May 7, 2018 Kindergarten Transition White Paper Highlights Regional Efforts The move from pre-kindergarten to Kindergarten marks a critical point in the lives of young children and their families. In the 2017 – 2018 school year, Allegheny County reported early registration at 84% and on-time registration at 97% for Kindergarten students. This success is due largely in part to the local Hi5! Campaign funded by the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and chaired by Trying Together and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3. To highlight the successful regional and national efforts of child care centers, Head Start and pre-k teachers, and school districts to support young children and families in this momentous occasion, Trying Together has released a white paper entitled, Kindergarten Transition. The paper provides researched recommendations and activities including: requiring local transition teams; providing guidance on how to leverage funds; encouraging data sharing; including parents and guardians in the transition process; ensuring high-quality, developmentally appropriate Kindergarten; strengthening relationships and collaboration between early childhood programs and elementary schools; and rethinking the responsibility of school readiness. “Research and evaluation nationally shows that children who experienced effective transition practices retain the developmental gains made in early childhood through the early elementary grades,” said Cara Ciminillo, Trying Together Executive Director. “Through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA), Pennsylvania school districts will now have more flexibility to use federal dollars to support their Kindergarten transition efforts.”
March 6, 2018 Pre-k and Kindergarten Transition Pre-k to Kindergarten: Access to High Quality Pre-k and a Strong Transition to Kindergarten Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-k) The early childhood learning continuum begins at birth and continues through age nine. Research shows that access to even one additional year of high quality pre-k learning has been shown to improve learning and life outcomes for children, including strengthening kindergarten readiness. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts (Pre-K Counts) provides high-quality, no-cost pre-kindergarten to eligible three- and four-year-olds in Pennsylvania. Pre-K Counts is designed for children: who are residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania whose families meet the income eligibility requirements of at or below 300% of the federal poverty level for their family size are between the age of 3 and younger than the Kindergarten entry age for the district in which they reside Once these eligibility requirements are met, enrollment procedures are based on local community needs. These procedures may contain other considerations for enrollment, such as; diagnosed disabilities or developmental delays, English as a second language, or any other factor that the program deems as a priority to ensure that their communities’ needs are being served. If you’re looking for a Pre-K Counts program in Allegheny County, Trying Together is pleased to work with our partners to provide the following list of open Pre-K Counts enrollment opportunities. Learn more about Pre-K Counts and eligibility requirements. See more information about the following 2025-26 school year programs: Woodland Hills School District’s PA Pre-K Counts Program Kindergarten Transition The transition to kindergarten marks an exciting and critical point in the lives of children and families. Students who are ready for kindergarten and attend the first day of school are more likely to read on grade-level by third grade, regularly attend school, make friends, and are less likely to drop out of high school. Early and on-time registration allows schools and districts to plan for classroom materials, resources, and staff as they prepare to welcome a new group of students. It also enables families to establish relationships with teachers and administrators that are so important for easing the stress and anxiety of children (and their families) as they begin elementary school. Learn more about the importance of Kindergarten Transition with Trying Together’s Kindergarten Transition Whitepaper (PDF). Register for Kindergarten Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2025-26 School Year: Allegheny County Kindergarten Registration Information for Fayette, Westmoreland, Greene, Armstrong, Butler Countries Top 10 Kindergarten Readiness Skills Hi5! collaborated with a group of pre-k and kindergarten teachers to develop a list of academic, social, emotional, and physical skills for children entering kindergarten based on the PA Early Learning Standards. A list of more than 30 skills was sent to educators in school districts, child care programs, and Head Start programs throughout the region—including Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Westmoreland counties. View the checklist (PDF). Translated versions: Spanish (PDF) Arabic (PDF) Swahili (PDF) Pashto (PDF) Dari (PDF) About the Hi5! Partnership Hi5! Kindergarten transition efforts are led in partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU3), Trying Together, and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania (who generously fund the project). We have a leadership team that consists of community and state partners, principals, Head Start administrators, and early learning program directors. The Hi5! Partnership focuses on engaging all 43 public school districts in Allegheny County and supports each district to: develop and implement their own kindergarten transition plans; build awareness with families that when “your child reaches five years of age, it’s time to register” them for kindergarten; network and share best practices between pre-k teachers, kindergarten teachers, early childhood program directors, and school administrators; and gather community resources throughout the county. These efforts align with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal law passed in 2015 which required states to have a plan that includes thinking about the transition to kindergarten and how districts connect with early learning programs. For more information about the project, transition teams, and activities, please email hi5@tryingtogether.org, or view the Hi5! overview (PDF). Additional Resources Transitioning to Kindergarten | NAEYC Transition To Kindergarten – The Pennsylvania Key Kindergarten Life Skills Checklist from Evan-Moore
