Elementary
Resources for those interested in the academic achievement of kindergarten through grade six public school students; includes transition-to-school guidance.Universal PreKindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten
Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) Planning and Implementation
Updated Templates - 2022–23
Templates - 2021–22
UPK Program Surveys
All UPK Program Surveys are due by September 30, 2022.
- LEA UPK Program Survey: Universal PreKindergarten – Planning & Implementation Grant Program LEA Plan Survey
- COE UPK Program Survey: Universal PreKindergarten Planning & Implementation Grant Program Countywide Planning and Capacity Building Plan Survey
UPK Expenditure Reporting
UPK Expenditure Reports for the period of May 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022 are due by December 31, 2022.
- UPK Planning and Implementation Grant Expenditure Report Survey
- UPK Planning and Implementation Grant Expenditure Report Survey Template (DOCX)
Universal PreKindergarten Guidance
To help introduce LEA leaders to early education concepts, agencies, and structures, the California Department of Education (CDE) has developed a Universal PreKindergarten Planning and Implementation Guidance document. This guidance is meant to support LEAs in the development of their UPK Plan for consideration by the LEAs governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022.
Universal PreKindergarten Planning and Implementation Guidance Volume 1 (DOCX)
Volume 1 includes guidance on:
- California's PreKindergarten Through Third (P-3) Grade Vision,
- Early Learning and Care Infrastructure,
- Early Learning and Care Programs, Program Standards, and Staffing Ratios,
- Research on Why Early Education Matters,
- UPK and Family Choice,
- Description of Enrollment Data and Projections,
- Projected Enrollment and Needs Assessment - Key Considerations,
- Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Enrollment Projection Methodology,
- Early Admittance Transitional Kindergarten,
- Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions,
- Full Day and Part Day,
- Funding Sources That Can Be Utilized for Extended Learning and Care,
- General Overview of California State Preschool Program Standards (CSPP) and Eligibility,
- Models of Service Delivery for Universal Prekindergarten for all Four-Year-Old Children,
- Models of Blending Programs to Offer Extended Learning and Care,
- Opportunities to Engage Communities in UPK Planning,
- Facilities Requirements, Planning Considerations, and Resources
Universal PreKindergarten Planning and Implementation Guidance Volume 2 (DOCX)
Volume 2 includes guidance on:
- UPK Leadership Structures,
- Integrating UPK within District Local Control Accountability Plans,
- Supporting Access and Enrollment Equity,
- Partner Deep Dives,
- COE Support for UPK Planning and Implementation,
- CSPP - Information for Parents,
- Head Start - Information for Parents,
- Supporting UPK through Community Schools,
- UPK Workforce Requirements,
- Workforce Development Funding Opportunities,
- Professional Learning for Leaders and Principals,
- Research on Benefits of Joint Professional Learning,
- Best Practices for In-Service Preparation,
- Professional Learning on Observational Assessments,
- Best Practices and Resources for Recruitment,
- P-3 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment - Supporting Children with Disabilities
- P-3 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment - Language Models and Supporting Dual Language Learners,
- Head Start Curriculum Review,
- UPK Curriculum and Assessment Selection,
- Supporting Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Development,
- Early Math-Math Matters,
- Funding Sources That Can Be Utilized For Facilities,
- Supervision of Young Children,
- Implementing Universal Meals in UPK,
- Transportation
Guidance will be released in a rolling manner. The CDE is excited to announce the launch of a California Universal PreKindergarten/Preschool to Third Grade (UPK/P-3) Group on the California Educators Together platform! The CDE created the UPK/P-3 Group on the platform to share resources and guidance for local education agencies and partners to use in preparation for the implementation of UPK in California. The most up-to-date guidance can be found in the UPK/P-3 Group on California Educators Together
.
The Universal PreKindergarten Planning Toolkit
: California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) created a resource for COE in response to recent legislation and investments. It offers approaches and examples to assist LEAs with UPK and preschool through third grade (P–3) continuum planning and capacity building. This toolkit is a companion document to align with focus areas outlined in the UPK Planning Template, released by the CDE in December 2021.
Universal PreKindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten Resources
- CDE PreKindergarten Fact Sheet 2022 (DOCX)
- Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 21-Jul-2022)
- Webinars:
- 1/13/2022 UPK Planning Template Webinar
- 2/24/2022 UPK Planning Template Webinar
- 6/8/2022 UPK Planning Template Webinar
- 10/20/2022 Transitional Kindergarten Requirements Webinar
- October 20 TK Requirements Webinar (PDF)
This presentation from the School Fiscal Services Division (SFSD) and the Early Education Division (EED) covers new requirements for 2022-23 and beyond regarding TK class sizes, staffing, and teacher education as a condition of apportionment, and related penalties.
- October 20 TK Requirements Webinar (PDF)
- UPK Office Hours:
Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide
- Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Guide [Link no longer available]
A resource for California early childhood educators which includes videos and classroom interviews.
To view the videos and interviews only, select a link below:
- TK Implementation YouTube Video
(Video; 4:16)
YouTube videos of implementation are with closed-caption for alternate accessibility.
- TK Professional Development Modules-funded by Packard Foundation
These TK modules, which were developed by the Packard Foundation, in collaboration with county offices of education, provide strategies and resources to support the implementation of TK. An overview of The Alignment of the California Preschool Learning Foundations with Key Early Education Resources is also included.
- California State University (CSU) TK Projects
The CSU Office of the Chancellor, in collaboration with CSU Fullerton and with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, has developed a series of modules for TK teachers, coaches, and administrators. The CSU TK Project supports the integration of TK into pre-service teacher and administrator preparation.
- American Institutes for Research (AIR): California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation: Executive Summary
(PDF)
AIR: Study of California’s Transitional Kindergarten Program: Report on the First Year of Implementation (PDF)
With the support of the Heising-Simons Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AIR conducted an investigation of the planning and implementation of TK in the 2012–13 school year.
- Transitional Kindergarten in California: A Review of the First Year
(PDF)
A research brief providing an initial glimpse of transitional kindergarten in its first year of statewide implementation.
- Transitional Kindergarten in California: Comparing Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Classrooms
(PDF)
This second research brief in a series highlights findings from the study focusing on characteristics of transitional TK classrooms compared with those of kindergarten classrooms.
- Transitional Kindergarten in California: Early Outreach, Enrollment, and Parent Perspectives
(PDF)
The third in a series of briefs investigating TK implementation in Year 1, and focusing on district outreach efforts, parent perceptions of TK, and TK student demographics.
- Transitional Kindergarten in California: A Review of the First Year
- AIR Study Finds California’s Transitional Kindergarten Gives All Students an Advantage for Kindergarten (Press Release)
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)
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
The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 1
The Amazing Developing Brain, Part 2
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
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
(PDF)
This guide provides an annotated list of accessible online resources for administrators to support transitional kindergarten.
- Updated Board of Education Waiver Request Requirements
Letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson presenting the updated waiver request requirements for kindergarten and TK.
Kindergarten
- Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions regarding California state law relating to kindergarten.
Available Translations of Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions
- Kindergarten in California
California state law and information regarding admission to kindergarten.
Available Translations of Kindergarten in California
- Extended-Day Kindergarten
Letter from Jack O'Connell to County and District Superintendents regarding extended-day kindergarten within an early primary program: length of school day (AB 2407 [Chapter 946, Statutes of 2004])
- California Kindergarten Association
The mission of the California Kindergarten Association is to foster the development of the whole child by promoting best practices in teaching and learning.
- Updated Board of Education Waiver Request Requirements
Letter from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson presenting the updated waiver request requirements for kindergarten and TK.
Early Education and Elementary Resources
- Content Standards
What children should learn at each grade level.
- The Alignment of the California Preschool Learning Foundations with Key Early Education Resources: the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, the California Content Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, Second Edition.
This publication presents the developmental continuum of learning for children from birth through kindergarten. It shows the connections that the nine domains of the preschool learning foundations have with the content of other important resources, including areas of the California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations, recently updated California Content Standards, and the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. The publication can be purchased by visiting the CDE Press Online Ordering
web page, or by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-995-4099. The price of the publication is $30.00.
- Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources
Curriculum development and textbook adoptions.
- First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education
Excerpts from the publication, and related online resources.
- External Early Education Resources
Additional resources and information for teachers and parents relating to early childhood education.
Desired Results Developmental Profile–School Readiness (DRDP-SR)
- Desired Results Developmental Profile–Kindergarten (2015) (DRDP-K [2015])
This link provides a valid and reliable measurement tool to assist teachers in observing, documenting, and reflecting on the learning, development and progress of both transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students.
Questions:
Universal PreKindergarten Support | UPK@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
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