Kindergarten Transition Plan

POLICY:

NOCAC Head Start assists children and families transitioning from Head Start to Kindergarten throughout the year by engaging in a variety of strategies and activities to involve parent/guardians, teachers, and children in the transition process.

PROCEDURES:

Family Collaboration for Transitions

1. NOCAC Head Start will collaborate with parents/guardians of enrolled children to implement strategies and activities that will help parents/guardians advocate for and promote successful transitions to kindergarten for their children, including the parent/guardian continued involvement in the education and development of their child.
2. At a minimum, such strategies and activities will include:
   1. Reviewing their child’s progress during Parent Teacher Conferences and Home Visits to help parents/guardians understand their child’s development.
   2. The Education Team will provide articles in the monthly newsletter about preparing for kindergarten.
   3. Information about kindergarten screenings will be sent home in a timely manner.
   4. Teachers will discuss kindergarten screening during the second home visit.

Community Collaborations for Transitions

1. The ECE Manager will send welcome to the school year letter to the 26 school districts in the NOCAC Head Start service area informing them about NOCAC Head Start, the School Readiness Goals, the curriculum and Conscious Discipline.
2. NOCAC Teachers and Home Visitors will observe a kindergarten classroom in each school district.
   1. The teacher needs to complete the Kindergarten Observation form on site.
   2. The teacher will contact a school district in their service area to set up a time to conduct a brief interview and observation.
   3. The NOCAC teachers need to complete the reflection piece of the observation after leaving the school.
   4. The teacher will submit the completed forms to the Center Manager (CM).
   5. The CM will review the form and turn it into the Education Manager.
   6. The Education Manager will review the observations and compile all necessary information and share it with all staff.
3. The Education Manager will contact each school not visited to obtain answers to the questions to use for planning purposes.
4. Each NOCAC classroom will take the kindergarten eligible children on a kindergarten visit. Staff need to follow the Field Trip Policy.
   1. When contacting the school, ask the school to give the children a tour of the building and ask if the children can participate, interact with, or observe a kindergarten class.
   2. Another option is to visit the school after hours with the families.
   3. The Classroom Coach and Mentors will give further guidance as needed.
   4. Home Base only: If a Home Base child already attends preschool in a public school, the parent is not required to participate in a kindergarten field trip, but it needs to be offered. Arrange for Home Base families to attend with one of the classes at the site. The Home Visitor will attend with at least one of the classes.
5. Staff will have parents/guardians complete a Release of Information (ROI) at the 2nd Home Visit. This release will give NOCAC Head Start permission to release their child’s information to the public school.
6. The Education Manager will compile a list of school districts in the NOCAC service area that offer summer school programming for children who will be entering kindergarten and work with parents and school districts to enroll children in such programs, as appropriate.

Learning Environment Activities

1. Teachers will plan developmentally appropriate transition activities by following the school readiness goals.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

 • Kindergarten Observation Form