Decades of research are clear: attending preschool boosts children’s kindergarten readiness, and the benefits can last into adulthood. To her credit, Governor Whitmer pledged to expand universal pre-K in Michigan to all 4-year-olds as early as this coming fall. As the state continues to expand its early learning investments, we urge policymakers to learn from a relatively new entrant into the early education landscape - the state’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program (also known as Young Fives or Developmental Kindergarten).
Unlike most public early education options, TK programs are not targeted to children from families with low incomes. Districts typically enroll children with fall birthdays who just miss the Sept. 1 kindergarten cutoff date and/or children with summer birthdays whose families think they aren’t quite ready for traditional kindergarten. Nearly 13,000 children enrolled in Michigan’s TK programs last year. Our research team has surveyed hundreds of teachers and administrators and tracked students attending TK using statewide longitudinal data. Our findings on the program’s features, reach, and impacts offer several important lessons.
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