Dr. Deneen Guss, County Superintendent of Schools
Parent Resources
In This Section
The Monterey County Office of Education is committed to creating opportunities to support students in their educational journey. Parents are our most important partners, and MCOE looks for ways to connect with them and the community. This page is a resource to provide parents with information and support the success of our students.
- CDPH Cannabis Prevention
- Common Core Parent Resources
- Fentanyl & Substance Abuse
- Coping with Violence and Trauma
- Early Childhood Education
- Health
- Help Your Child Learn
- Pay for College
- PTA
- Reading Resources
- Safety
- SBAC Parent Guides
- Special Education
- Supporting LGBTQIA+
- Universal Prekindergarten (UPK)
CDPH Cannabis Prevention
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
- Substance and Addiction Prevention Branch (SAPB)
- Youth Cannabis Prevention Initiative (YCPI)
- Youth Cannabis Education and Prevention Media Campaign - Mind Over Marijuana for teens (ages 13 – 17)
- Let’s Talk Cannabis (English, Spanish) for parents/guardians.
Common Core Parent Resources
Parents & Educational Partners
The Common Core State Standards were developed to establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in Math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12th grade. We want to ensure that after high school, all students are prepared for college and/or the business world. The standards were drafted by experts and teachers from across the country and are designed to ensure students are prepared for today’s entry-level careers, freshman-level college courses, and workforce training programs. The Common Core focuses on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful. The new standards also provide a way for teachers to measure student progress throughout the school year and ensure that students are on the pathway to success in their academic careers. MCOE Curriculum & Instruction is committed to providing training and resources for students and parents to better understand the Common Core State Standards.
Common Core Parent Resources
English
Parents Backpack Guide to Common Core
What are the Common Core Standards?
Español
Guia Para Padres Centrales Comunes
Cuáles son los Estándares Básicos Comunes?
Parents Guide to Student Success - CCSS
Videos
Video Explaining the Common Core State Standards
Vídeo Explicando las Common Core State Standards
Fentanyl & Substance Abuse
Coping with Violence and Trauma
- Talking to Children About Violence
- Trauma and Disaster Mental Health
- Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
- Talking to Children about the Shooting (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
- Trauma and Disaster Mental Health (American Counseling Association)
- Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting (American Psychological Association)
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (Resources in multiple languages)
- ACEs Awareness Campaign and Live Beyond
- Never a Bother Suicide Prevention
Early Childhood Education
Health
Help Your Child Learn
Pay for College
PTA
Reading Resources
Safety
SBAC Parent Guides
Special Education
Supporting LGBTQIA+
Universal Prekindergarten (UPK)
Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) is the expansion of the state’s mixed delivery system to meet the early education needs of 3- and 4-year-old children and their families, including Transitional Kindergarten which will be available for free to all 4-year olds by 2025-2026.
UPK is an essential part of transforming California’s schools and giving every student in California a great start.
Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) will bring together programs across early learning and K-12, relying heavily on Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) and California State Preschool Program (CSPP), as well as Head Start, community-based organizations (CBOs), and private preschool to ensure every four-year old child – regardless of background, race, zip code, immigration status, or income level – has access to a quality learning experience the year before kindergarten.
A transitional kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Pursuant to law, Ed. Code 48000[c] and Senate Bill 1381.
- What UPK Offers Families
- California's Universal Prekindergarten Implementation Timeline
- Goals for UPK Implementation
- Governor Newsom's Video Message About Transitional Kindergarten
- Quicklinks
- Videos
What UPK Offers Families
- All families in California–regardless of immigration & income status–are eligible to participate depending on your child’s age and the program you select
- Transitional Kindergarten (TK) will be available to all 4-year-old children for free
- More flexible, high-quality early education choices for their 3- and 4-year-olds that address families' childcare needs*
- The opportunity to give input to make sure local UPK programs reflect your family’s and community’s needs and culture
- Schools that are ready to support your child's learning
- Assurance that your child is entering school equipped with the tools that will help them succeed
California's Universal Prekindergarten Implementation Timeline
UPK stands for Universal Prekindergarten, which, by 2025–26 will exist for all four-year-old children in California.
Universal transitional kindergarten (UTK) is part of UPK, but not the only part. UPK is a mixed delivery system that also includes the California State Preschool Program (CSPP) which the California Department of Education (CDE) operates, along with other prekindergarten programs serving three- and four-year-old children, including the federal Head Start Program, subsidized programs that operate a preschool learning experience and are operated by community-based organizations (CBOs)--including family childcare, and private preschool. Part of UPK is also the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) that helps TK-6th grade, a full-day program aligned with the needs to parents.
Goals for UPK Implementation
Preschool through Third Grade (P-3) Alignment: Connecting the early grades for future success.
California Department of Education (CDE) seeks to elevate the role of high-quality, inclusive and multilingual preschool, strong early intervention services, and P-3 alignment in ensuring the future of California's children.
How Do TK, UPK and P-3 Alignment Work Together?
- P-3 Connects UPK with Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade
- Aligning developmentally informed best practices, UPK– 3rd grade.
- UPK is a mixed-delivery system of UTK, CSPP, Head Start, private providers, and more
- Provides every four-year old access to high quality learning the year before kindergarten
- TK is an integral program in the mixed delivery system for achieving UPK
- The only program that must serve any four-year old child that wants to enroll by 2025-26.
2022-23
Student Phase-In
5th birthday between Sept. 2 and Feb. 2
(EC 48000)
2023-24
Student Phase-In
5th birthday between Sept. 2 and Apr. 2
1:12 Teacher to Student Ratios
2024-25
Student Phase-In
5th birthday between Sept. 2 and Jun. 2
1:10 Teacher to Student Ratios
(contingent on funding)
2025-26
Student Phase-In
4th birthday by Sept. 1
Governor Newsom's Video Message About Transitional Kindergarten
Watch Governor Newsom’s special video message about Transitional Kindergarten!
"California is making a big commitment and that’s making Transitional Kindergarten accessible and free to all 4 year old kids. That means every child can learn in a nurturing environment with small class sizes to give our young learners the attention they deserve. And when we’re finished with this expansion, California will have the single largest free preschool program in the country, serving nearly 400,000 children.”
– Governor Gavin Newsom
Quicklinks
Monterey County UPK branding logo- For all Monterey County UPK Stakeholders
California's UPK Communication materials
UPK Key information overview Slide Deck
Two-pager Key information for UPK implementers
P-3 Teacher Preparation Resources
California Department of Education's UPK FAQs
California Educator Together's UPK & P-3 Group