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The materials outline introductions and stated values, then examine assignability challenges for properly licensed kindergarten educators. They describe how educator preparation and licensure endorsement structures influence assignability, including state-to-state examples and rationale grounded in developmental needs, system requirements, and evidence-based practices. Additional sections compile comparative licensure grade bands and data sources from ELIS, EIS, and SIS, focusing on SY24–SY25.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/integrating-kindergarten-into-the-elementary-education-endorsement-grade-band-february-3-2026/535208/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/integrating-kindergarten-into-the-elementary-education-endorsement-grade-band-february-3-2026/535208.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Sophia Brooks","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-10","2026-10-10",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",14,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What values guide the discussion about modifying grade bands for early childhood and elementary education?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The agenda emphasizes a child-centered focus, supports observed developmental needs in early childhood settings, and balances rich preparation experiences with flexibility in assignability.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What assignment challenges are highlighted when assigning properly licensed teachers to kindergarten positions?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"The materials note difficulty assigning properly licensed teachers to kindergarten roles and propose additional approaches, such as increasing flexibility across grades and expanding the qualified applicant pool, especially in rural or hard-to-staff schools.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"Which data sources are used to support the analysis, and what school years do they cover?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"The analysis uses data from Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), Employment Information System (EIS), and Student Information System (SIS). EIS and SIS correspond to SY24 and SY25 final data used for the Illinois Report Card, with ELIS snapshot data taken in June of the relevant school year.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},535208,1791710637,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":145,"read_time":146,"preview_page_count":4},962084925636,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","1  \nIntegrating Kindergarten into the Elementary Education Endorsement  \nGrade Band  \nFebruary 3, 2026  \nMeeting Agenda  \n• Introductions  \n• Values  \n• Assignability Challenges  \n• Preparation Leads to Assignability  \n– Development, Systems, Preparation and Assignability  \n– Licensure Bands in Other States  \n• Data  \n• Obtaining a subsequent endorsement or approval in ECE or Kindergarten  \n• Questions that inform possible next steps  \n• Discussion  \n• Final Thoughts  \n2  \nValues  \n• Maintaining a ‘child-centered focus’ regardless of modifications to grade bands.  \n• Ensuring knowledge of and practices for and in support of the range of developmental needs observed in early childhood settings.  \n• Balancing the need for rich preparation experiences and subsequent flexibility in assignability.  \n3  \nAssignment Challenges  \n• Requests from field – difficulty assigning properly licensed teachers to kindergarten positions  \n• Additional approaches to obtaining an EC endorsement or approval could:  \no allow more flexibility in teacher assignability across grades  \no provide a greater pool of qualified potential applicants  \no increase applications in rural or hard-to-staff schools  \no reduce substitute teachers or other means of temporarily assigning educators to roles due to lack of qualified teachers  \n4  \nPreparation Leads to Assignability  \nEducator Preparation  \nIHE  \nEndorsements on a Professional Educator License  \nIHE & Illinois P-12 School  \nAssignability (e.g., grade level/content area based upon endorsements)  \nIllinois P-12  \nSchool  \nDistricts Districts  \n5  \nPreparation Leads to Assignability  \n• When considering modifications to the EC and ELEM grade bands:  \n• Issues of preparation must consider the means through which this occur.  \n• These means should:  \n• Provide that candidates can show what they know in ways that honor their experiences and align with standards and evidence-based practices and recognized theories within the content area.  \n• Recognize the‘tensions’ between the delivery of preparation experiences, system requirements (e.g., state and federal requirements), and theories upon which the practices within the content area are grounded.  \n• Be durable enough to reflect current realities as well as anticipated future needs of assignability.   \n6  \nPreparation Leads to Assignability and…  \nDevelopment  \nPreparation & System  \nAssignability  \n7  \nPreparation Leads to Assignability and…  \n\n| Rationale | State | EC Grade Band | ELEM Grade Band | Explanation/Justification |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Development | Texas | PK-6 | PK-6 | Developmental continuum/unique needs of early learners; narrowing grade bands to improve educator effectiveness, and to align preparation to early learners’ developmental needs. |\n| Development, System and Assignability | Rhode Island | PK-2 | 1-6 | NAEYC definition used as anchor for proposed early childhood span (incl. Grade 3).\u003Cbr>Shows a standards-based justification for where K is placed (elementary vs. early childhood) in grade-span design.\u003Cbr>Staffing shortage realities referenced in grade-span discussion to support adjusting spans while maintaining quality expectations. |\n| Development & Assignability | Pennsylvania | PK-4 | K-6 (no longer issued) | Age-appropriate pedagogy used to argue for grade-span structures that better align teacher prep to developmental stages (while acknowledging practical constraints).\u003Cbr>Broader grade spans increase employment opportunities for candidates and improve LEA staffing flexibility. |\n| Development & System | Mississippi | PK-3 | K-6 | Developmental preparation as a valued component of licensure.\u003Cbr>Passing score on a rigorous test of scientifically research-based reading instruction for initial elementary licensure.\u003Cbr>Example of literacy mandate operating as a licensure gate; can indirectly influence boundary discussions by raising preparation expectations. |\n| Development & Assignability | New York | Birth-2 | 1-6 | Refer","cbCaieOudU2zBObp","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieOudU2zBObp","pdf",492283,28,"English","# Integrating Kindergarten into the Elementary Education Endorsement - Grade Band\n## Meeting Agenda\n## Values\n## Assignment Challenges\n## Preparation Leads to Assignability\n## Data","[{\"question\":\"What values guide the discussion about modifying grade bands for early childhood and elementary education?\",\"answer\":\"The agenda emphasizes a child-centered focus, supports observed developmental needs in early childhood settings, and balances rich preparation experiences with flexibility in assignability.\"},{\"question\":\"What assignment challenges are highlighted when assigning properly licensed teachers to kindergarten positions?\",\"answer\":\"The materials note difficulty assigning properly licensed teachers to kindergarten roles and propose additional approaches, such as increasing flexibility across grades and expanding the qualified applicant pool, especially in rural or hard-to-staff schools.\"},{\"question\":\"Which data sources are used to support the analysis, and what school years do they cover?\",\"answer\":\"The analysis uses data from Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), Employment Information System (EIS), and Student Information System (SIS). EIS and SIS correspond to SY24 and SY25 final data used for the Illinois Report Card, with ELIS snapshot data taken in June of the relevant school year.\"}]","Integrating Kindergarten into the Elementary Education Endorsement - Grade Band - February 3, 2026 | PDF",1791599945,71]