally, race and ethnicity. In the third section, data from preschool
assessments will be compared with kindergarten readiness data.
Preschool Outcome Data
According to 704 KAR 5:070, a Common Kindergarten Entry Screener. A central goal of the
central goal of the common common kindergarten screener, as outlined in 704 KAR 5:070, is to
kindergarten screener is to
provide teachers with key provide teachers with key information, early in the school year, that
information that can be used to they can use to guide instruction and meet the individual needs of all
guide instruction and meet students.4 The Brigance Kindergarten Screen III measures children’s
individual needs of all students.
readiness in five domains: academic skills/cognitive development,
language development, physical development, self-help, and social-
emotional. The latter two domains are not measured and assessed by
school personnel but are reported by parents. For this reason, only
academic skills/cognitive development, language development, and
physical development are used to determine kindergarten readiness.
In the fall of 2012, the Brigance Brigance Kindergarten Screen II Pilot. In the fall of 2012, prior to
Kindergarten Screen II was full implementation of the common kindergarten screener at the state
piloted at 458 schools in
109 school districts. Of the more level, 458 schools in 109 school districts participated in a 1-year
than 31,000 students tested as pilot test of the Brigance Kindergarten Screen II. Of the more than
part of the pilot, 28 percent 31,000 kindergartners tested that year, just over one-quarter
tested ready for kindergarten. In
the findings from the pilot, KDE
(28 percent) tested ready for kindergarten. In the findings from the
suggested that the pilot test, KDE stated that
criterion/standard for readiness Kentucky will have the opportunity in future years to
would be “recalibrated” based on
“recalibrate” the criterion/standard for readiness, based on
data gathered during the initial
years of the initiative. To date, data gathered in the initial years of this initiative, to ensure
KDE has not recalibrated the that the information gathered at the state and district levels
standard for readiness. will be as useful as possible in guiding instruction and
ultimately ensuring student success.5
To date, KDE has not recalibrated the standard for readiness.
The Brigance Kindergarten Screen II was revised in 2013, and the
Brigance Kindergarten Screen III is currently used by all
173 Kentucky school districts. After implementing the Brigance
Kindergarten Screen III for the 2014 school year, KDE set an
ambitious goal to reach 74.5 percent kindergarten readiness by the
2019 school year. Approximately 50 percent of Kentucky students
have tested as kindergarten ready each year in school years 2014 to
2017.
74
The Brigance Kindergarten Brigance Kindergarten Screen III. The purpose of the Brigance
Screen III was designed to Kindergarten Screen III is to
identify, as early as possible,
children who may have • identify as early as possible children who may have
developmental delays. There are developmental delays or disabilities as well as children who may
no cut-scores for kindergarten have advanced development or giftedness so that any necessary
readiness in the Brigance
technical manual. KDE uses the
referrals for further testing or special services can take place as
screen’s cut-scores for soon as possible,
developmental delays to • determine school readiness by assessing a child’s mastery of
determine kindergarten
readiness.
those age-appropriate skills that prepare the child for the
classroom and promote the child’s future success, and
• monitor progress over time by administering assessments as
pretest and posttest evaluations.6
In Kentucky, the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III is administered
only once. There is no opportunity to administer a posttest
evaluation. While there are no cut-scores in the Brigance
Kindergarten Screen III Manual for kindergarten readiness, the
manual does include cut-scores to identify students who likely have
developmental disabilities or academic delays. KDE uses these
cut-scores to determine kindergarten readiness.
The percentage of kindergartners The percentage of kindergartners in the Brigance sample who fell
in the Brigance sample who fell below the cut-score was 9 percent, much lower than the 49.9 percent
below the cut-score was
9 percent. In Kentucky, of Kentucky kindergartners who fell below the cut-score in the 2017
49.9 percent of kindergartners school year. This means that 9 percent of kindergartners in the
fell below the cut-score. OEA Brigance sample were not kindergarten ready, but nearly 50 percent
asked the National Technical
Advisory Panel on Assessment
of Kentucky kindergartners were not kindergarten ready. Noting the
and Accountability (NTAPAA) to difference between Brigance’s sample and Kentucky’s tested
comment on the validity and population, OEA requested that Kentucky’s National Technical
generalizability of the Brigance
Kindergarten Screens III to
Advisory Panel on Assessment and Accountability (NTAPAA) give
Kentucky’s kindergarten general comments on the validity of the Brigance Kindergarten
population. Screen III and the generalizability of that screen to the Kentucky
kindergarten population. The full comments from NTAPAA appear
in Appendix K.
The Brigance Screener was Brigance Kindergarten Screen III National Standardization
standardized using a sample Sample. The Brigance Kindergarten Screen III Manual reports that
“representative of the United
States as a whole.” It included the Brigance Screener was standardized based on a “sample [that]
167 5-year-olds who achieved a included children representative of the United States as a whole.”7
standardized mean score of 100 This representative sample included 167 5-year-olds. According to
with a standard deviation of 15.
In 2016, 46,697 Kentucky
the manual, the performance of that representative sample on the
kindergartners achieved a mean screener was standardized to have a mean of 100 and a standard
score of 86, placing them in the deviation of 15. In OEA’s analysis of the Brigance screener data for
16th percentile of the sample.
all 46,697 Kentucky 5-year-olds tested in 2016, the standardized
mean for Kentucky students was 86, with a standard deviation of
approximately 15. This means that the mean of Kentucky’s
75
kindergarten population was at the 16th percentile of Brigance’s

sample.
Approximately 40 percent of the Generalizability Of Brigance Kindergarten Screen III. According

Brigance sample qualified for to the data given in the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III technical
free or reduced-price lunch or
Medicaid. In Kentucky the FRPL manual, the population used for determining the cut-scores included
rate is roughly 65 percent. This “a nationally representative sample ... who were stratified on the
suggests that the Brigance basis of race/ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic
Kindergarten Screen III may
overidentify students as
status across the United States.” The FRPL percentage for
potentially having Brigance’s representative sample was approximately 40 percent,
developmental delays. including children who qualified for Medicaid. In Kentucky, the
FRPL rate, including children who qualified for Medicaid, for
kindergartners is approximately 65 percent. According to analyses
done by NTAPAA, if it is assumed that the FRPL rate of Kentucky
kindergartners matched that of the Brigance sample, the scale scores
would still have a mean that is more than 10 points below the
reported Brigance standardized mean. This suggests that, as a
screener for Kentucky students, the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III
may overidentify students as having potential developmental delays.
Recommendation 4.4
Recommendation 4.4 If the Kentucky Department of Education continues to use the

Brigance Kindergarten Screen III to determine kindergarten
readiness, it should recalibrate the criterion/standard for
readiness based on data gathered in the initial years of its use as
a common screener in Kentucky.
Prior Setting Information
To compare rates of To make comparisons between kindergarten readiness levels based

kindergarten readiness based on on early childhood/prekindergarten settings, OEA relied on prior
early childhood education
settings, OEA relied on prior
setting data provided by KDE. Possible prior settings include child
setting data provided by KDE. care, Head Start, home, state-funded preschool, other, and unknown.
Possible prior settings include KDE defines child care as “privately owned, licensed child care
Head Start, state-funded
preschool, child care, home,
facilities and certified homes; usually private pay or subsidized.”
other, and unknown. Home is defined as “with a parent or guardian.” Other refers to
“non-licensed facilities, baby-sitter, [or] kin care,” and unknown
implies that “no data [was] gathered from families.”8 Students can be
included in multiple prior settings. Indication of prior setting is
supplied by parents on kindergarten enrollment forms at the time a
child is enrolled in kindergarten, and relies on parents’
understanding of the distinctions between various prior setting types.
76
Comparing prior setting data to An extensive examination of the prior setting data provided by KDE,
other data sets, as discussed including comparisons to other data sets, as discussed above, led
above, revealed a number of
possible concerns related to the OEA to believe that the prior setting data supplied by KDE are
validity of enrollment data. substantially flawed. OEA’s concerns with the prior setting data
include the following:
• There is no system to verify the correctness of data provided by
parents even for state-funded preschool and federally funded
Head Start programs. The accuracy of prior setting data depends
on parents’ correct understanding of the various prior setting
types, a district’s correct understanding of the various prior
settings, and accurate data entry.
• While a number of Head Start and preschool programs are
blended, current prior setting data do not include distinctions for
students enrolled in either a partially blended or a fully blended
program.
• In school year 2017 alone, nearly 1,200 student enrollment forms
indicated three or more prior settings, and more than
2,000 enrollment forms indicated an “unknown” prior setting. In
one district, 100 percent of students who began kindergarten
during school years 2015 to 2017 had an “unknown” prior
setting.
• The number of students said to have been enrolled in state-
funded preschool and Head Start based on the prior setting data
differs drastically from the number of students reportedly
enrolled in these two programs according to KDE’s funding
reports, Head Start’s enrollment numbers, and the semiannual
preschool counts. For example, during school years 2015 to
2017, prior setting data reported nearly 2,000 more preschool
students than are reflected in the semiannual preschool counts for
those years. The discrepancies are far greater for Head Start
enrollment. For the same 3-year period, prior setting data
underreported Head Start students by more than 8,000 when
compared to enrollment numbers provided by the Governor’s
Office of Early Childhood.
Based on these findings, OEA offers the following recommendation.
Recommendation 4.5
Recommendation 4.5 The Kentucky Department of Education should verify prior

setting data for students enrolled in state-funded preschool or
Head Start. Students enrolled in blended or partially blended
state-funded preschool/Head Start programs should be
accurately identified in the Kentucky Student Information
System.
77
Preschool Assessments. Data on academic and social learning

outcomes for state-funded preschool are collected while children are
in preschool; however, Kentucky is one of only two states that do not
use a single statewide preschool assessment tool. KDE allows
districts to choose any one of five approved preschool assessment
tools for evaluating students’ progress in preschool. Since this data is
collected using five different assessment tools, comparing student
progress and achievement across Kentucky’s 173 school districts is
difficult.
Kindergarten Readiness
In school year 2014, 49 percent In school year 2014, 49 percent of students entering kindergarten
of kindergarten students tested were ready for kindergarten, and KDE set an ambitious goal of
ready. Since that time,
kindergarten readiness rates achieving 74.5 percent kindergarten readiness by school year 2019.
have largely remained flat. Free Since school year 2014, however, kindergarten readiness levels have
and reduced-price lunch (FRPL) largely remained flat, peaking in school year 2017 at 50.12 percent.
students who attended preschool
were approximately 19 percent
In a meeting with OEA, KDE officials acknowledged that achieving
more likely to be ready for the goal of 74.5 percent readiness by school year 2019 is now
kindergarten than FRPL students unlikely. Figure 4.E displays the kindergarten readiness rates for
who did not attend preschool.
students entering kindergarten in school year 2017 by special
education and FRPL eligibility.
Figure 4.E
School Year 2017
80
70
% Ready For Kindergarten
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
All Non-FRPL/IEP FRPL IEP
Student Type
Note: Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) and have an individualized educational
program (IEP) have been excluded from analysis of kindergarten readiness rates among FRPL students.
Source: Staff calculation using data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
78
Figure 4.F shows the corresponding rates for students who attended
preschool.
Figure 4.F
Kindergarten Readiness Among State-Funded
Preschool Students, School Year 2017
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
All Non-FRPL/IEP FRPL IEP
Student Type
Note: Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) and have an individualized education
Comparing Figures 4.E and 4.F reveals similar readiness rates for all
students, for non-FRPL/IEP students, and for IEP students,
regardless of whether they attended preschool; however, FRPL
students who attended preschool were approximately 19 percent
more likely to be ready for kindergarten than FRPL students who
had not attended preschool.
State-Funded Preschool Students Compared To All Students
During school years 2015 to During school years 2015 to 2017, more than 140,000 children
2017, approximately 50 percent enrolled in kindergarten in Kentucky. Just over half of these students
of students who began
kindergarten tested ready. In (71,309 out of 142,493, or 50.04 percent) tested ready for
42 percent of school districts, kindergarten on the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III. The overall
kindergarten readiness rates percentage of students ready for kindergarten was 47.43 percent,
exceeded 50 percent.
50.06 percent, and 50.12 percent in school years 2015, 2016, and
2017, respectively. Over the same period of time, at the district level,
an average of 72 (42 percent) school districts achieved a
kindergarten readiness level that exceeded 50 percent. Appendix L
includes a district-by-district analysis of kindergarten readiness for
school years 2015 to 2017.
79
In the most recent year analyzed, A solid understanding of overall kindergarten readiness among all
school year 2017, the percentage students entering kindergarten provides the necessary foundation for
of all students who were ready
for kindergarten exceeded the evaluating the effectiveness of Kentucky’s state-funded preschool
percent of state-funded students program in ensuring that students are ready to begin kindergarten.
by just 0.6 percentage points. Over the 3-year period reviewed in this study, the overall statewide
rate of kindergarten readiness exceeded the kindergarten readiness
rate for all state-funded preschool students (48.32 percent) by just
1.7 percentage points. In the most recent year, the percent of all
students ready to start kindergarten (50.12 percent) exceeded the
percentage of preschoolers identified as kindergarten ready
(49.53 percent) by just 0.6 percentage points.
While preschool students have historically lagged behind the state as

a whole in terms of kindergarten readiness, the state-funded
preschool program is making meaningful progress toward closing
that gap. Since school year 2015, the percentage of all Kentucky
students ready to start kindergarten has increased by 0.16 percentage
points while Kentucky’s state-funded preschool program has seen an
increase in kindergarten readiness of 2.10 percentage points. If the
state-funded preschool program and the state as a whole continue to
improve at the current pace, a larger percentage of preschool
students will be ready for kindergarten in school year 2018 than the
percentage of all students entering kindergarten across the state who
are ready. In over half the school districts in the state, preschool
students are already outperforming students in their district as a
whole. Figure 4.G provides a comparison of kindergarten readiness
among state-funded preschool student and all students for school
years 2015 to 2017.
80
Figure 4.G
Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool Students And All Students
80
Preschool students
70
All students
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2015 2016 2017 3-Year Average
School Year
Comparing kindergarten readiness between state-funded preschool

students and the state as a whole offers an interesting point of entry
for understanding the effectiveness of the state-funded preschool
program; however, a more nuanced analysis is necessary to fully
appreciate the true effectiveness of the program.
First, kindergarten readiness among state-funded preschool students

should be compared to that of students who entered kindergarten
from a prior setting other than preschool (all other students). Second,
the state-funded preschool program was specifically designed to
provide early childhood educational opportunities to the most
vulnerable children in Kentucky: 4-year-olds whose families’
income does not exceed 160 percent of the federal poverty line
(qualifying them for free or reduced-price lunch) and 3- and
4-year-olds with an IEP. Therefore, it is prudent to compare FRPL
and IEP students enrolled in a state-funded preschool program to
FRPL and IEP students not enrolled in a state-funded preschool
program.
Kindergarten readiness is At first glance, a comparison between state-funded preschool

improving at a faster pace students and all other students entering kindergarten in Kentucky
among state-funded preschool- does not appear to tell a much different story than a comparison
only students than among
nonpreschool students. If the between preschool students and all students. Over the 3-year period
current trends continue, in of analysis, 50.99 percent of nonpreschool students tested ready for
school year 2018 kindergarten kindergarten, compared to 50.04 percent of all students and
readiness among preschool
students will exceed readiness
48.32 percent of preschool students. The percentage of nonpreschool
among nonpreschool students.
81
students ready for kindergarten between school years 2015 and 2017
was 2.67 percentage points higher than the percentage of preschool
students who tested as ready for kindergarten. The data suggest that
nonpreschool students may be slightly more prepared for
kindergarten than preschool students, but the achievement gap
between the two is striking. In school year 2015, 51.53 percent of
nonpreschool students entered kindergarten ready to engage and
benefit from the experience, compared to 47.43 percent of preschool
students—a difference of 4.1 percentage points. By school year
2017, that difference had diminished to just 0.91 percentage points,
with 50.44 percent of nonpreschoolers and 49.53 percent of
preschoolers achieving kindergarten readiness. Figure 4.H compares
kindergarten readiness among state-funded preschool students and
nonpreschool students for school years 2015 to 2017. If the current
trends continue, in school year 2018 kindergarten readiness among
preschool students will also exceed readiness among nonpreschool
students.
Figure 4.H
Among State-Funded Preschool Students And Nonpreschool Students
80
Preschool students
70
Nonpreschool students
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2015 2016 2017 3-Year Average
School Year
Note: Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) and have an
individualized education program have been excluded from analysis of kindergarten
readiness rates among FRPL students.
FRPL Students. The state-funded preschool program was

established, in part, to ensure access to early childhood educational
opportunities for children from low-income families. In school year
2017, students who qualified for the federal free or reduced-price
lunch program accounted for 77 percent of new kindergarten
82
students with a prior setting of preschool; however, only 42 percent

of FRPL-qualifying students who began kindergarten that year had
attended preschool previously. This disparity was similar to that of
previous years.
Over the 3 years reviewed for Comparing kindergarten readiness rates between FRPL students who
this report, the rate of enrolled in the state-funded preschool program and those who did
kindergarten readiness was
approximately 13 percentage not could offer a meaningful understanding of how well the program
points higher for FRPL students is achieving one of its primary objectives. Figure 4.I offers a
who had enrolled in preschool comparison of kindergarten readiness between these groups. In
than for those who had not.
school year 2015, the kindergarten readiness rate was 50 percent for
FRPL students who had attended preschool and 38 percent for FRPL
students who had not attended preschool. By school year 2017, the
percentage of previously preschool-enrolled FRPL students who
were ready for kindergarten had increased to 51 percent, while the
percentage for kindergarten-ready FRPL students who had not
attended preschool declined to 37 percent. Across the state that year,
the percent of kindergarten-ready FRPL preschool students exceeded
the percentage of kindergarten-ready nonpreschool FRPL students in
134 (77 percent) of the state’s 173 school districts.
Figure 4.I
Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool And Nonpreschool FRPL Students
80
FRPL preschool students
70
FRPL nonpreschool students

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2015 2016 2017 3- Year Average
School Year
program have been excluded from analysis of kindergarten readiness rates among FRPL students.
IEP Students. In addition to serving the needs of 4-year-olds who

qualify for FRPL, the state-funded preschool program in Kentucky
was also established to serve the needs of 3- and 4-year-olds with an
IEP. In school year 2016, 24 percent of students enrolled in the state-
funded preschool program qualified based on IEP status, and nearly
83
70 percent of all 4-year-olds with an IEP participated in preschool.

These numbers are consistent with the 3 years of enrollment
beginning in school year 2014. During that time, 26 percent of all
preschool students had an IEP and 70 percent of 4-year-olds with an
IEP enrolled in preschool, making the state-funded preschool
program the most common early childhood prior setting for students
with an IEP.
Over the 3 years reviewed for Figure 4.J compares readiness rates of students with IEPs who
this study, kindergarten enrolled in preschool and those who did not. In school year 2015, the
readiness among IEP students
who enrolled in preschool kindergarten readiness rate for IEP students was 29 percent if the
exceeded that of FRPL students child had attended preschool and 24 percent if the child had not. By
who did not enroll in preschool school year 2017, the percent of previously preschool-enrolled IEP
by approximately 7 percentage
points.
students who were ready for kindergarten had increased, marginally,
to 32 percent, and the percent of nonpreschool IEP students who
tested ready increased to 25 percent. In school year 2017, there were
146 districts where IEP students enrolled in both preschool and
nonpreschool prior settings before enrolling in kindergarten. In 87 of
those districts (60 percent), the kindergarten readiness of IEP
preschool students was greater than that of IEP nonpreschool
students.
Figure 4.J
Kindergarten Readiness Among Preschool And Nonpreschool IEP Students
50
IEP preschool students
IEP nonpreschool students

40
30
20
10
0
2015 2016 2017 3-Year Average
School Year
Kindergarten Readiness By Prior Setting. While comparing

preschool students to the rest of the state offers some insight into the
effectiveness of the state-funded preschool setting in preparing
students for kindergarten, a better understanding of the program’s
relative effectiveness can be obtained by comparing levels of
84
readiness based on students’ prior settings. Figure 4.K shows the

average kindergarten readiness results by prior setting for school
years 2015 to 2017.
Figure 4.K
Average Kindergarten Readiness By Prior Setting, FRPL, And IEP Status
80
All FRPL IEP
70
60
% Kindergarten Ready
50
40
30
20
10
0
All Preschool Head Start Child care Home Other Unknown Multiple
(n=37,654) (n=12,901) (n=26,022) (n=29,645) (n=11,097) (n=6,158) (n=19,016)
Prior Setting
Note: Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) and have an individualized education program
(IEP) are included here as only IEP students.
FRPL and IEP students with a Over this 3-year period, FRPL and IEP students who enrolled in a
prior setting of preschool only state-funded preschool program performed better than their
outperformed all nonpreschool
peers except for those enrolled counterparts from any other single prior setting except for child care.
in private child care or with FRPL child care students outperformed FRPL state-funded preschool
multiple prior settings; however, students by 3 percentage points, and child care students with an IEP
more than one-third of students
with multiple prior settings
outperformed state-funded preschool students with an IEP by
enrolled in preschool. 13 percentage points. Students whose kindergarten enrollment data
indicated multiple prior settings also slightly outperformed preschool
students; however, more than one-third of students from multiple
prior settings were enrolled in state-funded preschool.
85
Less than one-third of all Less than one-third of all students with a prior setting of home tested
students with a prior setting of
home tested ready for
ready for kindergarten. As has been reported previously in this
kindergarten. Only 25 percent of chapter, this accounts for approximately 20 percent of all students
FRPL students and 17 percent of who enrolled in kindergarten during school years 2015 to 2017. Only
students with an IEP who have a
25 percent of FRPL students and 17 percent of students with an IEP
prior setting of home were ready
for kindergarten. Nearly 75 who have a prior setting of home were ready for kindergarten.
percent of all students who have Nearly 75 percent of all students who have a prior setting of home
a prior setting of home are FRPL are FRPL or special education students.
or special education students.
The number of hours preschool Kindergarten Readiness By Schedule Type And Hours Of
students spend in the classroom Instruction. For state-funded preschool students, the number of
each week can vary greatly.
704 KAR 3:410, sec. 6(3) requires
hours they spend in the classroom each day and each week can vary
that preschool students receive a greatly, depending on the program type and schedule adopted by
minimum of 2.5 hours of their district. 704 KAR 3:410, sec. 6(3) requires that preschool
classroom time, not including
students receive a minimum of 2.5 hours of classroom time, not
breakfast or lunch, per day at
least 4 days per week. Many including breakfast or lunch, per day at least 4 days per week. As a
districts, however, have opted to result of this regulation, preschool students must receive a minimum
design their preschool programs of 10 hours of instructional time each week. Many districts,
to include more than the
minimum number of hours.
however, have opted to design their preschool programs to include
more than the minimum number of hours. Some districts offer half-
day programs that exceed the 2.5-hour minimum, some districts offer
half-day programs 5 days per week, and some districts offer a full-
day preschool program 4 or 5 days per week. As a result, some
preschool students are receiving more than 30 hours of instructional
time each week, three times the minimum requirement. A
comparison of kindergarten readiness rates based on the total number
of hours spent in the classroom each week and hours of extra
instructional time in full-day programs reveals a weak positive
correlation between the total number of weekly hours and
kindergarten readiness, but a moderate positive correlation between
extra instructional time and readiness. These findings suggest that
when full-day programs focus on providing students with extra
instructional time, those students are more likely to be ready for
kindergarten; however, when full-day programs include little or no
extra instructional time, kindergarten readiness is not enhanced.
A significant difference in rates Analysis of kindergarten readiness data and the type of schedule
of kindergarten readiness was used by the district suggest that, although differences exist, they are
observed based on hours in
preschool each week. The not statistically significant. A significant difference in rates of
average rate of readiness in kindergarten readiness was, however, observed based on hours in
districts with more than 16 hours preschool each week. Figure 4.L shows that the average rate of
of scheduled preschool time per
week is roughly 13 percentage
readiness in districts with more than 16 hours of scheduled preschool
points higher than the rate in time per week is roughly 13 percentage points higher than the rate in
districts with less than 12 hours districts with less than 12 hours preschool per week. In districts with
of preschool per week.
more than 16 hours of scheduled preschool time per week, the
86
average rate of kindergarten readiness is 54.9 percent, compared to

41.9 percent in districts with less than 12 hours per week.
Figure 4.L
Kindergarten Readiness By Hours In Preschool Each Week
School Year 2017
60
54.9
50 47.78
% Ready For Kindegarten
41.98
40
30
20
10
0
10 to 11.99 12 to 15.99 16 +
Weekly Hours Of Preschool
Note: Data analysis included only the 81 districts that provided OEA with schedules for their preschool
program.
Source: Staff calculations using data from the Kentucky Department of Education; OEA survey.
Previous OEA research has Kindergarten Readiness By Race. Previous OEA research,
suggested the existence of an Overview Of Achievement Gaps In Kentucky Schools, suggests the
achievement gap between white
and nonwhite students
existence of an achievement gap between white and nonwhite
beginning in the 3rd grade. Data students at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels;
analyzed in this study, however, however, data used for the current research project suggest a
suggest that students begin
somewhat different picture of kindergarten readiness.9 Figure 4.M
kindergarten on a more level
playing field. illustrates kindergarten readiness rates by race among all children
entering kindergarten during school years 2015 to 2017.
87
Figure 4.M
Kindergarten Readiness By Race
80
All NonFRPL/IEP FRPL IEP
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
All White African American Hispanic/Latino Other
Race/Ethnicity
Source: Staff calculations using data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
With the exception of Hispanic The data presented in Figure 4.M suggest several conclusions.
students, students of all races are
achieving kindergarten readiness
• With the exception of Hispanic students, students of all races are
at similar rates; a larger achieving kindergarten readiness at roughly similar rates. This is
percentage of black FRPL true for all students of each race—non-FRPL/non-IEP students,
students achieve kindergarten FRPL students, and IEP students.
readiness than white FRPL
students. • There is slightly more variation among IEP students than among
other types of students, with 5 percentage points’ fewer black
IEP students achieving kindergarten readiness than white IEP
students, and 6 percentage points’ fewer Hispanic students than
black students.
• A larger percentage of black FRPL students achieve kindergarten
readiness than white FRPL students. Comparing kindergarten
readiness to future indicators of academic success seems to
suggest that while a well-documented achievement gap exists
between white and nonwhite students by high school, most
students begin kindergarten on a more level playing field, again
with the exception of Hispanic students.
• Similar conclusions can be drawn from the data on kindergarten
readiness among state-funded preschool students.
Figure 4.N shows average kindergarten readiness rates by race and

ethnicity, FRPL status, and IEP status for state-funded preschool
88
students in school years 2015 to 2017. Again, with the exception of

Hispanic students, students of all races are achieving kindergarten
readiness at similar rates. There is slightly more variation in
readiness among IEP students by race than among other
classifications of students, and black FRPL students achieve
kindergarten readiness slightly more often than white FRPL students.
Figure 4.N
Kindergarten Readiness Among State-Funded Preschool Students By Race
80
All NonFRPL/IEP FRLP IEP
70
60
% Kindergarten Ready
50
40
30
20
10
0
All White African American Hispanic/Latino Other
Race/Ethnicity
OEA is unable to offer an explanation for these results. Future

investigations might consider examining the lack of kindergarten
readiness among Hispanic students, and the diminished achievement
gap between white and nonwhite, non-Hispanic students.a
a
The fact that black FRPL students are slightly more ready for kindergarten than
white FRPL students may partially be explained by the Jefferson County
Kindergarten Readiness Camp. The overall kindergarten readiness rate in Jefferson
County for school year 2015 was 51.78 percent. Among students who attended at
least 75 percent of the 3-week camp, 74 percent tested ready for kindergarten that
fall, and 70.9 percent of all students who enrolled in the camp, regardless of
attendance, were ready for kindergarten. When Jefferson County was excluded
from the analysis of kindergarten readiness among state-funded preschool
students, black FRPL student readiness fell 4 percentage points from 54 percent to
50 percent, and white FRPL student readiness remained at 52 percent.
89
Long-Term Significance And Meaning

Of Kindergarten Readiness
Little was known about the KDE’s definition of kindergarten readiness and the uniform use of
relationship between the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III in all Kentucky schools to
kindergarten readiness and
future measures of academic assess kindergarten readiness are both relatively new. One
success such as Kentucky recommendation from members of NTAPAA was that if Kentucky
Performance Rating for continues to use the Brigance Kindergarten Screen III, a longitudinal
Educational Progress (K-PREP)
scores, but the first class of
analysis of the tool compared to other measures of academic
incoming kindergarten students performance should be performed. The first class of incoming
to complete the Brigance kindergarten students to complete the Brigance screener has just
screener has just finished its
3rd-grade year. K-PREP scores for
finished its 3rd-grade year, and Kentucky Performance Rating for
those students will be released to Educational Progress (K-PREP) scores for those students will not be
the public in November 2017. released to the public until November 2017. As a result, it has not
NTAPAA has suggested that if been possible to engage in a longitudinal analysis of the long-term
KDE continues to use the
Brigance Kindergarten Screen III, impact and meaning of kindergarten readiness. Researchers will have
a longitudinal analysis should be to wait nearly a decade for the first class of kindergartners who took
performed. the Brigance screener to graduate from high school. In the meantime,
however, considerable research may be conducted that will help
teachers, administrators, and policy makers better understand the
effects of kindergarten readiness as students progress through their
primary and secondary education. If future time and energy are not
invested to more fully understand the long-term significance and
meaning of kindergarten readiness as such data become available,
the distinctions between ready and not ready will struggle to
maintain value.
Recommendation 4.6
Recommendation 4.6 The Kentucky Department of Education should engage in a

longitudinal assessment of the relationships between
kindergarten readiness and K-PREP and other indicators of
future academic success.
Preschool Assessment Data
In addition to assessment via the The Brigance Kindergarten Screen III is the universal kindergarten
Brigance Kindergarten Screen III, readiness assessment that has been administered to all students
preschool learning outcomes are
assessed at the preschool level beginning kindergarten at public schools in Kentucky since the 2014
each year. Preschools in school year, though it is not the only source of data by which
Kentucky are authorized to use preschool outcomes can be evaluated. Preschool students in state-
one of five preschool assessment
tools. Preschool assessment data
funded preschool programs across Kentucky are assessed using one
are not entirely consistent with of five assessment tools. The results of preschool assessments are
kindergarten readiness data. often used to guide preschool instruction. However, the results of
these assessments do not match the results from the Brigance
Kindergarten Screen III. As a result, preschool teachers, school
90
district administrators, and policy makers may be receiving mixed

messages.
Preschool assessment and Data on academic and social learning outcomes for state-funded
kindergarten readiness data send
preschool are collected while children are in preschool and, for
conflicting messages regarding
social and behavioral outcomes. Kentucky public school students, at the beginning of their
While kindergarten readiness kindergarten year. Kindergarten readiness data, which focus
data suggest that social primarily on academic/cognitive and language skills, appear
emotional outcomes are a
relative strength (73 percent
generally consistent with academic data collected in preschool;
average or above average), kindergarten readiness data indicate that 50 percent of state-funded
preschool data suggest the preschool students are ready for kindergarten, and preschool data
opposite (only 37 percent
considered age-appropriate).
show that 46 percent of preschool students have knowledge and
skills appropriate for their age. However, preschool and kindergarten
readiness data send conflicting messages about social and behavioral
outcomes. While kindergarten readiness data suggest that social
emotional outcomes are a relative strength (73 percent average or
above average), preschool data suggest the opposite (only 37 percent
considered age-appropriate).
Figure 4.O shows the percentage of preschool students considered

age-appropriate in social and emotional skills; knowledge and skills;
and adaptive behavior based on the assessments given in preschool.
Data reported in Figure 4.O are taken from preschool assessment

data entered by districts into the Kentucky Early Childhood Data
System. Data are collected using one of five KDE-approved
preschool assessments. The Human Development Institute at the
University of Kentucky aligns data from these assessments with
indicators that are required for the reporting of preschool outcomes
for IEP students to the US Office of Special Education Programs. In
addition to the categories reported above, data gathered from the
same preschool assessments are reported as the percentage of
students meeting benchmarks for Kentucky early childhood learning.
91
Figure 4.O
Percentage Of State-Funded Preschool Students Considered Age-Appropriate
On Social, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes
School Year 2016
60
All (n=15,813) IEP (n=5,781) Not IEP (n=10,032)
50
% Age-Appropriate
40
30
20
10
0
Social and emotional Knowledge and skills Adaptive behavior
Assessment Domain
Note: Kentucky state-funded preschools enter data for all students into the Kentucky Early Childhood Data
System. In addition to students in state-funded preschool programs, this figure includes data from Head Start
students who were in classes blended with state-funded preschool students.
As shown in Figure 4.P, about half of all state-funded preschool

students are considered kindergarten ready when they enroll in
kindergarten. Readiness is based primarily on measures of students’
academic/cognitive skills but also includes measures of language
development and physical development.
Outcomes within the kindergarten readiness measure differ
substantially. The percentage of students who are average or above
average in language development is almost twice as high as the
percentage for academic/cognitive skills. Across all prior settings,
kindergartners score higher in language development than in
academic/cognitive measures.
Self-help and social-emotional skills are reported by parents or
guardians. The percentage of students considered average or above
average on the self-reported social-emotional measures (73 percent)
is almost twice as high as the percentage who are reported as
age-appropriate in preschool data, as noted above in Figure 4.O
(37 percent). This suggests that parents’ reported impressions of
children’s social and emotional health are much different from those
of teachers. Data on self-help/adaptive behavior also differ in
preschool and kindergarten readiness data, but to a lesser extent.
Parents’ reports on kindergarten readiness data indicate that almost
92
half of preschool students are average or above average in self-help

behaviors, while less than one-third of preschool teachers report
age-appropriate self-help/adaptive behavior for preschool students.
Figure 4.P
Kindergarten Readiness Measures For State-Funded Preschool Students
School Year 2017
90
All IEP Not IEP
80
% Average Or Above Average
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Kindergarten Academic/ Language Physical Self help* Social
ready cognitive development development emotional*
Brigance Domain
*The self-help and social-emotional domains are reported by parents and are not used to determine
kindergarten readiness.
Conclusion
The information, data, and Taken as a whole, the information, data, and analyses presented in
analyses presented in this report Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of this report suggest a commitment to early
suggest a commitment to early childhood education on the part of policy makers and other
childhood education on the part
of policy makers and other
stakeholders. To ensure that the state-funded preschool program
stakeholders. To ensure that the continues to prepare an ever-increasing number of children for
state-funded preschool program kindergarten and to ensure that state resources are used to achieve
continues to prepare an ever-
increasing number of children
maximum output, continued and regular evaluation of the program is
for kindergarten and to ensure critical.
that state resources are used to
achieve maximum output,
continued and regular evaluation
of the program is critical.
93
Recommendation 4.7
Recommendation 4.7 The Kentucky Department of Education should conduct a full

and complete evaluation of the state-funded preschool program
at least every 5 years beginning in 2020. The evaluation should
be provided to the Kentucky Board of Education and to the
General Assembly.
94
Chapter 5
Kindergarten
Introduction
Kentucky funds only half-day This chapter compares Kentucky to its bordering states on the
kindergarten. If the General amount of funding that kindergarten programs receive and whether
Assembly were to fund
kindergarten on a full-day basis, those states require full-day or half-day kindergarten. This chapter
it would cost an estimated also includes a summary of the number of districts in Kentucky that
$171 million per year in SEEK offer half-day kindergarten and what it would cost districts to move
funds.
to full-day kindergarten. The chapter concludes with anticipated
costs of funding full-day kindergarten and whether there is an
increase in reading and math K-PREP scores for students who attend
full-day kindergarten.
Kindergarten Funding
Kentucky Board Of Education Budget Request
The General Assembly currently funds a half-day kindergarten

program for local school districts. KDE has asked the General
Assembly to fund full-day kindergarten in the 2018–2020 biennial
budget. The estimated cost is $171 million per year in FY 2019 and
FY 2020. Appendix M includes a summary of each district’s SEEK
increase (included in the KDE budget request).
Local District Expenditures
As mentioned in Chapter 2, data on district annual financial reports

were not reported correctly and as required by the KDE Uniform
Chart of Accounts. About half the districts used instructional
level 12 to report how much their district spent on the kindergarten
program. Data used to capture kindergarten expenditures were
included in the OEA survey.
Recommendation 5.1
Recommendation 5.1 The Kentucky Department of Education should work with

district finance officers to correctly record kindergarten
expenditures on annual financial reports using instructional
level 12.
95
Districts spent on average As reflected in Table 5.1, districts spent a total of $194,346,669 on
$3,957 per pupil on kindergarten salaries, benefits, and special education services for their
expenses during FY 2016.
kindergarten programs in FY 2016. This resulted in an average
per-pupil expense of $3,957. The largest amount districts spent was
in the general fund, where SEEK funds are recorded. General fund
expenditures amounted to almost $179.5 million for kindergarten.
Appendix N includes a breakdown, by district, of FY 2016
kindergarten expenditures.
96
Table 5.1
District Kindergarten Expenditures By Source And Expense Object Code
Compared To Total Kindergarten Students And
Average Per-Pupil Expenditures
FY 2016
Total Average
Special Kindergarten Per-Pupil
Source Salaries Benefits Education Total Expenditures Students Expenditure
General fund $153,644,960 $14,311,979 $11,534,830 $179,491,769 49,110 $3,655
State grants 518,438 38,583 39,719 596,740 49,110 12
Federal grants 6,792,582 2,271,280 5,194,498 14,258,360 49,110 290
Total funds $160,955,980 $16,621,842 $16,769,047 $194,346,869 49,110 $3,957
97
Source: OEA survey results.
Chapter 5
Bordering States
Like Kentucky, bordering states A request for estimated state funding for public kindergarten was
indicated that funding for submitted to the departments of education for each of the states
kindergarten students did not
differ from funding students in bordering Kentucky. As of August 21, 2017, OEA has received a
grades 1 through 12. West response from 4 of the 7 bordering states.a
Virginia and Tennessee both
fund full-day kindergarten.
The responding states each indicated that funding per kindergarten
student did not differ from the funding per student in grades 1
through 12.b The responding states provided the state funding per
student amounts and the average daily attendance or average daily
membership for the kindergarten populations.
Figure 5.A illustrates the estimated state funding per kindergarten

student for Kentucky and the states that provided state funding
estimates. Of the states providing kindergarten funding estimates,
only Tennessee and West Virginia fund full-day kindergarten.
Kentucky, which funds half-day kindergarten, provided the lowest
level of state funding per kindergarten student relative to the
bordering states at more than $3,600 per student, compared to the
$4,100 per student provided by West Virginia for full-day
instruction. Tennessee had the highest state funding per student
among the bordering states at approximately $9,500.
a
As of August 21, 2017, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio had not responded to OEA’s
information request.
b
The responses received from the departments of education for the states
bordering Kentucky indicated that they do not have separate funding mechanisms
specifically for kindergarten students. The responding states indicated they used
formula funding per student for all grades and the average daily attendance of
kindergarten students to provide an estimate of overall kindergarten funding.
98
Figure 5.A
Estimated State Funding Per Kindergarten Student
Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016*
10,000
State Funding Per Kindergarten Student ($)
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Kentucky Missouri Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
State
Note: West Virginia and Tennessee fund full-day kindergarten. None of the states listed
have a specific funding mechanism for kindergarten. Each state provided an estimate based
on the funding formulas used for all grades. At this time, OEA has yet to receive requested
funding information for state-funded kindergarten from Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio.
*Kentucky funding per student is for the 2017 school year. Kentucky state funding for
kindergarten is for half-day instruction.
Source: Staff analysis conducted on funding estimates provided by the states listed.
Only 13 states and the District of Full-Day Kindergarten In The United States. A growing body of
Columbia required districts to research suggests that full-day kindergarten programs position
offer full-day kindergarten.
However, 35 states offer full-day students for sustained academic success relative to half-day
kindergarten. kindergarten, especially for low-income students;10 however,
according to a September 2016 report from the Education
Commission of the States, only 13 states and the District of
Columbia required districts to offer full-day kindergarten. Many
other states offer full-day kindergarten as an option, with the ECS
report finding that, within the 35 states that offer full-day
kindergarten, 70 percent to 89 percent of students attended full-day
kindergarten programs. The report indicates that the definition of
full-day kindergarten varies considerably between states when
accounting for the minimum number of required instructional hours
for the school year. ECS reports that funding the additional hours
required for full-day instruction is the primary barrier keeping other
states from requiring full-day kindergarten. Table 5.2 includes the
minimum number of hours required for kindergarten programs in
bordering states. The number of required hours per day for
kindergarten is highest in West Virginia at 5.25 hours a day; the
99
number of required hours per year is also highest in West Virginia:

945 hours.
Table 5.2
Kindergarten Operating Schedules
And Minimum Hours Per Day And Total Hours Per Year
For Kentucky And Bordering States
School Year 2016
Minimum Hours
State/Program Of Operation Per Day Hours Per Year
Tennessee 4 720
Indiana Not specified Not specified
West Virginia 5.25 945
Missouri 3 522
Virginia 3 540
Illinois 2 for half; 4 for full 360/720
Kentucky 3 531
Ohio 2.5 for half; 5 for full 455/910
Note: OEA staff adjusted the number of instructional hours per year for
Kentucky.
Source: Education Commission of the States. 50-State Review. 2016
Types Of Kindergarten Programs
Full-Day Kindergarten
Twelve districts operated a The OEA survey asked whether each district provided
half-day kindergarten in 2009. By full-day, half-day, or both types of kindergarten programs
2017, nine of these districts had
moved to a full-day program. from school years 2009 through 2017. In the 2009 school
year, 12 districts offered half-day kindergarten, as reflected
in Table 5.3. Over the next 8 years, nine districts switched to
operating a full-day kindergarten program, with five districts
switching in the past 2 years.
100
Table 5.3
Districts Operating Half-Day Kindergarten Programs
During School Year 2009
And Year They Switched To Full-Day Kindergarten
District Year Switched

Anchorage Independent 2012
Beechwood Independent 2017
Boone County Still half-day
Fleming County 2017
Jessamine County 2011
Kenton County Still half-day
Ludlow Independent 2017
Madison County 2015
Rockcastle County 2016
Science Hill Independent Still half-day
Scott County 2016
Walton-Verona Independent 2015
Source: OEA survey.
Cost Related To Moving To Full-Day Kindergarten
The estimated average cost per Districts that switched to full-day kindergarten between 2009 and the
pupil of moving to full-day 2017 school year were asked to submit the cost estimate associated
kindergarten varies by district,
ranging from $844 to $2,927. with this decision. OEA also asked for any documents that were
presented at board meetings to discuss this transition. Madison
County and Jessamine County provided the most detail in their
responses, which are summarized below.
Madison County. Madison County reported hiring an additional

14 classroom teachers and another 14 classroom instructional
assistants. In addition, Madison County provided information that
stated that it would eliminate midday transportation drivers;
however, because the district would be picking up additional
students in the morning and transporting them home after school, it
would need to hire an additional two bus drivers. The overall cost of
drivers actually decreased after switching, with the loss of midday
drivers, but the savings were offset by the need to add monitors to
the buses to help supervise the increased number of young students,
which resulted in a zero cost. Also, the additional cost of supplies
needed to support full-day kindergarten was $116,000. As seen in
Table 5.4, the cost of moving to full-day kindergarten was almost
$1.2 million for Madison County, which amounted to a cost of
$1,388 per pupil.
101
Table 5.4
Estimated Cost And Kindergarten Enrollment Of Districts
Switching To Full-Day Kindergarten
FY 2012 To FY 2017
2017 End-Of-Year Cost Of Moving Cost Per

District Fiscal Year Enrollment To Full Day Pupil
Anchorage Independent 2012 33 $96,587 $2,927
Beechwood Independent 2017 90 75,937 844
Fleming County 2017 163 165,553 1,016
Jessamine County 2011 666 741,643 1,114
Ludlow Independent 2017 48 70,000 1,458
Madison County 2015 846 1,174,237 1,388
Rockcastle Independent 2016 196 300,000 1,531
Scott County 2016 640 956,922 1.495
Walton-Verona Independent 2015 103 122,995 1,194
Source: Staff calculations using data from the Kentucky Department of Education; OEA survey
Jessamine County. Jessamine County estimated its cost to move to

full-day kindergarten at $742,000, or $1,114 per pupil. Jessamine
County estimated needing an additional 13.5 kindergarten teachers
and an additional 13 instructional assistants. Jessamine County also
included additional custodial hours due to the increase in students in
the school. Finally, the district needed additional instructional
materials, professional development, and computers at a total cost of
$132,000.
Full- And Half-Day Kindergarten
Four districts offer both full-day Four respondents reported on the OEA survey that their districts
and half-day kindergarten. offered both full-day and half-day programs in 2009 and continue to
do so through 2017. Below is a summary of how students are placed
in the full- or half-day programs, along with the estimated number of
students attending the half-day program.
Campbell County. Depending on available space and parent

requests, students can apply for the full-day kindergarten program in
Campbell County. During the 2017 school year Campbell County
Public Schools reported having 228 full-day kindergarten students
and 149 half-day kindergarten students.
Corbin Independent. Corbin Schools offers both a regular

kindergarten class and a Montessori-based kindergarten program.
Students who attend the regular state-funded program are enrolled in
a full-day kindergarten setting. Parents who wish to have a half-day
kindergarten program may enroll in the Montessori program, for
102
which the district charges a fee. For school year 2017, a total of
31 students were attending the half-day Montessori program.
Fort Thomas Independent. Students in Fort Thomas Independent

Schools attend a free half-day kindergarten program; the district
charges tuition for students attending the full-day program. The full
day classes have limited availability. Parents sign up for half-day or
full-day during kindergarten registration. If the district receives more
full-day applications than it can accommodate, there is a lottery for
the available slots; however, students who were retained in
kindergarten the previous year are automatically provided a free slot
in the full-day program. LEP students may be offered slots in the
full-day classes as well, but this is determined on an individual basis.
In the 2017 school year, 87 students were enrolled in the half-day
program and 100 were enrolled in the full-day program.
Oldham County. Students in Oldham County Public Schools attend

a half-day kindergarten program without charge. There is a $350
yearly fee for students to attend the full-day program. Only
10 parents chose to enroll their children in only a half-day session.
The district reported that it works with FRPL students or students
who have other mitigating factors so that income is not a barrier to
enrollment in the full-day program.
Half-Day Kindergarten
There are only six districts that During the 2009 school year, 12 districts offered half-day
offer half-day kindergarten, of
kindergarten; by the end of school year 2017, the number was cut in
which three recently moved from
full-day to half-day. half. Table 5.5 shows the districts that offered full-day programs but
moved to half-day programs. Only three districts—Boone, Kenton,
and Science Hill—still provide only half-day kindergarten as of
August 2017. Table 5.5 includes the districts that offered full-day
kindergarten in 2009; now, however, only six districts offer half-day
kindergarten.
Table 5.5
Districts Operating Full-Day Kindergarten
During School Year 2009
And Year They Switched To Half-Day Kindergarten
Year Moved
District To Half-Day Kindergarten
Pendleton County 2013
Silver Grove Independent 2015
Southgate Independent 2015
Source: OEA survey.
103
Districts saved much as $1,093 Table 5.6 includes data for the three districts that switched to
per pupil switching from a offering a half-day kindergarten program and the year they switched.
full-day to a half-day
kindergarten program. Pendleton County saved $200,000 by switching to half-day
kindergarten, representing a savings of $1,093 per pupil. While
Pendleton County switched to offering only half-day services,
half-day students attend day care for free after their half-day
kindergarten program ends. Pendleton County also offers additional
services to students who need them, such as speech language and
physical therapy, during the noninstruction time. The cost of
transporting kindergarten students in the middle of the day was part
of the decision to move to this program design.
Silver Grove Independent’s savings included $5,000 in supplies and

$52,000 in salaries. Southgate Independent provided a cost savings
for salaries only. Its cost savings was small due to the small number
of children served. Officials at Southgate Independent schools stated
that after they moved to half-day, their enrollment went up slightly,
causing them to add an additional instructional assistant, so the
savings was smaller than estimated. The superintendent also
indicated that the district wants to resume full-day kindergarten and
will be evaluating that in the near future.
Table 5.6
Estimated Savings And Kindergarten Enrollment
Of Districts Switching To Half-Day Kindergarten
FY 2013 To FY 2015
End-Of-Year Savings Moving Per-Pupil
District Fiscal Year Enrollment To Half Day Savings
Pendleton County 2013 183 $200,000 $1,093
Silver Grove Independent 2015 17 57,000 3,353
Southgate Independent 2015 23 19,535 849
Source: Staff calculations using data from the Kentucky Department of Education; OEA survey.
Open-Ended Responses
To OEA Survey About Kindergarten
The majority of responses to the The OEA survey included an open-ended question asking if the
OEA survey on kindergarten district had any additional comments that related to kindergarten. A
indicated that it was
underfunded and the state total of 31 districts provided responses, and 21 of those responses
needed to fund full-day classes. commented that the kindergarten was underfunded or that the state
needed to fund full-day kindergarten. An Eastern Kentucky district
that has a very large percentage of students receiving FRPL stated,
It is expensive to cover the cost of full day Kindergarten
because it is only covered at 50 percent. These students need
104
services quickly and they are funded the least. Earlier

intervention is key for [kindergarten] students.
Another response, from a Western Kentucky district with a little over

half of its students living in poverty, stated,
The half day of state unfunded kindergarten costs and the
40 percent of unfunded transportation costs seriously and
negatively impacts our district. If the district did not have to
bear the impact of the unfunded half day and the 40 percent
loss of transportation we would be able to provide more
mental and behavior[al] support for schools, more Response
To Intervention (RTI) interventionists for our struggling
students, lower teacher to student ratios, college and career
coaches, and other very needed supports for our schools.
Full-Day/Half-Day Kindergarten Outcomes
Because 163 districts offer Kentucky statute does not require full-day kindergarten, but, during
full-day kindergarten, it is the 2017 school year, all but 10 districts offered full-day
difficult to compare outcomes
for students who attend full-day kindergarten. Because a relatively small number of students attend
versus half-day. half-day kindergarten in Kentucky, it is difficult to compare
outcomes for those students relative to those who attend full-day
kindergarten using summary statistics alone.
Demographic makeup of Table 5.7 shows the 2016 school year 3rd-grade math and reading
students attending full-day proficiency rates for students from districts that offered only half-day
versus half-day kindergarten
varies. Districts offering full-day kindergarten compared to students from districts that offered full-day
have FRPL of 66.5 percent kindergarten during the 2013 school year. The 3rd-grade math
compared to half-day at proficiency rate for students who were in full-day kindergarten was
46.5 percent FRPL. In addition,
among students attending
nearly 48 percent, which was 3.6 percentage points lower than that
half-day kindergarten, a greater for students who were in half-day kindergarten. The 3rd-grade
percentage scored proficient on reading proficiency rate for students who were in full-day
math and reading K-PREP tests.
kindergarten was more than 53 percent, which was 4.6 percentage
points lower than that for students who were in half-day
kindergarten. Table 5.6 also illustrates some of the differences
between the full-day and half-day kindergarten populations. For
example, more than 66 percent of students in districts offering
full-day kindergarten received FRPL compared to 46 percent in
districts that offered half-day kindergarten during the 2013 school
year.
105
Table 5.7
Selected Summary Statistics For Full-Day Kindergarten
Compared To Half-Day Kindergarten
Kindergarten Year 2013, K-PREP Year 2016
Instructional Total % % % % % Other % Proficient % Proficient
Day Students* FRPL White Black Hispanic Race Reading** Math**
Full-day 46,296 66.5% 75.4% 11.2% 7.2% 6.1% 53.6% 47.8%
Half-day 6,747 46.5 83.8 3.2 6.4 6.6 58.2 51.4
*Student population numbers reflect those who were enrolled in kindergarten in 2013 who also had K-PREP reading
and math scores in 2016.
**Proficiency percentages are for 3rd-grade students during the 2016 school year who were in kindergarten during the
2013 school year.
Source: Staff analysis conducted on data provided by the Kentucky Department of Education.
When controlling for population While the proficiency rates in reading and math were higher for
differences, a logistic regression students in districts offering half-day kindergarten, in order to
model determined that students
who were in full-day control for population differences, a logistic regression model was
kindergarten were more likely to used to determine whether there was a statistically significant
score proficient on K-PREP difference in the performance of 3rd-grade students on the K-PREP
reading and math tests.
reading and math assessments for students who attended full-day or
half-day kindergarten during the 2013 school year.c The logistic
regression models seek to control for differences in the student
populations. The models were structured as shown in Equation 1,
with rates of proficiency on the K-PREP assessments for 3rd-grade
students in the 2016 school year representing the dependent variables
for the models. Two separate models were run for reading and math.
Equation 1: ln =β0 + βFULL/HALF + βGAP + βDEMOGRAPHICS
Whether a student attended full-day or half-day kindergarten

during the 2013 school year (βFULL/HALF) represents the
explanatory variable of note for each model. The models also
controlled for participation status of programs associated with gaps
in achievement (βGAP) such as the free and reduced-price lunch
program as well as demographic controls for race/ethnicity and
gender (βDEMOGRAPHICS). The intercept term (β0) completes the
model equation.
When controlling for all explanatory variables, the first model

indicates that students who attended full-day kindergarten were
1.08 times as likely to score proficient or better on the K-PREP
reading assessment as those who attended half-day kindergarten. For
the K-PREP math assessment, the modeling indicated that students
c
During the 2013 school year, 11 districts offered half-day kindergarten and four
offered both full- and half-day.
106
who were in full-day kindergarten in 2013 were 1.12 times as likely

to score proficient or better as those students who attended half-day
kindergarten. Table 5.8 provides the odds ratios and standard errors
associated with each of the explanatory variables within the models.
Table 5.8
Logistic Regression Modeling Output
K-PREP K-PREP
Reading Model Math Model
Explanatory Odds Standard Odds Standard
Variables Ratio Error Ratio Error
Full-day kindergarten 1.08 0.03 1.12 0.03
FRPL 0.42 0.01 0.41 0.01
LEP 0.32 0.02 0.40 0.02
Homeless 0.73 0.03 0.67 0.03
IEP 0.47 0.01 0.39 0.01
Male 0.85 0.02 1.11 0.02
Asian 1.58 0.13 2.29 0.18
Black 0.38 0.01 0.45 0.01
Hispanic* — — — —
Two or more races 0.75 0.03 0.76 0.03
Other race** 0.64 0.13 — —
Note: Half-day kindergarten is omitted from the list of explanatory variables due
to being a comparison group. The explanatory variables “white” and “female”
were also omitted for the same reason. K-PREP = Kentucky Performance Rating
for Education Progress; FRPL = free or reduced-price lunch; LEP = limited
English proficiency; IEP = individualized education program.
*The “Hispanic” variable was not statistically significant in either of the models.
**The “other race” variable was not statistically significant in the K-PREP math
model.
Source: Staff analysis conducted on data provided by the Kentucky Department
of Education.
107
Legislative Research Commission Appendix A
Appendix A
District Document Request

Dear Superintendent,
In November 2016, the Education Accountability and Assessment Review Subcommittee

assigned the Office of Education Accountability to study the Kentucky preschool and
kindergarten programs and school attendance. As part of this study, OEA is surveying
superintendents. This survey will provide information for OEA staff to answer research
questions and potential questions from members of the subcommittee. Here is the link to the
survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R65LG9K.
For your convenience, we have attached a PDF copy of the survey that can be distributed to your
staff to gather requested information before completing the online survey.
It is necessary to collect documents and data maintained at each school board office. It is
requested that these documents be sent electronically. Please return all of the requested
information by April 10, 2017.
Please provide the following:
1. The most recent evaluation of your preschool program.a

2. A copy of the district’s written preschool plan with procedures that includes the preschool
recruitment process.
3. A copy of every preschool classroom schedule in your district.
4. A copy of the estimated and actual cost increase that was presented to your local board of
education if your board of education voted to move from half-day kindergarten to full-day
kindergarten (or vice versa) between 2009 and 2017.
a. The information provided should include a breakdown of personnel/benefits,
equipment and supplies, along with any additional cost for transportation or savings on
transportation cost due to not having to provide mid-day transportation to these students.
5. If your district is not offering full-day kindergarten, please provide the following:
a. An estimate on what it would cost your district to move to full-day kindergarten. The
information provided should include a breakdown of personnel/benefits, and supplies,
along with any additional cost for transportation or savings on transportation cost due to
not having to provide mid-day transportation to these students.
b. The number of additional classrooms needed to accommodate full-day kindergarten and
if your district has the available land to build the additional classrooms.
6. If schools within your district offer day care services to preschool students, please provide
fees charged for each type of day care service.
All documents can be emailed to [email protected].
a
Item number 1 was later clarified to submit the program evaluation required in 704 KAR 3:410.
109
Appendix A Legislative Research Commission
Thank you for providing the requested information. If you have any questions please call Sabrina
Olds or Bart Liguori at 502-564-8167.
110
Legislative Research Commission Appendix B
Appendix B
Superintendent Survey
Introduction. In November 2016, the General Assembly's Education Assessment and
Accountability Review Subcommittee (EAARS) requested that the Office of Education
Accountability (OEA) conduct research on preschool, kindergarten, and school attendance. As
part of this study, OEA is surveying superintendents.
This survey will provide information for OEA staff to answer research questions and potential
questions from members of the subcommittee.
Please submit your answers no later than April 10, 2017. If you have questions regarding the
survey please contact Sabrina Olds at 502-564-8167 or [email protected]. You may also
contact Bart Liguori, research manager, at 502-564-8167 or [email protected].
Thank you for participating in our survey. Your feedback is important.
1. Please select your district:

(All 173 school districts in service as of March 2017 were listed)
2. Name and Title of individual completing survey:
3. Telephone number in case we would need to follow up for more information on a response?
4. What type of state-funded preschool program is your district offering during the 2016-2017
school year? Please select all that apply.
• A standard half-day, 5-day-a-week program single session
• A half-day, 4-day-a-week program in a single session with the fifth day for services to
children and their families, such as home visits, special experiences for children, or
parent training
• A half-day, 4-day-a-week program in a double session with the fifth day for services to
children and their families, such as home visits, special experiences for children, or
parent training
• A full-day, 4-day-a-week program with the fifth day for services to children and their
families, such as home visits, special experiences for children, or parent training
• A locally designed program approved by the Commissioner of Education
• We contract with another district, another public agency, private school, or preschool
program
• Other (please specify)
111
Appendix B Legislative Research Commission
5. How many days per week does your district offer preschool (check all that apply)?
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
If you checked more than one box, please explain
6. If your district offers both full-day and half-day preschool schedules, please explain the
process for determining which students are admitted to the full-day schedule.
7. Has your district enrolled tuition-based preschool students in the 2016-2017 school year?
• Yes
• No
8. How many preschool students in your district pay tuition?
9. Did tuition-paying students attend full-day or half-day preschool?

• Full day
• Half day
• Both full day and half day
10. Does your district charge tuition for preschool services on a “sliding scale” based on parents’
income?
• Yes
• No
11. How much does your district charge for the tuition-based preschool services? Please round to
the nearest $5 increment. If your district charges tuition on a “sliding scale” based on income,
please describe that in the comments section below.
Dollar Amount Billing Frequency

Fee
Comments
12. Does your district offer a non-traditional preschool program for example, a Montessori
Program?
• Yes
• No
13. Which of the following non-traditional preschool programs does your district provide in
addition to state-funded preschool?
• Montessori
• Other non-traditional preschool program
112
14. How many students does your district enroll in Montessori or other non-traditional preschool
programs?
15. If your district offers a Montessori program or any other non-traditional preschool program,
how much does your district charge? Please round to the nearest $5 increment. If your district
charges tuition on a “sliding scale” based on income, please describe that in the comments
section below.
Dollar Amount Billing Frequency

Fee
Comments
16. Do schools in your district offer wrap-around child care for preschool students that is not part
of the traditional instructional day
• for half of a day during the school’s instructional day?
• for the day that preschool is not in session?
• before school?
• after school?
• some schools do and some do not (please explain)
17. Approximately how many eligible children in your district are enrolled in state-funded
preschool this school year?
• 100%
• 75.1% to 99.9%
• 50.1% to 75%
• 25.1% to 50%
• 0.1% to 25%
• 0%
18. Why do you think eligible preschool students do not enroll in preschool in your district?
Please check all that apply.
• All students eligible for state-funded preschool in my district enrolled in state-funded
preschool
• Some eligible students attend Head Start
• Some eligible students attend private preschool, such as religious academies, YMCA, and
non-public schools
• Some eligible students are receiving child care subsidies through the Child Care
Assistance Program (CCAP)
• Some parents do not want their children to enroll in school before they have to attend
kindergarten
• Some eligible students do not attend due to preschool not being a full instructional day, 5
days a week
• Transportation
• Other (please specify)
113
19. What recruitment strategies does your district use to recruit eligible students to state-funded
preschool?
20. Does your district provide transportation for preschool students?

• My district does not provide preschool transportation.
• My district provides transportation only from home to preschool
• My district provides transportation only to home from preschool
• My district provides transportation to and from preschool
21. Please indicate the number of driver assistants/bus monitors dedicated to preschool
transportation in your district this year?
Number
District-employed driver assistants
Student Workers
Volunteers
Comments
22. Did your district apply for the Tier 2 Preschool Partnership Grant?
• Yes
• No
23. Please explain why your district did or did not apply for a Tier 2 Preschool Partnership
Grant?
24. Do you have any additional comments that relate to preschool?
25. How much did your district spend on preschool services in the 2015-2016 school year?
Expenditures will need to be reported by the general fund, state grants in the special revenue
fund, and federal grants in the special revenue fund.
Amount
General Fund
Preschool teacher salaries
Classified aide salaries
Director of preschool salaries
Substitute salaries
Benefits (excluding state on-behalf expenses)
Supplies and equipment
Special education salaries, benefits and contract services
Transportation
114
26. State grants in the special revenue fund?
Amount
Substitute salaries
Transportation
27. Federal grants in the special revenue fund?
Amount
Substitute salaries
Transportation
28. What type of kindergarten program did your district offer in each of the following school
years? Please check all that apply.
Year Full Day Half Day
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
115
29. How much did your district spend on kindergarten programs in the 2015-2016 school year?
Expenditures will need to be reported by the general fund, state grants in the special revenue
fund, and federal grants in the special revenue fund.
Amount
General Fund
Kindergarten teacher salaries
Substitute salaries
30. State grants in the special revenue fund
Amount
General Fund
Substitute salaries
31. Federal grants in the special revenue fund

Amount
General Fund
Substitute salaries
32. Do you have any additional comments that relate to kindergarten?
116
Legislative Research Commission Appendix C
Appendix C
Preschool Partnership Grants Tier I And Tier II

FY 2017
District Tier 1 Amount Tier II Amount

Anderson County $0 $150,000
Ballard County 0 101,525
Bardstown Independent 20,550 0
Barren County 25,000 0
Bell County 0 120,886
Bellevue Independent 0 150,000
Boone County 0 150,000
Boyle County 0 149,361
Bullitt County 23,164 0
Caldwell County 25,000 0
Calloway County 0 98,242
Campbell County 0 150,000
Casey County 0 150,000
Caverna Independent 0 150,000
Christian County 0 146,375
Clinton County 0 150,000
Corbin Independent 0 138,243
Cumberland County 25,000 0
Daviess County 0 150,000
Dayton Independent 0 116,908
Elliott County 0 27,000
Erlanger-Elsmere Independent 0 150,000
Fayette County 0 107,475
Frankfort Independent 0 108,800
Franklin County 25,000 0
Fulton County 24,565 0
Garrard County 25,000 0
Glasgow Independent 0 149,500
Graves County 0 149,475
Grayson County 25,000 0
Green County 0 150,000
Greenup County 0 84,538
Hancock County 25,000 0
Hardin County 0 150,000
Hart County 0 150,000
Hazard Independent 0 150,000
Henderson County 0 150,000
Hopkins County 0 97,000
Jefferson County 24,990 0
Kenton County 0 150,000
Lee County 7,050 0
117
Appendix C Legislative Research Commission
District Tier 1 Amount Tier II Amount

Livingston County 0 150,000
Ludlow Independent 25,000 0
Madison County 0 80,000
Marion County 0 122,298
McCracken County 25,000 0
Middlesboro Independent 0 89,814
Monroe County 0 150,000
Montgomery County 0 150,000
Murray Independent 25,000 0
Newport Independent 0 150,000
Ohio County 0 149,690
Oldham County 19,700 0
Owensboro Independent 0 150,000
Owsley County 0 54,961
Pulaski County 20,543 0
Rowan County 25,000 0
Russell Independent 0 94,083
Shelby County 0 150,000
Simpson County 25,000 0
Southgate Independent 24,050 0
Todd County 0 98,762
Trigg County 17,350 0
Warren County 0 127,901
Washington County 0 118,024
Webster County 0 150,000
Whitley County 0 150,000
Williamstown Independent 25,000 0
Woodford County 25,000 0
Total $531,962 $5,980,861
118
Legislative Research Commission Appendix D
Appendix D
Tuition-Based Preschool
FY 2016
Program Number Annual

District Type Of Students Enrolled Tuition Rate
Anderson Half-day 23 $2,000
Ballard Half-day 1 1,000
Bardstown Independent Half-day 69 1,300
Barren Full-day 40 3,040
Bath Half-day 10 1,520
Beechwood Independent* Half-day 3 1,150
Berea Independent Full-day 11 1,000
Boyle Half-day 15 1,900
Boyle Full-day 21 3,800
Burgin Independent Half-day 3 1,050
Caldwell Half-day 1 900
Campbell Half-day 4 2,850
Carlisle Full-day 3 1,900
Cloverport Independent** Full-day 3 1,000
Corbin Independent Half-day 32 2,000
Corbin Independent Full-day 38 3,750
Fort Thomas Independent Half-day 11 2,300
Frankfort Independent Half-day 10 1,500
Frankfort Independent Full-day 10 0
Franklin Half-day 10 1,520
Glasgow Independent Full-day 7 2,650
Grant* Full-day 4 3,500
Graves Half-day 20 1,500
Green Full-day 1 2,600
Hancock Half-day 6 1,000
Harlan Independent Half-day 25 1,500
Harlan Independent Full-day 23 3,000
Harrison Half-day 16 1,250
Henderson Half-day 100 1,800
Jackson Independent Full-day 1 1,520
Jefferson Full-day 124 5,550
Jessamine Half-day 31 2,250
Kenton* Half-day 7 1,200
Lawrence Full-day 3 2,000
Lewis Full-day 9 1,900
Livingston Half-day 20 1,000
Lyon Half-day 16 1,000
Marion Full-day 32 2,280
Meade Half-day 7 1,600
119
Appendix D Legislative Research Commission
Program Number Annual

District Type Of Students Enrolled Tuition Rate
Montgomery Full-day 41 2,000
Murray Independent Half-day 1 2,000
Nelson Half-day 28 1,900
Ohio Half-day 10 1,250
Oldham Half-day 10 3,800
Owensboro Independent Half-day 20 1,750
Pendleton Full-day 3 1,500
Pikeville Independent Full-day 2 1,000
Pulaski Half-day 13 1,520
Raceland-Worthington Independent** Half-day 29*** 1,650
Raceland-Worthington Independent** Full-day *** 2,750
Rowan Half-day 25 1,900
Scott Half-day 8 3,000
Shelby Half-day 9*** 3,230
Shelby Full-day *** 3,800
Spencer Half-day 25*** 2,000
Shelby Full-day *** 3,000
Taylor Full-day 6 2,470
Todd Full-day 24 1,200
Trimble Full-day 8 3,800
Union** Full-day 20 1,800
Warren Full-day 31 1,800
Washington Half day 17 1,200
Webster Half-day 8 1,900
Webster Full-day 2 3,800
Woodford Half-day 20 1,935
* District enrolls only the children of faculty and staff.
** District charges tuition on a sliding scale based on parents’ income.
*** Total number of tuition-based students enrolled in the district. The district did not specify how many students
were enrolled in a half-day program versus a full-day program.
Source: OEA survey.
120
Legislative Research Commission Appendix E
Appendix E
Preschool Expenses By Source

FY 2016
District General Fund State Grants Federal Grants Total Expenditures

Adair County $0 $429,961 $0 $429,961
Allen County 126,751 479,530 24,199 630,479
Anchorage Ind. Contract Contract Contract Contract
Anderson County 77,606 587,395 0 665,001
Ashland Ind. 0 136,000 935,000 1,071,000
Augusta Ind. 15,886 76,451 7,302 99,639
Ballard County 83,595 325,437 28,843 437,874
Barbourville Ind. 0 71,873 9,040 80,913
Bardstown Ind. 529,325 544,709 313,160 1,387,195
Barren County 133,382 1,123,158 7,019 1,263,559
Bath County 115,326 187,878 81,084 384,288
Beechwood Ind. 12,180 49,161 22,448 83,788
Bell County 123,298 161,838 69,694 354,830
Bellevue Ind. 40,641 131,506 16,449 188,596
Berea Ind. 53,267 160,648 84,458 298,373
Boone County 384,467 1,319,110 73,076 1,776,653
Bourbon County 320,994 200,247 952,580 1,473,820
Bowling Green Ind. 54,269 255,680 29,872 339,821
Boyd County 160,312 276,998 1,037,121 1,474,431
Boyle County 116,940 573,406 61,967 752,314
Bracken County 0 213,898 7,369 221,267
Breathitt County — — — —
Breckinridge County 24,267 71,401 850,386 946,054
Bullitt County 815,675 1,440,191 75,746 2,331,612
Burgin Ind. 160 84,285 5,928 90,373
Butler County 254,277 415,912 51,700 721,889
Caldwell County 0 375,426 13,414 388,840
Calloway County 111,920 507,981 313,852 933,753
Campbell County 52,041 519,234 26,403 597,678
Campbellsville Ind. 38,387 184,783 34,474 257,644
Carlisle County 13,002 215,579 71,270 299,851
Carroll County 0 135,557 455,042 590,599
Carter County 40,722 522,512 59,237 622,471
Casey County 323,158 114,000 19,188 456,347
Caverna Ind. 0 239,624 11,766 251,390
Christian County 46,987 1,236,501 147,750 1,431,238
Clark County 667,168 1,071,991 202,652 1,941,811
Clay County 14,416 324,463 46,688 385,566
Clinton County 0 346,183 24,339 370,522
Cloverport Ind. 0 35,247 28,520 63,768
Corbin Ind. 228,755 383,067 0 611,822
121
Appendix E Legislative Research Commission

Covington Ind. 52,473 1,378,167 58,752 1,489,392
Crittenden County 49,016 245,169 12,963 307,149
Cumberland County Contract Contract Contract Contract
Danville Ind. 0 289,793 0 289,793
Daviess County 214,138 1,861,414 57,326 2,132,878
Dawson Springs Ind. 1,618 98,105 10,238 109,961
Dayton Ind. 67,940 243,223 33,087 344,250
East Bernstadt Ind. 0 216,057 4,845 220,902
Edmonson County 62,905 402,888 15,272 481,065
Elizabethtown Ind. 162,068 280,800 12,299 455,167
Elliott County 2,002 46,820 19,138 67,960
Eminence Ind. 5,691 72,205 2,914 80,810
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 61,760 340,337 0 402,097
Estill County 1,008,504 270,000 186,000 1,464,504
Fairview Ind. 12,200 85,771 0 97,971
Fayette County 1,326,812 4,595,172 295,321 6,217,305
Fleming County 30,000 92,582 35,700 158,282
Floyd County 162,501 155,368 416,650 734,519
Fort Thomas Ind. 82,739 119,970 18,447 221,156
Frankfort Ind. 71,660 119,804 21,780 213,244
Franklin County 153,821 551,584 89,153 794,558
Fulton County 107,815 143,905 27,273 278,993
Fulton Ind. 0 86,149 26,366 112,515
Gallatin County 70,000 251,000 0 321,000
Garrard County 284,643 418,955 0 703,598
Glasgow Ind. 455,370 514,084 0 969,455
Grant County 43,042 276,957 0 320,000
Graves County 541,138 782,543 33,785 1,357,466
Grayson County 0 623,055 0 623,055
Green County 138,247 120,009 0 258,256
Greenup County 390,924 109,558 24,562 525,044
Hancock County — — — —
Hardin County 19,318 2,442,902 0 2,462,220
Harlan County 0 60,494 170,934 231,428
Harlan Ind. 48,019 230,727 9,044 287,790
Harrison County 13,353 338,587 33,519 385,459
Hart County 94,088 494,072 14,761 602,921
Hazard Ind. 2,984 122,675 17,981 143,640
Henderson County 343,368 1,292,689 73,347 1,709,404
Henry County 160,068 465,016 10,212 635,296
Hickman County 158,829 161,447 71,240 391,516
Hopkins County 6,515 1,049,715 91,620 1,147,850
Jackson County 0 587,364 325,931 913,295
Jackson Ind. — — — —
Jefferson County 3,140,705 5,123,322 19,672,918 27,936,946
Jenkins Ind. 23,800 81,905 8,255 113,960
Jessamine County 6,453 1,188,277 37,780 1,232,510
122
Legislative Research Commission Appendix E

Johnson County 45,378 51,248 23,081 119,707
Kenton County 232 1,687,214 113,756 1,801,202
Knott County 15,691 327,916 0 343,607
Knox County 82,108 747,793 72,832 902,733
LaRue County 39,868 223,708 105,431 369,007
Laurel County 297,109 923,411 43,337 1,263,857
Lawrence County 0 555,245 0 555,245
Lee County * * * *
Leslie County 0 255,033 17,054 272,087
Letcher County 47,500 283,773 25,564 356,837
Lewis County 114,703 558,584 14,127 687,414
Lincoln County 0 110,387 895,689 1,006,076
Livingston County 697,706 187,808 270,987 1,156,500
Logan County 21,506 751,228 97,596 870,330
Ludlow Ind. 4,108 139,305 12,139 155,552
Lyon County 1,500 140,265 5,869 147,634
Madison County 42,365 1,068,011 107,721 1,218,096
Magoffin County 61,640 39,705 75,543 176,887
Marion County 367,082 397,220 41,782 806,084
Marshall County 154,116 677,694 28,371 860,181
Martin County 15,400 77,375 29,570 122,346
Mason County 296,565 474,379 40,089 811,033
Mayfield Ind. 49,874 367,722 30,376 447,972
McCracken County 90,690 825,458 112,612 1,028,760
McCreary County 13,983 932,671 81,975 1,028,628
McLean County 30,385 209,070 24,033 263,487
Meade County 3,900 650,077 43,606 697,583
Menifee County 0 11,953 8,740 20,693
Mercer County 269,000 507,000 165,000 941,000
Metcalfe County 0 373,422 35,541 408,963
Middlesboro Ind. 138,527 144,286 19,908 302,721
Monroe County 0 342,237 8,352 350,589
Montgomery County 273,677 536,558 64,281 874,516
Morgan County 29,508 12,912 2,894 45,314
Muhlenberg County — — — —
Murray Ind. 101,215 185,335 18,587 305,137
Nelson County 360,780 600,310 43,672 1,004,762
Newport Ind. 45,326 206,605 28,615 280,546
Nicholas County 429,953 275,356 0 705,309
Ohio County 0 825,449 6,751 832,200
Oldham County 85,045 48,132 1,072,108 1,205,286
Owen County 137,906 350,133 14,014 502,054
Owensboro Ind. 150,324 867,688 50,012 1,068,024
Owsley County 0 31,844 0 31,844
Paducah Ind. 152,081 150,992 1,900,288 2,203,361
Paintsville Ind. 18,690 7,023 226,116 251,829
Paris Ind. 7,244 87,762 13,347 108,354
123
Appendix E Legislative Research Commission

Pendleton County 45,271 508,143 47,767 601,180
Perry County — — — —
Pike County 2,050 268,239 56,466 326,755
Pikeville Ind. 56,109 44,479 59,519 160,107
Pineville Ind. 15,000 85,636 4,856 105,492
Powell County 25,615 204,881 88,827 319,323
Pulaski County 0 1,023,508 33,930 1,057,438
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 3,689 134,208 0 137,897
Robertson County 73,079 35,115 74,907 183,101
Rockcastle County 408,722 50,240 28,597 487,559
Rowan County 250,838 643,725 43,214 937,777
Russell County 202,532 407,924 34,342 644,798
Russell Ind. 0 178,482 335,156 513,639
Russellville Ind. 26,481 207,203 33,405 267,088
Science Hill Ind. 1,735 112,369 11,168 125,272
Scott County 103,276 1,533,072 67,474 1,703,821
Shelby County 396,027 960,652 63,550 1,420,229
Silver Grove Ind. 92,043 59,832 73,930 225,804
Simpson County — — — —
Somerset Ind. 62,245 193,556 6,467 262,268
Southgate Ind. 0 66,757 5,926 72,683
Spencer County 122,111 367,437 47,680 537,228
Taylor County 21,721 265,707 45,769 333,196
Todd County 40,089 659,658 56,471 756,219
Trigg County 144,117 304,476 45,642 494,235
Trimble County 87,785 75,411 61,222 224,418
Union County 0 330,973 61,665 392,638
Walton-Verona Ind. 18,755 243,371 23,792 285,918
Warren County 0 1,848,541 125,308 1,973,848
Washington County 84,478 135,123 30,819 250,420
Wayne County 112,108 392,282 117,148 621,538
Webster County 0 394,192 32,636 426,828
West Point Ind. 18,972 38,501 8,280 65,752
Whitley County 372,130 584,567 96,267 1,052,964
Williamsburg Ind. 0 208,349 0 208,349
Williamstown Ind. 0 107,217 657,181 764,398
Wolfe County * * * *
Woodford County 127,412 519,808 32,927 680,147
Total $22,162,768 $75,380,388 $36,642,123 $134,185,279
Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar; Contract = preschool services for that district are outsourced to an
outside agency; — = no response; * = no program.
Source: OEA survey.
124
Legislative Research Commission Appendix F
Appendix F
Preschool Driver Assistants By Type And Number Of Bus Drivers

FY 2017
District-Employed Student
District Driver Assistants Workers Volunteers Bus Drivers
Adair County 13 11 0 44
Allen County 25 21 4 40
Anderson County 18 0 0 45
Ashland Independent 4 0 0 17
Augusta Independent 0 1 0 2
Ballard County 4 0 0 20
Barbourville Independent 0 2 0 2
Bardstown Independent 5 0 0 19
Barren County 17 0 0 57
Bath County 1 7 0 28
Bell County 11 0 0 40
Bellevue Independent 3 0 0 0
Berea Independent 4 4 0 6
Boone County 20 0 0 240
Bourbon County 2 0 0 31
Bowling Green Independent 6 0 0 38
Boyd County 7 5 12 34
Boyle County 8 8 0 37
Bracken County 0 29 0 19
Breathitt County 6 0 0 35
Bullitt County 50 0 0 96
Burgin Independent 2 0 0 5
Caldwell County 4 0 0 26
Calloway County 6 0 0 46
Campbell County 2 0 0 60
Campbellsville Independent 8 8 0 8
Carlisle County 0 20 0 8
Carroll County 5 0 0 17
Carter County 0 0 50 66
Casey County 4 0 0 39
Caverna Independent 3 0 0 8
Christian County 28 0 0 87
Clark County 12 0 0 51
Clay County 10 5 0 51
Clinton County 5 0 0 24
Corbin Independent 1 0 0 19
Covington Independent 7 0 0 22
Crittenden County 11 0 0 21
Danville Independent 2 0 0 10
Daviess County 18 0 0 123
125
Appendix F Legislative Research Commission
Dawson Springs Independent 1 0 0 3
East Bernstadt Independent 2 0 0 1
Edmonson County 4 0 0 36
Elizabethtown Independent 6 0 0 14
Elliott County 8 0 0 20
Eminence Independent 1 0 0 3
Estill County 35 0 0 33
Fairview Independent 1 1 0 9
Fayette County 79 0 0 247
Fleming County 0 0 0 31
Floyd County 8 4 0 70
Fort Thomas Independent 1 0 0 2
Frankfort Independent 4 0 0 7
Franklin County 16 0 0 58
Fulton County 7 2 0 6
Fulton Independent 1 0 0 1
Gallatin County 3 0 0 25
Garrard County 13 0 0 33
Glasgow Independent 4 0 0 13
Grant County 25 3 0 53
Graves County 14 0 0 70
Grayson County 32 0 0 58
Green County 5 0 0 28
Greenup County 11 18 0 42
Hancock County 2 0 0 23
Hardin County 20 0 0 202
Harlan County 0 0 0 54
Harlan Independent 2 0 0 3
Harrison County 4 2 0 35
Hazard Independent 1 0 0 3
Henderson County 13 0 0 76
Henry County 20 8 0 27
Hickman County 5 3 0 7
Hopkins County 18 0 0 68
Jackson County 3 39 0 41
Jackson Independent 1 0 0 2
Jefferson County 457 0 0 912
Jenkins Independent 1 0 0 5
Jessamine County 26 0 0 103
Johnson County 0 0 0 42
Kenton County 24 0 0 142
Knott County 7 0 0 41
Knox County 24 3 0 57
LaRue County 2 0 0 27
Laurel County 0 54 0 79
Lawrence County 21 1 0 34
126
Legislative Research Commission Appendix F
Leslie County 10 0 0 23
Letcher County 2 0 0 36
Lewis County 6 28 0 33
Livingston County 5 0 0 23
Logan County 5 0 0 50
Ludlow Independent 0 0 0 1
Lyon County 1 0 0 13
Madison County 16 12 0 141
Magoffin County 16 0 0 40
Marion County 15 14 0 39
Marshall County 6 0 0 54
Mason County 18 11 0 32
Mayfield Independent 8 0 0 17
McCracken County 8 0 0 57
McCreary County 5 0 0 42
McLean County 10 0 0 19
Meade County 7 65 0 66
Mercer County 5 0 0 41
Metcalfe County 8 0 0 24
Middlesboro Independent 0 0 0 8
Monroe County 10 7 0 23
Montgomery County 4 0 0 48
Muhlenberg County 7 0 0 65
Murray Independent 3 9 10 8
Nelson County 28 0 0 69
Newport Independent 2 0 0 4
Nicholas County 16 0 0 18
Ohio County 130 0 0 50
Oldham County 10 0 0 109
Owen County 2 28 27 29
Owensboro Independent 6 6 0 28
Owsley County 5 0 5 14
Paducah Independent 9 0 0 24
Paintsville Independent 3 0 0 2
Paris Independent 1 0 0 9
Pendleton County 23 8 5 35
Perry County 12 0 0 62
Pike County 0 200 25 134
Pikeville Independent 2 0 0 6
Pineville Independent 3 0 0 3
Powell County 19 0 0 22
Pulaski County 3 46 20 121
Raceland-Worthington Independent 2 0 0 5
Robertson County 2 6 0 5
Rockcastle County 30 8 0 47
Rowan County 35 13 0 40
127
Appendix F Legislative Research Commission
Russell County 6 0 0 53
Russell Independent 5 0 0 16
Russellville Independent 2 0 0 10
Science Hill Independent 3 0 0 3
Scott County 6 0 0 67
Shelby County 11 0 0 65
Simpson County 2 0 0 25
Somerset Independent 3 0 0 12
Spencer County 16 4 0 28
Taylor County 4 35 0 27
Todd County 6 0 0 33
Trigg County 6 0 0 32
Trimble County 4 0 0 17
Union County 3 0 0 37
Walton-Verona Independent 1 0 0 12
Warren County 35 0 0 169
Washington County 4 10 3 20
Wayne County 12 0 0 57
Webster County 7 0 0 26
West Point Independent 1 0 0 2
Whitley County 46 22 0 52
Williamsburg Independent 3 0 0 5
Williamstown Independent 4 0 0 10
Woodford County 18 0 0 42
Source: OEA survey; Kentucky Department of Education.
128
Legislative Research Commission Appendix G
Appendix G
Demographics Of 4-Year-Old State-Funded
Preschool Students, School Years 2014 To 2016
Compared To All Students Entering Kindergarten
This table illustrates the demographic makeup of state-funded 4-year-old students enrolled in
preschool in school years 2014 to 2016 and compares those students to all students who entered
kindergarten in school years 2015 to 2017. OEA originally intended to include additional
demographic data in this table, such as percent of black and Hispanic students and IEP status;
however, in a majority of districts there were an insufficient number of children in these
categories to report.
Percent White Percent FRPL Percent IEP

District Preschool All Preschool All Preschool All
Adair County 85.28% 88.94% 80.98% 75.04% 29.45% 16.42%
Allen County 90.67 91.41 84.70 69.81 26.49 13.71
Anchorage Ind. — 95.24 — 0.00 — 0.00
Anderson County 89.55 89.85 58.96 47.80 43.66 18.56
Ashland Ind. 80.36 84.40 83.04 72.76 41.96 16.75
Augusta Ind. 93.10 94.92 86.21 72.88 34.48 25.42
Ballard County 92.19 91.13 63.28 61.35 30.47 17.02
Barbourville Ind. 98.15 96.88 72.22 73.75 14.81 15.63
Bardstown Ind. 57.32 69.37 83.49 64.17 28.35 17.46
Barren County 86.57 88.94 82.03 67.56 39.75 27.93
Bath County 90.43 94.51 79.79 73.98 29.79 11.99
Beechwood Ind. 53.13 87.69 75.00 19.23 18.75 5.38
Bell County 98.96 99.09 89.58 85.06 44.79 17.99
Bellevue Ind. 85.96 80.00 87.72 74.48 43.86 22.07
Berea Ind. 88.24 83.26 70.59 54.51 30.59 12.45
Boone County 66.51 78.87 73.81 41.48 39.63 9.92
Bourbon County 70.69 75.08 78.45 70.90 24.14 12.88
Bowling Green Ind. 43.08 54.99 91.92 65.09 23.08 11.33
Boyd County 94.74 95.14 56.84 62.09 80.00 21.60
Boyle County 90.13 90.61 79.83 57.09 33.91 19.71
Bracken County 91.21 96.47 70.33 69.26 34.07 20.85
Breathitt County 97.52 97.34 76.40 81.11 31.68 23.97
Breckinridge County 91.23 89.06 71.93 69.57 36.84 15.56
Bullitt County 89.70 91.47 81.27 52.66 29.78 11.24
Burgin Ind. 87.50 90.60 79.17 50.43 41.67 25.64
Butler County 93.62 89.23 82.27 65.49 33.33 18.68
Caldwell County 77.50 83.33 90.00 70.37 15.50 7.64
Calloway County 86.19 90.30 89.55 66.90 20.90 12.55
Campbell County 86.67 89.71 71.43 49.72 49.05 13.97
Campbellsville Ind. 63.64 70.72 85.23 78.84 23.86 11.30
Carlisle County 92.59 90.60 79.63 59.06 46.30 19.46
129
Appendix G Legislative Research Commission

Carroll County 75.00 80.78 89.42 71.98 24.04 6.54
Carter County 99.28 96.26 82.61 72.42 27.17 16.67
Casey County 87.10 86.88 88.39 78.52 32.26 16.54
Caverna Ind. 70.43 72.28 92.17 88.04 31.30 26.63
Christian County 55.25 52.59 83.57 74.55 23.01 10.91
Clark County 78.57 81.81 82.54 69.62 56.75 18.10
Clay County 98.73 97.74 63.29 83.07 57.59 23.14
Clinton County 92.00 91.86 74.67 83.73 26.67 21.00
Cloverport Ind. 100.00 100.00 76.19 45.68 — 16.05
Corbin Ind. 97.73 97.38 77.27 60.75 37.88 11.78
Covington Ind. 41.68 46.41 94.20 88.18 26.87 15.58
Crittenden County 90.52 93.46 75.00 59.48 21.55 9.80
Cumberland County 100.00 92.04 91.30 81.86 43.48 23.01
Danville Ind. 51.63 63.81 90.22 72.62 24.46 16.01
Daviess County 74.47 81.28 77.76 56.19 28.20 15.67
Dawson Springs Ind. 89.61 92.70 88.31 79.78 31.17 19.66
Dayton Ind. 89.91 90.48 81.65 81.82 34.86 20.35
East Bernstadt Ind. 98.90 97.67 79.12 65.12 29.67 18.02
Edmonson County 98.25 96.60 67.54 65.99 22.37 17.69
Elizabethtown Ind. 63.82 67.08 85.53 60.12 24.34 12.68
Elliott County 100.00 97.72 82.35 77.19 — 11.79
Eminence Ind. 67.12 78.53 86.30 59.32 21.92 11.30
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 64.56 66.56 86.08 74.88 27.22 9.46
Estill County 96.55 96.65 73.56 70.08 24.14 14.23
Fairview Ind. 94.20 94.71 88.41 80.59 — 10.00
Fayette County 29.77 51.25 84.30 56.19 26.83 10.75
Fleming County 91.00 92.48 93.00 74.44 28.00 11.84
Floyd County 97.70 97.25 75.86 84.62 60.92 18.91
Fort Thomas Ind. 78.69 89.13 49.18 11.71 45.90 7.36
Frankfort Ind. 59.38 68.67 85.94 64.46 29.69 19.88
Franklin County 67.96 70.94 80.36 63.52 34.37 12.51
Fulton County 60.00 59.15 82.50 78.17 65.00 27.46
Fulton Ind. 28.95 44.34 94.74 83.96 — 9.43
Gallatin County 83.73 88.15 86.75 73.28 24.10 15.70
Garrard County 92.92 92.12 69.91 54.34 25.66 11.74
Glasgow Ind. 68.25 68.26 84.67 75.21 32.48 23.47
Grant County 91.89 90.92 87.84 73.49 35.14 14.53
Graves County 86.80 89.04 76.40 61.07 45.69 24.12
Grayson County 94.30 95.14 71.84 67.06 41.14 19.43
Green County 89.87 91.33 78.48 70.12 30.38 21.93
Greenup County 94.00 95.52 85.00 73.25 36.00 14.85
Hancock County 93.22 94.74 72.88 54.68 31.36 15.50
Hardin County 58.73 66.72 85.82 65.18 32.15 15.10
Harlan County 95.18 95.06 89.07 85.93 22.83 18.15
Harlan Ind. 85.71 84.91 82.86 76.10 24.29 15.72
Harrison County 88.18 89.07 85.22 70.56 20.20 13.66
130

Hart County 91.44 90.63 73.87 71.89 42.79 25.59
Hazard Ind. 83.16 82.11 82.11 67.89 12.63 10.09
Henderson County 68.56 75.94 86.29 62.22 25.49 14.15
Henry County 87.84 91.63 72.07 61.31 31.08 17.42
Hickman County 79.25 80.25 75.47 70.06 62.26 34.39
Hopkins County 73.66 80.59 77.62 58.49 50.69 20.63
Jackson County 99.19 98.20 47.97 76.12 29.27 21.72
Jackson Ind. 100.00 100.00 57.69 67.50 — —
Jefferson County 28.41 44.21 89.05 68.39 21.69 8.51
Jenkins Ind. 100.00 95.19 85.29 88.46 — 13.46
Jessamine County 74.65 81.90 86.09 58.50 27.67 11.18
Johnson County 96.30 97.93 77.78 70.12 66.67 12.03
Kenton County 79.55 86.82 74.65 42.33 37.77 10.88
Knott County 98.08 97.51 81.41 78.28 35.90 24.71
Knox County 98.98 97.00 62.12 81.16 12.63 10.68
LaRue County 86.55 87.13 86.55 67.49 40.34 16.70
Laurel County 96.42 95.08 74.76 73.68 41.62 18.78
Lawrence County 96.67 96.77 83.33 72.66 42.50 23.66
Lee County* — 98.41 — 81.27 — 11.16
Leslie County 100.00 99.75 76.96 72.84 21.66 12.35
Letcher County 99.17 98.29 70.25 75.07 53.72 30.71
Lewis County 93.97 96.84 81.90 78.70 37.93 20.71
Lincoln County 88.71 90.09 74.19 65.62 38.71 12.70
Livingston County 89.09 91.67 82.73 68.84 30.00 14.86
Logan County 85.94 89.93 75.00 59.46 38.44 20.81
Ludlow Ind. 95.95 92.90 93.24 72.90 37.84 21.29
Lyon County 87.80 90.23 81.71 59.07 12.20 6.98
Madison County 82.46 85.29 77.35 57.96 40.35 13.76
Magoffin County 100.00 97.99 77.78 84.31 61.11 19.11
Marion County 76.99 79.42 87.17 69.78 35.40 18.25
Marshall County 94.90 96.55 86.05 58.72 19.05 9.65
Martin County 100.00 98.69 62.16 80.17 75.68 23.97
Mason County 77.83 79.05 71.70 69.43 38.68 21.45
Mayfield Ind. 33.97 44.49 94.74 81.89 41.63 25.20
McCracken County 82.01 86.55 86.12 52.71 35.22 12.42
McCreary County 97.46 97.43 85.07 85.29 43.66 30.57
McLean County 93.33 93.51 85.83 64.59 37.50 20.54
Meade County 87.58 87.81 82.61 57.23 33.54 14.95
Menifee County 100.00 96.55 76.92 76.63 — 17.24
Mercer County 77.39 80.22 83.48 69.00 40.87 19.63
Metcalfe County 96.28 95.83 94.68 82.29 25.53 19.01
Middlesboro Ind. 83.33 82.73 89.39 85.14 51.52 16.47
Monroe County 82.45 85.78 93.62 81.20 29.79 23.13
Montgomery County 87.59 90.27 76.32 67.99 36.09 18.13
Morgan County 100.00 98.94 — 75.42 — 19.07
Muhlenberg County 88.06 91.20 83.29 63.35 39.79 24.08
131
Appendix G Legislative Research Commission

Murray Ind. 72.97 77.80 83.78 49.76 44.59 12.68
Nelson County 89.93 93.35 75.69 56.05 39.93 16.79
Newport Ind. 48.08 55.26 96.79 92.11 20.51 11.54
Nicholas County 100.00 94.20 83.33 72.46 36.36 17.03
Ohio County 83.64 87.29 82.08 70.97 26.49 15.35
Oldham County 70.12 85.17 66.51 25.43 28.19 7.27
Owen County 91.49 93.77 79.79 68.05 30.32 17.40
Owensboro Ind. 58.14 63.45 91.22 77.28 24.50 13.24
Owsley County 100.00 98.80 84.21 90.36 — 13.86
Paducah Ind. 37.82 39.43 89.92 81.20 39.50 11.18
Paintsville Ind. — 96.35 — 57.29 — 10.42
Paris Ind. 59.32 54.69 84.75 79.17 23.73 10.42
Pendleton County 93.15 91.62 79.45 71.51 38.81 20.67
Perry County 97.52 97.45 83.17 78.64 30.20 17.85
Pike County 98.74 97.07 58.49 74.17 30.19 13.71
Pikeville Ind. 95.45 89.68 31.82 44.52 63.64 10.00
Pineville Ind. 95.65 96.58 91.30 76.92 28.26 17.95
Powell County 93.94 94.99 76.77 79.16 63.64 21.44
Pulaski County 91.48 92.55 87.67 73.44 30.44 16.20
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 95.08 93.72 90.16 62.78 24.59 9.87
Robertson County 100.00 95.77 66.67 67.61 — 15.49
Rockcastle County 96.35 96.98 80.73 72.03 36.98 24.79
Rowan County 93.20 93.66 84.14 69.52 22.01 10.90
Russell County 82.01 83.47 87.05 80.46 23.38 13.15
Russell Ind. 95.51 93.57 77.53 48.58 41.57 13.61
Russellville Ind. 44.12 50.63 93.14 82.70 34.31 19.41
Science Hill Ind. 83.02 88.03 83.02 66.67 35.85 19.66
Scott County 70.80 78.84 73.94 47.65 39.25 16.22
Shelby County 41.30 67.84 88.53 53.20 29.45 12.94
Silver Grove Ind. 100.00 97.96 76.00 73.47 — —
Simpson County 68.62 77.56 70.29 60.76 45.61 21.68
Somerset Ind. 78.52 81.22 82.55 73.76 34.23 19.89
Southgate Ind. 44.83 56.90 65.52 72.41 — —
Spencer County 92.06 92.36 67.72 46.35 33.86 13.62
Taylor County 85.71 91.13 91.93 66.94 25.47 11.90
Todd County 75.56 79.81 70.37 68.45 27.04 23.67
Trigg County 78.42 81.32 87.05 66.74 22.30 12.07
Trimble County 100.00 94.67 85.71 66.00 — 9.33
Union County 78.71 87.50 88.61 66.45 26.24 15.57
Walton-Verona Ind. 90.79 93.87 76.32 47.10 53.95 18.06
Warren County 64.22 69.56 84.67 61.17 27.85 13.02
Washington County 76.25 77.40 75.00 73.46 51.25 23.59
Wayne County 85.19 84.83 91.69 79.36 26.75 19.27
Webster County 79.33 76.95 73.18 63.52 41.34 15.97
West Point Ind. 94.44 82.98 83.33 72.34 27.78 —
Whitley County 97.52 98.12 85.54 77.50 31.82 18.93
132

Williamsburg Ind. 95.24 92.31 89.52 81.07 18.10 13.61
Williamstown Ind. 87.04 91.24 88.89 64.43 25.93 13.40
Wolfe County* N/A 96.42 N/A 80.65 N/A 24.01
Woodford County 55.95 73.74 83.73 53.96 31.35 14.87
State 70.07% 76.10% 82.25% 64.79% 30.98% 14.21%
Note: FRPL= free or reduced-price lunch; IEP = individualized education program; — = data are not reported
pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. When the number of students in a particular category is
less than 10, the number and percentage are not reported.
* No preschool program
133
Legislative Research Commission Appendix H
Appendix H
P2R Recruitment Evaluation Summary


Subsection Of 704 KAR 3:410, Sec. 5 Findings Recommendations Strengths
(1) Enrollment of eligible children in the preschool 0 2 1
program is at the discretion of the parent or legal
guardian.
(1) Each local school district establishes and maintains 4 11 10
an active recruitment process that systematically assures
enrollment of eligible children.
(1)(a) Notification of the right to participate is presented 1 7 9
in the parent’s primary language or natural mode of
communication.
(1)(a) Identification of all eligible children regardless of 1 4 0
race, sex, creed, color, national origin, or handicapping
condition.
(1)(c) Written documentation to demonstrate that 4 7 2
emphasis has been given to recruiting those eligible
children not currently served by a preschool program.
(1)(d) Contact to agencies and programs serving local 1 6 3
preschool children or their families to encourage
participating in the recruitment process, taking into
account the demographic makeup of the community
and the needs of the children and their families.
(3) All educational records are kept confidential 2 3 0
according to the requirements of the Family Education
Rights and Privacy Act regulation, 34 CFR Part 99.
Examples of recruitment findings discussed in KDE P2Rs include:

• “The Child Find newspaper article incorrectly identifies at-risk income eligibility as 150% of
federal poverty level (FPL). Preschool income eligibility for at-risk four-year-olds is 160% of
the federal poverty level. The district must provide evidence that recruitment materials have
been updated with accurate FPL information.”
• “While [the] County implements a recruitment plan, it’s unclear if the plan emphasizes
recruitment of eligible children not currently served by a preschool program. From
2012–2013 to 2014–2015, the percentage of students eligible for free lunch in the district
increased from 37% to 39% and the percentage of students eligible for free lunch enrolled in
the early childhood center decreased from 56% to 50% (source: KDE qualifying data).
During the same time period, the enrollment of at-risk preschool students declined from
70 students to approximately 30.”
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Appendix H Legislative Research Commission
• “Recruitment strategies seem limited. It’s unclear if a written plan is used to implement
intentional and varied recruitment strategies, as well as ensure the district reaches eligible
children not currently served by a preschool program.”
Examples of recruitment recommendations discussed in KDE P2Rs include:

• “According to the principal, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) list has
been used for recruitment in the past. Recently, she has been unable to obtain the list, despite
several attempts through e-mail. Since the TANF list is commonly used as a recruiting tool, it
is recommended that the district enter into a formal agreement with community-based
services to obtain this resource. A visit to the supplying agency may be required. A
formalized procedure and timeline, including contact names and phone numbers and/or
e-mail addresses, could be useful. Upon review of [the district’s] eligible enrollment counts
for the last five years, it appears the district has increased the number of students with
disabilities served from 45% to 47%. Inversely, the number of students being served who
qualify due to at-risk, up to 160% of the federal poverty rate, has decreased from 55% to
53%. According to qualifying data collected by the Kentucky Department of Education
(KDE) the estimated percentage of children qualifying for free lunch is 100%. It is
reasonable to believe a higher percentage of at-risk students would be served by [the
district’s] preschool program. When reviewing recruitment procedures, it may benefit the
district to reassess ways they connect with at-risk families.”
• “[The district] and [the local Head Start chapter] collaborate to recruit eligible students. A
booth is provided to Head Start during school festivals, and the partnership distributes
brochures, fliers, newsletters and articles. However, the free and reduced lunch data suggest
there are at-risk students who enroll in kindergarten without the benefit of preschool services.
It is recommended that [The district] and [the local Head Start chapter] develop a written
recruitment plan with measurable targets for identifying, recruiting and enrolling at-risk
children living in the district, including children who live up to 160% of the federal poverty
level (FPL).”
Examples of recruitment strengths discussed in KDE P2Rs include:

• “[The] school district has an active recruitment process that includes special events with a
festive atmosphere in which parents can enroll their children and also find out information
about other services. These recruitment fairs are conducted in collaboration with Head Start
and other partners such as health services.”
• “District indicates strong collaborative efforts with early childhood partners and families
through preschool staff participation on the community early childhood council and in the
early intervention services including First Steps and completion of the transition process both
for preschool and kindergarten. Strong child find and recruitment activities occur through the
school year and include a variety of media modalities and agencies.”
136
Legislative Research Commission Appendix I
Appendix I
Percentage Of Eligible Preschool Students Enrolled By County

This table shows the number of preschool-eligible students who began kindergarten in school
years 2015 through 2017 and the percentage of eligible students who had enrolled in state-funded
preschool the previous year. For this table, FRPL students who also qualified for an IEP are
counted as IEP students only.
FRPL IEP Total Eligibility

District # In K % In P # In K % In P # In K % In P
Adair County 369 25.20% 98 48.98% 467 30.19%
Allen County 426 40.61 99 71.72 525 46.48
Anchorage Ind. 0 0.00 — 0.00 — 0.00
Anderson County 282 34.04 139 84.17 421 50.59
Ashland Ind. 461 12.80 131 35.88 592 17.91
Augusta Ind. 31 58.06 15 66.67 46 60.87
Ballard County 142 38.73 48 81.25 190 49.47
Barbourville Ind. 101 33.66 25 — 126 33.33
Bardstown Ind. 347 60.52 114 79.82 461 65.29
Barren County 496 56.45 303 72.28 799 62.45
Bath County 316 17.09 59 47.46 375 21.87
Beechwood Ind. 47 48.94 14 — 61 47.54
Bell County 452 11.06 118 36.44 570 16.32
Bellevue Ind. 80 35.00 32 78.13 112 47.32
Berea Ind. 106 38.68 29 89.66 135 49.63
Boone County 1,605 29.22 433 78.98 2,038 39.79
Bourbon County 364 20.05 77 36.36 441 22.90
Bowling Green Ind. 544 34.56 110 54.55 654 37.92
Boyd County 335 4.48 151 50.33 486 18.72
Boyle County 241 55.60 107 73.83 348 61.21
Bracken County 153 27.45 59 52.54 212 34.43
Breathitt County 257 32.68 99 51.52 356 37.92
Breckinridge County 332 7.83 91 23.08 423 11.11
Bullitt County 1,282 39.08 315 76.19 1,597 46.40
Burgin Ind. 39 58.97 30 66.67 69 62.32
Butler County 235 34.04 85 55.29 320 39.69
Caldwell County 279 55.91 33 93.94 312 59.94
Calloway County 397 49.12 88 63.64 485 51.75
Campbell County 445 20.00 152 67.76 597 32.16
Campbellsville Ind. 239 24.27 39 53.85 278 28.42
Carlisle County 66 37.88 29 86.21 95 52.63
Carroll County 325 21.54 32 78.13 357 26.61
Carter County 582 30.41 165 45.45 747 33.73
Casey County 340 28.82 87 57.47 427 34.66
Caverna Ind. 119 62.18 49 73.47 168 65.48
137
Appendix I Legislative Research Commission

Christian County 1,491 34.81 247 73.68 1,738 40.33
Clark County 616 15.91 202 70.79 818 29.46
Clay County 587 8.52 205 44.39 792 17.80
Clinton County 248 31.85 80 50.00 328 36.28
Cloverport Ind. 33 39.39 13 — 46 41.30
Corbin Ind. 282 23.76 63 79.37 345 33.91
Covington Ind. 922 48.92 195 90.26 1,117 56.13
Crittenden County 163 44.17 30 83.33 193 50.26
Cumberland County 136 18.38 52 38.46 188 23.94
Danville Ind. 254 51.18 69 65.22 323 54.18
Daviess County 1,185 57.64 396 80.05 1,581 63.25
Dawson Springs Ind. 113 43.36 35 68.57 148 49.32
Dayton Ind. 154 39.61 47 80.85 201 49.25
East Bernstadt Ind. 92 57.61 31 87.10 123 65.04
Edmonson County 242 52.07 78 65.38 320 55.31
Elizabethtown Ind. 257 41.25 62 59.68 319 44.83
Elliott County 180 6.11 31 — 211 8.06
Eminence Ind. 93 58.06 20 80.00 113 61.95
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 410 24.39 58 74.14 468 30.56
Estill County 280 33.21 68 61.76 348 38.79
Fairview Ind. 123 43.90 17 — 140 44.29
Fayette County 4,905 33.72 1,077 62.67 5,982 38.93
Fleming County 343 20.12 63 44.44 406 23.89
Floyd County 1,137 2.20 316 16.77 1,453 5.37
Fort Thomas Ind. 60 36.67 44 63.64 104 48.08
Frankfort Ind. 84 46.43 33 57.58 117 49.57
Franklin County 843 27.16 192 69.27 1,035 34.98
Fulton County 80 16.25 39 66.67 119 32.77
Fulton Ind. 79 37.97 10 — 89 40.45
Gallatin County 223 51.12 57 70.18 280 55.00
Garrard County 296 41.89 73 79.45 369 49.32
Glasgow Ind. 350 48.57 142 62.68 492 52.64
Grant County 510 25.49 120 65.00 630 33.02
Graves County 422 45.73 220 81.82 642 58.10
Grayson County 447 29.98 164 79.27 611 43.21
Green County 218 20.18 91 26.37 309 22.01
Greenup County 439 14.35 106 33.96 545 18.17
Hancock County 148 40.54 53 69.81 201 48.26
Hardin County 1,690 43.55 472 80.72 2,162 51.67
Harlan County 651 33.64 169 42.01 820 35.37
Harlan Ind. 102 45.10 25 68.00 127 49.61
Harrison County 393 35.88 90 45.56 483 37.68
Hart County 288 31.94 142 66.90 430 43.49
Hazard Ind. 130 52.31 22 54.55 152 52.63
Henderson County 846 61.11 230 85.65 1,076 66.36
Henry County 221 52.49 77 89.61 298 62.08
138

Hickman County 63 20.63 54 61.11 117 39.32
Hopkins County 680 30.29 322 79.50 1,002 46.11
Jackson County 323 11.15 121 29.75 444 16.22
Jackson Ind. 51 27.45 — — 55 29.09
Jefferson County 14,455 27.27 1,987 59.59 16,442 31.18
Jenkins Ind. 80 27.50 14 — 94 32.98
Jessamine County 974 44.56 213 84.04 1,187 51.64
Johnson County 435 — 87 20.69 522 4.79
Kenton County 1,174 37.31 346 86.99 1,520 48.62
Knott County 350 24.57 149 37.58 499 28.46
Knox County 773 20.18 114 32.46 887 21.76
LaRue County 244 27.87 74 64.86 318 36.48
Laurel County 1,268 19.40 401 55.11 1,669 27.98
Lawrence County 355 34.37 154 66.23 509 44.01
Lee County 184 N/A 28 N/A 212 N/A
Leslie County 259 50.97 50 94.00 309 57.93
Letcher County 388 9.54 234 27.78 622 16.40
Lewis County 312 18.91 105 41.90 417 24.70
Lincoln County 475 6.11 109 22.02 584 9.08
Livingston County 157 40.76 41 80.49 198 48.99
Logan County 329 45.29 155 79.35 484 56.20
Ludlow Ind. 86 53.49 33 84.85 119 62.18
Lyon County 115 51.30 15 66.67 130 53.08
Madison County 1,236 25.73 350 72.29 1,586 36.00
Magoffin County 331 — 95 11.58 426 3.76
Marion County 380 34.47 125 64.00 505 41.78
Marshall County 588 36.22 109 51.38 697 38.59
Martin County 280 — 110 25.45 390 8.97
Mason County 313 30.67 127 64.57 440 40.45
Mayfield Ind. 305 38.36 128 67.97 433 47.11
McCracken County 713 31.84 204 67.16 917 39.69
McCreary County 410 40.98 214 72.43 624 51.76
McLean County 181 37.57 76 59.21 257 43.97
Meade County 471 39.28 152 71.05 623 47.03
Menifee County 159 — 45 — 204 5.39
Mercer County 354 35.31 126 74.60 480 45.63
Metcalfe County 248 54.03 73 65.75 321 56.70
Middlesboro Ind. 178 16.85 41 82.93 219 29.22
Monroe County 247 50.20 96 58.33 343 52.48
Montgomery County 606 21.29 205 46.83 811 27.74
Morgan County 285 — 90 — 375 —
Muhlenberg County 479 41.96 249 60.24 728 48.21
Murray Independent 167 23.35 52 63.46 219 32.88
Nelson County 422 36.97 154 74.68 576 47.05
Newport Ind. 402 30.35 57 56.14 459 33.55
Nicholas County 161 21.74 47 51.06 208 28.37
139
Appendix I Legislative Research Commission

Ohio County 602 40.20 157 64.97 759 45.32
Oldham County 526 42.21 172 68.02 698 48.57
Owen County 212 51.42 67 85.07 279 59.50
Owensboro Ind. 775 49.94 155 86.45 930 56.02
Owsley County 128 10.16 23 — 151 10.60
Paducah Ind. 577 10.92 91 51.65 668 16.47
Paintsville Ind. 94 0.00 20 0.00 114 0.00
Paris Ind. 134 28.36 20 70.00 154 33.77
Pendleton County 298 36.91 111 76.58 409 47.68
Perry County 607 39.21 168 72.62 775 46.45
Pike County 1,251 5.76 267 17.98 1,518 7.91
Pikeville Ind. 121 — 31 45.16 152 11.84
Pineville Ind. 71 40.85 21 61.90 92 45.65
Powell County 309 9.39 107 58.88 416 22.12
Pulaski County 1,153 36.43 311 64.31 1,464 42.35
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 124 35.48 22 68.18 146 40.41
Robertson County 40 — 11 — 51 19.61
Rockcastle County 316 32.59 148 47.97 464 37.50
Rowan County 441 47.17 79 86.08 520 53.08
Russell County 570 32.81 109 59.63 679 37.11
Russell Ind. 212 21.23 72 51.39 284 28.87
Russellville Ind. 157 41.40 46 76.09 203 49.26
Science Hill Ind. 61 49.18 23 82.61 84 58.33
Scott County 762 41.47 325 76.92 1,087 52.07
Shelby County 702 49.00 206 74.76 908 54.85
Silver Grove Ind. 30 43.33 — — 38 55.26
Simpson County 303 32.01 142 76.76 445 46.29
Somerset Ind. 211 39.34 72 70.83 283 47.35
Southgate Ind. 36 38.89 — — 44 47.73
Spencer County 231 41.56 82 78.05 313 51.12
Taylor County 284 40.85 59 69.49 343 45.77
Todd County 216 62.04 102 71.57 318 65.09
Trigg County 249 38.55 53 58.49 302 42.05
Trimble County 174 6.90 28 — 202 6.44
Union County 250 54.80 71 74.65 321 59.19
Walton-Verona Ind. 111 28.83 56 73.21 167 43.71
Warren County 1,763 43.22 442 73.98 2,205 49.39
Washington County 224 15.18 96 42.71 320 23.44
Wayne County 415 63.37 127 81.10 542 67.53
Webster County 292 28.77 88 84.09 380 41.58
West Point Ind. 27 37.04 — — 34 44.12
Whitley County 654 23.09 201 38.31 855 26.67
Williamsburg Ind. 120 65.83 23 82.61 143 68.53
Williamstown Ind. 102 34.31 26 53.85 128 38.28
Wolfe County 167 N/A 67 N/A 234 N/A
Woodford County 364 41.76 124 63.71 488 47.34
140

State average 482.73 33.07 126.38 60.37 609 39.20
State median 288.00 34.68 87.00 65.00 375 42.05
State total 83,513 31.68 21,864 62.43 105,377 38.06
Note: K = kindergarten; P = preschool; — = data are not reported pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act; N/A = no preschool program. When the number of students in a particular category is less than 10, the
number and percentage are not reported.
141
Legislative Research Commission Appendix J
143
Legislative Research Commission Appendix K
Appendix K
Responses From The Members Of The National Technical Advisory Panel
On Assessment And Accountability
145
Appendix K Legislative Research Commission
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
Legislative Research Commission Appendix L
Appendix L
Kindergarten Readiness By District

This table shows the percentage of all students and preschool students ready for kindergarten by
school district and by FRPL and IEP status. For this table, FRPL students who also qualified for
an IEP are counted as IEP students only.
Percent Of Students Ready For Kindergarten

All Students FRPL Students IEP Students
District All Pre. All Pre. All Pre.
Adair County 42.78% 39.77% 39.52% 39.56% 14.93% 17.02%
Allen County 40.41 — 38.08 — 16.48 —
Anchorage Ind. 87.76 — — — — —
Anderson County 52.98 52.29 46.40 52.04 37.78 41.75
Ashland Ind. 43.34 41.48 39.30 44.44 23.00 15.38
Augusta Ind. 42.59 44.44 40.00 46.67 36.36 40.00
Ballard County 58.80 66.22 53.66 66.67 29.73 47.06
Barbourville Ind. 65.07 80.65 59.57 73.53 54.55 75.00
Bardstown Ind. 61.39 66.10 61.88 71.15 30.69 32.53
Barren County 54.86 59.50 52.30 62.36 34.90 38.65
Bath County 38.98 42.50 35.25 38.24 16.67 26.67
Beechwood Ind. 75.21 37.04 41.86 29.41 27.27 —
Bell County 38.47 41.06 38.01 40.97 15.48 23.33
Bellevue Ind. 51.49 58.90 47.30 67.86 32.14 32.00
Berea Ind. 60.27 58.82 54.81 62.50 27.59 —
Boone County 58.65 42.23 40.74 42.04 36.10 36.63
Bourbon County 50.36 44.76 43.70 41.04 30.88 27.50
Bowling Green Ind. 55.78 39.53 44.12 42.25 22.62 20.75
Boyd County 54.87 52.63 48.99 58.33 45.87 —
Boyle County 58.62 57.96 48.84 57.39 37.36 32.84
Bracken County 46.42 40.70 46.62 45.45 21.28 28.57
Breathitt County 44.03 55.03 40.66 56.98 30.49 39.29
Breckinridge County 46.98 56.62 44.41 63.89 29.03 21.43
Bullitt County 50.09 42.62 39.82 46.17 28.06 28.72
Burgin Ind. 48.15 41.94 48.65 58.33 25.00 —
Butler County 46.83 51.81 37.99 47.37 34.15 39.58
Caldwell County 54.55 48.15 50.18 52.63 19.35 36.36
Calloway County 48.91 38.73 43.88 40.40 17.86 19.23
Campbell County 48.79 41.67 38.26 51.11 19.38 21.84
Campbellsville Ind. 37.04 53.49 34.30 55.93 21.88 37.50
Carlisle County 62.24 63.16 57.81 59.38 39.29 40.74
Carroll County 39.52 38.10 31.48 60.00 12.00 —
Carter County 53.24 70.02 48.26 66.02 32.5% 50.75
Caverna Ind. 43.64 50.54 50.45 61.82 23.08 26.67
Casey County 40.29 41.04 37.38 45.88 21.52 26.83
163
Appendix L Legislative Research Commission

Christian County 46.86 45.57 43.65 49.25 23.28 23.21
Clark County 61.78 60.64 57.14 66.04 40.88 44.53
Clay County 30.60 53.56 25.15 50.57 28.40 42.27
Clinton County 37.46 47.37 39.13 51.28 13.24 16.67
Cloverport Ind. 55.41 61.22 46.43 50.00 45.45 —
Corbin Ind. 50.80 56.08 39.71 42.86 32.76 42.31
Covington Ind. 42.78 45.39 42.38 48.93 32.20 33.33
Crittenden County 48.26 55.07 37.01 46.05 32.00 42.11
Cumberland County 38.31 — 38.71 — 11.90 —
Danville Ind. 37.44 28.57 31.82 30.85 13.11 8.33
Daviess County 54.31 50.06 45.19 48.45 33.89 34.00
Dawson Springs Ind. 40.94 28.07 37.50 28.13 22.22 15.79
Dayton Ind. 44.08 57.69 43.17 64.10 31.82 39.13
East Bernstadt Ind. 52.69 53.13 48.86 57.41 38.71 34.48
Edmonson County 52.02 55.36 44.20 64.52 29.31 26.67
Elizabethtown Ind. 52.07 44.19 41.06 40.38 29.63 31.82
Elliott County 37.39 — 36.08 — 13.64 —
Eminence Ind. 53.75 45.61 42.68 51.35 20.00 27.27
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 40.58 29.57 34.86 36.11 12.50 9.09
Estill County 53.85 50.00 52.43 — 46.03 —
Fairview Ind. 39.74 40.48 36.52 40.98 9.09 —
Fayette County 52.53 35.81 36.94 38.71 27.36 23.23
Fleming County 45.70 42.86 38.66 47.37 13.95 —
Floyd County 53.49 66.28 51.03 70.29 45.95 50.00
Fort Thomas Ind. 79.06 54.10 64.29 58.82 41.18 33.33
Frankfort Ind. 50.3 54.05 44.00 55.26 23.08 30.00
Franklin County 47.86 39.94 37.81 43.93 25.33 26.67
Fulton County 49.61 50.00 51.39 55.56 36.84 41.18
Fulton Ind. 58.00 57.14 54.05 — 70.00 —
Gallatin County 42.02 38.71 38.31 41.51 26.67 19.35
Garrard County 48.70 50.00 45.68 58.46 25.81 20.83
Glasgow Ind. 53.01 58.22 48.03 56.65 42.86 44.71
Grant County 45.41 45.99 40.20 49.68 27.27 31.82
Graves County 67.43 68.00 61.29 60.38 60.98 66.67
Grayson County 41.07 42.07 35.42 44.83 29.81 31.30
Green County 54.57 59.65 51.74 54.55 21.82 30.00
Greenup County 57.48 72.34 54.86 69.51 35.71 50.00
Hancock County 47.20 37.00 38.57 43.48 19.15 13.33
Hardin County 49.91 40.91 45.16 46.75 32.93 20.59
Harlan County 40.00 46.79 42.00 53.64 18.59 21.21
Graves County 55.92 62.16 50.52 57.81 45.83 50.00
Harrison County 49.38 48.29 43.67 48.39 23.94 18.92
Hart County 43.36 52.63 39.29 51.19 31.86 38.10
Hazard Ind. 56.40 56.52 51.20 55.56 28.57 —
Henderson County 52.69 49.69 46.21 51.13 27.35 26.01
164

Henry County 55.85 56.63 49.28 60.19 31.43 32.76
Hickman County 68.09 70.00 70.37 75.86 43.75 45.71
Hopkins County 59.97 51.21 57.17 61.17 36.33 36.21
Jackson County 47.94 59.64 47.27 58.54 29.07 34.29
Jackson Ind. 42.31 42.86 32.00 40.00 — —
Jefferson County 50.44 50.42 42.83 54.70 27.51 25.27
Jenkins Ind. 28.24 51.28 30.77 68.00 8.33 —
Jessamine County 47.96 48.11 39.24 48.73 28.72 30.95
Johnson County 43.54 34.92 35.63 32.50 19.40 22.22
Kenton County 53.81 34.07 39.18 36.20 25.62 26.89
Knott County 37.96 46.15 36.63 44.90 26.79 33.33
Knox County 35.09 56.15 31.42 50.00 16.25 30.30
LaRue County 44.47 33.00 38.20 37.50 28.77 24.39
Laurel County 43.05 53.42 35.46 57.19 37.76 42.74
Lawrence County 47.57 55.21 43.85 55.81 32.81 37.00
Lee County 30.43 N/A 29.11 N/A 0.00 N/A
Leslie County 48.08 56.25 45.42 58.33 26.83 —
Letcher County 43.92 72.64 38.27 71.43 36.76 63.41
Lewis County 44.49 52.52 42.56 47.76 37.36 45.00
Lincoln County 42.32 48.91 40.93 54.00 26.74 21.74
Livingston County 46.80 40.35 44.93 39.39 21.62 20.00
Logan County 47.16 41.84 42.54 45.83 22.96 22.64
Ludlow Ind. 47.02 58.33 40.00 58.62 32.26 50.00
Lyon County 49.00 37.93 38.10 41.03 8.33 —
Madison County 51.51 41.58 43.51 48.41 26.58 23.98
Magoffin County 48.50 72.73 47.59 — 34.21 —
Marion County 55.99 54.46 56.28 65.08 35.77 37.70
Marshall County 55.59 40.00 46.09 40.66 19.12 25.00
Martin County 41.09 53.08 41.96 56.25 27.72 39.47
Mason County 46.82 44.02 42.67 41.86 29.37 34.57
Mayfield Ind. 50.21 — 50.17 — 34.96 —
McCracken County 61.77 49.60 50.08 52.63 39.51 36.00
McCreary County 40.00 38.83 40.21 40.00 30.59 32.56
McLean County 35.24 26.32 29.11 29.17 18.18 15.38
Meade County 44.50 44.77 38.62 42.29 28.47 29.35
Menifee County 34.36 — 36.36 — 16.13 —
Mercer County 45.27 31.62 40.12 29.51 28.07 23.40
Metcalfe County 50.01 55.36 47.62 50.34 38.98 47.83
Middlesboro Ind. 40.93 44.44 35.50 — 38.46 —
Monroe County 59.38 57.06 59.17 62.73 37.88 39.62
Montgomery County 49.90 54.08 46.11 57.78 29.25 33.33
Morgan County 33.74 36.96 27.27 39.68 24.53 20.00
Muhlenberg County 46.93 44.69 44.57 53.61 26.82 29.31
Murray Ind. 64.90 45.45 54.09 — 40.82 —
Nelson County 54.52 52.55 48.74 53.75 33.33 30.36
165
Appendix L Legislative Research Commission

Newport Ind. 41.11 39.06 41.09 41.35 26.00 29.17
Nicholas County 40.09 — 31.62 — 25.71 —
Ohio County 42.96 40.47 38.63 42.38 24.30 27.42
Oldham County 67.32 38.32 42.30 39.66 29.45 21.05
Owen County 64.41 65.93 58.85 69.09 45.00 50.00
Owensboro Ind. 40.81 36.24 36.67 36.32 23.78 24.19
Owsley County 45.51 70.00 47.93 — 5.00 —
Paducah Ind. 49.86 53.33 48.11 57.41 9.23 16.67
Paintsville Ind. 58.79 — 47.19 25.00 41.18 —
Paris Ind. 28.14 25.53 20.87 — 16.67 13.33
Pendleton County 43.42 41.52 42.38 50.65 27.66 26.47
Perry County 45.29 53.73 42.03 53.67 33.77 36.36
Pike County 45.92 57.42 43.26 56.77 30.30 34.15
Pikeville Ind. 73.40 76.00 58.33 64.29 66.67 69.23
Pineville Ind. 40.38 53.85 41.27 — 15.79 —
Powell County 27.89 22.52 25.59 31.75 18.27 9.52
Pulaski County 43.25 42.66 37.42 44.89 21.61 22.80
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 54.55 60.87 41.58 48.72 55.56 —
Robertson County 57.58 75.00 50.00 — 40.00 —
Rockcastle County 41.54 38.51 39.10 39.76 23.68 18.75
Rowan County 43.59 44.38 38.53 45.19 20.27 18.03
Russell County 40.62 38.03 37.23 41.45 19.23 17.65
Russell Ind. 67.91 49.46 60.21 65.22 29.82 25.00
Russellville Ind. 45.58 54.29 45.14 54.29 38.46 44.00
Science Hill Ind. 59.38 60.47 56.60 60.00 35.29 41.67
Scott County 48.59 33.58 32.38 34.26 27.46 25.62
Shelby County 56.10 40.43 46.35 47.93 24.04 20.51
Silver Grove Ind. 53.06 68.75 56.67 — — —
Simpson County 48.73 42.86 43.84 46.15 36.96 35.14
Somerset Ind. 45.00 41.67 43.32 39.29 26.23 28.57
Southgate Ind. 43.40 40.00 42.42 35.71 — —
Spencer County 51.33 50.00 40.51 44.93 36.36 42.22
Taylor County 50.52 51.19 45.55 55.08 18.18 20.00
Todd County 41.99 40.57 35.75 35.51 19.51 17.57
Trigg County 43.73 38.96 39.15 43.14 21.95 17.65
Trimble County 48.71 72.22 43.95 — 18.18 —
Union County 51.07 49.02 49.34 55.56 16.95 9.09
Walton-Verona Ind. 59.08 56.82 48.60 60.00 37.74 46.67
Warren County 52.43 41.03 43.50 40.61 30.14 30.84
Washington County 43.03 53.33 41.11 54.39 26.47 27.91
Wayne County 43.18 47.74 41.22 47.40 23.53 26.21
Webster County 43.35 42.05 35.44 41.86 34.67 40.00
West Point Ind. 51.22 55.56 43.48 38.46 — —
Whitley County 47.90 51.63 47.79 53.19 28.57 23.26
Williamsburg Ind. 47.80 51.32 46.43 50.00 30.43 25.00
166

Williamstown Ind. 54.49 38.46 46.32 36.36 23.53 27.27
Wolfe County* 34.51 N/A 32.70 N/A 17.86 N/A
Woodford County 51.02 37.93 36.66 34.31 24.51 23.21
State 50.04% 48.11% 42.36% 50.04% 29.34% 30.37%
Note: FRPL= free or reduced price lunch; IEP= individualized education program; — = data are not reported
pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; N/A = no preschool program. When the number of
students in a particular category is less than 10, the number and percentage are not reported.
Source: OEA analysis of data from the Kentucky Department of Education.
167
Legislative Research Commission Appendix M
Appendix M
General Assembly Cost For Full-Day Kindergarten, FY 2017
SEEK Base Capital

District + Add-Ons Tier I Outlay FSPK Total SEEK
Adair County $377,796 $66,522 $9,490 $37,154 $490,962
Allen County 432,341 77,056 10,860 664,663 1,184,920
Anchorage Ind. 61,996 0 1,558 0 63,554
Anderson County 437,822 79,322 10,998 538,977 1,067,119
Ashland Ind. 469,929 83,090 11,804 671,383 1,236,206
Augusta Ind. 27,675 4,555 695 2,721 35,646
Ballard County 177,322 34,237 4,454 159,491 375,504
Barbourville Ind. 90,412 14,299 2,272 8,892 115,875
Bardstown Ind. 402,627 78,221 10,114 374,863 865,825
Barren County 665,312 116,044 16,712 1,041,136 1,839,204
Bath County 278,897 47,485 7,006 539,151 872,539
Beechwood Ind. 170,932 27,768 4,294 222,413 425,407
Bell County 373,366 64,334 9,379 744,178 1,191,257
Bellevue Ind. 87,470 15,997 2,198 8,602 114,267
Berea Ind. 134,813 22,813 3,386 295,631 456,643
Boone County 2,561,929 510,159 64,354 1,068,270 4,204,712
Bourbon County 400,664 73,498 10,064 39,402 523,628
Bowling Green Ind. 586,314 104,060 14,728 873,389 1,578,491
Boyd County 460,129 89,109 11,559 433,615 994,412
Boyle County 345,320 67,437 8,674 131,998 553,429
Bracken County 167,126 31,198 4,198 237,062 439,584
Breathitt County 278,901 49,694 7,006 27,427 363,028
Breckinridge County 404,215 75,297 10,154 146,421 636,087
Bullitt County 1,712,853 319,779 43,025 1,868,626 3,944,283
Burgin Ind. 78,875 14,247 1,981 67,782 162,885
Butler County 252,761 43,223 6,349 24,857 327,190
Caldwell County 268,582 46,739 6,746 26,413 348,480
Calloway County 407,706 81,550 10,242 40,095 539,593
Campbell County 695,751 0 17,477 0 713,228
Campbellsville Ind. 225,106 41,782 5,654 71,740 344,282
Carlisle County 69,409 12,858 1,743 135,414 219,424
Carroll County 304,128 55,348 7,640 29,909 397,025
Carter County 631,009 108,027 15,850 1,197,819 1,952,705
Casey County 324,364 57,565 8,148 31,898 421,975
Caverna Ind. 112,785 22,879 2,833 11,092 149,589
Christian County 1,372,485 258,064 34,475 134,974 1,799,998
Clark County 628,424 122,886 15,786 557,163 1,324,259
Clay County 489,707 82,539 12,301 48,159 632,706
Clinton County 206,881 36,635 5,197 20,345 269,058
Cloverport Ind. 41,542 6,545 1,044 4,085 53,216
Corbin Independent 346,036 55,680 8,692 843,072 1,253,480
169
Appendix M Legislative Research Commission
SEEK Base Capital

Covington Ind. 709,956 134,530 17,834 69,819 932,139
Crittenden County 203,601 37,112 5,115 20,022 265,850
Cumberland County 139,307 26,468 3,499 169,836 339,110
Danville Ind. 294,104 54,837 7,388 87,466 443,795
Daviess County 1,493,922 281,397 37,526 1,591,166 3,404,011
Dawson Springs Ind. 110,424 17,454 2,774 10,859 141,511
Dayton Ind. 137,309 22,814 3,450 13,503 177,076
East Bernstadt Ind. 105,070 16,848 2,640 186,914 311,472
Edmonson County 260,779 47,504 6,551 25,645 340,479
Elizabethtown Ind. 286,047 48,928 7,185 541,449 883,609
Elliott County 149,499 25,720 3,755 14,702 193,676
Eminence Ind. 113,884 18,325 2,861 258,026 393,096
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 390,974 67,462 9,821 38,449 506,706
Estill County 306,900 52,273 7,709 30,182 397,064
Fairview Ind. 94,525 15,689 2,375 199,780 312,369
Fayette County 6,314,623 361,543 158,619 176,833 7,011,618
Fleming County 329,150 58,466 8,268 528,792 924,676
Floyd County 1,011,859 191,938 25,418 1,174,364 2,403,579
Fort Thomas Ind. 350,459 55,462 8,803 514,645 929,369
Frankfort Ind. 103,912 17,970 2,610 10,219 134,711
Franklin County 898,970 172,757 22,582 663,883 1,758,192
Fulton County 79,134 15,149 1,988 7,783 104,054
Fulton Ind. 53,158 9,318 1,335 5,228 69,039
Gallatin County 216,956 39,077 5,450 607,480 868,963
Garrard County 389,752 69,466 9,791 547,423 1,016,432
Glasgow Ind. 332,005 58,382 8,340 488,491 887,218
Grant County 474,782 84,169 11,926 869,985 1,440,862
Graves County 603,293 110,334 15,155 59,329 788,111
Grayson County 535,537 95,152 13,453 52,665 696,807
Green County 208,310 36,527 5,232 391,159 641,228
Greenup County 410,328 73,718 10,307 40,353 534,706
Hancock County 233,680 44,136 5,870 22,981 306,667
Hardin County 1,942,525 372,429 48,795 2,206,041 4,569,790
Harlan County 524,684 94,935 13,180 51,598 684,397
Harlan Ind. 94,331 15,341 2,369 58,408 170,449
Harrison County 397,427 71,822 9,983 39,084 518,316
Hart County 348,932 62,830 8,765 157,057 577,584
Hazard Ind. 132,807 22,292 3,336 253,965 412,400
Henderson County 961,603 177,314 24,155 385,601 1,548,673
Henry County 273,371 48,651 6,867 444,913 773,802
Hickman County 84,393 16,931 2,120 8,300 111,744
Hopkins County 986,089 186,536 24,770 96,974 1,294,369
Jackson County 354,878 62,075 8,914 607,010 1,032,877
Jackson Ind. 39,050 6,164 981 3,840 50,035
Jefferson County 14,317,508 549,755 359,646 253,271 15,480,180
Jenkins Ind. 66,135 11,256 1,661 6,504 85,556
170
Legislative Research Commission Appendix M
SEEK Base Capital

Jessamine County 1,217,617 236,896 30,586 940,579 2,425,678
Johnson County 432,372 75,461 10,861 260,109 778,803
Kenton County 2,005,560 400,224 50,378 1,108,510 3,564,672
Knott County 344,798 70,407 8,661 33,908 457,774
Knox County 688,112 120,925 17,285 67,670 893,992
LaRue County 263,371 47,401 6,616 25,901 343,289
Laurel County 1,189,961 215,558 29,891 1,853,915 3,289,325
Lawrence County 377,454 69,631 9,481 37,120 493,686
Lee County 156,370 28,260 3,928 15,377 203,935
Leslie County 236,113 43,968 5,931 357,705 643,717
Letcher County 452,131 86,900 11,358 44,464 594,853
Lewis County 272,666 49,875 6,849 158,341 487,731
Lincoln County 482,732 85,579 12,126 47,473 627,910
Livingston County 177,544 32,886 4,460 15,036 229,926
Logan County 463,046 83,618 11,631 205,394 763,689
Ludlow Ind. 87,284 14,608 2,193 8,584 112,669
Lyon County 119,254 0 2,996 0 122,250
Madison County 1,548,470 283,950 38,896 1,837,015 3,708,331
Magoffin County 270,195 46,698 6,787 571,833 895,513
Marion County 398,566 73,282 10,012 39,196 521,056
Marshall County 653,549 121,064 16,417 618,457 1,409,487
Martin County 272,169 48,749 6,837 452,747 780,502
Mason County 340,160 67,374 8,545 33,452 449,531
Mayfield Ind. 293,850 48,491 7,382 507,896 857,619
McCracken County 1,046,522 196,986 26,288 734,039 2,003,835
McCreary County 424,594 72,546 10,666 41,756 549,562
McLean County 222,845 40,208 5,597 21,915 290,565
Meade County 592,990 105,372 14,895 2,075,516 2,788,773
Menifee County 158,787 26,603 3,989 15,615 204,994
Mercer County 364,421 70,565 9,154 415,594 859,734
Metcalfe County 218,115 38,146 5,478 370,876 632,615
Middlesboro Ind. 126,874 23,949 3,187 12,477 166,487
Monroe County 220,882 37,818 5,548 467,872 732,120
Montgomery County 649,647 118,071 16,318 1,003,070 1,787,106
Morgan County 275,780 47,051 6,928 156,827 486,586
Muhlenberg County 660,877 117,878 16,601 64,993 860,349
Murray Ind. 247,941 41,307 6,228 369,026 664,502
Nelson County 603,703 114,740 15,165 542,972 1,276,580
Newport Ind. 323,190 60,523 8,119 31,783 423,615
Nicholas County 160,808 27,568 4,039 272,080 464,495
Ohio County 623,943 108,685 15,673 61,360 809,661
Oldham County 1,573,174 290,167 39,517 3,059,374 4,962,232
Owen County 231,957 42,504 5,827 715,389 995,677
Owensboro Ind. 774,404 135,794 19,453 76,157 1,005,808
Owsley County 104,664 17,638 2,629 10,293 135,224
Paducah Ind. 523,983 93,847 13,162 581,277 1,212,269
171
Appendix M Legislative Research Commission
SEEK Base Capital

Paintsville Ind. 111,938 18,703 2,812 176,873 310,326
Paris Ind. 135,819 24,100 3,412 13,357 176,688
Pendleton County 327,489 59,049 8,226 552,775 947,539
Perry County 556,153 107,167 13,970 749,537 1,426,827
Pike County 1,157,161 207,914 29,067 1,867,273 3,261,415
Pikeville Ind. 176,008 31,770 4,422 17,309 229,509
Pineville Ind. 81,809 13,037 2,055 170,023 266,924
Powell County 285,693 49,044 7,177 28,096 370,010
Pulaski County 1,191,636 217,969 29,933 117,188 1,556,726
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 144,498 23,371 3,630 83,857 255,356
Robertson County 64,532 11,202 1,621 99,472 176,827
Rockcastle County 343,194 58,496 8,621 33,750 444,061
Rowan County 475,901 86,374 11,954 552,873 1,127,102
Russell County 546,528 99,565 13,728 585,929 1,245,750
Russell Ind. 348,110 61,095 8,744 34,234 452,183
Russellville Ind. 134,514 23,682 3,379 245,737 407,312
Science Hill Ind. 71,137 11,990 1,787 107,689 192,603
Scott County 1,192,233 226,109 29,948 1,079,129 2,527,419
Shelby County 916,813 180,620 23,030 755,995 1,876,458
Silver Grove Ind. 27,349 5,464 687 2,690 36,190
Simpson County 393,127 74,773 9,875 38,661 516,436
Somerset Ind. 193,409 35,304 4,858 232,117 465,688
Southgate Ind. 46,625 8,846 1,172 4,585 61,228
Spencer County 393,828 73,747 9,892 481,124 958,591
Taylor County 292,273 52,173 7,341 518,783 870,570
Todd County 243,728 44,160 6,123 435,232 729,243
Trigg County 258,374 48,765 6,490 25,409 339,038
Trimble County 177,306 32,687 4,454 17,437 231,884
Union County 273,045 53,543 6,859 26,852 360,299
Walton-Verona Ind. 190,786 32,569 4,792 350,799 578,946
Warren County 2,216,665 422,047 55,681 1,730,829 4,425,222
Washington County 251,862 47,109 6,326 318,915 624,212
Wayne County 403,522 72,074 10,136 39,684 525,416
Webster County 355,360 63,742 8,927 34,947 462,976
West Point Ind.* (26,099) (4,465) (656) (2,567) (33,787)
Whitley County 620,064 107,676 15,576 60,979 804,295
Williamsburg Ind. 86,173 14,540 2,165 58,498 161,376
Williamstown Ind. 116,392 19,139 2,924 234,597 373,052
Wolfe County 177,879 40,079 4,469 17,493 239,920
Woodford County 492,296 94,968 12,366 258,712 858,342
Total $93,746,229 $14,187,765 $2,354,853 $59,870,094 $170,158,941
Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar. SEEK = Support Education Excellence in Kentucky; FSPK =
Facilities Support Program of Kentucky equalization.
*West Point Independent has declining enrollment over the past 2 years, thus the reduction in SEEK.
172
Legislative Research Commission Appendix N
Appendix N
District Kindergarten Expenses By Source, FY 2016

Adair County $557,077 $0 $0 $557,077
Allen County 639,337 0 61,136 700,473
Anchorage Ind. 194,677 0 0 194,677
Anderson County 935,916 52,180 157,540 1,145,636
Ashland Ind. 1,170,000 0 95,800 1,265,800
Augusta Ind. 72,098 0 1,959 74,057
Ballard County 279,780 0 58,892 338,672
Barbourville Ind. 67,793 0 70,919 138,712
Bardstown Ind. 545,716 0 473,728 1,019,445
Barren County 1,081,765 0 0 1,081,765
Bath County 661,357 0 0 661,357
Beechwood Ind. 151,930 0 1,200 153,130
Bell County 700,068 0 123,726 823,794
Bellevue Ind. 215,101 0 0 215,101
Berea Ind. 220,273 0 171,807 392,080
Boone County 3,163,000 0 0 3,163,000
Bourbon County 575,056 0 0 575,056
Bowling Green Ind. 7,645,872 0 0 7,645,872
Boyd County 655,400 0 0 655,400
Boyle County 487,063 22,499 36,928 546,490
Bracken County 388,588 0 0 388,588
Breathitt County — — — —
Breckinridge County 764,949 0 71,824 836,773
Bullitt County 2,555,708 0 0 2,555,708
Burgin Ind. 106,050 0 38,704 144,754
Butler County 709,427 0 23,052 732,479
Caldwell County 369,142 0 37,399 406,540
Calloway County 711,880 0 0 711,880
Campbell County 847,321 0 45,030 892,351
Campbellsville Ind. 323,875 0 0 323,875
Carlisle County 96,001 0 65,741 161,742
Carroll County 738,503 0 0 738,503
Carter County 820,265 0 160,581 980,846
Casey County 429,083 207,195 29,654 665,932
Caverna Ind. 101,907 0 165,357 267,263
Christian County 1,163,205 0 1,101,920 2,265,124
Clark County — — — —
Clay County 654,562 0 176,031 830,594
Clinton County 623,032 0 47,162 670,194
Cloverport Ind. 35,754 0 18,230 53,984
Corbin Ind. 484,119 0 0 484,119
Covington Ind. 1,721,716 0 188,983 1,910,699
173
Appendix N Legislative Research Commission

Crittenden County 308,772 0 36,962 345,734
Cumberland County 230,995 0 63,125 294,119
Danville Ind. 442,439 0 0 442,439
Daviess County 3,517,593 0 0 3,517,593
Dawson Springs Ind. 118,467 0 24,656 143,123
Dayton Ind. 295,709 0 0 295,709
East Bernstadt Ind. 135,235 0 0 135,235
Edmonson County 683,406 2,422 9,444 695,272
Elizabethtown Ind. 843,414 0 52,793 896,207
Elliott County 251,841 17,220 0 269,061
Eminence Ind. 160,560 0 0 160,560
Erlanger-Elsmere Ind. 487,086 0 0 487,086
Estill County 1,063,000 103,000 0 1,166,000
Fairview Ind. 136,256 0 0 136,256
Fayette County 17,246,139 0 2,305,165 19,551,304
Fleming County 514,000 0 0 514,000
Floyd County 1,292,590 2,160 546,869 1,841,620
Fort Thomas Ind. 804,145 0 26,400 830,545
Frankfort Ind. 185,425 0 0 185,425
Franklin County 1,697,505 0 0 1,697,505
Fulton County 165,011 0 0 165,011
Fulton Ind. 106,652 0 0 106,652
Gallatin County 421,000 0 0 421,000
Garrard County — — — —
Glasgow Ind. 446,902 0 165,704 612,607
Grant County 797,787 0 0 797,787
Graves County 1,035,275 0 192,545 1,227,820
Grayson County 1,156,926 0 107,235 1,264,161
Green County 404,128 0 46,496 450,624
Greenup County 589,118 0 105,168 694,286
Hancock County — — — —
Hardin County 4,008,573 0 608,850 4,617,424
Harlan County 943,855 0 0 943,855
Harlan Ind. 232,360 0 1,380 233,740
Harrison County 487,404 0 147,422 634,826
Hart County 620,635 0 85,548 706,183
Hazard Ind. 204,705 0 20,422 225,127
Henderson County 1,965,630 0 0 1,965,630
Henry County 373,769 0 291,917 665,686
Hickman County 161,934 0 63,291 225,225
Hopkins County 1,701,566 0 0 1,701,566
Jackson County 382,708 0 0 382,708
Jackson Ind. — — — —
Jefferson County 29,355,414 0 0 29,355,414
Jenkins Ind. 133,682 0 0 133,682
Jessamine County 2,801,707 30,197 296,765 3,128,669
Johnson County 732,267 0 0 732,267
174
Legislative Research Commission Appendix N

Kenton County 1,827,474 57,183 0 1,884,658
Knott County 521,555 0 436,443 957,998
Knox County 1,152,072 0 0 1,152,072
LaRue County 707,180 0 11,572 718,752
Laurel County 1,844,868 0 0 1,844,868
Lawrence County 503,444 0 90,270 593,714
Lee County 147,665 0 47,442 195,106
Leslie County 422,778 0 179,214 601,992
Letcher County 819,053 0 0 819,053
Lewis County 690,708 0 242,743 933,450
Lincoln County — — — —
Livingston County 204,350 0 66,295 270,645
Logan County 808,765 0 100,267 909,032
Ludlow Ind. 81,129 0 23,218 104,347
Lyon County 228,584 0 0 228,584
Madison County 1,390,827 89,500 168,513 1,648,840
Magoffin County 383,895 0 166,929 550,824
Marion County — — — —
Marshall County 1,203,153 0 157,422 1,360,575
Martin County 617,921 0 0 617,921
Mason County 742,099 0 0 742,099
Mayfield Ind. 463,971 0 126,969 590,940
McCracken County 2,211,403 0 0 2,211,403
McCreary County 807,573 0 156,922 964,495
McLean County 376,660 0 6,933 383,593
Meade County 1,058,776 0 0 1,058,776
Menifee County 216,042 0 0 216,042
Mercer County 839,200 0 164,000 1,003,200
Metcalfe County 309,906 0 50,564 360,470
Middlesboro Ind. 245,204 0 0 245,204
Monroe County 348,025 0 50,029 398,054
Montgomery County 1,501,497 0 67,950 1,569,446
Morgan County 606,527 0 102,997 709,524
Muhlenberg County — — — —
Murray Ind. 379,427 0 60,704 440,131
Nelson County 890,000 0 0 890,000
Newport Ind. 543,216 0 0 543,216
Nicholas County 229,258 0 0 229,258
Ohio County 1,141,411 0 134,975 1,276,386
Oldham County 2,570,884 0 0 2,570,884
Owen County 544,054 0 46,713 590,767
Owensboro Ind. 1,183,682 0 64,252 1,247,934
Owsley County 211,250 0 0 211,250
Paducah Ind. 626,095 0 590,691 1,216,786
Paintsville Ind. 218,368 0 10,516 228,884
Paris Ind. 179,126 0 0 179,126
Pendleton County 389,738 0 7,474 397,212
175
Appendix N Legislative Research Commission

Perry County — — — —
Pike County 13,076,959 0 414,848 13,491,807
Pikeville Ind. 305,275 0 43,284 348,560
Pineville Ind. 132,536 0 0 132,536
Powell County 737,902 0 63,243 801,144
Pulaski County 1,668,727 0 67,516 1,736,243
Raceland-Worthington Ind. 205,762 0 0 205,762
Robertson County 78,128 7,300 0 85,428
Rockcastle County 657,350 5,882 22,298 685,530
Rowan County 384,328 0 355,744 740,072
Russell County 1,026,146 0 119,529 1,145,675
Russell Ind. 520,899 0 0 520,899
Russellville Ind. 261,323 0 0 261,323
Science Hill Ind. 74,570 0 15,689 90,259
Scott County 1,785,591 0 191,454 1,977,045
Shelby County 1,257,997 0 79,248 1,337,245
Silver Grove Ind. 92,045 0 25,630 117,675
Simpson County — — — —
Somerset Ind. 356,000 0 13,013 369,013
Southgate Ind. 70,123 0 0 70,123
Spencer County 760,626 0 50,191 810,817
Taylor County 494,179 0 111,365 605,544
Todd County 405,432 0 190,894 596,325
Trigg County 524,783 0 0 524,783
Trimble County 53,174 0 116,056 169,230
Union County 425,880 0 0 425,880
Walton-Verona Ind. 402,170 0 0 402,170
Warren County 3,177,219 0 0 3,177,219
Washington County 385,809 0 69,680 455,489
Wayne County 926,854 0 224,014 1,150,867
Webster County 488,503 0 0 488,503
West Point Ind. 52,341 0 2,430 54,771
Whitley County 1,238,172 0 0 1,238,172
Williamsburg Ind. 126,831 0 60,094 186,925
Williamstown Ind. 205,243 0 68,466 273,709
Wolfe County 452,000 0 0 452,000
Woodford County 984,129 0 0 984,129
Total $179,491,769 $596,739 $14,258,160 $194,346,669
Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar. — = no response.
Source: OEA survey.
176
Legislative Research Commission Endnotes
Endnotes
1
Kentucky. Dept. of Educ. “Uniform Chart of Accounts.” n.d. Web. Sept. 6, 2017.
2
Kentucky. Dept. of Educ. “Preschool Program Review (P2R) Process.” n.p. n.d. Web. Sept. 5, 2017.
3
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood. “Kentucky All STARS.” n.p. n.d. Web. Sep. 5, 2017.
4
Kentucky. Dept. of Educ. “Interpreting The 2012 Kindergarten Screen Pilot Results.” n.d. Web. Sept. 6, 2017.
5
Ibid.
6
Brian French. Brigance Screens III Technical Manual. North Billerica: Curriculum Associates. 2013.
7
Ibid.
8
Kentucky. Dept. of Educ. “Kindergarten Readiness 2016-2017 State Results.” n.d. Web. Sept. 6, 2017.
9
Kentucky. Legislative Research Commission. Office of Educ. Accountability. Overview Of Achievement Gaps In
Kentucky Schools. Research Report No. 429. Frankfort: LRC, October 18, 2016.
10
Janette Pelletier. “Ontario’s Full-Day Kindergarten: A Bold Public Initiative.” Public Sector Digest May 15
2013–June 13, 2017. Web. August 21, 2017.
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S E A RC H

Preschool Program Review

Research Report No. 450

Office Of Education Accountability

Bart Liguori, PhD

Research Report No. 450

Legislative Research Commission

Accepted September 17, 2017, by the

Paid for with state funds. Available in alternative format by request.

In November 2016, the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee

Legislative Research Commission

Chapter 1: Preschool And Kindergarten Program Overview ..........................................................1

Chapter 2: Preschool Funding .......................................................................................................15

Race To The Top Grants ......................................................................25

Chapter 3: Types Of Preschool Programs .....................................................................................37

Recommendation 3.4 ................................................................55

Chapter 4: Preschool Program Evaluation .....................................................................................59

Chapter 5: Kindergarten ................................................................................................................95

Appendix A: District Document Request ..................................................................................109

1.1 Statutes And Regulations Pertaining To Preschool .............................................................8

5.6 Estimated Savings And Kindergarten Enrollment Of Districts Switching To

2.A General Assembly Appropriations, FY 2007 To FY 2017 ................................................16

4.M Kindergarten Readiness By Race, School Years 2015 To 2017 ........................................88

The report makes 15 recommendations:

Preschool And Kindergarten Program Overview

Head Start was created by the federal government in 1965 to help

In 1999, Governor Paul Patton created the Governor’s Early

During the 2000 regular session, both chambers of the General

In 2009, by executive order, Governor Steve Beshear created the

In July 2011, by executive order, Governor Beshear created the

• Expanding the number of United Way Born Learning

• Redesigning the voluntary tiered quality rating improvement

There is no statutory There is no statutory requirement that students attend kindergarten,

KRS 157.320(7) discusses the full-time equivalent pupil average

offer at least a half-day kindergarten program, students begin

Description Of The Study

Data Used For The Study

In addition, OEA used information collected during interviews

Organization Of The Report

• Kentucky is serving 1,110 fewer preschool students than in

than 80 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL).

• As of the 2017 school year, six districts offer half-day

of $3,957 in FY 2016 for salaries, benefits and special

Statutes And Regulations

Table 1.1 contains a list of preschool statutes and regulations with

District And School Preschool Program Supports

Preschool teachers, administrators, principals, and superintendents

Kentucky Department Of Education

Compliance And Quality Improvement Support. Each year,

Professional Learning Support. Between 2011 and 2016, KDE

Assessment Support. Each year KDE supports school districts in

Collaborative Support. KDE staff members support statewide

Early Childhood Regional Training Centers

There are 15 RTC staff, located in five regions, dedicated to

A memorandum of agreement is signed between KDE and each

Professional Learning Support. RTCs help design, model,

KISSED professional learning, teacher and administrator

Compliance And Quality Improvement Support. RTCs provide

Lending Library Support. RTCs provide school district staff and

Consultation And Technical Assistance Support. RTCs assist