Giving Compass' Take:

• Lillian Mongeau discusses the benefits of full-day kindergarten, which most states do not require schools to offer. 

• How can philanthropists effectively increase the number of students receiving full-day kindergarten? 

• Read about the importance of early literacy


Only 14 states and Washington, D.C., require districts to offer full-day kindergarten, according to kindergarten policy data collected by the Education Commission of the States, a national think tank. And even though most states require school districts to offer at least half-day kindergarten, only 17 states and the District of Columbia mandate that children attend it. Of those, two offer a waiver to children who are assessed as ready to start first grade.

Early learning advocates and politicians have spent a lot of time in the past five years talking about preschool. Former President Barack Obama made preschool a key part of his education agenda during his eight years in office. Spending on state-funded preschool programs for 4-year-olds has risen in both red and blue states, especially since 2008.

But for the benefits of preschool to be sustained, experts argue, children must continue to receive a high-quality early elementary education. Full-day kindergarten, which has been shown to boost academic gains for students well into elementary school, could be critical.

Read the full article about full-day kindergarten by Lillian Mongeau at The Hechinger Report.