Gearing Up for Kindergarten
For North Dakota Administrators
What is Gearing Up for Kindergarten?
How is the Class Organized?
How Does the Legislated Reimbursement Program Work?
How Does Our School District Get Involved?
Who Should be Trained?
Why Should Our District Offer Gearing Up for Kindergarten?
Watch a Video to See How Gearing Up for Kindergarten Works
What is Gearing Up for Kindergarten?
The 2011 Legislature’s Education Bill 2150 included funding to expand the Gearing Up for Kindergarten program in North Dakota. The Gearing Up for Kindergarten program was developed by NDSU Extension Service specialists and Parent Resource Center coordinators to assist parents and their children in preparing for the transition to kindergarten.
Entering kindergarten is a major transition in the life of a child and his or her parents. Kids need to be ready for school, and schools need to be ready for kids. That’s why Gearing Up for Kindergarten offers educational classes that prepare parents and their children for success in school.
How is the Class Organized?
- Parents and their child attend the year prior to entering kindergarten.
- Parents receive the maximum benefit by attending a total of 16 weekly sessions. Some schools offer eight sessions in the fall and eight sessions in the spring. Others run 16 sessions consecutively. A second approach with good quality results is offering 10 weekly sessions. Fewer than 10 sessions did not produce maximum benefits.
How Does the Legislated Reimbursement Program Work?
To qualify for reimbursement, your school district must:
- Have a representative (kindergarten teacher, school principal, program coordinator, etc.) trained in the Gearing Up for Kindergarten program. View upcoming opportunities here.
- Offer the 10- or 16-week program
- Complete the evaluation forms provided
Maximum Reimbursement for a School District Based on Kindergarten Enrollment for 2012-2013
| Projected school kindergarten enrollment fall 2012 |
Number of classes eligible for reimbursement |
16 Sessions per class Maximum dollars available |
10 Sessions per class Maximum dollars available |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-30 | 1 | $5,280 | $3,330 |
| 31-70 |
2 |
$10,560 |
$6,660 |
| 71-110 | 3 | $15,840 | $9,990 |
| 111-160 | 4 | $21,120 | $13,320 |
| 161-300 | 5 | $26,400 | $16,650 |
| 301-600 | 6 | $31,680 | $19,980 |
| 601-1000 | 7 | $36,960 | $23,310 |
Research results recommends 12 to 15 students per class. Click here for additional funding options.
Payment options for 2012-2013 include either full reimbursement at conclusion or partial reimbursement mid-way and balance at conclusion.
How Does Our School District Get Involved?
- Complete the application form.
- Schedule a training session with the Gearing Up for Kindergarten coordinator (judith.konerza@gfschools.org).
- Plan the number of classes based on 10 to 15 students/parents per class.
- Reimbursement is intended to cover teacher/facilitator costs. School districts should plan to cover the remaining costs. Explore additional options for funding by clicking here.
- Smaller school districts with fewer than 10 incoming kindergartners should contact the Gearing Up for Kindergarten state coordinator to discuss methods to adapt to your school size.
- School districts will be selected based on the order of applications received until funds are expended. Notification of successfully funded applicants will be made within two weeks of submission to the designated contact person.
Who Should Be Trained?
Kindergarten teachers, program coordinators and parent educators are all recommended to attend the training.
View upcoming opportunities here.
Why Should Our District Offer Gearing Up for Kindergarten?
Control group studies indicate that:
- On both social skills and pre-academic skills, children in the Gearing Up group had an increase in ability three times higher than children who did not participate.
- Participants rated Gearing Up as a significantly more valuable source of information on parenting and school readiness than any other source.
- 96 percent of parents indicated the program was very or extremely useful to them in their parenting.
