Board Policy No. 6170.1
Policy Adopted: February 8, 2024
Policy Reviewed: February 8, 2024

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN
The Board of Trustees desires to offer a high-quality transitional kindergarten (TK) program for eligible children who do not yet meet the minimum age criterion for kindergarten. The TK program shall assist students in developing the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. The district's TK program shall be the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. (Education Code 48000)

The Board encourages ongoing collaboration among district preschool staff, other preschool providers, elementary teachers, administrators, and parents/guardians in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the district's TK program.

Eligibility

The district's TK program shall admit children as follows: (Education Code 48000):

1. For the 2023-24 school year, children whose fifth birthday is between September 2 and April 2

2. For the 2024-25 school year, children whose fifth birthday is between September 2 and June 2

3. For the 2025-26 school year, and in each school year thereafter, children who turn four by September 1

A child's eligibility for TK enrollment shall not impact family eligibility for a preschool or childcare program, including, but not limited to, a Head Start program, a childcare center serving children through an alternative payment program, a general childcare and development program, a California State Preschool Program (CSPP), a migrant childcare and development program, childcare and development services for children with special needs, or a program serving children through a CalWORKs Stage 1, Stage 2, or Stage 3 program. (Education Code 48000)

Parents/guardians of eligible children shall be notified of the availability of the TK program and of the age, residency, immunization, and any other enrollment requirements. Enrollment in the TK program shall be voluntary. On a case-by-case basis, a child whose fifth birthday is on or before September 1 may be admitted into the district's TK program upon request of a child's parents/guardians, if the Superintendent or designee, determines that it is in the child's best interest. At any time during the school year, the district may admit into the TK program a child whose fifth birthday is after the date specified for admittance for the applicable year as described above, provided that upon the recommendation of the Superintendent or designee, the Board determines that enrollment in a TK program is in the child's best interest and the child's parents/guardians approve. Prior to such enrollment, the child's parents/guardians shall be provided information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of early admittance. (Education Code 48000)

Additionally, the district may enroll an early enrollment child in TK whose fourth birthday is between June 3 and September 1, inclusive, preceding the school year during which they are enrolled in TK. The Superintendent or designee shall maintain any classroom that includes an early enrollment child with a classroom enrollment that does not exceed 20 students and an adult-to-student ratio of at least one adult to every 10 students.

Additionally, if an early enrollment child is enrolled in TK, the district shall concurrently offer enrollment to the child in the district's CSPP, subject to available space. (Education Code 48000.15)

Curriculum and Instruction

The district's TK program shall be based on a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. (Education Code 48000)

The program shall be aligned with the preschool learning foundations and preschool curriculum frameworks developed by the California Department of Education (CDE). It shall be designed to facilitate students' development in essential knowledge and skills related to language and literacy, mathematics, physical development, health, visual and performing arts, science, history-social science, English language development, and social-emotional development. The Board shall establish the length of the school day in the district's TK program, which shall be at least three hours but no more than four hours long, including recess but excluding noon intermission, except for TK students enrolled in expanded learning opportunity programs provided by the district pursuant to Education Code 46120.

If the district has adopted an extended-day kindergarten, the length of the school day for the TK program may be different than the length of the school day for the kindergarten program either at the same or different school sites. The Superintendent or designee shall annually report to CDE as to whether the district's TK programs are offered full day, part day, or both. (Education Code 8973, 37202, 46111, 46115, 46117, 48003)

The Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with parents/guardians and relevant community groups, in accordance with the plan developed for how all children in the attendance area of the district will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents/guardians, including through partnerships with the district's expanded learning offerings, the After School Education and Safety Program, CSPP, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs. TK students may be placed in the same classrooms as kindergarten students when necessary, provided that the instructional program is differentiated to meet student needs.

TK students may be commingled in the same classroom with four-year-old students from a CSPP program as long as the commingled program meets all of the requirements of each program as well as the following requirements: (Education Code 8207, 48000):

1. The classroom does not include students enrolled in TK for a second year or students enrolled in a regular kindergarten MOUNTAIN VIEW WHISMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT Mountain View, California

2. An early childhood environment rating scale, as specified in 5 CCR 18281, is completed for the classroom

3. All children enrolled for 10 or more hours per week are evaluated using the Desired Results Developmental Profile, as specified in 5 CCR 18272

4. The classroom is taught by a teacher that holds a credential issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in accordance with Education Code 44065 and 44256

5. The classroom is in compliance with the adult-child ratio specified in Education Code 8241

6. Contractors of the district report the services, revenues, and expenditures for children in the preschool program in accordance with 5 CCR 18068 except for contractors of the TK program The district shall maintain an average TK class enrollment of not more than 24 students for each school site, not including students who are continuously enrolled in and meet the minimum day requirement for independent study for more than 14 school days in a school year. (Education Code 48000)

Staffing
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that teachers assigned to teach in TK classes possess a teaching credential or permit from CTC that authorizes such instruction. A credentialed teacher who is first assigned to a TK class after July 1, 2015, shall, by August 1, 2025, have at least 24 units in early childhood education and/or child development, comparable professional experience in a preschool setting, and/or a child development teacher permit or an early childhood specialist credential issued by CTC. (Education Code 48000)

The Superintendent or designee may provide professional development as needed to ensure that TK teachers are knowledgeable about the standards and effective instructional methods for teaching young children, including, but not limited to, developing competencies in serving inclusive classrooms and dual language learners. The district shall maintain an average of at least one adult for every 12 students for TK classrooms and, contingent upon an appropriation of funding, maintain an average of at least one adult for every 10 students commencing with the 2025-26 school year. (Education Code 48000)

Continuation to Kindergarten

Students who complete the TK program shall be eligible to continue in kindergarten the following school year. Parents/guardians of such students shall not be required to submit a signed Kindergarten Continuance Form for kindergarten attendance. However, whenever children who would otherwise be age-eligible for kindergarten are enrolled in TK, the Superintendent or designee shall obtain a Kindergarten Continuance Form signed by the parent/guardian near the end of the TK year consenting to the child's enrollment in kindergarten the following year. A student shall not attend more than two years in kindergarten or a combination of TK and kindergarten. (Education Code 46300)

Assessment
The Superintendent or designee may develop or identify appropriate formal and/or informal assessments of TK students' development and progress. The Superintendent or designee shall monitor and regularly report to the Board regarding program implementation, the progress of students in meeting related academic standards, and student preparedness for future education.

Policy Reference Disclaimer:
These references are not intended to be part of the policy itself, nor do they indicate the basis or authority for the board to enact this policy. Instead, they are provided as additional resources for those interested in the subject matter of the policy.

State Code, 5 CCR 18000-18308, Early Learning and Care Programs 5 CCR 80067, Professional Clear Early Childhood Education Specialist Instruction Credential Education Code, Ed. Code 17375, California Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, and Full-Day Kindergarten Facilities Grant Program Ed. Code 33050, Waiver authority and exceptions Ed. Code 37202, Equal time in all schools Ed. Code 44065, Issuance of and functions requiring credentials Ed. Code 44256, Authorization for teaching credentials Ed. Code 44258.9, County superintendent review of teacher assignment Ed. Code 44300, Emergency permits Ed. Code 46111, Kindergarten; hours of attendance Ed. Code 46114-46119, Minimum school day; kindergarten Ed. Code 46120, Expanded learning opportunities Ed. Code 46300, Method of computing average daily attendance Ed. Code 48000, Minimum age of admission for kindergarten; transitional kindergarten Ed. Code 48000.15, Early enrollment in transitional kindergarten Ed. Code 48002, Evidence of minimum age required to enter kindergarten or first grade Ed. Code 48003, Kindergarten annual report Ed. Code 48010, Minimum age of admission to first grade Ed. Code 48011, Promotion/retention following one year of kindergarten Ed. Code 48200, Compulsory attendance Ed. Code 8203.3, Development of pre-kindergarten learning development guidelines Ed. Code 8207, California State Preschool Program administration Ed. Code 8241, Staffing ratios for center-based program Ed. Code 8281.5, California Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant Program Ed. Code 8970-8974, Early primary program, including extended-day kindergarten Management Resources, CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing Publication, Proposed Amendments to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations Pertaining to the PK-3 Childhood Education Specialist Credential, Coded Correspondence 23-02, February 10, 2023 California Department of Education Publication, Universal Prekindergarten FAQs California Department of Education Publication, Transitional Kindergarten FAQs California Department of Education Publication, Desired Results Developmental Profile: A Developmental Continuum from Early Infancy up to Kindergarten Entry, 2015 California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Vol. 1, 2010 MOUNTAIN VIEW WHISMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT Mountain View, California California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Vol. 2, 2011 California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Vol. 3, 2013 California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Learning Foundations, Vol. 1, 2008 California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Learning Foundations, Vol. 2, 2010 California Department of Education Publication, California Preschool Learning Foundations, Vol. 3, 2012 CSBA Publication, Advancing Universal Transitional Kindergarten, April 2022 CSBA Publication, The Importance of Early Childhood Education Programs, September 2019 Website, California Department of Education, Universal PreKindergarten, California’s Great Start Website, California Office of Administrative Law Website, CSBA District and County Office of Education Legal Services Website, Transitional Kindergarten California Website, California Kindergarten Association Website, Commission on Teacher Credentialing Website, CSBA Website, California Department of Education Cross References, 0500, Accountability 1220, Citizen Advisory Committees 1220, Citizen Advisory Committees 4112.2, Certification 4112.2, Certification 4131, Staff Development 5111, Admission 5111, Admission 5111.1, District Residency 5111.1, District Residency 5123, Promotion/Acceleration/Retention 5123, Promotion/Acceleration/Retention 5141.22, Infectious Diseases 5141.22, Infectious Diseases 5141.3, Health Examinations 5141.3, Health Examinations 5141.31, Immunizations 5141.31, Immunizations 5141.32, Health Screening For School Entry 5145.6, Parent/Guardian Notifications 5145.6-E(1), Parent/Guardian Notifications 5148.2, Before/After School Programs 5148.2, Before/After School Programs 5148.3, Preschool/Early Childhood Education 5148.3, Preschool/Early Childhood Education 6011, Academic Standards 6020, Parent Involvement 6020, Parent Involvement 6111, School Calendar 6112, School Day 6112, School Day 6141, Curriculum Development And Evaluation MOUNTAIN VIEW WHISMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT Mountain View, California 6141, Curriculum Development And Evaluation 6151, Class Size 6161.1, Selection And Evaluation Of Instructional Materials 6161.1, Selection And Evaluation Of Instructional Materials 6161.1-E(1), Selection And Evaluation Of Instructional Materials 6162.5, Student Assessment 6174, Education For English Learners 6174, Education For English Learners