{"id":1303,"date":"2024-06-24T13:17:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T17:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/uncategorized\/opinion-transitional-kindergarten-offers-lessons-michigan-early-learning\/"},"modified":"2025-05-15T16:29:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T20:29:26","slug":"opinion-transitional-kindergarten-offers-lessons-michigan-early-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/guest-commentary\/opinion-transitional-kindergarten-offers-lessons-michigan-early-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion | Transitional kindergarten offers lessons for Michigan early learning investments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Decades of research are clear: attending preschool boosts children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/puzzling-it-out-the-current-state-of-scientific-knowledge-on-pre-kindergarten-effects\/\">kindergarten readiness<\/a>, and the benefits <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/qje\/article-abstract\/138\/1\/363\/6701924\">can last<\/a> into adulthood.&nbsp; To her credit, Governor Whitmer pledged to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/budget\/-\/media\/Project\/Websites\/budget\/Fiscal\/Executive-Budget\/Current-Exec-Rec\/FY25-Executive-Recommendation-Press-Release.pdf?rev=a45c7a5c3fcb47d889846c86c6ddadd0&amp;hash=BE98652CFC317AE1416DBAF5115A51B9\">expand universal pre-K<\/a> in Michigan to all 4-year-olds as early as this coming fall. As the state continues to expand its early learning investments, we urge policymakers to learn from a relatively new entrant into the early education landscape \u2013 the state\u2019s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program (also known as Young Fives or Developmental Kindergarten).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike most public early education options, TK programs are not targeted to children from families with low incomes. Districts typically enroll children with fall birthdays who just miss the Sept. 1 kindergarten cutoff date and\/or children with summer birthdays whose families think they aren\u2019t quite ready for traditional kindergarten. Nearly 13,000 children enrolled in Michigan\u2019s TK programs last year. Our research team has surveyed hundreds of teachers and administrators and tracked students attending TK using statewide longitudinal data. Our findings on the program\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/edpolicy.umich.edu\/research\/epi-policy-briefs\/michigan-transitional-kindergarten-first-look-program-reach-and-features\">features<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/edworkingpapers.com\/sites\/default\/files\/ai24-920.pdf\">reach<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w32236\">impacts<\/a> offer several important lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"dr-paragraph right-aligned-image dr-paragraph--right-aligned-image\">\n<div class=\"card card--bg card--float-right dr-paragraph right-aligned-image dr-paragraph--right-aligned-image\">\n<div class=\"card__image\">\n<figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" onerror=\"if (typeof newspackHandleImageError === 'function') newspackHandleImageError(this);\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Brian-Jacob-and-Christina-Weiland_0.jpg?resize=1300%2C867&#038;ssl=1\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" alt=\"A headshot of Brian Jacob on the left and Christina Weiland on the right\"><\/figure><div>  <p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n                                      Brian Jacob is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy and a professor of economics at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Christina Weiland is co-director of the Ford School\u2019s Education Policy Initiative, an associate professor of education and associate professor of public policy.\n                            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>First, TK\u2019s popularity underscores the advantages of a universal approach. Families that enroll are diverse in income, race\/ethnicity, and geographic region. <a href=\"https:\/\/edpolicy.umich.edu\/research\/epi-policy-briefs\/michigan-transitional-kindergarten-first-look-program-reach-and-features\">District administrators<\/a> are overwhelmingly positive about their TK programs, reporting that they improve children\u2019s early learning and transition to elementary school.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, test scores show that families and administrators are on to something: TK gives children a large and persistent learning boost. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w32236\">find<\/a> that participating in TK increases math scores in third grade equivalent to roughly six months of additional learning, compared to enrolling in other preschool options or staying home with a family member. This is particularly encouraging because the effects of preschool are not often sustained into the early elementary years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we can\u2019t attribute this boost to any single factor, TK does have several distinctive features compared to other programs in the state. TK teachers must meet the same education and certification standards as K-12 teachers, and as a result are the best-compensated, most qualified early learning workforce in the state. For example, teachers in Michigan\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/cep.msu.edu\/upload\/gsrp\/GSRPpercent20Annual%20percent20Report%20percent202021-22.pdf\"> public Pre-K program<\/a> (called the Great Start Readiness Program) are paid on average 31% less than K-12 teachers, and many do not receive benefits. While the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mileap\/-\/media\/Project\/Websites\/mileap\/Documents\/Early-Childhood-Education\/PreK-For-All\/PreK-For-All-Implementation-Brief.pdf?rev=8981218c9d214dc2b6fd6655eeae5c1d&amp;hash=FB32978861F1FFE10F9BEAB25AF7955E\">state\u2019s Pre-K expansion plan<\/a> seeks to address these pay gaps, it suggests loosening education and certification requirements for Pre-K teachers, which prior research suggests may lower quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TK also stands apart in its approach to curriculum and instruction.&nbsp; Most other <a href=\"https:\/\/edpolicy.umich.edu\/sites\/epi\/files\/2023-12\/MI%20Pre-K%20for%20All%20Report_v8_0.pdf\">preschool programs in the state<\/a> use what experts call a \u201cglobal\u201d curricula that attempts to cover all domains of learning without any clear focus on numeracy or literacy. A new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/our-work\/a-new-vision-for-high-quality-pre-k-curriculum\">National Academies consensus report<\/a> makes clear that these global curricula under-deliver for children and recommends preschool programs shift to other evidence-based choices. In our research, TK administrators report using curricula that more closely follows the National Academies recommendations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, our experience evaluating TK highlights the need for Michigan to expand its data infrastructure. Presently, <a href=\"https:\/\/learningpolicyinstitute.org\/media\/528\/download?inline&amp;file=ECE_Assessments_REPORT.pdf\">38 states <\/a>require kindergarten readiness assessments; Michigan does not. Michigan also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mde\/-\/media\/project\/websites\/mde\/memos\/2023\/09\/23-24-benchmark-assessments-funding-and-reporting.pdf\">no longer requires<\/a> districts to administer literacy and math assessments to children in grades K-2, although it will&nbsp; reimburse districts who choose to administer these type of tests.&nbsp; Districts who receive state funding to administer K-2 assessments will be required to provide the state some information on student outcomes but will not have to make the full data available for analysis. As a result, it is not possible for policymakers or researchers to easily obtain a comprehensive understanding of children\u2019s academic performance before third grade.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given how successful Michigan TK appears to be, policymakers should consider additional investment and improvements.&nbsp; Districts decide whether to offer the program, and we find that districts offering TK tend to be larger and more economically advantaged than other districts.&nbsp; Some administrators report not knowing how to start a TK program or not having sufficient funding or space to do so. The State of Michigan could help solve this problem by offering training, information, and technical assistance for districts that want to start a TK program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting all children off to a strong start is critical for the well-being of Michigan families and the state\u2019s economy.&nbsp; As Michigan leaders increase the state\u2019s early learning investments, TK should not be overlooked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Policymakers should consider additional investment and improvements in transitional kindergarten, given how successful these programs appear to be in Michigan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":16818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2442],"tags":[25,1510,1546],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2528,2718],"class_list":["post-1303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-commentary","tag-child-care-michigan","tag-michigan-k-12-schools","tag-michigan-school-opinions","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - 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Christina Weiland is co-director of the Ford School\u2019s Education Policy Initiative, an associate professor of education and associate professor of public policy."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/guest-commentary\/opinion-transitional-kindergarten-offers-lessons-michigan-early-learning\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion | Transitional kindergarten offers lessons for Michigan early learning investments"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/","name":"Bridge Michigan","description":"Michigan\u2019s nonpartisan, nonprofit news 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and a push from parents, two-year kindergarten programs are growing across the state, effectively leading the state toward a form of universal preschool. \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Talent &amp; Education&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Talent &amp; Education","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/talent-education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/preschoolshutterstock.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/preschoolshutterstock.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/preschoolshutterstock.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/preschoolshutterstock.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, 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