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Legislation to make kindergarten mandatory approved by state Senate Education Committee
Currently, kindergarten is optional, and many children enter first grade with academic disadvantages that can cause them to fall behind in school.
Senate Bill 767 will require all students to complete one year in kindergarten before they enter first grade.
Kindergarten offers foundational social and academic skills needed to succeed in first grade and subsequent years.
The bill also includes options for parents to enroll their children in traditional public school, charter school, homeschool, private school or even has the ability to delay their child’s kindergarten enrollment until the age of 6.
“As a public school teacher for nearly 20 years, I have witnessed the detrimental impact on young students who miss out on fundamental early education,” said Sen. Rubio. “The disparities are not only physically visible in a student’s confidence and participation in class, but are also academically measurable. The best way we can support our students, teachers and parents, is to ensure our students are prepared in class as they move up each grade level. I thank my Senate colleagues for their support and look forward to working with the Assembly and the governor to continue our efforts in closing the achievement.”
A coalition of educators, school employees and the business community support the bill.
“We know that kindergarten starts students on the right foot and sets them up for long-term success in language and literacy, math, and social and emotional learning. Mandatory kindergarten would ensure all students enter grade school at an equitable level no matter their background,” said Jeffery Freitas, president of CFT, a union of educators and classified professionals.
"Early Edge California supports SB 767, which will ensure all California children receive critical Early Learning instruction during their youngest years by requiring that they attend kindergarten prior to entering the first grade. Early Learning is essential for children's physical, intellectual, and socioemotional development and provides them with the fundamental skills and tools needed for academic success. SB 767 also promotes equity by addressing the opportunity gap, which has been heightened by school closures during the global health crisis, particularly impacting low-income, students of color. Now more than ever, kindergarten enrollment is necessary, and SB 767 will ensure all students receive critical early instruction to prevent them from falling behind," said Patricia Lozano, executive director, Early Edge California.
“The pandemic has had a negative impact on student learning, particularly amongst low-income, K-12 Latino students. School districts across the state are also experiencing drops in student enrollment. This decline is even more prevalent at the kindergarten level and disproportionately affecting low-income households. Now more than ever, kindergarten attendance is necessary to ensure all students receive critical, linguistically and culturally appropriate early instruction to prevent students from falling behind, especially for our dual language learners,” said Jan Gustafson-Corea, California Association for Bilingual Education chief executive officer.
“Mandating students to attend kindergarten prior to entering the first grade will ensure all students receive high-quality academic, social, linguistic and developmentally-appropriate learning experiences. It is important for our youngest learners, including our English learners, to be prepared for the educational environment they will encounter in elementary school which will help to narrow opportunity gaps,” said Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together.
"Kindergarten is a fundamental piece of early learning. As California expands transitional kindergarten and other preschool opportunities, kindergarten becomes more important than ever in making sure all kids enter first grade ready to succeed, not only in academics, but in their social-emotional skills. In kindergarten, kids learn how to be in a classroom, how to get along with 20+ other kids, how to wait their turn, and how to problem solve – these skills are fundamental to success in first grade and beyond," said Meredith Yeh, co-president, California Kindergarten Association.
SB 767 is supported by a large number of school districts, labor partners, parents, and educational advocacy organizations. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.