NOTICE:

Based upon the MMSD’s review of the Questions received in connection with RFP 3168 and the needs of the District, the RFP will be reissued in a revised form on or before June 25, 2010. The time for responding to the RFP has been extended to August 3.

To see the answers to all questions submitted regarding the RFP, go to the following link:   http://oldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/doingbusiness/rfps.cgi   Open RFP 3168, and then click on the "3168-QnR.doc" link.

To be eligible as a 4K contracted provider beginning in the 2011-2012 school year, you must be an accredited center (either City Accredited or NAEYC Accredited) and your center must be physically located within the school district boundaries. Currently, Superintendent Nerad is working with surrounding school districts regarding the possibility of contracting with centers ¼ mile outside of our boundaries. While this is undecided at this point, interested centers in this situation are encouraged to apply. Centers must meet the requirements of the RFP, and all requirements are outlined in the RFP.

4K (Four-Year-Old Kindergarten)

On January 11, 2010, the Board of Education voted to begin 4K in the fall of 2011.

The 4K Advisory Council held two 4K Public Forums for potential child care center partners on Wednesday, February 10, and Thursday, February 11, both from 6:30-8:00. The forums provided potential partners with information on the development and logistics of 4K in the Madison community. Click here to watch a video of the first forum. The QUESTION AND ANSWER document has been temporarilly removed so that it can be updated to match the Question & Answer document posted via the RFP process.  Once the RFP closes, one document with all information will be posted here.

What is 4K?

4K is an optional program that will be available to all MMSD students that will turn four, on or before September 1, 2011. 4K is a part-day program, designed to focus on social emotional and cognitive skills that will help prepare children for kindergarten. The program is offered in a developmentally appropriate setting that is play-based and child-centered. 4K will be offered in both MMSD school buildings as well as in child care centers in the community. Transportation to and from 4K will be available to those that request it, and those children requiring child care before or after school, will be able to work with our partner centers to purchase those services.

4K in Wisconsin

With this Board action, Madison will now join the other 319 (76%) school districts in Wisconsin that offer 4K as an option to their families. Click to see a a list of all districts offering 4K in 2009-10 as well as a graph showing trends in numbers of districts offering 4K (DPI Website, 2010).

Rationale for 4K

In a report entitled The Economic Promise of Investing in High-Quality Preschool: Using Early Education to Improve Economic Growth and the Fiscal Sustainability of States and the Nation, put together by The Committee for Economic Development, they state the following about the importance of early learning:

High-quality preschool programs contribute to America's economic bottom line in three related, yet distinct, ways. First, the positive impact from these programs on students' lives increases the likelihood that these students will end up as net economic and social contributors to society. Second, federal, state, and local budgets will improve significantly when governments can dedicate more of their resources to productive endeavors, rather than to remediation, incarceration, and welfare. Finally, sustained preschool investments are a cost-effective way to ensure a better educated workforce, boosting long-term economic growth. (full report)

According to the Department of Public Instruction's website (2010), some of the key reasons for implementing 4K in public school include:

• Return to Wisconsin's constitutional commitment that school districts are free to all children between the ages of 4 and 20 years.
• Community perspective—common school for the common good.
• Provides equity since it is available to all children in a community; the child does not have to be labeled as low income or with a special condition to be enrolled.
• Affordable to parents regardless of financial means as cost distribution across community.
• Many families would like school-based services for their children.
• Brings additional funding to school districts and communities as state shares in cost.
• Applies research on early brain development and cost benefits of early learning opportunities.
• Teachers with BA or higher degrees in early childhood education have the experience and training to provide quality learning opportunities.
• Teacher salaries & work environment create more stable work force.
• Support services are available to address special needs: e.g. school nurse, psychologists, specialty teachers, and special education services.
• Access to special resources and quality learning materials enhances curriculum: e.g. libraries, art, music, and technology.
• School standards provide protection and safe environment.
• Availability of older children as peer models/tutors/coaches.
• Sense of continuity for child as they move into the next grade level.

Several Wisconsin school districts were involved in a national study evaluating the impact of 4K called, State-Wide Early Education Programs (SWEEP). Early results are showing positive effects. (summary of the study)

For more information about cost-benefit, the following pre[k]now study outlines the benefits of investing in Wisconsin's children earlier rather than later. For example, they find that in the Milwaukee Public Schools, for every $1 invested in 4K, the school system saves 76 cents in the future (by not having to provide more expensive services to failing students later).

The WisBiz4Kids website is dedicated to an understanding of the importance of investing in early childhood education. They state that "A growing body of research at the national and state level provide irrefutable evidence of the connection between quality early childhood education and the future health of our economy" (2010). For a thorough review of the research on early childhood education outcomes, this matrix (Public Policy Forum, 2010) provides the research, and significant outcomes in the areas of cognitive, behavioral, sociability, educational, external benefits to society, and benefit-cost ratio.

For more information about 4K in Wisconsin, see the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's 4K Webpages.

Click for more information about the collaborative community planning process for implementing 4K in Madison.