Age eligibility cutoff for Kentucky kindergarteners will take effect next school year. The new date is August 1 instead of October 1 but local school boards must have a policy that allows parents to request early-entrance for kindergarten based on child-readiness and tuition may be charged.
Enrollment must be completed before the last day of the current school year.
Here’s the explanation for how it can work:
Senate Bill 24 (SB 24), enacted during the 2012 Regular Session, amends KRS 158.030 by requiring each local school board to adopt a policy for parents or guardians to petition the board to enroll a child who does not meet the kindergarten age requirement of turning 5 years of age on or before October 1. It’s important to note the kindergarten age requirement of turning 5 years of age changes to August 1 in the 2017-2018 school year. The policy must include an evaluation process that will help determine a child’s readiness for school.
What may the evaluation process include to determine a student’s readiness for school?
The local school board should develop a process that is consistent with Kentucky’s school readiness definition and ensures children who are not age-eligible for kindergarten demonstrate readiness in all developmental domains (e.g., approaches to learning, health and physical well-being, language and communication development, social and emotional development, cognitive and general knowledge).
The process should include multiple measures of child’s readiness for school. Multiple measures and sources are essential to making the best decision and are best practice. These measures include, but are not limited to the following: parent observation and input valid and reliable, research-based assessment of all early childhood domains, a list of general characteristics of children with high potential and common kindergarten readiness assessment.
The process may consider the transition points all children experience.
School districts should provide training and professional development to kindergarten teachers on the characteristics and needs of young children with high potential.
May a team be formed to determine a child’s readiness for school?
A team approach is recommended with membership including teachers, parents, psychologists and district specialists such as the gifted education coordinator. At least one member of the team should represent the district office and have an understanding of early childhood development.
What might a team consider in order to determine if a child’s ready for school?
Relevant information from multiple measures and sources should be reviewed to provide the school principal with the best possible recommendation about a child’s readiness for kindergarten. The school is responsible for making final placement decisions.
Teams should consider children’s readiness in all domains to determine readiness for kindergarten. Children develop at varying rates within the different domains, and some children will exhibit skills far above their age group while others may take longer to demonstrate the same set of skills. Therefore, uniqueness is to be valued.
A school district may advance a student through the primary program when it is determined that it is in the best educational interest of the student.
May a district charge tuition for a student’s early entry into kindergarten?
Yes, this is allowable. If a school district charges tuition for early entrance into kindergarten, meaning enrollment of a child who does not meet the age requirement, the amount of tuition must be the same as the tuition charged to a student who meets the age requirement.