Through the Eyes of Parents:
California's Flawed Implementation of Transitional Kindergarten
Why this is important: As California’s Universal Transitional Kindergarten begins its second year, this report provides crucial insights into basic structural problems with the rollout of transitional kindergarten (TK) programs across the state. Based on focus groups with over 40 parents, the report exposes significant shortcomings in outreach, communication, classroom environments, and family engagement that are negatively impacting our youngest learners. This parent feedback is especially valuable because it comes directly from those most affected by the quality of TK implementation. 
Three Key Findings: Parent feedback indicates flawed and stunted implementation of TK programs so far, falling short of the goal of providing high-quality early education to all small children.
  1. Lack of Outreach and Communication: Parents reported inadequate outreach from schools and districts about TK availability, enrollment, and benefits. This contributed to lower-than-expected enrollment. 
  2. Classroom and Facility Challenges: Issues like combined TK/K classrooms, inadequate staffing, and inadequate infrastructure and drop-off procedures were noted as not being developmentally appropriate. 
  3. Absence of Family Engagement: Parents overwhelmingly wanted more meaningful engagement opportunities in the classroom and input into TK program development. They also noted the need for more culturally sensitive engagement to address language barriers and include families in their children’s learning of other cultures. 
“I believe it is important for them (educators) to explain to parents what TK is. In my case, I didn't know what it was about, and I didn't know what it did, so if I had known more, if they had explained it to me before sending my child, I would have seen the benefit of TK.” -Sandra (Los Angeles USD) 
"The teacher is overwhelmed with everything she has to cover with the children and has no assistant, and that leads her to neglect the children’s socioemotional and academic areas." -Rossi (LAUSD)
Recommendations:
Our parent focus groups illuminated three critical areas for improvement. We specifically recommend educators implement the following:

  •  Retrain educators on new credentialing requirements, which integrate culture and family engagement in student learning in grades TK through 3rd grade. 
  • Orient parents and students to the TK environment by utilizing pre-enrollment campus tours and TK information sessions. 
  • Enlist the support of teacher aides and parent volunteers to improve the classroom experience. 
“It is important to provide an informational orientation that includes a tour so that parents and more importantly, the children feel (safe and) familiarized (with the school campus)… Just imagine a child leaving home for the first time without knowing any of this (the setting or school). For this reason, there should be a transition and orientation during the first weeks of school so the child connects (to the new setting or routine) little by little, and the teacher can collaborate so they can help children become familiar, and so the day doesn’t seem an eternity and to prevent them from crying and not wanting to go to school so they can better learn what they are taught academically.  - Karla (Norwalk-La Mirada USD)  
What is Next for PON?
PON is holding a webinar on August 24th at 9:30 a.m. to discuss our findings and recommendations. Webinar attendees will hear from a panel of focus group parents who want to help other parents avoid some of the pitfalls they encountered when looking into TK options and make the best decision when choosing a program for their young children. 
Going forward, PON is engaging in an awareness campaign to help parents navigate their Universal Pre-Kindergarten options. In addition to a presentation planned for PON’s Latino Family Summit in September, part of this outreach effort will include a series of information sessions throughout the year. Stay tuned for ways you or your organization can join this effort. We welcome your participation!
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“These parent perspectives illuminate critical gaps between the promise of TK and its current implementation that must be addressed to increase and retain student enrollment. Educators and policymakers must seriously consider the report findings and take concrete steps to improve family engagement, classrooms, and communication to help TK meet its goal of providing equitable access to high-quality transitional kindergarten education for all students.” -Bryan Becker, Policy Director
“Given the quality variation across TK programs, we strongly recommend parents explore the options available in their community and observe classrooms before deciding where to enroll their child. Ensuring the child’s first schooling experience is a positive one is extremely important as it sets the tone for the rest of their academic journey.” 
-Araceli Simeón, Executive Director
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to the Los Angeles Education Partnership, Gente Organizada, and Pro-Edu for their assistance in recruiting focus group participants.

We are especially appreciative of our parent participants for sharing their time, experience, and insights with us. 
    
Funding for this publication was provided through the generous support of the Heising-Simons Foundation.