This guidance material is designed to address several public school kindergarten issues: enrollment age, continuance, and extended-day kindergarten. Although the pertinent kindergarten statutes apply only to public schools, some private schools voluntarily adhere to the state kindergarten statutes, and this guidance may be of assistance to them. This information may also be helpful to parents and guardians, as well as teachers of preschool, kindergarten, and first grade.
Kindergarten Enrollment
Since school is mandatory for six year old students, parents and guardians of six year old students must enroll their children in school (Education Code [EC]
Section
48200).
Admission of age-eligible children must occur at the
beginning of the school year or whenever the students move into
the school district.
While local education officials may need a day or two to identify
the particular assigned kindergarten classroom, no age-eligible
child may be denied access to school by being placed on a waiting
list. Although demographics and class size reduction restrictions
may prevent parents/guardians from enrolling their children in
the neighborhood school, the district must provide the name(s)
of available schools. Parents/guardians may discuss school choice
options with district officials. To help make placement decisions,
parents/guardians may compare schools online at either Ed-Data
or Data and Statistics.
Both sites offer information on schools' demographics and characteristics.
- Age-Eligible Children:
Districts must admit children at the beginning of the school
year (or whenever they move into a district) if they will be
five years of age on or before:
- October 1 for the 2013-14 school year
- September 1 for the 2014-15 school year and beyond (EC Section 48000[a]).
Children who are age-eligible for kindergarten may attend any prekindergarten summer program maintained by the school district. Information about items constituting proof of age supplied by parent or guardian is found in EC Section 48002. Immunization requirements are found in Health and Safety Code Section 120325 and Section 120335 and on CDE's Factbook Web page.
- Under-Age Children: Districts
and CDE staff are frequently requested by parents/guardians
to enroll children who are not age-eligible in kindergarten
and first grade. CDE has no authority to require districts to
admit or accelerate under-age children. The information below
is regarding enrollment of under-age children in either kindergarten
or first grade.
- Early Admission to Kindergarten. In
addition to the laws mentioned above (in A.
Age-Eligible Children), there is an additional—but
rarely used—option for admitting children to kindergarten
once they turn five years old. These
children may not begin school at the beginning of the school
year, but they must wait until their fifth birth date occurs
(EC Section 48000[b]). While EC Section 48000(b) allows a child to be
admitted early on a case-by-case basis, districts offering
this option to families would be wise to have local governing
board-adopted criteria by which students are accepted. Districts
that base early admissions on test results, maturity of
the child, or preschool records may risk being challenged
by parents/guardians whose children are denied admission.
If these children continue in kindergarten past the anniversary
dates of their admission, the school must have signed Kindergarten Continuance Form on file to continue the children in kindergarten to the end of the school year.
- First Grade Enrollment.
California law requires a child to be six years old on or
before:
- October 1 for the 2013-14 school year, and
- September 1 for the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter to be legally eligible for first grade (EC Section 48010).
A child who was legally enrolled in an out-of-state kindergarten for one school year (using that state's requirements), but who does not meet California age eligibility for first grade, may, with parental consent, be enrolled by the district in first grade (EC Section 48011).
A child who was not age-eligible for kindergarten (that is, the child turned five after September 1 in the 2014-15 school year or thereafter) and who attended a California private school kindergarten for a year is viewed by the CDE as not legally enrolled in kindergarten, pursuant to EC Section 48000 requirements. Therefore, this child, upon enrollment in public school, is enrolled in kindergarten, assessed, and may (but is not required to) be immediately promoted to first grade if the child meets the following State Board of Education criteria, pursuant to Title 5, Section 200:
- The child is at least five years of age.
- The child has attended a public school kindergarten for a long enough time to enable school personnel to evaluate the child's ability.
- The child is in the upper 5 percent of the child's age group in terms of general mental ability.
- The physical development and social maturity of the child are consistent with the child's advanced mental ability.
- The parent or guardian has filed a written statement
with the district that approves placement in first grade.
A statement, signed by the district and parent/guardian, is placed in the official school records for these five-year-olds who have been advanced to first grade (EC Section 48011). This action prevents a subsequent audit exception for first grade placement of an age-ineligible student.
- Considerations. Young children who are placed in kindergarten or first grade may feel stress as they try to achieve academic expectations and relate to older children. Parents/guardians and early childhood educators are the best judges regarding what may be gained by acceleration and whether it is worth the price. CDE recommends that educators and district employees explain to parents/guardians of under-age children the following:
- The academic, social, physical, and emotional readiness required for kindergarten or first grade
- The rigorous nature of the academic standards
- The potential for harm to a child's disposition to learn by inappropriate acceleration, and,
- The important concepts, skills, and knowledge imparted at each stage of a child's education, including preschool.
Often it is helpful if school or district staff members arrange for parents/guardians to read kindergarten through first grade standards, visit classrooms, and observe instruction. Districts may provide additional information for parents/guardian.
- Early Admission to Kindergarten. In
addition to the laws mentioned above (in A.
Age-Eligible Children), there is an additional—but
rarely used—option for admitting children to kindergarten
once they turn five years old. These
children may not begin school at the beginning of the school
year, but they must wait until their fifth birth date occurs
(EC Section 48000[b]). While EC Section 48000(b) allows a child to be
admitted early on a case-by-case basis, districts offering
this option to families would be wise to have local governing
board-adopted criteria by which students are accepted. Districts
that base early admissions on test results, maturity of
the child, or preschool records may risk being challenged
by parents/guardians whose children are denied admission.
If these children continue in kindergarten past the anniversary
dates of their admission, the school must have signed Kindergarten Continuance Form on file to continue the children in kindergarten to the end of the school year.
- Private School Considerations: Private schools are not required to comply with the California statutes defining kindergarten. However, the California Association of Private Schools Organizations (CAPSO) indicates that many private schools do voluntarily follow Education Code sections referred to in this document.
Public school officials do not automatically enroll those students, who attended a private school kindergarten, to first grade (see B.2. Enrollment).
Kindergarten Continuance
Continuance
is defined as more than one school year in kindergarten. EC
Section 48011 requires a child who has completed a year of kindergarten
to be promoted to first grade, unless the parent or guardian and
the district agree that the child may continue in kindergarten
not more than one additional school year.
A parent/guardian who agrees their child is to continue in kindergarten
must sign the Kindergarten Continuance Form (PDF) (available translations).
Failure to have signed forms on file may jeopardize audit findings
and result in a loss of apportionment.
EC sections 48070-48070.5 set forth requirements for
pupil promotion and retention (PPR). While kindergarten was not
a grade level included by legislators, EC Section 48070.5(j)
enables local boards to adopt additional PPR policies. Districts
considering continuance of kindergartners may want
to consider:
- Reviewing current research
- Developing a plan to reduce the rate of continuance
- Improving the instructional program for students at risk of continuance, and
- Monitoring the progress of schools in reducing continuance rates, including the differential effects of continuance for different ethnic groups, non-English-speaking children, and over representation based on gender
Section 3934, subdivision (b), located in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, states:
(b) No program utilizing consolidated application funds shall:
- Create special tracks for the educationally disadvantaged;
- Establish adjustment, pregrade, or junior grade classes for the educationally disadvantaged.
Current literature reveals that retention may have a negative effect on student achievement, school attendance, attitude toward school, and student dropout rates. The CDE points to the need for districts and school staff to provide interventions for students who are at risk of failure and to prevent the need for retention. Therefore, appropriate interventions should not be delayed for kindergarten students.
Transitional Kindergarten
Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Each elementary or unified school district must offer transitional kindergarten classes for all children eligible to attend. A child who completes one year in a transitional kindergarten program, shall continue in a kindergarten program for one additional year. A Kindergarten Continuance Form is not needed for children who are age-eligible for transitional kindergarten. A child is eligible for transitional kindergarten if they have their fifth birthday between (EC 48000[c]):
- October 2 and December 2 for the 2013–14 school year.
- September 2 and December 2 for the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter.
Extended-Day Kindergarten
Extended-day kindergarten (EDK) is defined as a class, taught by the same certificated staff member, that exceeds the four-hour maximum number of school day minutes. In some districts, EDK is the same length of day as that for older elementary students. While Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) do not receive additional apportionment funds to lengthen the kindergarten day, there is a growing interest in this topic. In 2009, about two thirds of United States kindergarten children attended full-day classes; in California, the percentage of students in full-day classes increased by 43%. For further information, visit The Public Policy Institute of California Web site on Full-Day Kindergarten in California
(PDF). Educators may wish to extend the kindergarten day for a number of reasons, including the following:
- To improve the educational program
- To provide more time for the teacher to get to know each child
- To encourage children's maximum social, emotional, physical, and academic growth
- To address transportation issues related to district bus schedules, and
- To address parental/guardian needs for child care
EC sections 46110-46119 detail the minimum and maximum lengths of the school day for kindergarten and other elementary grade classrooms. The maximum number of minutes for kindergarten is four hours, (EC Section 46111), excluding recess. However, recess time may be counted as instructional minutes, at the district's discretion, if teacher supervision occurs. LEAs must also keep in mind that (pursuant to EC Section 37202) any transitional kindergarten programs operated by a district must be of equal length to any kindergarten programs operated by the same district.
Another portion of the EC (EC Section 8973) allows schools to offer EDK if both of the following conditions are met:
- The kindergarten program does not exceed the length of the primary school day, and,
- The extended-day kindergarten program takes into account ample opportunity for both active and quiet activities with an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program.
Transitions to Elementary School
Helping children get a good start in school is important
to families, teachers, and children. Transition plans are
required by the federal, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Title
I, Part A, Section 1114(b)(1)(G) of the Act requires Schoolwide
Projects to plan children's transitions from early childhood programs
to local elementary school programs. Section 1115(c)(1)(D) of
the Act requires Targeted Assistance programs to assist preschool
children in their transitions to elementary school. Head Start
programs are also required to plan transitions and share relevant
child-centered information (Section 642A of 42 U.S.C. 9837A).
Students with exceptional needs are also provided appropriate
transitions, pursuant to EC Section 56445.
A state law offers an additional opportunity for preschool and
elementary educators to help children transition to school. The
California Preschool Transfer Act of 2001 (Assembly Bill 1539,
Chapter 629, Statutes of 2001) requires state-funded preschools
to provide to the parent/guardian(s) developmental and any other
information deemed beneficial to the child and public school teacher
(see EC sections 56435, 56449, and 58930). If parents/guardians
authorize it, preschools may provide this information directly
to the schools.
Note: The guidance in this document is not binding on local education agencies or other entities. Except for the statues, regulations, and court decisions that are referenced herein, this document is exemplary, and compliance with it is not mandatory. (See Education Code Section 33308.5.)
California Department of Education Resources
| Name | Phone | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Literacy, History, & Arts Leadership |
916-323-6269 |
Enrollment age; curriculum; instruction;
extended-day kindergarten |
Child Development Division |
916-322-6233 |
Preschool standards; Prekindergarten
Learning and Development Guidelines |
Educational Demographics |
916-327-0219 |
Comparison data on schools'
demographics, characteristics |
Kathleen Halvorson |
916-323-4629 |
Kindergarten continuance/retention
policy and forms |
Wendi McCaskill |
916-323-1333 |
Average daily attendance; fiscal
reports; apportionment |
Resources Cited
CDE Press 1999. First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education.
Sacramento, CA: Department of Education.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs
, Rev. Ed. 2009. Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple, Eds. Washington,
DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
