Transitional Kindergarten
The Kindergarten Readiness Act was designed to help ensure that California children are prepared to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Under this act, children who have their fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2 can be admitted to the Transitional Kindergarten program at their school or district.
TK Resources
Check out the TK Resources link referenced on the left side of this page. You will find county and state documents that can be used in support of a TK program. Links to state and local organizations involved in the important work of educating young children are also highlighted.
Note for Families in Search of TK Classes:
All districts are required to offer a TK option for families, though not every school in the district is required to have its own TK class. To learn more about what your child's school district offers, please contact the district directly. You can look up appropriate contact information in the SCOE directory. If you are not sure what district your child is in, you can use this district lookup to find out.
Expanded Transitional Kindergarten
The Kindergarten Readiness Act was recently amended to provide school districts with another option to offer additional kindergarten readiness opportunities for their students. Districts can choose to expand their TK programs to enroll all four-year-olds at the start of the school year, even if they turn five after the December 2nd cut-off date. Districts/charter schools decide individually whether or not they will do this.
Transitional Kindergarten Teachers Requirements
Legislation was recently passed that added additional requirements for TK teachers, so that they are better prepared to align TK curriculum to the California Preschool Learning Foundations. Specifically, credentialed teachers who are first assigned to a TK classroom after July 1, 2015 must have one of the following by August 2020*:
- At least 24 units in early childhood education, childhood development, or both.
- Professional experience in a classroom setting with preschool-age children that is comparable to the 24 units of education described above.
- A child development teacher permit issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
Note that any credentialed teacher who is or was assigned to teach TK (or a combination class of kindergarten and TK) before July 1, 2015 is “grandfathered in” to teach TK without having to meet additional requirements.
*In light of the COVID-19 pandemic the CDE, Governor Newsom's administration and the Legislature worked together to enact a one-year extension for the Transitional Kindergarten teacher requirements. Senate Bill (SB) 98 (Chapter 24, Statutes of 2020) allows
for credentialed teachers who are first assigned to a Transitional Kindergarten classroom after July 1, 2015 to meet their educational requirements by August 1, 2021.
More information about the TK teacher requirements can be found on the CDE website.
Young Learner Teacher Network (formerly known as TK Network)
Teachers of early learners (TK and kindergarten) are invited to come together to engage in a rich community building and networking opportunity. Participants will take part in intentionally crafted learning experiences that address how to serve our schools’ youngest students and best meet their specific needs. Session topics will include age-appropriate instructional strategies, opportunities to build new knowledge and skills, hear about relevant updates from the state, and learn about what is happening in each other's classrooms. Please join us as we celebrate the joy of teaching young children while deepening our understanding of how to effectively meet their needs.
Upcoming Young Learner Teacher Network Meetings & Related Events
Classes and meetings will be listed below when available.
Young Learner Network Email List
