Hampered Growth: Implementing Transitional Kindergarten in Four California School Districts

In a new brief with the Berkeley Children’s Forum and DIAL EE, Hampered Growth: Implementing Transitional Kindergarten in Four California School Districts, education leaders from four medium-sized school districts in California share about their efforts in implementing and expanding Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and some of their challenges on the ground. In the brief, they talk about:

• How strong family demand was in the initial months of expanding TK;

• How they are selecting, reassigning, or finding new TK teachers;

• How readily they can locate and renovate classrooms for more 4-year-olds;

• What pedagogical or curricular approaches they are selecting for TK classrooms, and if this includes developmentally appropriate activities or emphasize academic skills building

• How they are organized to grow early childhood programs, and who is in charge of TK expansion; and

• How their TK programs are situated within the larger ecology of early childhood education providers, and what partnerships are pursued with community-based organizations to serve young children, including expanded learning opportunities.