Transition from Preschool Services to Kindergarten

Federal Laws & Regulations

• IDEA
• Early Head Start & Head Start

National Centers, Studies & Specialized Projects Resources

The National Early Childhood Transition Center (NECTC) funded by OSEP to investigate and validate practices and strategies that enhance the early childhood transition process and support positive school outcomes for children with disabilities. NECTC maintains a searchable database of transition research, policy and practice.

The Pre-elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS) funded by the National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences is a multi-year study examining preschool special education transition to kindergarten. Chapter Five of the Wave 1 Overview Report entitled Preschoolers with Disabilities: Characteristics, Services and Results (August 2006) (PDF: 8,031kb) provides findings for transition to elementary school.

The OSEP funded Study of State and Local Implementation and Impact of IDEA (SLIIDEA) provides findings in Facts and Figures on Special Education: Easing Transitions between Preschool and School (April 2006) (PDF: 26kb) .

NECTAC's Section 619 Profile, 15th Edition (2007) (PDF: 4,429kb) provides information on states' transition policies and practices.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) offers findings from the report, Findings from the Condition of Education 2000: Entering Kindergarten.

The National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) at the FPG Child Development Institute conducted a national early childhood research project which developed the following products:

• Kindergarten Transition National Survey (1998)
• Enhancing the Transition to Kindergarten (2002) (PDF: 106kb)
• Fact Sheet on Transition to Kindergarten (Winter 2002) (PDF: 342kb) examines common transition practices used in schools and how they meet the needs of children and families.
• Policy Brief on Transition to Kindergarten (Winter 2002) (PDF: 696kb)
• Spotlight on Kindergarten Transition: Your Guide to Connecting Children, Families, and Schools (July 2003) (PDF: 87kb)

Harvard Family Research Project has developed a Research Summary - The Transition to Kindergarten: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families (April 2002)

Tools for Transition in Early Childhood-A Step-by-Step Guide for Agencies, Teachers, and Families, was developed by Sequenced Transition to Education in Public Schools (STEPS), a Training & Outreach Project previously funded by OSEP that worked to enhance the services provided by local agencies to young children with disabilities and their families.

Terrific Transitions is a Web site developed collaboratively between the SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory and the National Head Start Association to support children's transitions into kindergarten.

Preschool to Kindergarten: A New Model for the Transition Process, Summer 2002, Vol. 9 No. 3, Of Primary Interest, (PDF: 110kb) published by the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE).

Building the Foundation for Bright Futures: A Governor's Guide to School Readiness (PDF: 40,711kb) by the National Governor's Association
See Supporting Ready Schools starting on pg. 11, Facilitating the Transition to Kindergarten. Also available from the National Governor's Association, but not available on online is their document Transitions to School by Elizabeth Stief (1994). See Relevant Research Findings on page 4. ISBN # 1-55877-197-2.

W. K. Kellogg Foundation's initiative entitled SPARK (PDF: 271kb) (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids)

A tool kit is available from the Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities

State Resources

Guidance & Policy

• CT - Technical Assistance Alert on Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten (PDF: 192kb) provides guidance regarding the state's expectations for the transition of children from school readiness programs to kindergarten.
• ME - Transition to Kindergarten from The Guide to Special Education in Maine, Chapter 2: The Early Years provides guidance and information to help parents prepare for the transition to kindergarten.
• PA - Early Intervention Transition: Preschool Programs to School-Aged Programs.
• WV - West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources Early Childhood Transition Steering Committee includes a checklist of activities. (PDF: 81kb)

Training & Technical Assistance

• FL - Florida's Transition Project at the Florida Training and Technical Assistance System.
• KY - Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project Publications - Scroll down to Transition to Kindergarten for information.
• CO - Resources & Connections newsletter focusing on Resources for Successful Transitions (PDF: 132kb)
• GA - Bright from the Start includes materials with suggestions for pre-K staff on classroom activities, parent workshops, and maintaining documentation.
• WI - Moving on to Kindergarten provides a review of the literature and resources.

Special Projects and Initiatives

• HI - Ready For Success in Kindergarten (PDF: 608kb)
  Developed by the Hawai'i Educational Policy Center, the article details findings from two separate studies that make up the Hawai'i Readiness Research Project.
• NY - Paving the Way to Kindergarten (PDF: 917kb) is designed for preschool staff working with children with special needs as a project funded by the NY State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.
• DE - Delaware Transition Initiative - Transition Resources and Practices in Early Childhood (PDF: 331kb)

Parent Resources/Handbooks

The Daily Parent series of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies includes, among other relevant titles, The Kindergarten Connection.

Parent Tip Sheets, several of which are offered in Spanish as well as in English offered by SERVE and the National Head Start Association.

The National Education Association and PTA provide a number of Parent Guides. A Parent's Guide to a Successful Kindergarten Transition (March 2007) (PDF: 384kb) is a 2 page color brochure available from the National Education Association. A black and white version (September 2007) (PDF: 61kb) is also available.

Training Resources

Planning for Terrific Transitions: A Guide for Transition-to-School Teams
This training tool was developed through the SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory. The training is designed to help teachers, principals, parents, and other stakeholders improve their transition processes through more effective planning, implementation, and evaluation. The training package includes a trainer's guide, a participant's guide, a CD with all the transparencies needed, and a copy of all the handouts necessary for the training.

Enhancing the Transition to Kindergarten: Linking Children, Families and Schools (PDF: 106kb) is published by the National Center for Early Development and Learning / Kindergarten Transition Studies at the University of Virginia. This manual describes an approach to enhancing children's transitions to kindergarten through forming a network of social connections that support children and families during the transition process.

Head Start Information and Publication Center has a variety of training resources and publications:

• Easing the Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten: A Guide for Early Childhood Teachers and Administrators
• Planning for Transitions
• Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity