Elementary

Transitional Kindergarten

• Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 22-Jan-2016)
  Frequently asked questions regarding California state law relating to kindergarten.
  Available Translations of TK Frequently Asked Questions
  
  
• Amendment to California Education Code 48000(c)
  July 17, 2015: Letter to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators regarding an amendment to California Education Code 48000(c).
  
  
• Kindergarten in California: Implementation Evaluation of Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Public School Programs in California (PDF)
  Appendices (PDF)
  [AB 1719]
  

Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide

• Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide Announcement from State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson
  This letter announces the publication of the Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide: A Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers. The publication offers resources and guidance for school district administrators and teachers to consider as they develop comprehensive TK programs.
  
  
• Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide (PDF)
  A resource for California early childhood educators which includes videos and classroom interviews.
  To view the videos and interviews only, select a link below:
  
  
• TK Implementation YouTube Video (PDF)
  YouTube videos of implementation are with closed-caption for alternate accessibility.
  
  
• TK Professional Development Modules-funded by Packard Foundation
  These TK modules, which were developed by the Packard Foundation, in collaboration with county offices of education, provide strategies and resources to support the implementation of TK. An overview of The Alignment of the California Preschool Learning Foundations with Key Early Education Resources is also included.
  
  
• California State University (CSU) TK Projects
  The CSU Office of the Chancellor, in collaboration with CSU Fullerton and with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, has developed a series of modules for TK teachers, coaches, and administrators. The CSU TK Project supports the integration of TK into pre-service teacher and administrator preparation.
  
  
• American Institutes for Research (AIR): California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation: Executive Summary (PDF)
  AIR: Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation (PDF)
  With the support of the Heising-Simons Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AIR conducted an investigation of the planning and implementation of TK in the 2012–13 school year.
  
  
  • Transitional Kindergarten in California: A Review of the First Year (PDF)
    A research brief providing an initial glimpse of transitional kindergarten in its first year of statewide implementation.
    
    
  • Transitional Kindergarten in California: Comparing Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms (PDF)
    This second research brief in a series highlights findings from the study focusing on characteristics of transitional TK classrooms compared with those of kindergarten classrooms.
    
    
  • Transitional Kindergarten in California: Early Outreach, Enrollment, and Parent Perspectives (PDF)
    The third in a series of briefs investigating TK implementation in Year 1, and focusing on district outreach efforts, parent perceptions of TK, and TK student demographics.
    
    
• AIR Study Finds California’s Transitional Kindergarten Gives All Students an Advantage for Kindergarten (Press Release)

  According to the AIR report, students who attend California’s TK programs enter kindergarten with stronger mathematics and literacy skills and are more engaged in their learning than students who did not attend TK. TK provides advantages for all students, with particular benefits for English learners and low-income students, and TK benefits remain regardless of variations in instructional practices or classroom structure.

• The Impact of Transitional Kindergarten on California Students (AIR Study report)
  
  The California Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 established TK, the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. The bill phased in the required age for kindergarten from December 2 to September 1. This final report from the TK’s evaluation focuses on results from a five-year study. The study used a rigorous regression discontinuity design to examine whether TK, as a new approach to pre-kindergarten education for age-eligible children, leads to positive outcomes, for which children, and under what conditions.

• Dr. Patricia Wolfe Introduction
  The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 1
  The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 2
  The 2013–14 Transitional Kindergarten Conference was held in Pasadena, California, on May 1, 2014. Dr. Patricia Wolfe presented the keynote presentation on brain development in the early years, and enlightened listeners with her thoughts, dispelling common misconceptions and providing practical advice on how educators can make the most of the marvelous opportunity to educate young children.
  
  
• Transitioning to Kindergarten: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Educators
  The National Center for Learning Disabilities and the American Federation of Teachers have collaborated to offer a comprehensive resource for educators that includes tools and materials to help implement strategies to facilitate and enhance children’s transition to kindergarten.
  
  
• TK Professional Resource Guide for Administrators (PDF; 6 MB)
  This guide provides an annotated list of accessible online resources for administrators to support transitional kindergarten.
  
  
• Updated Board of Education Waiver Request Requirements
  Letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson presenting the updated waiver request requirements for kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten.

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Kindergarten

• Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 6-Nov-2014)
  Frequently asked questions regarding California state law relating to kindergarten.
  Available Translations of Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions
  
  
• Kindergarten in California
  California state law and information regarding admission to kindergarten.
  Available Translations of Kindergarten in California
  
  
• Extended-Day Kindergarten
  Letter from Jack O'Connell to County and District Superintendents regarding extended-day kindergarten within an early primary program: length of school day (AB 2407 [Chapter946, Statutes of 2004])
  
  
• California Kindergarten Association
  The mission of the California Kindergarten Association is to foster the development of the whole child by promoting best practices in teaching and learning.
  
  
• Updated Board of Education Waiver Request Requirements
  Letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson presenting the updated waiver request requirements for kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten.

Early Education and Elementary Resources

• Content Standards
  What children should learn at each grade level.
  
  
• The Alignment of the California Preschool Learning Foundations with Key Early Education Resources: the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, the California Content Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, Second Edition.
  This publication presents the developmental continuum of learning for children from birth through kindergarten. It shows the connections that the nine domains of the preschool learning foundations have with the content of other important resources, including areas of the California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations, recently updated California Content Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework . The publication can be purchased by visiting the CDE Press Online Ordering web page , or by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-995-4099. The price of the publication is $30.00.
  
  
• Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources
  Curriculum development and textbook adoptions.
  
  
• First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education
  Excerpts from the publication, and related online resources.

• External Early Education Resources
  Additional resources and information for teachers and parents relating to early childhood education.

• California Department of Education/Early Education and Support Division

Desired Results Developmental Profile–School Readiness (DRDP-SR)

• Desired Results Developmental Profile–Kindergarten (2015) (DRDP-K [2015])
  This link provides a valid and reliable measurement tool to assist teachers in observing, documenting, and reflecting on the learning, development and progress of both transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students.
  
• DRDP-SR announcement letter to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators
  SSPI Tom Torlakson outlines more specifics regarding the alignment with the Common Core State Standards, and the primary purposes and availability of the DRDP-SR assessment tool. The DRDP-K is the revised DRDP-SR and is aligned to the California State Standards.

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