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PHOENIX — Children in full-day kindergarten programs learn more than their counterparts in half-day sessions, state schools superintendent Tom Horne said Friday.

Horne said a review of nationwide research on the issue also shows that all-day programs appear to reduce the achievement gap between students from poor households and those from more affluent homes. And he said that children who come to school speaking a language other than English also benefit.

He said there are insufficient data on whether the benefits of full-day programs last beyond second grade.

But Rep. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, said one study clearly shows that any gains dissipate by the third grade. In fact, he said this report suggests that children who were in full-day programs actually do worse than their counterparts who went to kindergarten for only half a day.

"Full-day kindergarten may be damaging these kids," Huppenthal said. "This study raises huge issues, and the education community, all they're doing is denying it."

Horne acknowledged the results of that study but said more research is needed. He said that's why his own agency is tracking some of the children in Arizona programs to see if they continue to excel.

"Hopefully we'll be able to produce data of our own to tell us whether in the long term they're getting benefit or not," said Horne, a Republican.

He also cited another study that said students who had full-day kindergarten had "significantly higher achievement scores in reading, math and science, higher report card marks and better attendance" by the third grade. That study, however, said these children had higher achievement only in science by fourth grade, though they continued to have better attendance.

As to the idea that children actually are being harmed, Horne said there is research showing that having kindergartners in class for a full day does not hurt their growth and development if the school uses "age-appropriate instructional practices."

Horne's report comes as Gov. Janet Napolitano prepares to ask lawmakers for additional funds to provide state-financed full-day kindergarten programs at more schools.

Legislators so far have agreed to provide funding for those schools where at least 80 percent of youngsters are eligible for federally funded free or reduced-price lunches, based on family income. So far, that reaches about 21,000 children at 282 schools of the estimated 68,000 youngsters in kindergarten, at a cost of $38 million a year.

But extending the funding to all schools could have a price tag as high as $200 million a year, considering not just additional state dollars for teachers and materials but also additional classrooms that will become necessary.

An aide to the Democratic governor said no decision has been made about how much more to seek this coming school year.

Huppenthal said the Legislature should pay particular attention to the 2004 study he cited, because of its comprehensiveness. It included 10,500 children nationwide who entered kindergarten in 1998.

All participants were administered the English version of a cognitive assessments test that year and several times again through spring of 2002. It was that study that "did not detect any substantive differences" by third grade in achievement of students who started out in half-day kindergarten programs vs. those going to school full time.

That study did show, however, that students in full-day programs who started school without a command of English continued to outperform those from similar backgrounds who had only a half day of kindergarten.