Improving Children’s Transitions to Elementary School: The Heading to Kindergarten Program

• In Event: Getting on the Same Page: Systems Alignment to Support Early Transitions and Early Learning

Abstract

Transitions are key points in developmental trajectories. One of the earliest transitions children in the U.S. experience is the transition to kindergarten. The success of this transition has lasting consequences, as the kindergarten year is considered a critical developmental period for shaping children’s short- and long-term well-being (Duncan et al., 2007). Despite the importance of this transition, many children struggle during the transition, as they experience dramatic shifts in environmental experiences and expectations (Mashburn et al., 2018). Numerous models for improving children’s experiences during the kindergarten transition focus on building connections to provide support to children throughout the transition (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000).

One key connection is between children’s preschools and elementary schools. Fostering connections between these contexts, and the teachers and administrators within them, can provide numerous opportunities for enhancing the kindergarten transition. For example, these connections can lead to data sharing, transition-supporting events, and more alignment in children’s classroom experiences across the transition (Erlich et al., 2021). However, elementary teachers and administrators often report large disconnects with preschools in their geographic areas and numerous barriers to building these connections (Purtell et al., 2018).

The goal of this paper is to examine initial outcomes from a pilot program designed to build connections and enhance collaboration between Head Start programs and their local elementary schools. This program, Heading to Kindergarten (H2K), is run by the state department of education and brings together teachers from Head Start and elementary schools, and provides them with time, tools, and professional development to allow them to develop their own plan to support children and families during the transition.

Surveys were provided to two cohorts of participating Head Start and elementary teachers. Cohort 1 had been engaged in the H2K pilot for one year, while Cohort 2 had not yet been exposed. Therefore, responses from Cohort 2 are used to examine teachers’ perceptions, while comparisons across cohorts as used to provide initial evidence of program-induced changes. There are 17 respondents from 4 districts in Cohort 1 and 49 respondents in Cohort 2, from 6 new districts. Participants reported on seventeen items indicating their perceptions of collaboration, communication, and alignment.

Results indicate that teachers who participated in the pilot for a year had significantly more positive perceptions of communication and collaboration between Head Start and elementary schools around the transition, although this was not true for items focused on communication with families. Teachers who had participated in the pilot also had more positive perceptions of alignment across the transition than newly entering teachers, but these differences were smaller.
Taken together, these results show that there is a need to improve professional development and alignment related to children’s kindergarten transitions and that participants in H2K are perceiving the program as working. However, further data are needed to more rigorously assess program effectiveness. Nevertheless, this provides initial evidence that programs focused on bringing preschool and kindergarten personnel together can increase focus on kindergarten transitions and potentially improve children’s experiences during this pivotal point in their educational trajectories.

Authors

• Kelly M Purtell, Ohio State University
  Presenting Author

• David Julian, The Ohio State

• Melissa Ross