Building the Plane While Flying It: California Transitional Kindergarten Teachers' Experiences of TK Expansion

Abstract

Transitional kindergarten (TK)--California's universal prekindergarten options that represent the first year of a two-year kindergarten program--began expansion during the 2022-2023 school year and is gradually increasing age eligibility. By the fall of 2025, all four-year-olds across the state will have access to TK in public schools. While the aim is to provide every enrolled child with a high-quality, developmentally appropriate experience in early care and education (ECE), TK expansion was rolled out without critical elements necessary for equitable implementation. School districts are navigating the process on their own, leading to inconsistent implementation, which raises concerns about equity. Additionally, in the absence of ongoing statewide monitoring and evaluation of TK expansion, school districts lack essential data to guide and support their implementation efforts. In this report, the authors analyze survey data gathered during the spring of 2023 by Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) as part of the California ECE Workforce Study. They used a convenience sample of about 400 TK teachers from across the state. In addition, CSCCE conducted two virtual focus group sessions with nine TK teachers selected from among the survey participants who agreed to be contacted for other research activities.