Preschool data: data collection.

The Early Education Act, among other things, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs, including, but not limited to, part-day and full-day age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate programs for 3- and 4-year-old children. Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to maintain a transitional kindergarten program, defined as the first year of a 2-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Existing law requires a school district or charter school, as a condition of receipt of apportionment for pupils in a transitional kindergarten program, to admit children who meet certain age requirements, as provided. Existing law establishes the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, which is maintained by the State Department of Education and consists of pupil data from elementary and secondary schools, as specified, relating to demographics, program participation, enrollment, and statewide assessments, among other things. Existing law requires the system to be used to accomplish specified goals, including to provide an efficient, flexible, and secure means of maintaining statewide pupil level data, as provided. This bill would require the department, by July 1, 2024, to collect pupil data for each pupil enrolled in a California state preschool program operated by a local educational agency, including all applicable data elements that are collected for pupils in transitional kindergarten, as provided. The bill would also require the department, by July 1, 2024, to collect the same data for educators in a California state preschool program operated by a local educational agency that is collected for educators in the K–12 classroom setting, as provided.