Abstract: Kindergarten program delivery is a topic of much debate. An ever-increasing body of research indicates that appropriate early learning experiences significantly benefit children in their long-term development and continuing school success. Traditional expectations of kindergarten that became the norm are not based on sound pedagogy but rather on practice that was born of an economic concession. Out of fiscal necessity, kindergarten was offered half-days and was compromised due to a shortage of teachers and space. Is there a program approach that serves the young learner population more completely? This study examined and offered answers to this question by comparing test results taken in the first, second, and third grades of students who had been regular half day kindergartners and Title I full-day kindergartners to that of a full-day model called the Young Learner Kindergarten in the Mesa Unified School District. Enrollees were students who turned five after September 1 and prior to December 31 of the same year. These children were introduced to letter and sound recognition and number sense, yet heavily directed at social/emotional development with numerous child-initiated activities. For the following academic year, 80% or more of these Young Learners were placed in an academic kindergarten, and a few were promoted to first grade. The second model was a Title I full-day kindergarten. Students who reached their fifth birthday prior to September 1 had the opportunity to attend this program, provided the class existed at their school and the student qualified for the placement. Multiple graphs display first, second, and third grade results from criterion referenced, Stanford 9, and Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards tests that were analyzed using gender, socio-economic status, English as a second language, and ethnicity as variables for comparison. The groups that benefited the most, using the data at hand, were non-ESL Black females, non-ESL Black males, and non-ESL Native American females with many receiving meal assistance. It appears that poor children who have a strong mastery of the English Language benefit the most. The true picture of achievement for these children may come in fourth or fifth grade.