Kindergarten Readiness Bill: Ensuring Success Early

Any day now, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign legislation that will change the minimum age for children entering kindergarten -- a measure lauded by First 5 LA and its partners for its benefits to the state's youngest learners.

The Kindergarten Readiness Bill, (SB 1381), was co-authored by lawmakers from both sides of the Legislature, including Los Angeles-area Assemblymembers Julia Brownley (D-Woodland Hills) and Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk). It requires that students starting kindergarten be 5 years old by Sept. 1, instead of the current cut-off date of Dec. 2.

The bill also establishes a year of transitional kindergarten with a curriculum that focuses on fine motor, pre-reading and oral language skills, along with other basic academic and behavioral abilities, helping ensure success in kindergarten and beyond.

While California is one of the few states that have yet to push up the cut-off date, several of the state's school districts have already established their own programs. This year, the Los Angeles Unified School District is launching a two-year pilot transition kindergarten program at 37 sites. Whitcomb Hayslip, assistant superintendent of Early Childhood Education for LAUSD, said he hopes the program will address the needs of students who are not academically, developmentally or emotionally ready for the rigorous standards they must meet in kindergarten.

Supporters also like that transitional kindergarten, funded by Average Daily Attendance money, is cost neutral to the state -- for now. Also, it does not place additional financial burdens on parents who would otherwise need to pay for another year of preschool or childcare.

"In today's economy, many working parents, particularly single parents, cannot afford to give up jobs to care for children who are just a few months shy of the age requirement for enrollment in kindergarten," Assemblymember Brownley said. "SB-1381 resolves this problem by creating a transitional kindergarten for those youngsters who will now have two years of academic and social preparation before they enter first grade. This additional learning opportunity is just the right kind of support that our youngest children need to insure their future success in school."

Deborah Kong, a spokeswoman for Oakland-based Preschool California, said that, under the proposed law, savings and success will be achieved in several areas, including special education and grade repetition. "And that, in turn, helps with graduation rates and closes the achievement gap," Kong added.

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