Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

1 Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE . A Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers Governor's State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Sacramento t 2013. This page intentionally blank Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE . A Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers Governor's State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Sacramento 2013. Publishing Information The Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE : A Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers was developed by the Child Development Division of the California Department of Education (CDE), under contract with the Sacramento County O ce of Education. The document was edited by John McLean and Faye Ong, working in cooperation with Erin Dubey, Consultant, Child Development Division. It was published by the California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901, and was distributed under the provisions of the Library Distribution Act and Government Code Section 11096.

2 2013 by the State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care All rights reserved ISBN: 978-0-8011-1744-2. CDE Publications and Educational Resources For information about publications and educational resources available from the California Department of Education (CDE), visit or call the CDE Press sales o ce at 1-800-995-4099. Notice The guidance in the Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE : A. Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers is not binding on local educational agencies or other entities. Except for statutes, regulations, and court decisions referenced herein, the document is exemplary, and compliance with it is not mandatory. (See Education Code Section ). Contents A Message from the State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care .. v List of Members: State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care .. vi Acknowledgments .. vii Introduction .. 1. Rationale for Transitional Kindergarten .. 3. Overview of the Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE .

3 3. Chapter 1: Program Structure and Design .. 5. Policy Development.. 6. Funding .. 6. Sta ng Quali cations .. 7. Class Con guration/Schedules .. 7. Universal Design for Learning .. 8. Special Education Services .. 9. English Learners .. 10. Chapter 2: The Transitional Kindergarten Student .. 13. Social Emotional Development .. 14. Transitional Kindergarten : An Extended Opportunity to Build a Strong Foundation for School Success .. 17. Preparing the Transitional Kindergarten Student for Kindergarten .. 20. Summary .. 21. Chapter 3: Curriculum in a Transitional Kindergarten Program .. 23. The Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum .. 24. Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum Content: Bridging Preschool and Kindergarten .. 28. Integrated Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum .. 32. Guidelines for Selecting and Modifying Curriculum Materials .. 36. Summary .. 36. Chapter 4: E ective Instruction in a Transitional Kindergarten Program .. 37. Using Knowledge of Child Development to GUIDE Instructional Strategy Decisions.

4 38. iii Daily Routines .. 42. An Overview of Selected Transitional Kindergarten Instructional Strategies .. 45. Transitional Kindergarten / Kindergarten Combination Classrooms .. 48. Students with Disabilities .. 52. Students Who Are English Learners .. 55. teacher Family Community Engagement: A Key to E ective Transitional Kindergarten Instruction .. 58. Chapter 5: The Transitional Kindergarten Learning Environment .. 61. The Transitional Kindergarten Classroom.. 63. Extending Learning from the Classroom to the Outdoor Environment .. 77. Chapter 6: Assessment and Di erentied Instruction in the Transitional Kindergarten Classroom .. 83. An Overview of Transitional Kindergarten Assessment .. 84. Response to Instruction and Intervention in the Transitional Kindergarten Program .. 90. Using Evidence from Assessment to Di erentiate Instruction .. 94. Communicating with Families About Student Learning .. 98. Chapter 7: Involving Families and Community Partners in a Transitional Kindergarten Program.

5 101. Communicating About Transitional Kindergarten with Family and Community Partners .. 102. Engaging Families in the Transitional Kindergarten Classroom .. 103. Diverse Backgrounds and Experiences of Families .. 105. Engagement of Community Partners .. 105. Summary .. 106. Chapter 8: Supporting Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION .. 107. teacher Quali cations and Early Education Experiences .. 108. Sta ng Patterns to Support Transitional Kindergarten Students .. 109. Professional Learning .. 111. Summary .. 114. Glossary .. 115. References.. 119. iv A Message from the State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care We are pleased to present the Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE : A Resource for California Public School District Administrators and Teachers, a publication we believe will be valuable to local educational agencies as they implement Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs. Building upon the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Planning GUIDE published in 2011 by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, this publication provides resources and guidance in the areas of program design, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and family/community partnerships.

6 The TK IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE focuses on the essential components for school district administrators and teachers to consider as they develop comprehensive TK. programs. The rst chapter of the GUIDE focuses on considerations for the structure and design of TK programs. Chapters 2 8 provide a more in-depth discussion of e ective instructional and curricular approaches, including the importance of family and community partnerships and systems of support for Transitional Kindergarten . We express our gratitude to teachers, administrators, and early care and education experts who provided extensive feedback on the development of the Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE . We also extend our appreciation to the teachers who served on the TK/K Advisory Committee to share their expertise in the development of the GUIDE and the video illustrations that accompany it. In addition, we thank the local educational agency representatives and parents who shared their experiences through interviews and provided access for videotaping TK classrooms and activities.

7 We are especially grateful to the Sacramento County O ce of Education and its subcontractors for coordinating and leading the e ort to provide California's public school district administrators and teachers with these valuable TK resources. PETE CERVINKA LUPITA CORTEZ ALCAL . California Department of Social Services California Department of Education Co-Chair, State Advisory Council on Co-Chair, State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Early Learning and Care v List of Members: State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care Co-Chairs Pete Cervinka, Program Deputy Director of Bene ts and Services California Department of Social Services Lupita Cortez Alcal , Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction California Department of Education Camille Maben, Executive Director First 5 California (former Co-Chair). Members Nancy Bargmann, Deputy Director, Community Operations Division California Department of Developmental Services Magdalena Carrasco, Commissioner First 5 California Julian Crocker, Superintendent of Schools San Luis Obispo County Sydney Fisher Larson, Professor, Early Childhood Education College of the Redwoods Mark Friedman, Executive Director First 5 Alameda County Linda James Perry, Head Start Director Long Beach Uni ed School District Katie Johnson, Assistant Secretary California Health and Human Services Agency Nancy Remley, Director Head Start State Collaboration O ce Ryan Storm, Assistant Program Budget Manager California Department of Finance Natalie Woods Andrews, Director, School Readiness Department Sacramento County O ce of Education vi Acknowledgments The Transitional Kindergarten IMPLEMENTATION Local Educational Agencies GUIDE was developed with contributions from many people and organizations.

8 We gratefully The following local educational agencies are acknowledge the e orts of the individuals and recognized for their contributions, which included entities named below. allowing interviews of Transitional Kindergarten sta members and video illustrations of Transitional Project Leaders Kindergarten classrooms: Natalie Woods Andrews, EdD, Director, Clovis Uni ed School District School Readiness Department, Fresno Uni ed School District Sacramento County O ce of Education Gilroy Uni ed School District Nancy Herota, Director, Junction Elementary School District School Readiness Department, Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District Sacramento County O ce of Education Livingston Union School District Writers (Sta Members and Consultants Long Beach Uni ed School District from the Sacramento County O ce Mariposa County Uni ed School District of Education). Merced City School District Jennifer Gonzalez, Key Writer Merced County O ce of Education Kelly Twibell Sanchez, Key Writer Pasadena Uni ed School District Elizabeth Pinkerton, Editing Assistance Placentia Yorba Linda Uni ed School District Natalie Woods Andrews, EdD.

9 Rescue Union School District Karen Hayashi Sacramento City Uni ed School District Nancy Herota Jan Mayer, EdD California Department of Education Kathleen Sadao, EdD Cecelia Fisher-Dahms, Administrator, Quality Improvement O ce, Transitional Kindergarten / Kindergarten Child Development Division teacher Advisory Committee Erin Dubey, Consultant, Barbara Blakely, Retired Transitional Child Development Division Kindergarten / Kindergarten teacher Carrie Roberts, Administrator, Elizabeth Magruder, Transitional Professional Learning Support Division Kindergarten Consultant Kathleen Halvorson, Consultant, Lisa Peterson, Transitional Kindergarten Professional Learning Support Division teacher , Clovis Uni ed School District Erin Koepke, Consultant, Vera Refnes, Retired Kindergarten teacher Professional Learning Support Division Vara Tanner-Palmero, Transitional Kindergarten Meredith Cathcart, Administrator, teacher , Rescue Union School District Special Education Division Heather Wright, Kindergarten teacher , Special thanks are extended to the crew of Iron Elk Grove Uni ed School District Mountain Films, Inc.

10 , for video production. Note: The names, titles, and a liations of the individuals listed in these acknowledgments were current at the time the publication was developed. vii This page intentionally blank INTRODUCTION. Introduction Interviews and Classroom Video cfm?fuseaction=archivedDetail&eventID=14 0&archiveID=249. Introduction Interviews and Classroom Video (YouTube with Captions). 1. INTRODUCTION. The California Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010, in 1896 of a department for training Kindergarten authored as Senate Bill (SB) 1381 by State Senator teachers at the State Normal School in Los Angeles, Joseph Simitian, will have a signi cant impact on which eventually became the University of children who have the opportunity to enroll in California, Los Angeles. In 1900 01, state legislation Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs. SB 1381 was passed to provide Kindergarten primary implemented a gradual, phased-in conversion of certi cation for graduates of the State Normal the month and day by which a child must turn ve School in Los Angeles and other Kindergarten years of age in order to be eligible for Kindergarten , training institutions approved by the State Board changing that date from December 2 to September of Education.