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Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide

Resources for California early childhood educators which include videos, research briefs, reports, and toolkits around Transitional Kindergarten (TK).

Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide

  • AIR Study Finds California’s Transitional Kindergarten Gives All Students an Advantage for Kindergarten (Press Release) External link opens in new window or tab.
    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) External link opens in new window or tab.
    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 External link opens in new window or tab.
    The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 1 External link opens in new window or tab.
    The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 2 External link opens in new window or tab.
    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 External link opens in new window or tab.
    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 External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)
    This guide provides an annotated list of accessible online resources for administrators to support transitional kindergarten.

  • Board of Education Waiver Requests
    Information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the system to submit waivers to the State Board of Education. Information includes FAQs, which data elements are required for submission, and sample Education Code strike-out language.
Questions:   Universal PreKindergarten Support | UPK@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Friday, November 8, 2024
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