{"id":315175,"date":"2023-10-02T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/?p=315175"},"modified":"2023-09-29T14:16:15","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T21:16:15","slug":"california-transitional-kindergarten-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/_ko\/education\/k-12-education\/2023\/10\/california-transitional-kindergarten-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond crayons and circle time: What California transitional kindergarten needs to succeed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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California is rolling out its transitional kindergarten program, with the goal of offering it for all 4-year-olds by 2025-26. While some schools have had programs in place for years, others are just starting to create teaching guidelines.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n

Thanks to TikTok videos, billboards and other creative marketing techniques, enrollment in  transitional kindergarten in California appears to be climbing. But advocates are keeping an eye on how those 4-year-olds are spending their class time \u2014 which they say will be a key factor in whether the $2.7 billion program is a success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuality is top of mind for us. Some districts are treating it like a second year of kindergarten, which we know doesn\u2019t work,\u201d said Benjamin Cottingham, with Policy Analysis for California Education, an independent, nonpartisan research center. \u201cTo be effective, TK needs to be a play-based, developmentally appropriate course of study.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitional kindergarten, which California first launched in limited capacity<\/a> in 2010, is meant to ease 4-year-olds into the rigors of elementary school. Ideally, it combines the carefree fun of preschool with a hint of structure and academic know-how, so children are better prepared for kindergarten and beyond. In a high-quality TK classroom, children learn to share and take turns, draw pictures and play with blocks, sit in a circle and enjoy story time, among other skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\uc5d0\uc774 study of California\u2019s TK program<\/a> by the American Institute of Research found that children who completed TK had stronger skills in math and literacy when they started kindergarten and were more engaged in learning than their peers who didn\u2019t participate in the program. The benefits were especially pronounced for English learners and low-income students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, California expanded its transitional kindergarten<\/a>, requiring schools to provide space for all eligible 4-year-olds whose families want it. With a rollout period of five years, schools have been busy hiring and training teachers, buying more crayons and blocks, converting classrooms to meet state guidelines and getting the word out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a lull, enrollment appears to rebound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2022-23, enrollment lagged below expectations, likely due to the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic, according to the Legislative Analysist\u2019s Office<\/a>. Just over half of California\u2019s eligible 4-year-olds were enrolled in TK last year, roughly 22% below state projections. But now enrollment appears to be increasing. The official numbers for 2023-24 won\u2019t be available for several months, but a CalMatters sampling of districts statewide reported better-than-expected enrollment so far this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools credit the uptick to improved outreach. District staff are talking to parents at local preschools and child care centers, posting flyers in pediatricians\u2019 offices, buying ads on social media and even going door-to-door.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hazel Perkins (left) and Scarlett Perkins (right), students at Rescue Union School District in El Dorado County. Photo courtesy of the El Dorado County School District<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In Rescue Union School District in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County, word-of-mouth has been the most effective recruitment tool, said Superintendent Jim Shoemake. The district bought newspaper ads and put up signs, but nothing compares to the power of parents chatting at barbecues, block parties and soccer games. Enrollment has increased steadily, with 142 students enrolled this year, and the retention rate is nearly 100%, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTK has benefitted the entire district,\u201d Shoemake said. \u201cIt\u2019s great to have a child on campus for six years, but seven is even better. We get a chance to onboard these kids early, so they\u2019re successful not just in elementary school, but middle school and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rescue Union parent Aly Perkins said her twin daughters, Hazel and Scarlett, loved their TK class last year. They learned their ABCs and 123s, but it was social skills that had the biggest impact, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey learned things like manners, how to make friends, how to keep friends \u2014 those skills will benefit them their whole lives,\u201d Perkins said. \u201cI think TK gives kids the confidence and cushion they need to succeed in school. I\u2019m really glad we decided to send them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in Los Angeles Unified, the nation\u2019s second-largest school district, word-of-mouth has been key to TK enrollment. In addition to bus ads and billboards, a social media campaign, a hotline and robocalls, the district has enlisted school staff and parent volunteers to hand out flyers within a four-block radius of elementary schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA parent saying, \u2018I have my kid in this program and it\u2019s great\u2019 is much better than it coming from me,\u201d said Dean Tagawa, the district\u2019s executive director for early childhood education. \u201cThat parent-to-parent connection, that level of trust, is what\u2019s important.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We get a chance to onboard these kids early, so they\u2019re successful not just in elementary school, but middle school and beyond.\u201d<\/p>Jim Shoemake, superintendent of the Rescue Union School District<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tactics seem to be working. Los Angeles Unified has opened TK classrooms at nearly all 488 elementary schools. And children who attended the district\u2019s TK program have significantly outperformed their peers not in the program in reading, writing and math in kindergarten and first grade, according to district data<\/a>. They also fared better social-emotionally, based on teacher feedback on report cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Lodi Unified, a TikTok video<\/a> chronicling a day in the life of a Lodi kindergartener has garnered more than 13,200 views and helped fill classrooms. With enrollment exceeding expectations, the district is on track to open at least one TK classroom at every elementary school by 2025-26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOverall, it\u2019s going really well, and I believe that by the time these students are in third grade, we\u2019re going to see huge improvements in outcomes,\u201d said Susan Petersen, the district\u2019s director of education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persistent staffing challenges <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\ud558\ub294 \ub3d9\uc548 some districts have struggled to hire enough TK teachers<\/a>, Lodi Unified has filled all its vacancies, she said. The district is providing training and in-classroom coaching, and using a curriculum focused on learning through playing. Some of the new TK teachers are credentialed elementary teachers, and some are veteran preschool teachers pursuing credentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve found that it\u2019s a sought-after position,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing that 4-year-olds learn in unique ways, the Legislature will require by 2025 TK teachers to have credentials as well as 24 units of early childhood education or the equivalent. That extra requirement may pose a barrier to filling positions \u2014 many districts are already grappling with teacher shortages. An analysis by the Learning Policy Institute<\/a> last fall found that 80% of school districts in California didn\u2019t yet have enough qualified TK teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing is working on a new credential<\/a> that will prepare teachers for preschool through third grade, with a focus on literacy. A goal: create a seamless continuum<\/a> in which students learn by playing, rather than sitting at desks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students play in the transitional kindergarten program at Westwood Elementary School in Stockton on Sept. 22, 2023. Photo by Loren Elliott for CalMatters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That focus on high-quality teaching and learning is imperative if TK is going to succeed in getting students ahead in the early years, Cottingham said. The state is updating its preschool \uac00\uc774\ub4dc\ub77c\uc778<\/a> to include TK, but schools cannot afford to wait for the new version; they should \u201cwork with what we\u2019ve already got,\u201d or students will lose out on the benefits of an additional year of schooling, Cottingham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assessments will also be important, he said, to hold districts accountable for the quality of their programs. Currently, the state is not requiring schools to test students in TK, although it does provide guidelines on how to measure students\u2019 progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanna Melnick, senior policy adviser at the Learning Policy Institute who co-leads the early childhood learning team, adds that assessment, as well as curriculum, will be important as TK expands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe TK rollout has been faster than we expected, but we don\u2019t have a good way to monitor quality, and district capacities to teach 4-year-olds vary greatly,\u201d she said. \u201cSome have been doing this for a long time, and some are new and don\u2019t yet have the background or training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018A system that\u2019s working\u2019 in Tulare<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tulare City School District, a 9,200-student district south of Fresno, has been offering a cohesive preschool-through-first-grade program for a decade, and seeing positive results. Until the pandemic, third grade math and reading scores had jumped nearly 30% since the district implemented the program in the early 2010s. Now they are again beginning to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The curriculum is linked from grade to grade, and teachers work closely together, easing children\u2019s transitions from one classroom to the next. All sites offer after-school care, making it easier for parents with jobs. And teachers try to get to know families and ensure they feel welcome and part of their children\u2019s education, said Jennifer Marroquin, the district\u2019s assistant superintendent of educational services.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\ud559\uc0dd\ub4e4\uc774
\ud559\uc0dd\ub4e4\uc774 2023\ub144 9\uc6d4 22\uc77c \uc2a4\ud1a1\ud134\uc758 \uc6e8\uc2a4\ud2b8\uc6b0\ub4dc \ucd08\ub4f1\ud559\uad50\uc5d0\uc11c \uc804\ud658 \uc720\uce58\uc6d0 \ud504\ub85c\uadf8\ub7a8\uc5d0\uc11c \ud37c\uc990\uc744 \ud480\uace0 \uc788\uc2b5\ub2c8\ub2e4. CalMatters\uc758 Loren Elliott \uc0ac\uc9c4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cFor parents, it can be scary dropping your 3- or 4-year-old off for the first time. So we try to make them feel supported,\u201d Marroquin said. \u201cWe found a system that\u2019s working, and it\u2019s become one of our district\u2019s strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time TK is fully in place statewide, most districts should have programs resembling Tulare\u2019s, said Kelly Reynolds, a policy analyst for Early Edge California, a nonprofit advocacy group that\u2019s worked closely with the state on transitional kindergarten. She expects the challenges with staffing, enrollment and quality will be resolved \u2014 or close to it \u2014 within the next few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because transitional kindergarten, like kindergarten itself, is not mandatory, enrollment will never be 100%, she noted. And depending on where they live, 4-year-olds have plenty of high-quality options aside from TK \u2014 including private preschool, state-supported preschool, child care and Head Start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to make sure all 4-year-olds are being served in high-quality programs, and families know the breadth of opportunities available to them,\u201d she said. \u201cI do think we\u2019re on track. Enrollment is trending upwards, and we\u2019re seeing there\u2019s a real demand for TK.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\tmore on k-12 education<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t
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California pushing back on school book bans<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t

California would penalize school boards that ban books based on inclusion of certain groups under a bill the governor is expected to sign into law. But some fear unintended consequences.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

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Soaring chronic absenteeism in California schools is at \u2018pivotal moment\u2019<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t

Nearly a third of K-12 students statewide were chronically absent in 2020-21, more than three times the pre-pandemic rate. Some school officials fear that pattern will become the new normal. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\uc544\ubc14\ud0c0 \uc0ac\uc9c4<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Carolyn Jones<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t