Senate Panel Approves Age Change for Kindergarten

In the new no-nonsense world of California public schools, kindergarten isn't play time anymore.

"Kindergarten today is much more academically rigorous than it was originally intended to be. It is more like the first grade of 20 years ago," says Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni, D-San Rafael.

"They're still babies, but the California curriculum is not looking at them as babies," adds Betty James, a kindergarten teacher for 29 years in the Rowland Unified School District in Rowland Heights.

To ensure that children are ready for the work, the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday approved Mazzoni's bill to require children to be 5 years old when they start kindergarten.

Currently, children are admitted to kindergarten in the fall if they will be 5 on or before Dec. 2 of that school year. Kindergarten is not mandatory in the state; compulsory schooling begins with first grade.

Mazzoni's bill would push back that birthday deadline over three years. It would be Nov. 1 in 2002, Oct. 1 in 2003 and Sept. 1 in 2004 and later years. That means that children would have to be 5 by Sept. 1 to start kindergarten beginning in 2004.

The bill would require school districts to allow principals to admit children to kindergarten who don't meet the date, but whose parents can show they are ready.

Districts would not lose money due to reduced enrollment during the transition years, but would have to provide a prekindergarten readiness program of at least 110 hours to children who have not attended public or private preschools.

Since California is testing its students each year and comparing their scores to national standards, it is important that children are entering kindergarten ready for academic work, Mazzoni said.

"A child's first experience in school should not be one of frustration and failure," she said.

Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, said she was afraid the bill might hamper her own efforts to provide preschool to all California children.

"This is triage," Mazzoni said. She noted that affluent parents tend to keep their too-young children out of kindergarten and provide private preschools for them.

"For very young children of color and English-language learners, the gap is huge. The potential for failure is huge for these children," she said.

James, testifying for the bill on behalf of the California Teachers Association, said many poor and minority students come to kindergarten with no language skills.

"We're expecting them to read and understand what a toaster is. These children have no idea," she said.

The bill was sent to the Appropriations Committee by a 9-0 vote.

	This article was originally published by the Associated Press on May 11, 2000 © 2000 Associated Press Related Links Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten? [LA Times] Helping Your Child Learn to Read

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