California has made a historic commitment to early childhood through its recent investments in its universal prekindergarten (UPK) initiative, which consists of transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and other early learning programs such as private preschools and family child care. Since the onset of its UPK initiative in 2021, the state has invested significant funding in UPK programming, and early research indicates that the state’s investments have resulted in increases of 3- and 4-year-old enrollment in California’s publicly funded UPK programs.
The state’s investments in early childhood programs hold significant promise for California’s early learners, but only if implemented with accessibility in mind and with research-based elements of high-quality preschool. Early examination of TK implementation, California’s largest UPK investment, has highlighted steady progress among local education agencies (LEAs), as well as critical challenges across a variety of implementation areas.
This report builds on the early research base examining implementation of UPK within California’s LEAs by analyzing data from an annual survey administered to all LEAs receiving a UPK Planning and Implementation Grant from the California Department of Education. The 2024–25 survey includes responses from 1,497 LEAs, which represent almost all (98%) elementary and unified school districts and three fourths (75%) of elementary and K–12 charter schools in the state. Findings provide insights into LEAs’ progress in universal TK expansion, including how LEAs structured and expanded access to TK classrooms, facility needs, instruction and assessment, supporting student needs, staffing, and professional development. Findings additionally shed light on LEAs’ progress in UPK implementation outside of TK expansion, including service delivery models for all UPK programs, CSPP and Head Start staffing, professional development for school and site leaders, and challenges around and needs for UPK implementation.
Key Takeaways
- LEAs have made consistent progress expanding and improving the accessibility of TK offerings across the state. In 2024–25, 94% of responding LEAs reported offering TK. Among LEAs with multiple elementary schools, 70% offered TK at all sites—an increase from prior years. Eighty-five percent of LEAs offered a full-day TK option, and 88% offered expanded learning programs for TK students.
- LEAs continue to offer programs such as CSPP, Head Start, and other early learning programs. In addition to TK, one fourth (24%) of LEAs reported operating CSPP, 4% reported operating at least one Head Start classroom, and 16% reported operating another early learning program, such as locally funded or district-funded preschool; these percentages have remained consistent since 2023–24.
- Most LEAs report having sufficient classroom space to support full TK expansion, though lack of appropriate facilities remains a persistent concern. Nearly all (95%) LEAs indicated they expect to have adequate classroom space to meet projected TK enrollment by 2025–26; however, 1 in 4 identified facilities as a top challenge, citing a need for age-appropriate modifications or additional space.
- TK staffing levels have remained relatively stable throughout expansion, though challenges around recruitment and retention of qualified staff persist. Vacancy rates for TK lead and assistant teachers have held steady across the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years (1% and 3%, respectively), even as staffing needs have increased with program expansion. However, one fourth of LEAs cited challenges in recruiting and retaining staff as a top challenge in UPK implementation.
- More LEAs are adopting developmentally appropriate approaches to UPK implementation. A growing share of LEAs reported offering professional development for TK lead and assistant teachers focused on developmentally appropriate practices and serving children with disabilities. Additionally, an increased proportion of LEAs reported use of play-based learning; developmentally appropriate classroom environments; and open-ended, self-directed learning opportunities.
- LEAs continue to face challenges meeting the developmental and behavioral needs of younger students. Many LEAs reported ongoing difficulties supporting younger TK students, including challenges related to toileting, behavior, and implementing developmentally appropriate practices, underscoring the need for additional training, staffing supports, and aligned instructional guidance.
- New challenges are emerging as TK reaches full expansion. LEAs reported concerns with sustaining funding for UPK implementation after one-time grant funds such as the UPK Planning and Implementation Grant and Early Education Teacher Development Grant subside. Additionally, LEAs described how enrollment challenges, including both under-enrollment and demand that exceeds capacity, impacted their ability to adequately staff and structure their TK programs. Finally, several LEAs noted growing impacts of TK expansion on lower enrollment and staffing challenges within other LEA- and community-based preschool programs outside of TK.
Implications
Three years of UPK implementation data show that California has made meaningful progress toward full TK expansion, while continuing to face persistent and emerging challenges. As California continues its historic investment in UPK, the state has opportunities to strengthen quality and sustainability by:
- providing additional funding to support the modification or expansion of developmentally appropriate facilities;
- investing in pipelines for TK lead and assistant teachers, particularly as one-time UPK funds (such as the Early Education Teacher Development Grant) end and new staffing requirements go into effect;
- supporting and expanding pathways to a PK–3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Instruction credential to strengthen TK lead teachers’ preparation in developmentally appropriate practice;
- strengthening and sustaining professional development opportunities for TK lead teachers, assistant teachers, and school leaders;
- stabilizing publicly funded preschool and child care programs to alleviate staffing and enrollment shifts throughout UPK implementation through strategies such as updating reimbursement rates;
- offering technical assistance on the design and selection of curriculum and assessments, including guidance on alignment across and within grade levels; and
- expanding resources and supports for inclusive classrooms, behavioral supports, and student support services.
Furthermore, as California continues to advance its historic investment in UPK, a deeper understanding of implementation and impact across the state’s diverse, mixed delivery system is critical. While this report provides insights into self-reported progress in LEA-based programs, several areas warrant further examination to inform policy and practice, including how providers are serving multilingual students and students with disabilities; whether TK students are receiving developmentally appropriate instruction; availability of professional development opportunities across the mixed delivery system; the impact of TK expansion on California’s broader early learning landscape; and how families are experiencing the state’s complex UPK system.
Overall, California’s UPK expansion, and TK in particular, reflects significant momentum and commitment to early learning. As implementation continues to mature, ongoing investment, targeted technical assistance, and thoughtful data collection will be essential to sustaining progress and ensuring that all young learners across the state have access to high-quality, developmentally appropriate early learning opportunities.
California’s Universal Prekindergarten Implementation, 2024–25 by Victoria Wang is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This research was supported by the Ballmer Group, Heising-Simons Foundation, and Kelson Foundation. Additional core operating support for LPI is provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Raikes Foundation, the Sandler Foundation, the Skyline Foundation, and MacKenzie Scott. The author is grateful to them for their generous support. The ideas voiced here are those of the author and not those of funders.