Transitional Kindergarten in California has several requirements, including:

• Eligibility: Children must be between the ages of 4 and 5 to be eligible for TK:

  • 2024–2025: Children must turn 5 between September 2 and June 2

  • 2025–2026: TK will be available to all children who turn 4 by September 1 

• Class Size: TK classrooms must have a student-to-adult ratio of 12:1; with a maximum of 24 children per classroom. 

• Curriculum: TK programs use age-appropriate curriculum for younger children.

• Teacher certification: At least one of the two adults in the classroom must be a fully certificated TK teacher.

• Admission: The California Department of Education requires districts to admit all eligible students, regardless of potty-training status.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is part of the K-12 public school system and is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.  TK is not considered a preschool program and must be taught by an educator who holds one of the following credentials:

• Multiple Subject Credential

  • Preliminary and Clear Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential

  • University Intern Credential

  • District Intern Credential (grades TK-8)

  • General Education Limited Assignment Permit

  • Short-Term Staff Permit

  • Provisional Internship Permit

• PK - 3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Instruction Credential:

  • Preliminary and Clear PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction Credential

  • University Intern Credential

  • District Intern Credential

• General Kindergarten-Primary (K-3)

• General Elementary (K-8)

• Standard Early Childhood (P-3)

• Standard Elementary (K-9)

• Specialist Instruction Credential in Early Childhood Education  (This is different than the Education Specialist Instruction Credential: Early Childhood Special Education)

Education Code section 48000(g), under the purview of the California Department of Education (CDE), requires credentialed teachers who are first assigned to a TK classroom after July 1, 2015 to have one of the following by August 1, 2025:

• At least 24 units in early childhood education, or childhood development, or both

• Professional experience in a classroom setting with preschool age children comparable to the 24 units of education described in bullet 1 

• Child Development Teacher Permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing

Note, any teacher who is or was assigned to teach TK, or a combination of kindergarten and TK, on or before July 1, 2015, may teach TK without having to meet the additional unit requirement for TK teachers set forth in Education Code section 48000(g).