A new study shows full-day kindergarten boosted reading and math test scores.

Overall, school districts with students attending full-day kindergarten improved third grade reading proficiency by 50 percent more than districts with part-day kindergarten programs when compared to third grade reading proficiency in 2005. – “Full Day K: A Proven Success.” Pennsylvania Partnership for Children. 4/20/11.

The report also found that in Pennsylvania school districts with full-day kindergarten, third grade scores on math proficiency tests rose nearly twice the amount as school districts that had part-day k in 2010, “when compared tooverall district performance three years prior.”

In the same report, the Partnership for Children highlighted that the state’s proposed budget would eliminate the key funding stream for full-day kindergarten, the Accountability Block Grant (ABG).

Today in Pennsylvania, nearly two out of threechildren who attend full-day kindergarten are in programs funded, in whole or in part, with ABG dollars — that’s more than 50,000 kids.2 – “Full Day K.” (Check report for footnotes.)

(The Post-Gazette first reported the news.)

An iPad for Every Kindergartener: In other K news, a Maine school district plans to give each kindergarten student an iPad, Bangor Daily News reports.

The plan has an approach of limited use and careful oversight in the classroom. But, the story is really worth reading because of its coverage of the debate between many parents who don’t want their children to have iPads at school and educators who see the device as a valuable educational tool.

Reminder: Tomorrow, we will cover the “State of Preschool.” It is the annual snapshot of preschool programs around the country that ranks states on quality standards, enrollment and funding. This year, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will join National Institute for Early Education Research staff, which will release the report - on the briefing teleconference.