N.M. Expands Kindergarten-Plus Program To More Grades

A New Mexico program that is proving successful with incoming kindergartners is being expanded to the primary grades in the hope that it will help narrow the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers.

Kindergarten-Plus, an idea originally promoted by the late American Federation of Teachers President Sandra Feldman in 2002, gives children from low-income families 40 additional days of instructional time beyond the regular school year—half of it in the summer before kindergarten and the rest of it after.

Renamed K-3 Plus, the new version, which will start next fall, will instead provide 25 instructional days in addition to the regular school year to children entering kindergarten through 3rd grade. Schools that were participating in the existing program will have priority when applying...