The current study examines the allocation of instructional time in half-day versus full-day pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) classrooms within a Colorado public school district that predominantly serves Hispanic and low-income students. Using 114 observations from 34 pre-K classes over two years, with up to 14 repeated observations per teacher, we analyze the distribution of time across various activities and content areas. We find substantial variation in time allocation between half- and full-day classes, especially regarding instructional and non-instructional activities, suggestive of potential differences in learning opportunities across the school year. Notably, full-day classes include a daily nap within their additional hours. Furthermore, we observe a considerable portion of classroom time dedicated to mixed-content activities, highlighting the multidimensional nature of time use in school-based pre-K. Our study's description of time allocation in this district also provides context for the previously published causal effects of the Full-Day Pre-K Study. Ultimately, the present study fills a gap in the body of research on time use in this early childhood education setting and informs stakeholders who are considering the expansion of pre-K programs to include a full-day option.

中文翻译：

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时间都去哪儿了？描述全日制与半日制学前班的时间使用情况


目前的研究调查了科罗拉多州公立学区内半日制与全日制学前班 (pre-K) 教室的教学时间分配情况，该学区主要为西班牙裔和低收入学生提供服务。我们利用两年来 34 个学前班班级的 114 项观察结果，以及每位教师最多 14 次重复观察结果，分析了不同活动和内容领域的时间分布。我们发现半日制和全日制课程之间的时间分配存在很大差异，特别是在教学和非教学活动方面，这表明整个学年学习机会的潜在差异。值得注意的是，全日制课程包括在额外的时间内每天小睡一次。此外，我们观察到相当一部分课堂时间专门用于混合内容的活动，凸显了学校学前班时间利用的多维性质。我们的研究对该学区时间分配的描述也为之前发表的全日制学前班研究的因果效应提供了背景。最终，本研究填补了有关幼儿教育环境中时间使用的研究空白，并为正在考虑扩大学前教育项目以纳入全日制选择的利益相关者提供了信息。