2024 UPK Workgroup Executive Summary - Legislative Report

California Department of Education
Report to the Fiscal and Policy Committees of the Legislature and the Department of Finance: Universal PreKindergarten Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup Report
Executive Summary

The California State Legislature established the Universal PreKindergarten Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup (the Workgroup), directing the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the California Department of Education (CDE), in consultation with the Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the State Board of Education, to convene interest holders to make recommendations related to preschool quality and access, pursuant to Assembly Bill 185 (Chapter 571, Statutes of 2022), which has been codified into Education Code (EC) Section 8202.6. To ensure alignment with the most recent efforts of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) on teacher qualifications, CDE also included CTC as part of the state agency team.

In alignment with the California Master Plan for Early Learning and Care, the Legislature focused the scope of the Workgroup on preschool-aged children and the education quality standards and the regulations that are developed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction based on the statutory authority found in EC Section 8203. This Workgroup was charged with (1) providing 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, (2) providing recommendations to update preschool standards pursuant to EC Section 8203, and (3) ensuring recommendations align 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. The Workgroup’s scope did not include all early learning and care programs across California’s broad mixed-delivery system but did include Family Child Care Homes operating through a Family Child Care Home Education Network.

The Workgroup held a series of public meetings and advised the CDE from January 2023 through February 2024. Workgroup members and members of the public had opportunities to participate in three public surveys to inform this report. While not a consensus process, this report presents recommendations that received considerable support. This report summarizes the substantial body of research that supports the long-term learning benefits of children attending high-quality preschool, the evidence that key program quality elements correlate with improved child outcomes, and that the dosage of experiences matters. It also provides a summary of family perspectives on elements of quality and access. The report provides recommendations for preschool quality standards, recommendations for preschool access, recommendations at the intersection of both quality and access, and other considerations.

If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact Kate MoheyEldin, Child Development Consultant, Opportunities for All Branch, Early Education Division, UPK Implementation and Support Office by phone at 916-323-1313 or by email at kmoheyeldin@cde.ca.gov.

You can find this report at the California Department of Education UPK Mixed Delivery Quality and Access Workgroup web page.

Report to the Governor and Legislature(DOCX)