Leading Early Learning Advocates Applaud Governor Newsom for Signing Early Learning Data Bill
AB 22 will collect critical child and staffing data in the California State Preschool Program
SACRAMENTO, CA – Asm. Kevin McCarty and Early Learning advocates Early Edge California, Kidango, and California School Employees Association (CSEA) are celebrating Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 22 which ensures that California collects the necessary student and workforce data to understand the impact of the state’s historic investment in Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and the State Preschool Program.
Authored by Asm. McCarty, the bill will require school-based California State Preschool Program (CSPP) providers to report preschool enrollment and staffing data to the California Department of Education (CDE) annually similar to data collected in TK-12 grade settings. Such data would allow the state to measure the short- and long-term impacts and benefits accrued by the state’s investment in preschool and TK settings, including postsecondary and economic outcomes for California students. This is achievable because of the state’s larger Cradle-to-Career data design.
“The expansion of Transitional Kindergarten has been years in the making. Now that we are in the first year of implementation, it’s vital we ensure the success of TK by collecting important data on Early Childhood Education (ECE) investments. AB 22 will do just that and I am looking forward to the results and the success of the expansion. Early learning can make a difference in a child’s future and everyone should have access to it. I would like to thank the sponsors for their hard work on this bill,” said AB 22’s author Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento).
“We thank Governor Newsom and Asm. Kevin McCarty for including the critical step of data collection around the expansion of Transitional Kindergarten, and seeing the urgency of doing so from the start. This will help to inform our state on the impacts of its Early Learning investments so we can keep providing the best supports to our kids, families, and teachers,” said Patricia Lozano, Executive Director of Early Edge California, a sponsor of the bill.
“With California’s historic investment in expanding Transitional Kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, AB 22 ensures we know how TK impacts the success of the students who attend it,” said Scott Moore, CEO of Kidango, a sponsor of the bill.
“On behalf of the quarter million classified employees we represent across California, CSEA thanks Assemblymember Kevin McCarty for authoring our sponsored bill, AB 22. He embraced our initial version of AB 22 to offer Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to all California four-year-olds, which was implemented in the 2021-22 State Budget. With the now ongoing expansion of TK, AB 22 will allow the state to collect data on how many students are enrolling in TK and the California State Preschool Program, as well as basic demographic information about these students and their educators. This AB 22 data will help the state get a better picture of its early learning workforce and use the data to inform policy,” said California School Employees Association President Adam Weinberger, a sponsor of the bill.
We thank Governor Newsom for his commitment to Transitional Kindergarten and providing a free preschool option to all 4-year-olds and for incorporating the key component of data collection to better understand the expansion’s impact. We also applaud the Governor and Legislature for their commitment to Early Learning and Care in recent budgets, which complement the investments made in TK. We will continue to work with his Administration and the Legislature to ensure young children thrive, families are supported, and teachers have the tools they need to serve our youngest learners.
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Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento, and unincorporated Sacramento County. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.
Early Edge California is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving access to high-quality Early Learning experiences for all California children so they can have a strong foundation for future success.
Kidango is an Early Learning nonprofit committed to setting every child on a path to thrive in Kindergarten and in life. As the largest child care provider in the San Francisco Bay Area, we provide thousands of children, especially those from low-income families, with safe, healthy, nurturing environments and relationships. Our goal is to make sure all children have the social, emotional, and academic skills they need to learn, grow, and realize their potential.
About the California School Employees Association: Founded in 1927 by a small group of Oakland custodians focused on securing retirement benefits, the California School Employees Association is the largest classified school employee union in the United States. The member-run organization represents a quarter million school support staff who perform a wide range of essential work, including security, food services, and paraeducator services in kindergarten through 12th grade, Community Colleges, and County Offices of Education.
