Transitional Kindergarten

Effective July 1, 2022, California Education Code section 44300(j) provides the Commission the authority to issue one-year emergency specialist teaching permits in early childhood education. The Emergency Specialist Teaching Permit in Early Childhood Education, also referred to as the Emergency Transitional Kindergarten Permit (ETK Permit), is available at the request of a Local Educational Agency (LEA) that is unable to recruit a fully credentialed teacher to serve in a Transitional Kindergarten assignment. The ETK Permit authorizes the holder to teach all subjects in a self-contained Transitional Kindergarten class in a general education setting. Refer to Credential Information Alert 22-10 for additional information.

Education Specialist Instruction Credentials are not listed as being able to teach TK because they cannot teach general education students.  However, these educators can teach both the first year and second year of a two-year kindergarten program in special education classrooms provided that all students have a primary disability category and age range that aligns with the holder's credential authorization.  The Special Education Authorization Chart provides grade level authorizations and authorized disability categories. (Note: If kindergarten is authorized, then TK is authorized as it is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program).

Holders of Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) authorizations issued prior to July 1, 2022 (Authorization Codes: R3EC and ECSE) are not authorized to teach Transitional Kindergarten, as it is defined by CDE as the first year of a two-year kindergarten program.  Those authorizations allow the holder to teach special education students age birth through pre-kindergarten.  With the movement of four-year-olds into the TK space, the Commission decided to address this by updating the Special Education Teaching Credentials. The expanded Education Specialist Instruction Credential in Early Childhood Special Education (Authorization Code: R3ER) and the expanded Early Childhood Special Education Added Authorization (Authorization Code: SEEC) authorize both special education TK and Kindergarten assignments. Refer to the Special Education Assignment Chart for more information.

Additionally, to assist existing ECSE teachers, the Commission also approved regulations that would allow a current ECSE credential holder to obtain a Bridge Authorization (Authorization Code: R3BC) that allows teaching TK and Kindergarten. Existing ECSE credential holders would only need to verify that they have met the new Teaching Performance Expectation (TPE) content to apply for the expanded ECSE authorization.  Completion of this content can be verified by completion of coursework, professional development, or demonstrated competence and experience.  An employer, preparation program, or SELPA can verify completion of the content. Details on which TPEs would need to be met can be found in Pathways for Current Education Specialist Credential Holders Interested in Earning the New Education Specialist Credential.

For more information on the expanded Education Specialist Instruction Credential Authorizations, refer to Credential Information Alert 22-06.

Preschool or other child development programs, designed to prepare three and four year old children for school, are not required to be taught by credentialed teachers, however they must meet the separate child development permit requirements outlined in the Child Development webpage. 

Career Technical Education credential holders are not able to serve in TK classes.  Though they are authorized to teach in all of grades 12 and below, they are limited to serving in classrooms in which the curriculum has been designated as technical, trade, or vocational.