(a)
A child shall be admitted to a kindergarten maintained by the school district at the beginning of a school year, or at a later time in the same year, if the child will have his or her fifth birthday on or before one of the following dates:
(1)
December 2 of the 2011–12 school year.
(2)
November 1 of the 2012–13 school year.
(3)
October 1 of the 2013–14 school year.
(4)
September 1 of the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter.
(b)
The governing board
of the school district of a school district maintaining one or more kindergartens may, on a case-by-case basis, admit to a kindergarten a child having attained the age of five years at any time during the school year with the approval of the parent or guardian, subject to the following conditions:
(1)
The governing board of the school district determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the child.
(2)
The parent or guardian is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance.
(c)
As a condition of receipt of apportionment for pupils in a transitional kindergarten program pursuant to Section 46300, and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 47610) of Part 26.8, as applicable, a school district or charter school shall
ensure the following:
(1)
In the 2012–13 school year, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between November 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district or charter school.
(2)
In the 2013–14 school year, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between October 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district or charter school.
(3)
(A)In the 2014–15 school year and each school year thereafter, a child who will have his or her fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2 shall be admitted to a transitional kindergarten program maintained by the school district or charter school.
(B)
(i)For the 2015–16 school year and each school year thereafter, a school district or charter school may, at any time during a school year, admit a child to a transitional kindergarten program who will have his or her fifth birthday after December 2 but during that same school year, with the approval of the parent or guardian, subject to the following conditions:
(I)
The governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school determines that the admittance is in the best interests of the child.
(II)
The parent or guardian is given information regarding the advantages and disadvantages and any other explanatory information about the effect of this early admittance.
(ii)
Notwithstanding any other law, a pupil admitted to a transitional kindergarten
program pursuant to clause (i) shall not generate average daily attendance for purposes of Section 46300, or be included in the enrollment or unduplicated pupil count pursuant to Section 42238.02, until the pupil has attained his or her fifth birthday, regardless of when the pupil was admitted during the school year.
(d)
For purposes of this section, “transitional kindergarten” means the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.
(e)
A transitional kindergarten shall not be construed as a new program or higher level of service.
(f)
It is the intent of the Legislature that transitional kindergarten curriculum be aligned to the California Preschool Learning Foundations developed by the department.
(g)
As a condition of receipt of apportionment for pupils in a transitional kindergarten program pursuant to Section 46300, a school district or charter school shall ensure that credentialed teachers who are first assigned to a transitional kindergarten classroom after July 1, 2015, have, by August 1, 2020, one of the following:
(1)
At least 24 units in early childhood education, or childhood development, or both.
(2)
As determined by the local educational agency employing the teacher, professional experience in a classroom setting with preschool age children that is comparable to the 24 units of education described in paragraph (1).
(3)
A child development teacher permit issued by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.