Teacher perspectives on professional development opportunities in transitional kindergarten programs

The current shifts in educational policy to include transitional kindergarten, has created an urgency to ensure teachers are equipped to teach in transitional kindergarten programs. Transitional Kindergarten is a program designed to provide young five-year-olds with an additional year of schooling prior to entering kindergarten. Children who qualify for transitional kindergarten are those that turn five years old between September 2 and December 1. Children living in poverty are the most at-risk in terms of educational attainment. Providing a solid foundation in early childhood education for these students contributes to equalizing the disparity that exists between students. Understanding socioeconomic status as it relates to educational opportunities and learning experiences is valuable in ameliorating disparities among students. Teachers, however, receive a variety of professional development throughout the course of the school year; transitional kindergarten teachers may not be receiving enough professional development specific to teaching young children. Providing professional development that is relevant for transitional kindergarten teachers may increase teacher knowledge and provide more opportunities to translate into classroom practice. Ensuring transitional kindergarten teachers have the appropriate training opportunities may help decrease the existing educational gaps. Further research is needed to investigate student-learning outcomes within transitional kindergarten programs and to ensure that equitable practices are offered throughout this program statewide. This research will examine transitional kindergarten teachers' perspectives of the professional development they receive and explore how it translates into teaching practice. I will conduct interviews with transitional kindergarten teachers from two different districts to gain a better understanding of what professional development is being offered, and what teachers perceive to be most effective for classroom practice.