Ed Partners Perspectives

The Promise of Transitional Kindergarten

Creating a 14th grade in our public schools is a game changer, especially for students who come from socioeconomically disadvantaged homes and students who are English Learners. The investment of nearly $3 billion over the next four years is a watershed event in California public education.

Given the current challenges of keeping schools open and keeping students and staff healthy, planning to educate four year olds may seem like a bridge too far. At California Education Partners we take the “partners” in our name literally. We are here to support you and as one team member said- be the “shoulder to your wheel” in improving outcomes for students.

Regardless of your work with us (College On Track, 8th Grade On Track, P3CC) we are here to support you and your staff! As TK planning templates and grant applications are released, Ed Partners’ staff are here to offer guidance and we will be hosting informational sessions for you and any other staff members to navigate this process.

We are excited to help your navigate this new road ahead as the opportunity to provide transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds will fill a critical equity gap toward accessing early education across California.

District Spotlight: Sanger Unified

This month we shine the district spotlight on Sanger Unified. As part of the College On Track Collaboration, Sanger has continued their focus on decreasing the D/F rate of their Multilingual Learners for both math and ELA through intervention work. Since the beginning of the school year 57% of students with an English Learner designation have earned a C or better in math in addition to a 9% increase in grades of C or better in ELA.

Additionally, the Sanger team has been able to reclassify more than 10 EL students that were RFEP. Sanger has also started to focus on examining their grading practices for EL students. They are currently piloting equitable grading practices in 9th grade math courses with a focus on using a scale grading for newcomers and hoping to scale to all content courses. Kudos to the SUSD team for all their efforts to make a difference for students!