Recently, Children Now published a brief, with information about California’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program. The program is in its initial stages with the start of the current 2022/23 academic school year, and is expected to be fully funded and implemented in the 2025/26 school year.
The brief gives a variety of information about the new program, how it works, who is eligible, qualifications for TK educators and assistant educators, and more. A few key takeaways from the brief are included below:
TK is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. With its establishment, children born between September 2 and December 2 who were no longer eligible for kindergarten, would instead be eligible for Transitional Kindergarten.
Families who are interested in enrolling their children in TK should contact their local school district, charter school, and/or neighborhood elementary school (most districts have TK enrollment information available on their websites; enrollment typically occurs in winter for the upcoming academic year).
Children can still enroll in a California State Preschool Program (CSPP) or a Head Start program if they are eligible, and if that is their preference.
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is developing a Preschool – Grade 3 (PK-3) Early Childhood Specialist Credential, which will authorize the holder to be the lead teacher in preschool through 3rd-grade classrooms. Teacher preparation programs for this credential may be available as soon as next spring.
Click here to read the full brief. If you are interested in learning more about TK programs in California (including requirements and workforce issues), click here.
