By DR. GEORGE MEGENNEY
Principal, Farmington and Collegeville
Several years ago State of California lawmakers passed legislation paving the way for Universal Transitional Kindergarten in public schools. There is little doubt that the benefits of providing four-year-olds with access to early childhood education provides them with foundational skills that will translate into both short- and longer-term benefits. They will be better acclimated to the school environment, learning social skills that are critical for success in and outside of the classroom.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), enrollment in TK has led to earlier identification of English Learner students (nearly four in 10) who then receive an additional year of English Language Development instruction as compared to children who skip TK, leading in turn to earlier reclassification of those students, which is the goal. There is evidence that participation in TK has had a positive impact on students’ socio-emotional learning outcomes. Participation in TK has also led to earlier identification of autism and speech/language impairments, which has led to earlier academic and behavioral interventions. In sum, the benefits are many, however so are the logistical challenges that school districts and individual schools face when asked to implement mandates.
While our elementary teachers are more likely to understand that TK and Kindergarten are quite different, it is a concept that others may not fully grasp. Put simply, TK is a different grade level with a different set of standards and expectations than Kindergarten. A look at key standards for each grade should be enough to help an observer begin to understand the differences based on the expectations.
Transitional Kindergarten
English Language Arts:
Identify 13 uppercase letters
Identify 13 lowercase letters
Write first name
Math:
Identify numbers 0-10
Count to 20
Name shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle)
Name 11 colors
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL):
Identify emotions
Sharing with others
Dramatic role playing
Follow school and classroom rules
Work and play independently/cooperatively
Resolve social conflict
Ask for help when needed
Take responsibility for own behavior
Stays on task
Listens attentively
Participates in class conversations
Kindergarten
English Language Arts:
Show understanding of letters at grade level expectations. (Foundational Skills)
Demonstrate knowledge of blending at grade level expectation. (Foundational Skills)
Read emergent texts at grade level expectations. (Foundational Skills)
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing at grade level expectations. (Foundational Skills)
Compose an informative text at grade level expectations. (Writing)
Math:
Accurately identify numbers and counting sequence at grade-level expectations. (Counting and Cardinality)
Accurately count and compare at grade-level expectations. (Counting and Cardinality)
Accurately add and subtract at grade-level expectations. (Operations and Algebraic Thinking)
Accurately demonstrate place value within grade level expectations. (Numbers and Operations in Base 10)
The focus in TK is far more attuned to student’s socio-emotional needs and development than to the academic. In short, TK students are learning to be students and to successfully interact with their peers and authority figures, much of which is play-based learning. Instruction, curriculum and learning materials are therefore necessarily different since both the learning objectives and the needs of each group are distinct.
While larger school districts may have the resources in place to implement TK-only classrooms, the burden of doing so is more challenging for districts like Escalon, particularly with regard to space in its outlying rural schools. The laws governing TK classrooms have mandated a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio in TK classrooms. If there are more than 12 students in a classroom, the law requires the presence of an additional adult, most likely a paraprofessional instructional aide. There can be no more than 24 students in any TK classroom. While these requirements make sense (and anyone who has stepped foot in a classroom full of four-year-olds will immediately understand why), they can be challenging to implement.
These ratios and requirements also apply to ‘combo’ classrooms where any mix of TK and Kindergarten students may be present. While Dent and Van Allen are currently hosting TK-only classrooms, limitations in the facilities available at both Collegeville and Farmington have necessitated the continuance of ‘combo’ classes that contain a mixture of TK and Kindergarten students. Aside from the issue of physical space, total TK and Kindergarten enrollment numbers at each school necessitated the creation of ‘combo’ classes.
The end result has generated challenges for both sites, not just in terms of maintaining the required number of staff in such classrooms throughout the school day (for example, when a TK/K classroom aide takes a break, another classroom aide must be available to fill in for that duration of time), but also in terms of successfully differentiating instruction between the two groups. It may be tempting to suggest that TK students be taught at the same level as Kindergarten students, but this is no less problematic or difficult than it would be for a high school teacher to be asked to teach a mixed group of freshman and sophomore students as if they were all sophomores.
As the legal and demographic landscape continues to shift and change, Escalon’s elementary schools will have to adapt and develop the means by which to both comply with state mandates and craft programs in alignment with the district’s overall vision of serving and connecting with all students.
Principally Speaking is a monthly article, contributed by principals from Escalon Unified School District sites, throughout the school year. It is designed to update the community on school events and activities.
