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Kindergarten ‘redshirting’ not very common, study finds
Kindergarten “redshirting,” when parents keep a child eligible to start kindergarten out of school for an extra year, is not as prevalent as previously believed, a new study suggests. On average, only 4 percent to 5 percent of children start kindergarten a year late, according to the study by Daphna Bassok of the University of Virginia and Sean Reardon of Stanford University. The term “redshirting” originally comes from the practice of keeping a freshman athlete out of intercollegiate sports for a year to give him or her an extra year of NCAA eligibility. It’s not thought that many parents hold their children out of kindergarten for athletic advantage, but to give him or her more time to “mature.” However, the study found that most children who were held back might not really … Read entire article »
Filed under: Early Childhood, Quick Hits, Transitional Kindergarten
Many charter schools to begin offering transitional kindergarten in fall 2013
After a year’s delay, many charter schools will begin offering transitional kindergarten classes in the fall. There had been some disagreement with the California Department of Education over whether charters were required to offer the new program for children who turn five in the first few months of the school year. While school districts rolled out the transitional programs at the beginning of this academic year, many charters did not. The state’s two largest charter advocacy groups said … Read entire article »
Filed under: Early Childhood, Featured, Reporting & Analysis, Transitional Kindergarten
Long Beach has jumpstart on transitional kindergarten
LONG BEACH – When California school districts were required by state law to start a new early kindergarten class for some 4-year-olds for the first time this year, Long Beach Unified had an easier task than most: to simply expand the existing “preppy kindergarten” program it started five years ago. The Long Beach program, originally the brainchild of kindergarten teachers Kris Damon and Michelle Woolwine, is not the first transitional kindergarten program in the state, but … Read entire article »
Filed under: Early Childhood, Featured, Reporting & Analysis, Transitional Kindergarten
Educators celebrate first six months of transitional kindergarten
Transitional kindergarten, the new grade level for children whose fifth birthdays fall early in the school year, is 6 months old in February. At a statewide conference in Pasadena this week — the first large gathering since the program was implemented — teachers, administrators and advocates talked about best practices and cheered what they see as long-needed reform. Long Beach Unified Superintendent Chris Steinhauser praised it, too, but also tempered enthusiasm with a warning to advocates not … Read entire article »
Filed under: Early Childhood, Featured, Kindergarten and Preschool, Reporting & Analysis, Transitional Kindergarten
Charters and state at odds over Transitional Kindergarten
The first lesson that the state’s youngest students may learn is about the meaning of words – specifically, words in the state education code that may or may not give these children access to Transitional Kindergarten in charter schools. The California Department of Education maintains that any charter school offering kindergarten must provide Transitional Kindergarten, or TK. “Our lawyers affirmed it verbally,” said Tina Jung, spokesperson for the California Department of Education. “To us, it’s clear … Read entire article »
Filed under: Charter Schools, Featured, Kindergarten and Preschool, Legislature, Bills, Poverty, Reporting & Analysis, Transitional Kindergarten
State Board tells districts Transitional Kindergarten is a must
Probably the strongest indication of how the State Board of Education would vote on waiver requests from nine school districts seeking to delay the start of Transitional Kindergarten came from the districts themselves; not a single representative showed up to even try to argue their case. On Wednesday afternoon, the Board unanimously agreed with Department of Education analysts and rejected the waiver applications. That decision sent a clear message to other districts, said Scott Moore, Preschool California’s senior policy director. “There was a sense of people are watching this to see how the State Board acts,” said Moore. “Granting them a waiver to not provide public education to these students isn’t something that they feel is legal.” Transitional Kindergarten is a new program, but doesn’t involve new students. The same bill that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Jerry Brown, Kindergarten and Preschool, Quick Hits, State Board of Education, Transitional Kindergarten
State Board urged to reject waivers from Transitional Kindergarten
UPDATE: The State Board rejected all requests for waivers from Transitional Kindergarten. See this EdSource “Quick Hit” for more details. Gov. Jerry Brown’s attempt to eliminate funding for Transitional Kindergarten created so much confusion that a handful of school districts sought waivers from it out of fear they would have to bear the cost of the program. The State Board of Education will consider those waiver requests at its meeting today, even though TK, as it is commonly … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Jerry Brown, Legislature, Bills, Reporting & Analysis, State Board of Education, State Budget, Transitional Kindergarten
San Francisco to offer transitional kindergarten after all
The San Francisco Unified School District, which in January announced it would not offer Transitional Kindergarten after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed eliminating the program, has changed course and decided to offer the program after all. Those eligible will be students who are born in a single month and year — between November 2 and December 2, 2007. The program will only be offered at two sites — Harvard Early Education School and McLaren Early Education School — which will almost certainly make it unreachable for some parents who may be interested in enrolling in the program. The governor’s January budget proposes both cutting funding for Transitional Kindergarten and removing the requirement that districts provide special transitional classes for children who turn 5 between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2. These children became ineligible to enter … Read entire article »
Filed under: Quick Hits, Transitional Kindergarten
Brown administration modifies budget proposal on transitional kindergarten
In response to concerns expressed by school officials, the Brown administration has amended its 2012–13 budget proposal to allow districts to enroll thousands of children in kindergarten who will still be 4 years old in November if their districts grant them a special waiver. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Jerry Brown, Reporting & Analysis, State Budget, Transitional Kindergarten
Brown plan to delay “transitional kindergarten” triggers uncertainty in many school districts
Governor Jerry Brown’s proposal to delay implementation of “transitional kindergarten” for 4-year-olds has triggered doubt and confusion in many school districts around the state. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Jerry Brown, Reporting & Analysis, State Budget, Transitional Kindergarten
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