Transitional Kindergarten Program

Transitional Kindergarten Program Rescue Union School District David Swart, Superintendent

Rescue Union School District • ADA around 4000 • Located in El Dorado County (2nd largest elementary district • Geographically / Demographically different areas • 7 Schools – 2 Middle Schools, 5 Elementary Schools (Two Title One Schools) • Generally considered high achieving (all schools above 800 API, 3 schools above 900) • Programs include: Montessori / Jr. K / “C.O.O.L School” (Collaborative Opportunities for Online Learning)

Why we started our Jr. K Program: • Not all students are ready for kindergarten at age four and State Preschool programs mandatorily exit students when they turn five. • Some parents don’t enroll their children in kindergarten (even if they are five) because they feel they are “not ready” due to late birthdays, maturity, developmental readiness issues. • Giving time for the little ones to “become successful students” • Research indicated that by increasing K Readiness we would increase student achievement in math and language, improve student ability particularly in language (reduced drop out rates / teen pregnancy / crime) • Reduction in: Retentions in regular Kindergarten / The need for intervention in subsequent grades / Referrals to Special Education / Opportunities for English Language Learners to develop language • To provide students with a solid foundation for regular Kindergarten if they turn five after December 2. • We know that children who start behind tend to stay behind. • Some students can benefit greatly from having two years to master rigorous K standards. • We were doing Montessori (District) and State Preschool Programs (ED County Office) and wanted a full range of options. • Increase ADA when enrollment is flattening out.

Junior K Eligibility • Students must be five years old on or before December 2 (legal k age) who are “not quite ready” for our full academic kindergarten program and who would benefit from a two-year kindergarten experience (rolling back to November in 2012) • Children who turn five after December 2 may also enroll as they turn five on a space available basis until March 1. • Parents must sign a two-year enrollment agreement / agree to transport • This program does not “compete” for students with preschools because of eligibility/age requirements. It provides a seamless experience for children. We all have the same goal!

Program Design • Half-day, morning programs, extended day programs are also provided at each site for working parents. • Located on three elementary school sites, geographically at each end of our District with a third program added (midyear) • Small class sizes (18-22). • Fully credentialed, certificated, experienced teachers teaming / articulating with regular K teachers • Transportation only provided on existing bus routes (at home schools), otherwise parents transport. • Students evaluated for readiness on District K assessments prior to enrollment. In 2011, Kindergarten Student Entry Profile (KSEP) in cooperation with El Dorado County First Five (Santa Barbara) • Strong parental involvement/communication is an integral part of the program (participation in the class and on outside activities) • “Report Cards” are progress reports/Regular Parent Conferences / Communication (adapted by Jr. K teachers from the K report card)

Curriculum Design: • Based on California Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Standards – “Exposure” vs. Mastery • More developmental approach/slower pacing/no time pressures, but also focused on the skills needed to be successful the next year in K (very important!) • Engaging, yet playful, integrated curriculum, building on each student’s natural curiosity (especially in science), developmentally appropriate! • ELA – focused on reading and writing skills • Math – focused on number sense and problem solving • Physical Development–large and fine Motor Skills • Social/Emotional/Physical/Linguistic/Cognitive Development in a supportive environment

Curriculum Materials: • Wright Group – Growing with Math • Imagine It (aligned to Open Court - our adopted District Reading program) – same terminology, approach etc. • Handwriting Without Tears • Hands on science activities

Program Startup:Initial Challenges • What do we call it so parents know it is not a preschool program? • How many programs can we support? • How can we identify children and notify parents about the program that don’t have siblings in our District? (Letters, All Calls, Signs, Newspapers, Websites, Many Parent Meetings) • How/when will we know how many students we have? (For planning and staffing appropriately) • Location, location, location? (To maximize participation) • What is a reasonable timeline for implementation? • What curriculum? Class size? Transportation?

Feedback from the Teachers About the Program • Growth of students individually and as a class – “incredible” • Many students could have entered a K class mid-year and done well because they had come so far – but we maintain a 2 year experience will improve their school careers for many years to come • They have had the time to fully “become students” (believing in their own success!) • These same students would have struggled for five months in Kindergarten trying to keep up

Feedback from the Teachers (Continued) • Every parent is happy! They thank us daily! (The only question they have is, “Why didn’t we do this years ago?” (They often have older siblings who would have benefited from Jr. K also.) • Our students are “blossoming” and can do so much more than they could at the beginning of the year! • Socialization is one of the best outcomes. Students have learned to accept each other. Even one of the most difficult students in terms of peer relationships at the beginning of the year has now developed many friendships. • It has been great to have multiple teachers in the program so we could share and collaborate (even if by email sometimes!). • We are still working on how to put the scissors away properly! (But most of our kindergarten classroom “procedures” have already been mastered [by November]). • One teacher said she had to remind herself to slow down, backup and not push. (She had previously been a regular kindergarten teacher.)

Current Challenges: • Time – Projecting how many unidentified students we have out there for next year. We considered starting programs at each of five elementary schools in the fall but are waiting to promote more and have more definitive information about enrollment (We feel that “critical mass” is 12 – 14 students per site to start) • Midyear staffing may be a challenge if we have many mid-year birthdays. We want only the highest qualified, motivated teachers for this program! • Parents often want a guaranteed spot in advance. • How to handle interdistrict transfer requests • Our program has specified an enrollment cutoff of March 1st. Parents with children whose birthdays after March 1 are calling and want exceptions. • Parents all want the next program at their home school. Although the demand is increasing, we can’t guarantee enough enrollment for a program at every site. • So many budget unknowns!!

“On the Shoulders of Giants” • We especially thank our neighbors: • Buckeye Union School District • Placerville Union School District • Lake Tahoe Unified School District And the • Rescue Union Board of Trustees

Resources onTransitional Kindergarten State and National Studies and Research on Pre K programs: • Pre [K] Now “ABCs of Pre K” • Preschool California • San Mateo County/Santa Clara County Partnership for School Readiness • Rand Corporation “CaliforniaPreschool Study” (2005) • California Department of Education • Transitional Kindergarten Planning Guide (CCSESA / CISC) • Rescue Union School DistrictWebsite: www.rescueusd.org

Thank you! Contact information: David Swart, Superintendent Rescue Union School District 530.672.4802 dswart@rescueusd.org

Transitional Kindergarten Program