Last year's passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1381 (Chapter 705/2010) introduced a variety of changes to the enrollment dates for children entering kindergarten and first grade in California, resulting in long-term changes in the age requirements for these classes. For a detailed review of the bill, please see "Bill to Change Age of Admission to Kindergarten Goes to Governor" in the September 10, 2010, Fiscal Report). By way of review, for a school to be provided funding for a kindergarten student, SB 1381 required a child be five years old by:
- December 2 for the 2011-12 year (same as prior to passage of the bill)
- November 1 for the 2012-13 school year
- October 1 for the 2013-14 school year
- September 1 for the 2014-15 school year and each year thereafter
Similarly, students entering the first grade must be six years old under the timeline outlined above in each of the respective years. An important note of clarification:
This new requirement is not a restriction on enrollment of students. It is a requirement placed on schools when they want to receive funding for the students they enroll. Under the new criteria, a school district may still enroll a student that does not meet the age requirements listed above. However, that school will not be paid average daily attendance (ADA) funding for that student until after the student has attained the age of five years. Therefore, if a kindergarten student with a January birthday is admitted in the 2011-12 school year, the school will not receive ADA credit for that student until the student turns five years old in January.
Transitional Kindergarten
Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, for those students who are no longer eligible for traditional kindergarten due to the age eligibility requirements mentioned above, a new program called transitional kindergarten has been created. Transitional kindergarten uses a modified curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate for the students in an effort to prepare them for kindergarten. ADA funding is provided for this program, and the program is required to be taught by a credentialed teacher. The age eligibility for transitional kindergarten is listed below. The student's fifth birthday must fall within the range:
- November 2 - December 2 for the 2012-13 school year
- October 2 - December 2 for the 2013-14 school year
- September 2 - December 2 for the 2014-15 school year and each school year thereafter
While California was apparently one of four states to have previously had a kindergarten cut-off date between December 1 and January 1, and this bill will effectively require students to be older in the classroom, it will be some time before we see to what extent there are measurable differences in classroom performance based on the change in age of admission and the associated transitional kindergarten programs derived from the measure.
--Jeff Bell