English Crossing Elementary

A Small District Going Big Places

Child’s play is part of learning at Inclusive Transitional Kindergarten

Students during circle time

Girl playing with puppets The first day of kindergarten came early for some 4- and 5-year-olds. Students in Becca Boatwright’s Inclusive Transitional Kindergarten (ITK) class are learning how to be a good friend and how to wait their turn. They are also learning the foundational skills for literacy and math they will need for Kindergarten in the fall.

Lakewood Elementary School welcomed its first class of ITK students with the help of a state grant on January 31. The full-day program is designed for students who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality early-learning experience. “It has been so rewarding to see how eager our young students are to be at school and learn,” Boatwright said.

In providing the grant, the state determined that there are not enough preschool programs in our service area to accommodate all the preschoolers who live in our district. As part of the grant, Lakewood School District is partnering with other early learning centers to offer training and tours to increase preschool capacity for the benefit of our community.

Participation in ITK provides students with the jump start they need for a successful kindergarten entry. A recent study from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction found that students who were kindergarten-ready in literacy and in math were more than 1.5 times as likely to meet the proficiency standards on the third grade English language arts and math assessments. In fall 2022, kindergarten students who had participated in ITK outperformed their peers on the state Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills in all six areas of assessment: Cognitive, Language, Literacy, Mathematics, Physical, and Social-Emotional.

Children can qualify for ITK regardless of their family’s income and must live in Lakewood School District. Families fill out an application that identifies students who need additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten. We are so excited to welcome these young learners,” said LES Principal Kristin Cortés. “The addition of this program, alongside our established ECEAP and Developmental Preschool programs, brings an added strength to our robust early learning programs in Lakewood.”

In accordance with RCW49.60, the Lakewood School District does not discriminate in employment and schools. The Lakewood School District provides Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex, handicap/disability, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, creed, religion, age, veteran or military status, use of a trained dog to guide or service animal by a person with a disability, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and designated youth groups. The district complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations to include, but not limited to, Title IX, Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, RCW 49.60 “The Law Against Discrimination,” and RCW 28A.640 “Sex Equity,” and covers, but is not limited to, all district programs, courses, activities, including extracurricular activities, services, access to facilities, etc. Inquiries regarding compliance procedures should be directed to Lakewood School District, 17110 16th Drive NE, Marysville, WA 98271, Attention: Title IX and Civil Rights Officer, Timothy Haines, 360-652-4500, thaines@lwsd.wednet.edu or ADA Compliance Officer and Section 504 Compliance Officer, Amie Verellen-Grubbs, 360-652-4500, averellen-grubbs@lwsd.wednet.edu.