The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), through its Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) initiative, has made strides in recent months with professional development and supports for districts within its boarders.

In April, Saugus Union School District’s Rosedell Elementary opened its newest transitional kindergarten (TK) demonstration classroom, supported by LACOE, which was designed to showcase best practices within the county. Those at the launch said children engage in play cooperatively and display various skills needed to succeed as they graduate from one grade level to the next.

According to LACOE, this classroom — alongside other demonstration classrooms in Downey USD and Arcadia USD — illustrate a countywide shift toward alignment of early education through third grade, “creating early learning experiences from preschool through third grade that are coherent and developmentally appropriate. Through intentional, play-based activities, children quickly build core executive functioning skills, like working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-regulation, that support both academic growth and long-term success,” according to a press release.

Carin Fractor, director of Curriculum and Instruction for Saugus Union SD, noted that environments like those in the Rosedell demonstration classroom help students strengthen their foundational skills while allowing them to draw upon their own experiences.

“As Universal PreKindergarten continues to expand across the county, efforts like the Rosedell demonstration classroom highlight what is possible when county offices and districts work together to invest in high-quality early learning,” according to LACOE’s press release. “Because when environments are intentional, learning becomes joyful. When systems are aligned, impact is sustained. And when we get it right early, we change the trajectory for children long before third grade and beyond.”

A month prior, on March 4, 450 early educators and administrators from across the county’s TK, Head Start and preschool programs gathered for the third quarterly Universal PreKindergarten Institute, “Shaping Young Minds: Igniting Curiosity and Inspiring Innovation.”

“It was gratifying to see so many educators and administrators at the UPK Institute,” Maricela Ramirez, LACOE chief education officer, said in a statement. “Developmentally appropriate, play-based learning builds the skills that are critical to our children’s long-term success. Opportunities for play and experimentation help children develop collaboration, creativity and problem-solving skills, which serve as the foundation for their educational journey ahead.”

The quarterly institutes are part of LACOE’s strategy to provide ongoing support of local educational agencies continuing to work to implement TK for all 4-year-olds. In addition to hearing from a keynote speaker, attendees participated in breakout sessions on topics including self-regulation, inquiry science, classroom environment and harnessing children’s creativity. Between sessions, participants were invited to explore an on-site model classroom intentionally designed with various elements and nature-inspired features, and attend workshops that utilized open-ended materials like water, rocks, cardboard and yarn for participants to practice learning through play.

“Our UPK team collaborates with teachers and administrators to create supportive, inclusive learning communities where all children have the opportunity to succeed and thrive,” LACOE Head Start and Early Learning Executive Director Luis Bautista said in a statement. “Play-based environments inspire children to take risks, explore, investigate, experiment, communicate, create and learn.”