1.
What is the mandatory kindergarten law and when did it go into effect?The
mandatory kindergarten attendance law, which went into effect July 1, 1992,
establishes two requirements: a. The minimum age of compulsory school
attendance is lowered to five years of age; and -- b. Children are required to
attend kindergarten before entering first grade.
2.
Who is affected by the law?
All children
who reside in Maryland and who will be five years old by September are
affected by the mandatory kindergarten attendance law.
3.
Does attendance in a private kindergarten satisfy the requirements of this
law?
Yes.
Attendance of age eligible children in any of the following nonpublic
kindergarten educational programs satisfies the requirements of the mandatory
kindergarten attendance law: a. A kindergarten educational program in a
nonpublic school which holds a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State
Board of Education; b. A kindergarten educational program in a licensed child
care center which holds a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State
Board of Education; or c. A kindergarten educational program in a
church-exempt nonpublic school which is registered with the Maryland State
Department of Education as exempt from the requirement to hold a Certificate
of Approval because the Legal Authority responsible for governing and
operating the school is a bonafide church organization.
4.
Are there ways to satisfy the mandatory kindergarten attendance law other than
by attending a public or private kindergarten?
Yes. The
mandatory kindergarten attendance regulations permit age eligible kindergarten
children who are not attending a public or a nonpublic kindergarten to be
enrolled in either an alternative program setting or supervised home
instruction.
a. Alternative Program
Setting:
1. Full time in a licensed
child care center;
2. Full time
in a registered family day care home; or
3. Part time
in a Head Start five-year-old program.
Alternative
Kindergarten Form
b.
Supervised Home Instruction
Parents/guardians
who home school their children must register with their local school system in
order to be in compliance with home schooling regulations. Parents of students
who attend Alternative Settings must register their child with Anne Arundel
County Public Schools prior to the opening of school. Send the letter to the
Early Childhood Office, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
5.
Can kindergarten attendance be deferred on the basis of maturity?
Yes. State
Board of Education regulations allow parents/guardians to submit a one- year
level of maturity waiver for a kindergarten-age child if the parents believe
that a delay in kindergarten attendance is in the best interest of their
child. Such a child, however, must attend kindergarten the next year. For more
information see question 7 or call 410-222-5441.
6.
Will enrollment of a five year old in a nonpublic nursery school at the
preschool (nursery school) level for four year olds satisfy the requirements
of the mandatory kindergarten attendance law?
No.
Enrollment of a five year old in a nonpublic nursery school educational
program approved for four year olds and/or below does not satisfy the
requirements of the mandatory kindergarten attendance law. Such a child must
attend kindergarten the following year in order to be in compliance with the
mandatory kindergarten requirements.
7.
What must a parent/guardian do to defer kindergarten attendance for one year?
If a parent
wishes that kindergarten attendance be deferred for one year due to the
child's level of maturity, the parent must do the following: a. File a written
request with the local Superintendent of Schools before the opening of the
school year in which the child becomes five years old, asking that the child's
attendance be delayed due to the child's level of maturity. Be sure to include
child's name, address and date of birth. b. Register that child in
kindergarten the following school year.
8.
When a parent or guardian believes that it is in the best interests of a child
who is enrolled in kindergarten to be withdrawn, what must the parent do?
If a
parent or guardian feels that it is in the best interests of the child to be
withdrawn from kindergarten, the parent or guardian may file a written request
to withdraw the child from the program and delay kindergarten attendance until
the following school year.
9.
May a child who will be five years old by the age of entry of a school year be
enrolled in first grade?
Anne
Arundel County Public Schools have a process permitting a five-year-old child
to be admitted to the first grade, upon request of a parent or guardian.
Students must be admitted to kindergarten for up to 30 days while testing and
observations are completed. The school team and the parent will then determine
the appropriate grade placement. Anne
Arundel County Public Schools regulation IFA-RA details this process.
10.
May a child who is not five
years old by the age of entry of a school year be enrolled in kindergarten?
Anne
Arundel County Public Schools has developed guidelines to allow Early
Admission to Kindergarten. The Maryland State Department of Education
guidelines are designed to identify exceptional students. Children born after
September 1 and before December 31 and, therefore, not age eligible for the
current year’s kindergarten may be considered for early admission.
Parents may initiate the
process by completing an Early Admission to Kindergarten application at the
assigned elementary school. Following application, parent and preschool
surveys will be completed, and assessments scheduled by the school principal.
Children will be assessed on
achievement and ability before the opening of school in the fall. Scores on
assessments are:
-
8th stanine or higher on kindergarten norms on the
achievement measure, and
-
130 or higher on the cognitive ability measure.
For more information call
410-222-5441 or ask your school principal.
|
THE
MARYLAND
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CHANGES THE ENTRANCE DATE FOR PRE-KINDERGARTEN,
KINDERGARTEN, AND FIRST GRADE
|
On
May 21, 2002, the Maryland State Department of Education accepted a
recommendation to change the entry date to school. September 1 is now the age
of entry for prekindergarten, kindergarten and grade one.
Eligibility
dates for prekindergarten, kindergarten and first grade are listed below:
|
Program
|
2009
– 2010
|
2010
- 2011
|
|
Prekindergarten
|
9/2/04
– 9/1/05
|
9/2/05
– 9/1/06
|
|
Kindergarten
|
9/2/03
– 9/1/04
|
9/2/04
– 9/1/05
|
|
First
Grade
|
9/2/02
– 9/1/03
|
9/2/03
– 9/1/04
|