This page was last updated on January 23, 2012.
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Transitional Kindergarten
Update on Transitional Kindergarten
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010, Senate Bill 1381, amended the California Education Code to change the required birth date for admission to kindergarten. Effective for the 2012-2013 school year, children must turn five-years-old on or before November 1, 2012 to qualify for kindergarten.
Senate Bill 1381 also created transitional kindergarten, the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for those students whose fifth birthday falls between November 2 and December 2, 2012. The recently released 2012-2013 budget proposed by Governor Brown eliminates all funding for transitional kindergarten.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District’s Board of Education has approved a transitional kindergarten program, however, with the proposed elimination of funding for the program, it may not be possible to implement transitional kindergarten.
What is Transitional Kindergarten?
A transitional kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.
Who is eligible to attend Transitional Kindergarten in our district?
A child is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten if he or she will have his or her fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2.
Who is eligible to attend kindergarten in our district?
A child is eligible for kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if the child will have his/her birthday on or before one of the following dates:
- November 1 of 2012-13 school year
- October 1 of 2013-14 school year
- September 1 of 2014-15 school year and each year thereafter.
Transitional kindergarten (TK), which will be phased in throughout California starting in the fall of 2012, is an opportunity to provide the early foundations for school success for those children turning 5 years old between September and December. The first year of a two-year kindergarten experience, transitional kindergarten provides a bridge between preschool and traditional kindergarten. Some districts in California have had similar programs in place for a number of years; others have started early implementation of these programs. Transitional kindergarten provides an important opportunity to give our youngest kindergarteners a better start in school. More information on TK can be found on the California Department of Education’s website and the Transitional Kindergarten Library website.
Additional Resources
Transitional Kindergarten Flyer (pdf)
Transitional Kindergarten Planning Guide (pdf)
Change of Age of Enrollment and Transitional Kindergarten Program (pdf) - California Kindergarten Association
Outside Sources
When Should a Kid Start Kindergarten? NYTimes.com article, Elizabeth Weil, June 3, 2007
Communication & Outreach (California’s Transitional Kindergarten Online Library)
About Transitional Kindergarten (California’s Transitional Kindergarten Online Library)
Transitional Kindergarten FAQs - Elementary (California Department of Education)