Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)

Research shows that when young children have a foundation of high-quality learning opportunities before kindergarten, they not only gain an advantage in school and in life, but also in brain development. Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) in California is intended to provide this foundation for all four-year-old children.

Background

The Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 made Transitional Kindergarten (TK) available for 4-year-olds turning 5 between September 2 and December 2. This legislation gave new support for these students, but it did not include younger children who didn't qualify for public preschool because of their age, and who weren't old enough yet to enroll in Kindergarten or a TK classroom.

The vision of UPK is to resolve this issue, providing equitable access to programs for all 4-year-olds, without regard to income.  The state of California is devoting the funds to train staff and prepare school facilities in order to give our children equitable access to quality teachers and programs. UPK will begin with a rollout in fall of 2022 for some LEAs.

Planning Resources and Tools

The following list of resources may be helpful in supporting LEAs with Universal Prekindergarten planning while they envision, plan, and implement expanded PreK programs and movement towards a P-3 continuum. While it is not exhaustive, the list includes key online resources to highlight potential promising practices. These resources and tools were curated by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA). The five tabs below are aligned with the five focus areas of the UPK Planning Template.

UPK Implementation Workgroup 

The Contra Costa County Office of Education hosts an ongoing, collaborative workgroup designed to support LEAs successfully roll out UPK in their communities. Meeting resources and future meeting dates are available below. For  information about participating, please contact Yvonne Nelson, Coordinator, P-3 Alignment, Educational Services (contact information available in sidebar).

2023-2024 Workgroup Meeting Dates

  1. August 29, 2023 2:00-3:30 PM
  2. September 26, 2023 2:00 - 3:30 PM
  3. November 28, 2023 2:00-3:30 PM
  4. January 23, 2024  2:00-3:30 PM
  5. February 27, 2024  2:00-3:30 PM
  6. March 12, 2024  2:00-3:30 PM
  7. April 23, 2023  2:00-3:30 PM
  8. May 28, 2023  2:00-3:30 PM

Contacts

Yvonne Nelson

  • Yvonne Nelson

  • Coordinator, P-3 Alignment,
    Educational Services
  • phone(925) 942-5304
    email[email protected]

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