Section 48005.10.

(a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Program.

(b) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the following:

(1) The available data indicate all of the following:

(A) By changing the age at which children generally enter kindergarten, California's children will be better prepared to enter into the academic environment that is required by the California content standards for kindergarten.

(B) Success in school is often related to socioeconomic status, English language fluency at school entry, and access to preschool. By providing a kindergarten readiness program for the children most at risk for low performance and delaying entry to allow all children time to become more developmentally ready to learn, pupils are more likely to succeed in school.

(C) Comparisons between California pupils and pupils in other states on national achievement tests in the later grades are likely to be more equitable if the entry age of California pupils is more closely aligned to that of most other states.

(D) Children who have attended an educationally based kindergarten readiness program, including, but not limited to, a quality state preschool, Head Start, or kindergarten readiness program, are better prepared academically and socially for the existing kindergarten curriculum, as reflected by the state adopted standards.

(2) The purpose of the pilot project established pursuant to this article is intended to test these data.

(3) For participating school districts, the change in enrollment required pursuant to this article will result in a decrease in the number of pupils enrolled in kindergarten classes for the class entering kindergarten in the 2006–07 school year. Thus, it is estimated that in participating school districts there will be a 25 percent decrease in the enrollment of the kindergarten class in the initial year of implementation.

(4) The school district revenue related provision of this article in Section 48005.30 is intended to fully fund participation in the program and provide an incentive to participate.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 227, Sec. 20. Effective August 11, 2003. Inoperative July 1, 2013. Repealed as of January 1, 2014, pursuant to Section 48005.55.)