Education Outcomes Associated with Full Day Kindergarten among First Nations Children in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

• In Event: The role of affirming high quality experiences on children's wellbeing and learning

Abstract

Introduction: The quality of early education children receive influences their developmental trajectories, with long-term effects extending into adulthood. First Nations children face many structural barriers to academic success. Few studies have examined the impact of education programs on removing these barriers to support better outcomes amongst First Nations children.
Objectives and Approach: Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy partnered to identify whether full day kindergarten was associated with improved short- and long-term outcomes among First Nations children. We examined educational outcomes associated with full-day kindergarten (FDK) versus half-day kindergarten (HDK) among First Nations children using data from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository. We linked children’s education records with the Manitoba Health Registry and the First Nations Registry to identify all First Nations children who attended kindergarten in a Winnipeg school division (1998-2011). Children enrolled in FDK were age- and sex- matched to children enrolled in HDK. Propensity scores were used to adjust for confounding. Outcomes included academic achievements in grades 3, 7, and 8, and high school graduation. We used generalized linear models to test for differences in education.
Results: We identified 263 First Nations children enrolled in FDK and 396 matches in HDK in the study period. Among these, 65% FDK and 54% HDK students met or approached numeracy expectations in grade 3; and 42% students of each FDK and HDK group met or approached numeracy expectations in grade 7. For reading expectations, 68% FDK and 57% HDK met or approached grade 3 reading expectations; in grade 8, 59% of each group met or approached expectations for reading and writing. The high school graduation rate for First Nations children in FDK was 59% and in HDK children was 60%. We found no differences in education outcomes when we tested for differences between HDK and FDK children.
Conclusion/Implications: Education outcomes did not differ between First Nations children enrolled in FDK vs. HDK programs. Kindergarten programs may be insufficient to overcome structural barriers to academic success that these children face. Culturally appropriate education strategies may be needed to support improved outcomes amongst this population.

Authors

• Shannon Struck, University of Manitoba
  Presenting Author

• Nora Murdock, Manitoba First Nation Education Resource Centre
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Enns, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joykrishna Sarkar, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mariette Chartier, Univeristy of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elaine Burland, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marni Brownell, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nathan C. Nickel, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author