BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1967
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1967 (Mendoza) - As Amended: April 28, 2010
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:8-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill, commencing with the 2012-13 school year, moves the
kindergarten start date back to September 1, which requires a
child to turn five years old on or before September 1 of that
school year. Specifically, this bill:
1)Authorizes, commencing with the 2012-13 school year, a child
to be admitted to a transitional kindergarten maintained by a
school district, if the child has his or her fifth birthday
between September 1 and December 2 of that school year.
2)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
allocate to a school district that maintains a transitional
kindergarten (TK) program an amount equal to the revenue limit
(general purpose) funding the district would have received if
the child attended kindergarten.
3)Defines "TK program" as year one of a two-year kindergarten
program using a modified kindergarten curriculum.
4)Authorizes the governing board of a school district
maintaining one or more kindergartens to grant admittance to
kindergarten, on a case-by-case basis, to a child who is five
years of age at any time during the school year with approval
of the parent or guardian, under specified conditions.
5)Requires a child, commencing with the 2013-14 school year, to
be admitted to first grade of an elementary school during the
first month of a school year if he or she has his or her sixth
birthday on or before September 1 of that school year, as
specified.
AB 1967
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Once the full effect of rolling back the kindergarten age
requirement occurs (from December 2 to September 1), there
would be a GF/98 reallocation of $500 million from
kindergarten classes to TK programs, as specified.
Approximately 130,000 children (28% of the total kindergarten
enrollment of 461,043 children in 2008-09) would be affected.
Therefore, after 12 years, the state incurs additional average
daily attendance costs for children participating in this
program. Likewise, there will be GF/98 cost pressure in the
millions to provide additional categorical program funding for
these pupils (i.e., economic impact aid, instructional
materials, etc.). This cost may be offset by the number of
children that would be held back in kindergarten absent a TK
program. Costs are associated with additional staff.
2)GF/98 cost pressure, likely in excess of $90 million, to local
education agencies to establish TK programs.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . In its analysis of The 2010-11 Budget: Proposition
98 and K-12 Education, the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO)
recommends moving the kindergarten start date back to
September 1 (requiring a child to have turned five prior to
entering kindergarten) beginning in the 2011-12 school year.
Specifically, the LAO states: "Many have argued that entering
kindergarten before turning five years of age is too young,
and beginning school at an older age would benefit children's
academic performance and social development. Data suggest
children who are older when they start kindergarten tend to
perform better on standardized tests. Some research suggests
this change also may lead to other positive student outcomes,
including less chance of grade retention and higher earnings
as an adult."
Also, California schools have increasingly emphasized
standards-based instruction at all grade levels, including
kindergarten. This emphasis has changed the learning
AB 1967
Page 3
activities in kindergarten from socialization-oriented
activities to ones that focus on meeting specific academic
requirements in order to prepare children for first grade.
Many argue this shift in instructional services has been
difficult because not all children enter kindergarten with the
same knowledge and skill level.
This bill, commencing with the 2012-13 school year, moves the
kindergarten start date back to September 1, which requires a
child to turn five years old on or before September 1 of that
school year. It also establishes a TK program for children
who turn five years old between September 1 and December 1 to
provide them with a modified kindergarten curriculum.
2)Existing law does not require children to attend kindergarten.
If a child does attend, he or she must be admitted if the
child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before
December 2 of that school year. This bill does not propose to
make kindergarten mandatory; it does, however, propose to roll
back the age of kindergarten admission to September 1.
3)SDE study on changing the admission age of kindergarten
students . In May 2004, the SDE submitted a report to the
Legislature on changing the kindergarten start date.
Specifically, the report states that changing the kindergarten
start date from December 1 to September 1 of each year would
delay approximately 114,235 children from entering
kindergarten for one year. It also affirms that this change
can potentially save the state up to $400 million beginning in
the second year of implementation. The amount of actual
savings would depend on the assumptions of how to support or
fund preschool services for those children whose entry into
kindergarten would be delayed.
The SDE also cautioned that "rather than looking at the merits
of changing the kindergarten cut-off date by itself,
considerable thought should be given to the types of quality
preschool services available for children whose entry to
kindergarten would be delayed as well as for other children."
AB 1967
Page 4
4)Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) 2 year
Kindergarten Pilot . In January 2010, Superintendent Ramon
Cortines announced the school district's plans to pilot this
voluntary program beginning in the 2010-11 school year with
one program in each of LAUSD's eight local districts. LAUSD's
program will emphasize pre-literacy instruction to develop
beginning reading and mathematics skills. In addition to
building cognitive skills, the program also seeks to address
the development and enhancement of social and emotional skills
that are important factors in doing well in school.
5)Related legislation .
a) SB 1381 (Simitian), pending in the Senate Appropriations
Committee, revises the age of admission to kindergarten and
first grade by one month in each of three years so that in
2014 and later years, a child will have to be five years
old on or before September 1 in order to attend
kindergarten.
b) AB 1236 (Mullin) established the Kindergarten Year 1 and
Kindergarten Year 2 pilot program for children eligible for
kindergarten. This bill was held on this committee's
Suspense File in May 2008.
c) AB 2596 (Runner) incrementally changed the age at which
a child is admitted to kindergarten. After three years
(beginning in 2009-10), a child that has his or her fifth
birthday on or before September 1 will be able to enroll in
kindergarten. This bill was held on this committee's
Suspense File in May 2006.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081