Early Entrance
Early Entrance to Kindergarten Procedures and Guidelines
According to state regulation, COMAR 13A.08.01.02B, the local board of education shall adopt a regulation permitting a 4-year-old child, upon request by the parent or guardian, to be admitted to kindergarten if the local superintendent or superintendent’s designee determines that the child has demonstrated capabilities warranting early admission. A child who is considered for early admission demonstrates proficiency at the 90th percentile or above in academic and social skills.
Children entering kindergarten should be 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2012. If a parent or guardian requests a waiver for his/her child to enter kindergarten early, the child must be 5 years old on or before October 1, 2012. No request will be honored for early entrance for any child whose birthday is after October 1, 2012.
Time Line for the Process
The time line for consideration for early entrance to kindergarten is as follows:
- March 26 to May 4 – parents complete and submit the application packet
- May 14 – June 8 – assessments are scheduled
- July 1 – July 15 – parents are notified of status
There are no exceptions to this time line.
Procedure for Early Entrance
A parent request for consideration for early admission to kindergarten can be made by securing and then completing an application for early kindergarten admission. Applications are available from each child’s home elementary school. There are three required parts to the application process: 1) the application for early entrance to kindergarten, 2) the parent profile for early entrance to kindergarten, and 3) a completed checklist by a pre-k teacher/child care provider. All forms must be totally completed and submitted/postmarked between March 26 and May 4 for an assessment to be scheduled.
Students with completed early entrance applications will be scheduled for an assessment between May 14 and June 8. The test will take place in designated locations under the supervision of Carroll County Public Schools’ professional staff.
In addition to the test results, the following key indicators will be considered along with identified pertinent information when making the decision regarding early entrance to kindergarten:
- Early entrance into kindergarten is intended for children with exceptional ability who are capable of working in a classroom setting with children who are up to 13 months older.
- The needs of the whole child should be considered including social/emotional and physical factors, as well as cognitive abilities.
- The cognitive needs of a high-performing student may be met in a classroom with age peers in which a skilled teacher provides differentiated instruction based on the student’s readiness, interest, and learning profile.
- A child should exhibit a level of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional maturity that is commensurate with that of children who are up to 13 months older.
After reviewing all documents and assessment information, the Superintendent’s designee(s) will make a recommendation concerning early kindergarten admission. The Supervisor of Early Childhood Education will notify the parent(s) or guardian(s) in writing as to the decision for early admission no later than July 15. CCPS reserves the right to reassess your child’s placement at the end of September given evidence that suggests reevaluation of placement.
The following required documentation must be completed for consideration for early entrance to kindergarten:
Application for Early Entrance to Kindergarten
Parent Profile
Checklist from child’s preschool teacher or other person qualified to judge his/her development and capabilities
All documentation should be returned to your child’s home school or sent to Anna Varakin, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education, 125 North Court Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157, no later than May 4, 2012.
Testing Information
The readiness assessment that is given to your child for early entrance to kindergarten is a confidential test designed to measure what skills the child has for school readiness. The assessment is focused on two areas, language arts and mathematics. A score in the 90th percentile or higher on the readiness assessment is the required score to be eligible for early entrance. All students will only be assessed once for early entrance determination.
The assessor will conduct the assessment without the parent present and in groups of 2-3 children. The assessor will quickly develop a relationship with the child. Children will be expected to respond from their own knowledge base and will not be prompted for responses. Bright children are social and very often easily adaptable to new situations. Parents can assist in assuring the child prior to the assessment that no answer is wrong and that he or she should be comfortable talking to the assessor.
The test consists of measuring standards and indicators, as set by the Maryland State Department of Education, which identify exceptionally bright children. The test is approximately two hours in duration. The assessor will not continue with the test if the child becomes frustrated or begins to be distracted which is an indication that the child is not ready for formal schooling. If the child continues to respond incorrectly, the assessor will also discontinue the process. It is the assessor’s responsibility to keep the child on track and yet not allow the child to become frustrated or upset. The assessor will not give the parent an indication of how the child scored. Scoring of the test is completed within 5 days of assessing your child.
Upon receipt of the application and other required documentation, the supervisor will schedule the readiness assessment between May 14 and June 8. Should your child be ill on the scheduled day of test, please call 410-751-3101 to reschedule.
Early Entrance to Kindergarten Recommended Minimum Capabilities
A child recommended for early entrance to kindergarten should demonstrate proficiency at the 90th percentile. The following behaviors are documented through the assessment or observation process:
Personal and Social Development
Child can listen to directions and follow a multi-step task
Child can independently complete a short-term task
Language and Literacy Development
General Reading Processes
Phonemic Awareness: child can discriminate between sounds, and blend and segment sounds
Phonics: child can identify letter/sound relationships
Fluency: child can imitate reading at an appropriate rate
Vocabulary: child can use words to describe location, size, color, and shape
Comprehension: child can demonstrate an understanding of concepts about print and can use before reading strategies to prepare for reading
Writing: child can represent ideas through pictures and dictation.
Listening: child can actively listen to determine a speaker’s general purpose
Speaking: child can speak clearly enough to be heard and understood
Mathematics – Cognition and General Knowledge
Child can recognize, duplicate, and extend patterns
Child can recognize and describe the attributes of triangles, circles, and rectangles
Child can order, compare, and describe objects by size, length, capacity, and weight
Child can organize and display data to make a picture graph
Child can show understanding of number and quantity
Child can make a plan to solve a problem
CCPS reserves the right to reassess your child’s placement at the end of September given evidence that suggest reevaluation of placement.
