The Public TK and Preschool Payoff: How Investments Shape Student Success

In-person briefing on new research about Transitional Kindergarten, the CA State Preschool Program, and the Local Control funding formula.
About this Event

Hosted in Downtown Sacramento, CA by Early Edge California, the Learning Policy Institute, and UC Berkeley Equity and Excellence in Early Childhood (E3C).

Last fall, California crossed a milestone: for the first time, every 4-year-old in the state became eligible to attend Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a school-based preschool program. As the state makes this historic investment, policymakers want to know: Will it pay off?

In this briefing, researchers from UC Berkeley will provide key insights into this question, sharing compelling findings from their upcoming brief on TK's initial years. There are two central themes:

• California's investments in early learning boosted student achievement remarkably, reducing longstanding achievement gaps in 3rd grade.
• The gains from public preschool depend on complementary investments in the years before and after TK. Gains were largest for children who additionally attended the California State Preschool Program as 3-year-olds, as well as for children who attended better resourced elementary schools. However, not all children benefited equally.

Panelists will discuss implications for how to ensure all students thrive.

This event is designed for California state legislators and staff, state administrators, education advocates, and others working to improve children’s academic and life success.

Speakers

• Patricia Lozano, Early Edge California
• Professor Rucker C. Johnson, University of California-Berkeley
• Dr. Austin Land, University of California-Berkeley
• Hanna Melnick, Learning Policy Institute

Additional speakers to be added.

Additional Information

• RSVP by October 15, 2026. Registration is first-come, first-served and will close on October 21 or when full.
• Location: Legislative Office Building, Room 100, 1020 N St, Sacramento, CA 95814

We hope you can join us for this important research and policy discussion. If you have questions about this event, please contact Mirel Herrera at [email protected].

For more information about this event visit: https://earlyedgecalifornia.org/in-person-briefing-the-public-tk-and-preschool-payoff/