GOVERNOR'S VETO

GV Bill Id:AB 197

Author:(Weber)

As Enrolled Ver:September 10, 2019

2/3 vote

SUMMARY:

Requires every school within a school district, and every charter school serving pupils in the early primary grades, to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

The Senate Amendments:

Provide that a school may continue to operate a part-day kindergarten program if the school district's governing board has prescribed a shorter length for the schoolday because the lack of school facilities requires double sessions.

Governor’s Veto Message:

This bill requires all elementary schools, as well as all charter schools that offer kindergarten, to offer at least one full-day kindergarten program, commencing with the 2022-23 school year.

Enrollment in full-day kindergarten has grown for more than a decade. Some school districts opt for part-day programs due to facilities constraints. In order to address this limitation, the 2019 Budget Act includes $300 million one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund specifically for facilities construction designed to expand full-day kindergarten offerings. While I support increased access to full-day kindergarten, I cannot sign this bill as it would impose new costs outside the budget.

COMMENTS:

The availability of full-day kindergarten varies. According to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71% of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19% ran only part-day programs, and 10% ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that approximately 70% of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30% attend a part-day program. Enrollment in full-day programs has grown significantly since 2007-08 when 43% of students were attending full-day kindergarten programs. A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE) found that the average full-day kindergarten session was 5.6 hours and the part-day sessions averaged 3.5 hours.

The State funds kindergarten through the Local Control Funding Formula, which provides districts the same per student funding rate for part day and full day programs ($8,235 per student in 2018-19).

When surveyed by the LAO regarding their reasons for not operating full-day kindergarten programs, school districts reported a variety of reasons, including limited classroom space, teachers preferring part-day programs because they receive additional support from other teachers throughout the day, and parent preference for a shorter school day for their children.

According to the Author:

“Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success.”

Arguments in Support:

First 5 California states, “First 5 California’s vision is to ensure California’s children receive the best possible start in life and thrive. High quality kindergarten is part of this best start, and our early learning system in California.

According to the Education Commission of the States, full-day kindergarten attendance can help to close achievement gaps early on in a child’s education. Students who attend full-day kindergarten programs also are more likely to have better attendance, academic success, and social/emotional development. Governor Newsom recognizes the importance of full-day kindergarten and has proposed $750 million to address barriers to full-day kindergarten programs due to their impact on reducing the achievement gap and providing equitable opportunities for all children and families.

AB 197 would expand instruction time and give teachers the opportunity to provide an academically rich experience for young learners. Through these reforms, California can

achieve a more equitable system to support children and families, and maximize public

benefit.”

Arguments in Opposition:

None on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, “This bill could result in additional Proposition 98 General Fund costs in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for increased staffing, purchasing of materials, additional classroom space, and school facilities construction costs as a result of this measure. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates, but could be offset by the full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in the budget. This bill would likely impact about 19 percent of school districts throughout the state that only run part-day kindergarten programs. An estimated 71 percent of school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs, and 10 percent operate a mix of full and part-day programs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full average daily attendance (ADA) for local control funding formula (LCFF) entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA.”

VOTES:

ASM EDUCATION: 5-1-0

YES: O'Donnell, Kalra, McCarty, Smith, Weber

NO: Kiley

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 13-4-0

YES: Gonzalez, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Eggman, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Maienschein, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Robert Rivas

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Diep, Obernolte

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 60-15-5

YES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooper, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Cristina Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Chen, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Gallagher, Kiley, Lackey, Mathis, Melendez, Obernolte, Voepel, Waldron

ABS, ABST OR NV: Cooley, Fong, Eduardo Garcia, Mayes, Patterson

SENATE FLOOR: 31-9-0

YES: Allen, Archuleta, Atkins, Beall, Bradford, Caballero, Chang, Dodd, Durazo, Galgiani, Glazer, Lena Gonzalez, Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Hurtado, Jackson, Leyva, McGuire, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Skinner, Stern, Umberg, Wieckowski, Wiener, Wilk

NO: Bates, Borgeas, Dahle, Grove, Jones, Moorlach, Morrell, Nielsen, Stone

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 61-15-3

YES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Daly, Diep, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Chen, Choi, Cunningham, Flora, Gallagher, Kiley, Lackey, Mathis, Melendez, Obernolte, Patterson, Voepel, Waldron

ABS, ABST OR NV: Eggman, Fong, Mayes

UPDATED:

VERSION: September 10, 2019

CONSULTANT: Debbie Look / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0002563

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 197

Author:(Weber)

As Amended Ver:August 30, 2019

Majority vote

SUMMARY:

Requires every school within a school district, and every charter school serving pupils in the early primary grades, to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

The Senate Amendments:

Provide that a school may continue to operate a part-day kindergarten program if the school district's governing board has prescribed a shorter length for the schoolday because the lack of school facilities requires double sessions.

COMMENTS:

The availability of full-day kindergarten varies. According to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71% of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19% ran only part-day programs, and 10% ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that approximately 70% of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30% attend a part-day program. Enrollment in full-day programs has grown significantly since 2007-08 when 43% of students were attending full-day kindergarten programs. A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE) found that the average full-day kindergarten session was 5.6 hours and the part-day sessions averaged 3.5 hours.

The State funds kindergarten through the Local Control Funding Formula, which provides districts the same per student funding rate for part day and full day programs ($8,235 per student in 2018-19).

When surveyed by the LAO regarding their reasons for not operating full-day kindergarten programs, school districts reported a variety of reasons, including limited classroom space, teachers preferring part-day programs because they receive additional support from other teachers throughout the day, and parent preference for a shorter school day for their children.

According to the Author:

"Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success."

Arguments in Support:

First 5 California states, "First 5 California's vision is to ensure California's children receive the best possible start in life and thrive. High quality kindergarten is part of this best start, and our early learning system in California.

According to the Education Commission of the States, full-day kindergarten attendance can help to close achievement gaps early on in a child's education. Students who attend full-day kindergarten programs also are more likely to have better attendance, academic success, and social/emotional development. Governor Newsom recognizes the importance of full-day kindergarten and has proposed $750 million to address barriers to full-day kindergarten programs due to their impact on reducing the achievement gap and providing equitable opportunities for all children and families.

AB 197 would expand instruction time and give teachers the opportunity to provide an

academically rich experience for young learners. Through these reforms, California can

achieve a more equitable system to support children and families, and maximize public

benefit."

Arguments in Opposition:

None on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, "This bill could result in additional Proposition 98 General Fund costs in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for increased staffing, purchasing of materials, additional classroom space, and school facilities construction costs as a result of this measure. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates, but could be offset by the full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in the budget. This bill would likely impact about 19% of school districts throughout the state that only run part-day kindergarten programs. An estimated 71% of school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs, and 10% operate a mix of full and part-day programs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full average daily attendance (ADA) for local control funding formula (LCFF) entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA."

VOTES:

ASM EDUCATION: 5-1-0

YES: O'Donnell, Kalra, McCarty, Smith, Weber

NO: Kiley

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 13-4-1

YES: Gonzalez, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Eggman, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Maienschein, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Robert Rivas

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Diep, Obernolte

ABS, ABST OR NV: Fong

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 60-15-5

YES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooper, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Cristina Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Chen, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Gallagher, Kiley, Lackey, Mathis, Melendez, Obernolte, Voepel, Waldron

ABS, ABST OR NV: Cooley, Fong, Eduardo Garcia, Mayes, Patterson

SENATE FLOOR: 31-9-0

YES: Allen, Archuleta, Atkins, Beall, Bradford, Caballero, Chang, Dodd, Durazo, Galgiani, Glazer, Lena Gonzalez, Hertzberg, Hill, Hueso, Hurtado, Jackson, Leyva, McGuire, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Skinner, Stern, Umberg, Wieckowski, Wiener, Wilk

NO: Bates, Borgeas, Dahle, Grove, Jones, Moorlach, Morrell, Nielsen, Stone

UPDATED:

VERSION: August 30, 2019

CONSULTANT: Debbie Look / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0001845

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 197

Author: Weber (D), et al.

Amended: 8/30/19 in Senate

Vote: 21

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/19/19

AYES: Leyva, Wilk, Chang, Durazo, Glazer, McGuire, Pan

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/30/19

AYES: Portantino, Bradford, Durazo, Hill, Wieckowski

NOES: Bates, Jones

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 60-15, 5/23/19 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: Full-day kindergarten

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires every school within a school district or charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Specifies that children between the ages of 6 and 18 years, unless otherwise exempted, are subject to compulsory full-time education.
2. Prohibits a pupil in a kindergarten from being kept in school for more than four hours per day, exclusive of recesses, subject to specified exceptions.
3. Specifies that the kindergarten schoolday may exceed four hours, exclusive of recesses, if both of the following conditions are met:
4. The governing board of a school district declares that the extended-day kindergarten program does not exceed the length of the primary schoolday.
5. The extended-day kindergarten program takes into account ample opportunity for both active and quiet activities within an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program.
6. Specifies that a school district that is implementing an early primary program may maintain kindergarten or transitional kindergarten classes for different lengths of time during the schoolday, either at the same or a different schoolsite.
7. Defines “early primary program” as an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3, that incorporates various instructional strategies and authentic assessment practices, including educationally appropriate curricula, heterogeneous groupings, active learning activities, oral language development, small group instruction, peer interaction, use of concrete manipulative materials in the classroom, planned articulation among preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades, and parent involvement and education.
8. Defines “integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program” as a program that is designed around the abilities and interests of the children in the program and one in which children learn about the various subjects simultaneously, as opposed to segmented courses, and through “hands-on” or “active learning” teaching methods that are more appropriate for young children than the academic “textbook” approach.
9. Specifies that the minimum schoolday for pupils in kindergarten is 180 minutes inclusive of recesses.
10. Requires single session part-day kindergarten classes to meet all of the following:
11. The class is maintained for a minimum of 180 minutes per schoolday.
12. The kindergarten class teacher is assigned to only one session of kindergarten daily as a principal teacher.
13. The kindergarten teacher is a full-time certificated employee.
14. The kindergarten teacher shall be available for assistance or assignment in the instructional program of the primary grades when not involved in the kindergarten program.

This bill:

1. Requires each school serving pupils in early primary grades within a school district and charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, subject to specified exemptions, including school districts that prescribe a shorter school day because of lack of school facilities.
2. Defines "full-day kindergarten" as instruction provided for the same number of minutes per schoolday that is offered to pupils in first grade.
3. Expresses the intent of the Legislature that first priority for implementation of full-day kindergarten before July 1, 2022, go to any school receiving Title I funds.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success.”
2. Research on the impact of full-day kindergarten is mixed. While many argue that a large body of research demonstrates that full-day kindergarten programs benefit children, a 2009 Public Policy Institute of California study states that “research to date…has provided little evidence of long-term academic benefits beyond kindergarten or first grade.” Further, an analysis done by the Research and Development (RAND) Corporation titled “Ready for School: Can Full-Day Kindergarten Level the Playing Field” found that “This study reinforces the findings of earlier studies that suggest full-day kindergarten programs may not enhance achievement in the long term. Furthermore, this study raises the possibility that full-day kindergarten programs may actually be detrimental to mathematics performance and to nonacademic readiness skills.”
3. Most school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs. According to the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71 percent of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19 percent ran only part-day programs, and 10 percent ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that approximately 70 percent of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30 percent attend a part-day program. Enrollment in full-day programs has grown significantly since 2007-08 when 43 percent of students were attending full-day kindergarten programs. A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, on behalf of the California Department of Education found that the average full-day kindergarten session was 5.6 hours and the part-day sessions averaged 3.5 hours.
4. Why do some districts not offer full-day kindergarten? School districts determine the length of their kindergarten programs. Part‑day programs operate between three to four hours per day, and full‑day programs operate for more than four hours per day. Schools operating part‑day programs typically run a morning session and afternoon session in the same classroom using two teachers—one teacher in the morning and another in the afternoon. Full-day programs, in contrast, require a separate classroom and are typically assigned one full‑time teacher who leads the class throughout the day. The state funds kindergarten through the Local Control Funding Formula, which provides districts the same per‑student funding rate for part‑day and full‑day programs ($8,235 per student in 2018‑19).

When surveyed by the LAO for their reasons for not operating full-day kindergarten programs, school districts reported a variety of reasons, including limited classroom space, teachers preferring part-day programs because they receive additional support from another teacher throughout the day, and parent preference for a shorter school day for their children.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: Yes

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill could result in additional Proposition 98 General Fund costs in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for increased staffing, purchasing of materials, additional classroom space, and school facilities construction costs as a result of this measure. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates, but could be offset by the full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in the budget. This bill will likely impact about 19 percent of school districts throughout the state that only run part-day kindergarten programs. An estimated 71 percent of school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs, and 10 percent operate a mix of full and part-day programs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full average daily attendance (ADA) for local control funding formula entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA.

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/30/19)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

California Alternative Payment Program Association

California Association for the Gifted

California State PTA

First 5 California

National Association of Social Workers

Project Lead the Way

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/30/19)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 60-15, 5/23/19

AYES: Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bonta, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooper, Daly, Diep, Eggman, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Cristina Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Smith, Mark Stone, Ting, Weber, Wicks, Wood, Rendon

NOES: Bigelow, Brough, Chen, Choi, Cunningham, Dahle, Flora, Gallagher, Kiley, Lackey, Mathis, Melendez, Obernolte, Voepel, Waldron

NO VOTE RECORDED: Cooley, Fong, Eduardo Garcia, Mayes, Patterson

Prepared by: Ian Johnson / ED. /

9/3/19 10:58:39

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular Session

AB 197 (Weber) - Full-day kindergarten

Bill Summary:

This bill requires every school within a school district or charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM – SUSPENSE FILE ***********

The following information is revised to reflect amendments

adopted by the committee on August 30, 2019

Fiscal Impact:

• This bill could result in additional Proposition 98 General Fund costs, potentially in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for increased staffing, purchasing of materials, additional classroom space, and school facilities construction costs as a result of this measure. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates but could be offset by the full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in the budget ($300 million) that is intended to incentivize districts to convert their part-day programs to full-day. This bill could impact about 19 percent of school districts throughout the state that only run part-day kindergarten programs. An estimated 71 percent of school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs, and 10 percent operate a mix of full and part-day programs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full average daily attendance (ADA) for local control funding formula (LCFF) entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA.

Committee Amendments:

Provide that a school may continue to operate a part-day program if the district’s governing board has prescribed a shorter length for the schoolday because the lack of school facilities requires double sessions.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular Session

AB 197 (Weber) - Full-day kindergarten

Bill Summary:

This bill requires every school within a school district or charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

Fiscal Impact:

• This bill could result in additional Proposition 98 General Fund costs in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars for increased staffing, purchasing of materials, additional classroom space, and school facilities construction costs as a result of this measure. These costs may be determined to be reimbursable by the Commission on State Mandates, but could be offset by the full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in the budget. This bill would likely impact about 19 percent of school districts throughout the state that only run part-day kindergarten programs. An estimated 71 percent of school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs, and 10 percent operate a mix of full and part-day programs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full average daily attendance (ADA) for local control funding formula (LCFF) entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA.

Background:

Existing law requires every person between the ages of 6 and 18 years to attend school, for at least the minimum schoolday. Existing law requires a school to admit a student to kindergarten if the student will be 5-years-old on or before September 1 of the 2014-15 school year and every year thereafter. Children are not, however, required to attend kindergarten.

Existing law authorizes school districts to admit to kindergarten, on a case-by-case basis, a student who will be 5-years-old during the school year, subject to the following conditions: 1) the governing board of the school district determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the student; and, 2) the parent is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance. A student must be admitted to the first grade if the student will be 6-years-old on or before September 1 of the 2014-15 school year and every year thereafter.

Proposed Law:

This bill requires each school serving pupils in early primary grades within a school district and charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, subject to specified exemptions.

This bill defines "full-day kindergarten" as instruction provided for the same number of minutes per schoolday that is offered to pupils in first grade, and expresses the intent of the Legislature that first priority for implementation of full-day kindergarten before July 1, 2022, go to any school receiving Title I funds.

Related Legislation:

AB 713 (Weber, 2015) would have required a student to complete one year of kindergarten before being admitted to the first grade. AB 713 failed passage in this Committee.

Staff Comments:

Kindergarten is currently not mandatory in California, although the vast majority of age-eligible children do attend kindergarten. According to the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71 percent of school districts in California ran full-day kindergarten programs, 19 percent ran only part-day programs, and 10 percent operated a mix of full and part-day programs. The LAO also estimates that approximately 70 percent of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and the remaining 30 percent attend a part-day program. Local school districts determine the length of their kindergarten programs and may elect not to operate a full-day program for a variety of reasons, including limited classroom space and preferences from both teachers and parents for a shorter school day. Schools operating part-day programs typically fun a morning session and then an afternoon session in the same classroom with two different teachers. Full-day programs often utilize one classroom and are assigned one full-time teacher for that day.

This bill would affect those districts that only operate part-day programs and require them to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program. These school districts may incur significant costs to convert at least one of their part-day programs into a full-day program or add a full-day program altogether. The associated costs may include the hiring of additional teachers, purchasing new classroom materials, and school facilities construction related expenses to create additional classroom space. Further, while the bill only requires that school districts operate at least one full-day program, there could be pressure to convert more of their existing part-day programs which could lead to even higher costs.

Because school districts are already required to offer kindergarten and children attending part-day programs already count as full ADA for LCFF entitlement purposes (estimated on average at $9,800 per ADA for 2019-20 which is inclusive of supplemental and concentration grant funding), this bill may not have a significant impact on statewide ADA. However, the bill could lead to an increase in the number of students enrolling in kindergarten now that all schools are operating full-day programs. For example, some parents with children attending a part-day program at a private school may choose to send them to a public school as a result of this bill. However, the number of those students is difficult to determine.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Connie Leyva, Chair

2019 - 2020 Regular

Bill No: Hearing Date: June 19, 2019

Subject: .

SUMMARY

This bill requires every school within a school district or charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program.

BACKGROUND

Existing law:

1. Specifies that children between the ages of 6 and 18 years, unless otherwise exempted, are subject to compulsory full-time education.
2. Prohibits a pupil in a kindergarten from being kept in school for more than four hours per day, exclusive of recesses, subject to specified exceptions.
3. Specifies that the kindergarten schoolday may exceed four hours, exclusive of recesses, if both of the following conditions are met:
4. The governing board of a school district declares that the extended-day kindergarten program does not exceed the length of the primary schoolday.
5. The extended-day kindergarten program takes into account ample opportunity for both active and quiet activities within an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program.
6. Specifies that a school district that is implementing an early primary program may maintain kindergarten or transitional kindergarten classes for different lengths of time during the schoolday, either at the same or a different schoolsite.
7. Defines “early primary program” as an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3, that incorporates various instructional strategies and authentic assessment practices, including educationally appropriate curricula, heterogeneous groupings, active learning activities, oral language development, small group instruction, peer interaction, use of concrete manipulative materials in the classroom, planned articulation among preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades, and parent involvement and education.
8. Defines “integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program” as a program that is designed around the abilities and interests of the children in the program and one in which children learn about the various subjects simultaneously, as opposed to segmented courses, and through “hands-on” or “active learning” teaching methods that are more appropriate for young children than the academic “textbook” approach.
9. Specifies that the minimum schoolday for pupils in kindergarten is 180 minutes inclusive of recesses.
10. Requires single session part-day kindergarten classes to meet all of the following:
11. The class is maintained for a minimum of 180 minutes per schoolday.
12. The kindergarten class teacher is assigned to only one session of kindergarten daily as a principal teacher.
13. The kindergarten teacher is a full-time certificated employee.
14. The kindergarten teacher shall be available for assistance or assignment in the instructional program of the primary grades when not involved in the kindergarten program.

ANALYSIS

This bill:

1. Requires each school serving pupils in early primary grades within a school district and charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, subject to specified exemptions.
2. Defines "full-day kindergarten" as instruction provided for the same number of minutes per schoolday that is offered to pupils in first grade.
3. Expresses the intent of the Legislature that first priority for implementation of full-day kindergarten before July 1, 2022, go to any school receiving Title I funds.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success.”
2. Research on the impact of full-day kindergarten is mixed. While many argue that a large body of research demonstrates that full-day kindergarten programs benefit children, a 2009 Public Policy Institute of California study states that “research to date…has provided little evidence of long-term academic benefits beyond kindergarten or first grade.” Further, an analysis done by the Research and Development (RAND) Corporation titled “Ready for School: Can Full-Day Kindergarten Level the Playing Field” found that “This study reinforces the findings of earlier studies that suggest full-day kindergarten programs may not enhance achievement in the long term. Furthermore, this study raises the possibility that full-day kindergarten programs may actually be detrimental to mathematics performance and to nonacademic readiness skills.”
3. Most school districts already operate full-day kindergarten programs. According to the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71 percent of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19 percent ran only part-day programs, and 10 percent ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that approximately 70 percent of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30 percent attend a part-day program. Enrollment in full-day programs has grown significantly since 2007-08 when 43 percent of students were attending full-day kindergarten programs. A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE) found that the average full-day kindergarten session was 5.6 hours and the part-day sessions averaged 3.5 hours.
4. Why do some districts not offer full-day kindergarten? School districts determine the length of their kindergarten programs. Part‑day programs operate between three to four hours per day, and full‑day programs operate for more than four hours per day. Schools operating part‑day programs typically run a morning session and afternoon session in the same classroom using two teachers—one teacher in the morning and another in the afternoon. Full-day programs, in contrast, require a separate classroom and are typically assigned one full‑time teacher who leads the class throughout the day. The state funds kindergarten through the Local Control Funding Formula, which provides districts the same per‑student funding rate for part‑day and full‑day programs ($8,235 per student in 2018‑19).

When surveyed by the LAO for their reasons for not operating full-day kindergarten programs, school districts reported a variety of reasons, including limited classroom space, teachers preferring part-day programs because they receive additional support from another teacher throughout the day, and parent preference for a shorter school day for their children.

1. Related budget activity. During budget deliberations last year, the Legislature indicated that increasing the number of full‑day kindergarten programs throughout the state was a priority. The 2018‑19 budget package accordingly provided $100 million in one-time General Fund to help districts cover the facility costs associated with converting part‑day kindergarten programs into full‑day programs. This year, the budget conference committee approved an additional $300 million in one-time General Fund for this purpose.
2. Arguments in support. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees states “Attending full-day kindergarten is essential in closing the achievement gap early in a child’s education. In particular, low-income children who may not have had previous access to an early childhood development program would be able to benefit from a full-day kindergarten program. California’s education system is in dire need of an overhaul, and creating changes in early childhood education is a strong first step towards fixing a lagging academic curriculum and system.”

SUPPORT

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

California Alternative Payment Program Association

California State PTA

First 5 California

National Association of Social Workers

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 197

Author:(Weber)

As Amended Ver:May 17, 2019

Majority vote

SUMMARY:

Requires each school within a school district and charter schools offering kindergarten to provide at least one full-day kindergarten program.

Major Provisions

1. Requires each school serving pupils in early primary grades within a school district and charter school to implement at least one full-day kindergarten program, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, subject to specified exemptions.
2. Defines "full-day kindergarten" as instruction provided for the same number of minutes per schoolday that is offered to pupils in first grade.
3. Expresses the intent of the Legislature that first priority for implementation of full-day kindergarten before July 1, 2022, go to any school receiving Title I funds.

COMMENTS:

A large body of research demonstrates that children benefit from a developmentally appropriate, full-day kindergarten program, especially in terms of early academic achievement. Full-day kindergarten provides the learning time needed to prepare for mastery of primary-grade reading and math skills, and helps to reduce subsequent needs for remediation or grade retention. Studies show that full-day kindergarten students show faster gains on literacy and language measures and that such gains may last over time, including higher reading achievement through third grade, and possibly through seventh grade. Other studies show similar gains in numeracy and early math skills in full-day kindergarten classes.

Full-day kindergarten lays the foundation for the transition into formal schooling, and also provides children with more time in a structured environment which may lead to improved social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Parents generally support full-day kindergarten, both for educational reasons, and because it lessens the need for child care arrangements during the workday.

According to the Author:

"Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success."

Arguments in Support:

First 5 California states, "AB 197 would expand instruction time and give teachers the opportunity to provide an academically rich experience for young learners. Through these reforms, California can achieve a more equitable system to support children and families, and maximize public benefit."

Arguments in Opposition:

None

FISCAL COMMENTS:

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, "Unknown, significant Proposition 98 General Fund cost pressures on the K-12 Mandates Block Grant, potentially in the tens of millions of dollars, should the Commission on State Mandates determine this bill to be a state mandated local program. About 190 school districts would need to begin offering a full-day class. Assuming an average of 30 students per class, and cost increases to offer full-day kindergarten of $4,000 per student, reimbursable costs would be about $25 million.

VOTES:

ASM EDUCATION: 5-1-0

YES: O'Donnell, Kalra, McCarty, Smith, Weber

NO: Kiley

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 13-4-1

YES: Gonzalez, Bloom, Bonta, Calderon, Carrillo, Chau, Eggman, Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Maienschein, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Robert Rivas

NO: Bigelow, Brough, Diep, Obernolte

ABS, ABST OR NV: Fong

UPDATED:

VERSION: May 17, 2019

CONSULTANT: Debbie Look / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0000905

Date of Hearing: April 3, 2019

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 197

Author:(Weber) – As Amended Ver:March 20, 2019

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes

SUMMARY:

This bill requires, commencing in the 2022-23 school year, each school or charter school serving students in early primary grades to implement a full-day kindergarten program.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Unknown, significant Proposition 98 General Fund cost pressures on the K-12 Mandates Block Grant, potentially in the tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars, should the Commission on State Mandates (CSM) determine this bill to be a state mandated local program. Potentially reimbursable costs include hiring additional staff, purchasing materials, potential compensation adjustments for existing staff and facilities costs associated with providing more classroom time. State reimbursable costs could be offset by full-day kindergarten facilities funding included in last year’s budget and potential funding in this year’s budget proposal (as described in more detail below).

Two interpretations would render two different cost estimates. (The need for clarification of the bill’s requirements is discussed in more detail below.) The first interpretation would require all part-day programs to convert to full-day programs. Under this interpretation, an estimated 131,000 students would to convert to full-day programs, with annual cost pressures of $500 million to provide the estimated cost differential of offering full-day versus part-day kindergarten ($4,000 per student). The second interpretation would require all schools not currently offering any full-day programs to convert at least one class to a full-day program. Under this interpretation, about 190 school districts would need to begin offering a full-day class. Assuming an average of 30 students per class, and cost increases to offer full-day kindergarten of $4,000 per student, reimbursable costs would be about $25 million.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success.

1. Full-day and Part-day Kindergarten. In California, children are not required to attend kindergarten, but the state requires all elementary and unified districts to offer kindergarten classes to all five year olds. (Compulsory education in California currently begins at age six.) The classes must be taught by credentialed teachers and adhere to California’s academic standards.

Statewide enrollment in kindergarten was 436,480 in the 2016-17 school year, while enrollment in first grade in the following year was 456,175, an increase of 4.5%. This suggests about 95% of children in California attend kindergarten.

Districts determine the length of their kindergarten programs. Part-day programs operate between three hours (the state required minimum) and four hours per day, whereas full-day programs operate for more than four hours per day. A recent survey released by the California Department of Education (CDE) found that part-day programs averaged 3.5 hours per day and full-day programs averaged 5.6 hours per day. According to the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), as of the 2017-18 school year, 71% of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19% ran only part-day programs and 10% ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that about 70% of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30% attend a part-day program.

Districts serving higher proportions of disadvantaged students are more likely to offer full-day kindergarten. According to a recent UCLA study of kindergarten in California, districts not offering full-day kindergarten indicate various reasons for not offering full-day programs, including teacher and parent preferences. For example, some parents do not want their students in kindergarten all day and some teachers believe students would not benefit from a full-day program based on their age. Districts described limited classroom space and facilities as an important consideration, also. A few districts also indicated contractual or collective bargaining issues may prevent them from moving to a full-day model.

1. Funding for Kindergarten. The state funds kindergarten through 12^th grade through the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCFF provides districts with funding based on the average daily attendance (ADA) of its students, with significantly more funding generated by districts with high proportions of disadvantaged and English-learner students.

State law currently provides districts the same per-student funding rate for part-day and full-day programs ($8,235 per ADA in the 2018-19 school year, plus significantly more for disadvantaged and English-learner students). This approach is rare. The state typically funds an entity at a lower rate when fewer hours of a service is provided.

In the UCLA kindergarten study, researchers estimated an average daily cost of $7,882 per full-day student versus $4,277 for per part-day student. On average, the cost of the full-day class was $248,462 compared to part-day classes at $142,412, or $8,517 per full-day student compared to $4,575 per part-day student.

The state currently provides over $4 billion in total Proposition 98 GF for kindergarten LCFF.

1. Governor’s Budget Proposal. To help address space-related barriers to operating full-day programs, the 2018-19 budget provided $100 million one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund for kindergarten facility grants. The state primarily intended the grants to cover the facility costs associated with converting part-day kindergarten programs to full-day programs. The Governor’s 2019-20 Budget provides an additional $750 million for this purpose. The LAO analyzed the first-round applications for the existing grant program and found that most grants likely will go to districts already running full-day programs to update and renovate their existing facilities. Because the program as currently structured does not notably advance the state’s core objective of increasing the number of full-day programs, the LAO recommends rejecting the governor’s proposal as currently designed.
2. K-12 Mandate Block Grant. To address various concerns with the traditional mandate claims process, such as the disincentive for school districts to perform mandated tasks efficiently, the state created the K-12 Mandate Block Grant in the 2012-13 budget. The amount of funding available in the block grant annually is tied to the number of mandates the CSM has found to be reimbursable and the mandate’s statewide cost. (Typically, when the CSM has determined a claim filed by a district to be reimbursable, it develops a statewide cost estimate for performing the mandate which the legislature adds to the block grant as part of its annual budget process.) School districts that choose to participate in the block grant program receive per-student funding to cover the cost of state-mandated activities in lieu of submitting ongoing mandate claims for reimbursement. Charter schools also may participate in the block grant, but they may not submit mandate claims or receive reimbursement for mandate costs. School districts receive from the block grant a per-student funding rate for K-8 students of about $30, with about $60 provided for high school students. Charter schools receive half the K‑8 per-student funding rate of school districts, because about half of K-8 mandates apply to them. Similarly, about half of high school mandates apply to charter schools, but their grades 9‑12 rate is more than half the district rate, or about $40, because of the treatment of certain mandates.
3. Need for Clarification. As currently written, the bill’s language could be interpreted to require schools to offer only one full-day kindergarten class and the rest could be part-day classes. If the intent is that all part-day classes convert to full-day, the language should be amended. If the author’s intent is that all students are offered a full-day class but schools may still operate part-day classes, that should be clarified as well.
4. Staff Comments. One could, argue because districts operating part-day programs already receive the same amount of funding through the LCFF as those that operate full-day kindergarten, they should be able to offer full-day kindergarten within their existing funding. However, absent legislation differentiating funding between part-day and full-day programs, this bill requires districts to provide a higher level of service than what current law requires.
5. Prior Legislation. AB 713 (Weber), of the 2015-16 Legislative Session, would have required, beginning in the 2017-18 school year, a child to complete one year of kindergarten before being admitted to first grade. This bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 1444 (Buchanan and Weber), of the 2013-14 Legislative Session, would have required, beginning with the 2016-17 school year, a student to have completed one year of kindergarten before being admitted to the first grade. This bill was vetoed by the governor.

Analysis Prepared by: Natasha Collins / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: March 13, 2019

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Patrick O'Donnell, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 197 (

Author:Weber) – As Introduced Ver:January 10, 2019

SUBJECT: Full-day kindergarten

SUMMARY: Requires school districts offering kindergarten to provide full-day kindergarten programs. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires each school district to implement a full-day kindergarten program beginning in the 2021-22 school year, subject to specified exemptions.
2. Defines “full-day kindergarten” as instruction provided for the same number of minutes per schoolday that is offered to pupils in first grade, exclusive of noon intermissions, but inclusive of recesses.
3. Specifies that the minimum schoolday in a kindergarten implementing the full-day kindergarten program may be computed by determining the number of minutes of attendance in any 10 consecutive schooldays and dividing that number by 10. If the resulting quotient is 230 or more, the program shall be deemed to have complied with minimum length of school day requirements, even if the number of minutes attended in any one schoolday is less than 230, but not less than 170.
4. Specifies that the minimum schoolday for a pupil in a kindergarten, other than a kindergarten which is implementing the full-day kindergarten program, is 180 minutes inclusive of recesses.
5. States findings and declarations regarding the benefits of full-day kindergarten.
6. Specifies that that numerous provisions relating to the provision of part-day Kindergarten become inoperative on July 1, 2021, and as of January 1, 2022, are repealed, unless a later enacted statute deletes or extends the dates on which they are repealed.
7. Makes other technical and clarifying changes.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Specifies that children between the ages of 6 and 18 years, unless otherwise exempted, are subject to compulsory full-time education. (EC 48200)
2. Prohibits a pupil in a kindergarten from being kept in school for more than four hours per day, exclusive of recesses, subject to specified exceptions. (EC 46111)
3. Specifies that the kindergarten schoolday may exceed four hours, exclusive of recesses, if both of the following conditions are met:
4. The governing board of a school district declares that the extended-day kindergarten program does not exceed the length of the primary schoolday.
5. The extended-day kindergarten program takes into account ample opportunity for both active and quiet activities within an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program. (EC 8973)
6. Specifies that a school district that is implementing an early primary program may maintain kindergarten or transitional kindergarten classes for different lengths of time during the schoolday, either at the same or a different schoolsite. (EC 37202)
7. Defines “early primary program” as an integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3, that incorporates various instructional strategies and authentic assessment practices, including educationally appropriate curricula, heterogeneous groupings, active learning activities, oral language development, small group instruction, peer interaction, use of concrete manipulative materials in the classroom, planned articulation among preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades, and parent involvement and education. (EC 8971)
8. Defines “integrated, experiential, and developmentally appropriate educational program” as a program that is designed around the abilities and interests of the children in the program and one in which children learn about the various subjects simultaneously, as opposed to segmented courses, and through “hands-on” or “active learning” teaching methods that are more appropriate for young children than the academic “textbook” approach. (EC 8971)
9. Specifies that the minimum schoolday for pupils in kindergarten is 180 minutes inclusive of recesses. (EC 46117)
10. Requires single session part-day kindergarten classes to meet all of the following:
11. The class is maintained for a minimum of 180 minutes per schoolday.
12. The kindergarten class teacher is assigned to only one session of kindergarten daily as a principal teacher.
13. The kindergarten teacher is a full-time certificated employee.
14. The kindergarten teacher shall be available for assistance or assignment in the instructional program of the primary grades when not involved in the kindergarten program. (EC 46118)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. According to the author, “Full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers who reside in more affluent areas. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students' academic, social, and emotional success.”

Benefits of full-day kindergarten. A large body of research demonstrates that children benefit from a developmentally appropriate, full-day kindergarten program, especially in terms of early academic achievement. Full-day kindergarten provides the learning time needed to prepare for mastery of primary-grade reading and math skills, and helps to reduce subsequent needs for remediation or grade retention. Studies show that full-day kindergarten students show faster gains on literacy and language measures and that such gains may last over time, including higher reading achievement through third grade, and possibly through seventh grade. Other studies show similar gains in numeracy and early math skills in full-day kindergarten classes.

Full-day kindergarten lays the foundation for the transition into formal schooling, and also provides children with more time in a structured environment which may lead to improved social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Parents generally support full-day kindergarten, both for educational reasons, and because it lessens the need for child care arrangements during the workday.

Importance of quality full-day kindergarten programs. Experts argue that a longer day in itself does not mean that the additional time is used in a developmentally appropriate way. In order to realize the benefits of a full-day kindergarten program, certain characteristics are essential. These include an integration of learning with the child’s past experiences through project and group work, an unhurried setting, opportunities for informal interactions with other children and adults, an emphasis on language development, information sharing between parents and teachers, an emphasis on reading to children at home and at school, a balance between large-group and individual activities, student assessment through teacher observation and portfolios of student work, and development of social skills, including conflict resolution strategies. Gains are greater when full-day kindergarten is provided using quality standards such as smaller class sizes and the presence of a teacher’s aide.

Researchers have found that a full-day program provides greater opportunities for more small-group and teacher-directed individual activities, cooperative group work, and child-initiated free play both indoors and outdoors. The additional time in the school day means the teacher is less pressured to save time by conveying information to the whole group at once. Similarly, the teacher is able to spend time getting to know each child and their learning challenges so that they can ensure that each child masters the necessary skills.

The availability of full-day kindergarten varies. Thirteen states plus the District of Columbia require full-day kindergarten. Thirty five states report that 70-89 percent of their students attend full-day kindergarten programs. Five states have full-day kindergarten attendance over 90 percent. No state prohibits districts from offering full-day kindergarten.

According to the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO), as of 2017-18, 71 percent of school districts in California ran only full-day kindergarten programs, 19 percent ran only part-day programs, and 10 percent ran a mix of full-day and part-day programs. The LAO estimates that approximately 70 percent of kindergarten students attend a full-day program and roughly 30 percent attend a part-day program. Enrollment in full-day programs has grown significantly since 2007-08 when 43 percent of students were attending full-day kindergarten programs. A full-day kindergarten program is defined as one that is four hours or longer. A recent study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE) found that the average full-day kindergarten session was 5.6 hours and the part-day sessions averaged 3.5 hours.

The UCLA study found that the average class size for full-day kindergarten programs was 23 children, while the average for part-day classes was 21. Teachers in full-day kindergarten programs reported spending more time on core instructional content that those in part-day programs. Full-day classes include approximately 9.7 hours per week on English language arts instruction versus 6.3 hours per week in part-day classes. Similarly, teachers in full-day classes spend 5.1 hours per week on math and 1.5 hours on science, compared to part-day classes which tend to include 3.8 hours on math and 1 hour on science weekly. Finally, teachers in full-day classes are able to provide an average of 4.4 hours per week teaching social-emotional skills, while this is limited to an average of 2.7 hours in part-day classes.

Mandatory offering of kindergarten and compulsory attendance. This bill would require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten, but does not require children to attend kindergarten, as compulsory education in California currently begins at age six. Statewide enrollment in kindergarten was 436,480 in 2016-17, while enrollment in first grade in the following year was 456,175, an increase of 4.5 percent. These figures suggest that approximately 95 percent of children in California are attending kindergarten, despite the fact that attendance is not mandatory in the state. The Committee may wish to consider whether the requirement for schools to offer full-day kindergarten should be matched with a requirement that all children attend kindergarten before enrolling in first grade.

Barriers to offering full-day kindergarten. The UCLA study explored the barriers to school districts ability to offer full-day kindergarten. Of those offering part-day programs, 74 percent were very, or somewhat interested, in offering full-day kindergarten in the future. School leaders cited a lack of classroom space and/or resources as the biggest barrier to switching to full-day programs. Recommendations from the study suggested that offering funding for additional classroom space as well as differentiated funding for full-day versus part-day Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) funding would incentivize more LEAs to offer full-day kindergarten.

The UCLA study estimated that the average cost of full-day kindergarten at $7,882 per student versus $4,277 for each part-day student. The 2016-17 LCFF target base amount was $7,083 per kindergarten ADA. The 2018-19 K-3 adjusted base grant is $8,235 per ADA.

Teachers surveyed for the UCLA study also noted the need for additional training and resources to support students’ social-emotional development, through the adoption of developmentally appropriate curricula and professional learning. Sixty eight percent of teachers surveyed responded that they need support in social-emotional development.

Although not addressed in the UCLA study, it has been suggested that an additional barrier to moving to a full-day program would be teacher workload issues, subject to collective bargaining. In many districts offering part-day kindergarten, kindergarten teachers serve as the lead teacher for part of the day and may assist in another kindergarten or other primary grade classroom for the balance of the school day. Under this model, there are two fully credentialed teachers in the classroom able to meet the need for individual or small group attention. Shifting to a full-day kindergarten program would require teachers to serve as lead teachers for a longer period of time each day, thus each kindergarten or other primary classroom would only have one teacher available. In addition, many kindergarten teachers contend that a kindergarten program requires additional planning time due to the higher level of hands-on activities necessary to meet the developmental needs of young children. A shift from a part-day to a full-day kindergarten program could mean the loss of planning time for kindergarten teachers. The Committee may wish to consider whether these factors present additional barriers to the implementation of full-day kindergarten.

Funding for kindergarten facilities. The 2018-19 budget allocated $100 million in one-time General Fund to allow school districts to construct new school facilities or retrofit existing school facilities in order to provide full-day kindergarten. Priority is given to school districts financially unable to contribute a portion or all of the local matching share required and that meet the requirements for financial hardship, as well as those located in an underserved community with a high population of pupils who are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Schools are required to provide a 50 percent match for new construction and 40 percent for retrofit projects. According to the LAO, 70 districts applied for this funding with a total of $262 million in requests. Of these, an estimated 76 percent already offer only full-day programs.

The Governor’s 2019-20 budget proposes an additional $750 million for these purposes. The LAO recommends that this proposal be rejected as the program is not likely to notably advance the state’s objective of increasing the number of full-day kindergarten programs.

Timing of implementation. This bill requires every school district to implement a full-day kindergarten program by the 2021-22 school year. The California Association of School Business Officials expresses concern with the timeframe this bill mandates to implement full-day kindergarten. They state that “school districts will need additional time and funding to scale up these programs, build compliant infrastructure and attract the workforce to teach these classes."

Prioritizing children with the greatest need. Research demonstrates that full-day kindergarten can produce long-term educational gains, especially for low-income and minority students, and thus may be an effective strategy in helping to close the achievement gap.

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, provides financial assistance to LEAs and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Schools in which children from low-income families make up at least 40 percent of enrollment are eligible to use Title I funds for school-wide programs that serve all children in the school.

Given the potential difficulty of implementing full-day kindergarten across the board in a relatively short timeframe, it may be advisable to prioritize implementation based upon the number of Title I eligible pupils at a particular school.

The Committee recommends that the bill be amended as follows:

1. Clarify that the requirements to offer full-day kindergarten applies only to those school districts serving pupils in early primary grades, so as to exclude those districts serving older pupils, including high school districts.
2. Add a requirement that charter schools serving early primary pupils would also be required to offer full-day kindergarten programs.
3. Require that schools in school districts or county offices of education, and charter schools, with school-wide Title I eligibility implement full-day kindergarten in the 2021-22 school year; and all other schools implement full-day kindergarten in 2022-23.

Prior and related legislation. AB 48 (O’Donnell) states the intent of the Legislature to create the Kindergarten-Community Colleges Public Education Facilities Bond Acts of 2020 and 2022, to provide funds to build and modernize education facilities if approved by the voters. This bill is pending before this Committee.

AB 123 (McCarty) of this Session, states that it is the intent of the Legislature to provide high-quality universal preschool, which would include the California State Preschool Program, federal Head Start programs, and transitional kindergarten, to all four-year-old children, starting in the communities that need it most. This bill is pending before this Committee.

SB 837 (Dodd) of the 2017-18 Session, would have expanded eligibility for transitional kindergarten to all four-year olds, phased in over a two-year period beginning in the 2020-21 school year. This bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 713 (Weber) of the 2015-16 Session, would have required, beginning in the 2017-18 school year, a child to complete one year of kindergarten before he or she may be admitted to first grade. This bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 1444 (Buchanan and Weber) of the 2013-14 Session would have required, beginning with the 2016-17 school year, a student to have completed one year of kindergarten before being admitted to the first grade, thereby requiring kindergarten attendance. This bill was vetoed by the Governor.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Debbie Look / ED. / (916) 319-2087