The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families has released the sixth policy brief in its Great Start series, “The Unique History of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten in Wisconsin.”
The new brief provides a historical overiew of 4K in the state and explores key developments–starting with the inclusion of education for 4-year-olds in the 1848 Constitution and the establishment of first private kindergarten in the country in 1856, followed by the surge in public education for 4-year-olds in the late 1800s, the decline or 4K from 1920-1970, and the resurgence from 1980-2010. The paper also examines the causes of the rapid growth in 4K over the last 15 years and the emergence of the community approach to 4K and recent quality efforts. Finally, the brief lays out five implications for the future of 4K:
- Statewide Universal 4K;
- Evaluation of 4K in Wisconsin;
- Schools as Leaders in Early Learning;
- Quality Control for 4K; and
- School Readiness Data.
