Transitional kindergarten: Districts asked to share challenges, successes
Surveys, case studies run through May 2013
Published: October 31, 2012
Transitional kindergarten—the new grade level in California for students who aren’t yet 5 years old on Sept. 1—is projected to provide an extra year of early learning to more than 120,000 children annually once fully implemented. The goal is to promote school readiness and reduce the achievement gap.
To learn more about how districts are implementing the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 in the 2012-13 school year, American Institutes for Research is surveying school districts across the state and planning a longer-term study of program quality and outcomes for children in TK programs. The study, supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, is intended to help school officials design and implement effective TK programs.
A brief survey of district administrators is being completed in October and November, and AIR will continue with a more comprehensive survey of administrators in selected districts with TK programs from December through February.
“The flexibility in the law allows for great creativity in how district structure their TK programs,” said Teri Burns, CSBA senior director for Policy and Programs. “We need to be sure all districts participate in the initial survey so we can have a solid baseline of information and quickly identify some best practices that districts can share. Likewise, the study will identify those roadblocks that impede districts from implementing the TK program they would like to offer.”
A further survey of principals, teachers and parents in a sampling of schools offering TK will occur from January through April. Case studies of eight to 10 of those districts are expected to be completed by May.
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