Transitions from Head Start to kindergarten.

§ 1302.71 Transitions from Head Start to kindergarten. (a) Implementing transition strategies and practices. A program that serves children who will enter kindergarten in the following year must implement transition strategies to support a successful transition to kindergarten. (b) Family collaborations for transitions. (1) A program must collaborate with parents of enrolled children to implement strategies and activities that will help parents advocate for and promote successful transitions to kindergarten for their children, including their continued involvement in the education and development of their child. (2) At a minimum, such strategies and activities must: (i) Help parents understand their child's progress during Head Start; (ii) Help parents understand practices they use to effectively provide academic and social support for their children during their transition to kindergarten and foster their continued involvement in the education of their child; (iii) Prepare parents to exercise their rights and responsibilities concerning the education of their children in the elementary school setting, including services and supports available to children with disabilities and various options for their child to participate in language instruction educational programs; and, (iv) Assist parents in the ongoing communication with teachers and other school personnel so that parents can participate in decisions related to their children's education. (c) Community collaborations for transitions. (1) A program must collaborate with local education agencies to support family engagement under section 642(b)(13) of the Act and state departments of education, as appropriate, and kindergarten teachers to implement strategies and activities that promote successful transitions to kindergarten for children, their families, and the elementary school. (2) At a minimum, such strategies and activities must include: (i) Coordination with schools or other appropriate agencies to ensure children's relevant records are transferred to the school or next placement in which a child will enroll, consistent with privacy requirements in subpart C of part 1303 of this chapter; (ii) Communication between appropriate staff and their counterparts in the schools to facilitate continuity of learning and development, consistent with privacy requirements in subpart C of part 1303 of this chapter; and, (iii) Participation, as possible, for joint training and professional development activities for Head Start and kindergarten teachers and staff. (3) A program that does not operate during the summer must collaborate with school districts to determine the availability of summer school programming for children who will be entering kindergarten and work with parents and school districts to enroll children in such programs, as appropriate. (d) Learning environment activities. A program must implement strategies and activities in the learning environment that promote successful transitions to kindergarten for enrolled children, and at a minimum, include approaches that familiarize children with the transition to kindergarten and foster confidence about such transition. (e) Transition services for children with an IEP. A program must provide additional transition services for children with an IEP, at a minimum, as described in subpart F of this part.