UPK Mixed Delivery Workgroup Agenda September 2023

Virtual Meeting Information

Date & Time

Thursday, September 28, 2023 

9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

[Link no longer available]

The September 2023 Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup (Workgroup) meeting will be held virtually. Workgroup meetings are open to the public with opportunities for public comment from non-workgroup members.

• The California Department of Education (CDE) was directed by the Legislature in 2022 to convene the UPK Workgroup with the below mentioned statutory charge (California Education Code [EC] Section 8202.6 ) and was given the subsequent definitions to create parameters for what would come under the Workgroup’s purview. We understand that the charge of this particular Workgroup is quite nuanced. We encourage you to revisit the California Educators Together (CET) website, where you will find documents such as the UPK Quality and Access Workgroup Context and Charge for an in-depth reminder of what the Legislature has mandated of the Workgroup.

Statutory Charge of the Workgroup

1. Provide recommendations on best practices for increasing access to high-quality universal preschool programs for three- and four-year-old children offered through a mixed-delivery model that provides equitable learning experiences across a variety of settings.

2. Provide recommendations to update preschool standards pursuant to EC Section 8203 to support equitable access to high-quality preschool and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs through the mixed-delivery model and across all appropriate settings and funding sources.

3. Ensure that recommendations are in alignment with the work of the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, without recommending new system changes that create increased state or local costs to offer preschool across the mixed-delivery system.

Definitions from Education Code Pertinent to the UPK Workgroup

• The definition of “mixed-delivery system” that is being utilized by the UPK Workgroup is found in statute in EC Section 8320 and is defined as “a system of early childhood education services that is delivered through a variety of providers, programs, and settings, including Head Start agencies or delegate agencies funded under the Head Start Act (Title 42 United States Code Section 9831, et seq.), public, private, or proprietary agencies, including community-based organizations, public schools, and local education agencies that offer center-based childcare and preschool programs, tribal childcare and preschool, and family child care through a family childcare home education network.”

• The definition for “universal preschool” is also listed in the same statute EC Section 8320 and is defined as “those programs that offer part-day or full-day, or both, educational programs for three- and four-year-old children, and may be offered through a mixed-delivery system.”

Teleconference Meeting Logistics

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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Translation to Spanish, Mandarin, and American Sign Language (ASL) will be available at each public meeting. After joining the meeting, click on the icon shaped like a globe to access language interpretation. If you are using a laptop, this icon is located at the bottom of your screen. Click language interpretation and then select your preferred language. If you are using an iPad, phone, or similar device, you will locate the three-dot menu on the right corner of your screen. You will then click on language interpretation and select your language.     

After joining the meeting, click on the icon shaped like a globe to access language interpretation. If you are using a laptop, this icon is located at the bottom of your screen. Click language interpretation and then select your preferred language. If you are using an iPad, phone, or similar device, you will locate the three-dot menu on the right corner of your screen. You will then click on language interpretation and select your language.

Documents will be shared at the beginning of each Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup (Workgroup) meeting. In addition, the California Department of Education will post Workgroup meeting documents to the California Educators Together (CET) website. If you require accessible copies of the materials posted to CET, contact the UPK inbox at UPKMixedDeliveryGrant@cde.ca.gov.

Access to CET is open to the public. Additional details are found at the California Educators Together website .

Agenda

1. Welcome and Previous Session Recap
   • Welcome and Agenda Review
   • Reflect on Workgroup progress to date
   • Public Comment
2. UPK Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Identifying Solutions: Emergent Recommendations
   • The Workgroup will explore the following overarching questions through a combination of presentations, facilitated discussions, and public comment.
     • What would need to change about high-quality universal preschool program standards to increase quality and access?
   • Public Comment
3. Close of Meeting

The items indicated on the agenda are subject to change. Public comment will be taken throughout the meeting as indicated above.

These meetings will be recorded and posted to CET . If you need an accessible copy, contact UPKMixedDeliveryGrant@cde.ca.gov and we will accommodate your request in a timely manner.

More information about the workgroup is available on the UPK Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup page of the California Department of Education website.