UTK Professional Learning Modules

Background image: A kindergarten student uses a magnifying glass to take a closer look at a pencil.

Overview

Offered in collaboration with the seven Regional Academies, the UTK Professional Learning Modules elevate equity-centered early learning leadership to support teacher leaders, site leaders, and central office leaders in implementing high-quality Universal Transitional Kindergarten across the state.

The 21CSLA Universal Transitional Kindergarten Initiative releases learning modules through a “Trainer-of-Trainers” model with a diverse cadre of certified UTK Regional Trainers. To date, over 55 active trainers are certified to meet the needs of local districts by leading powerful, equity-focused professional learning.

Looking to attend a UTK professional learning module?

Contact your Regional Academy:

  • Bay Area (Alameda)
      Counties served: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano
  • Mid-State (Tulare)
      Counties served: Inyo, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare
  • NorCal ELC (Shasta)
      Counties served: Butte, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity
  • North Bay/North Coast (Sonoma)
      Counties served: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma
  • Placer/Sacramento
      Counties served: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba
  • SoCal (Riverside/San Diego)
      Counties served: Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego
  • ValCo (Kern)
      Counties served: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Looking for our UTK leadership courses and certificate?

We offer no-cost, credit-bearing courses on equity-focused P–3 instructional leadership

Featured publication

Universal Transitional Kindergarten Leadership Initiative: 2024 Status Report

2024

Related webinars

How teacher diversity supports diverse students and families in early childhood education

21CSLA Research-Practice Webinar: Expansions in Pre-K (September 20, 2022)

More webinars

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education leaders participating in a utk rte listening to each other during a hands-on activity
utk rte participants working independently. one t-shirt reads "transforming education from diapers to diplomas"
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About the modules

The UTK professional learning modules are offered by seven 21CSLA Regional Academies across the state. To attend a module, find your Regional Academy. Contact your Regional Academy directly for more information about module availability.

Module 1: California’s Bold Pre-K Policy Aims

Identify bold equity opportunities within Universal Prekindergarten implementation in order to transform UPK and UTK across a mixed delivery system to support cohesive, high-quality, equitable early learning environments.

Module 2: Envisioning Equitable TK Classrooms in Action

Identify specific “look-fors” in TK classrooms to develop your instructional leadership for implementing California’s UTK.

Module 3: Supporting, Integrating, and Aligning Equitable TK Classrooms

Develop the knowledge and understanding to support your role in leading for high-quality, developmentally appropriate, and equitable UTK programs.

Module 4: Continuous Improvement through Equitable P-3 Assessments

Make specific connections between existing assessments and how you can inform equity-centered continuous improvement for systemically marginalized and historically underserved students.

Module 5: Equitable TK Classrooms for Social-Emotional Development

Deepen your understanding of the social-emotional development competencies and how they relate to increased access to learning and decreased exclusionary discipline practices.

Module 6: Equitable TK Classrooms through Inclusive Practices

Identify principles and practices of inclusion in order to increase access, support, and participation for all students.

Module 7: Family Engagement for High-Quality School Experiences

Enact affirming and responsive strategies to ensure that family and community engagement leads to relationships in which students and families can thrive.

Module 8: Inquiry through Play

Deepen your understanding of high-quality TK classrooms by observing and experiencing play-based and inquiry-oriented TK instruction as a way to promote equity. Expand your knowledge about integrated, developmentally-appropriate subject matter instruction in TK as a way to promote equity.

Attend a UTK professional learning module

Find your Regional Academy

Publications

More publications

Meet the team