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In response to the amended COMAR 13A.08.01.02, Age of School Attendance, the Montgomery County Board of Education adopted Policy JEB, Early Entrance to Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade, and accompanying Regulation JEB-RB on March 14, 2006. Click here to review the MCPS policy governing early entrance procedures. Click here to review the MCPS regulation regarding early entrance procedures.
To be eligible to enter MCPS Prekindergarten and Head Start classes for the 2008-2009 school year, children must be four years of age by September 1, 2008 and meet income eligibility criteria for enrollment in the program.
Parents/guardians of children who wish to apply for early entrance to prekindergarten must meet state prescribed prekindergarten income eligibility criteria and present with at-risk developmental factors. Early entrance to prekindergarten does not mean automatic entry into kindergarten in the following year. Children who qualify for early entrance to prekindergarten are eligible for two years of a prekindergarten experience. Parents should call the Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services at 301-230-0691 for application information.
For more information about the MCPS prekindergarten program's curriculum and expectations, please click here.
Applications for early entrance to kindergarten for the 2008-2009 school year will be accepted from February 1 through June 30, 2008. Per Maryland State Department of Education regulations, to be eligible to enter kindergarten for the 2008-2009 school year, children must be five years of age by September 1, 2008. Children who will turn five years old between September 2 and October 15, 2008 are eligible for consideration for the early entrance to kindergarten process. To be recommended for early entrance to kindergarten, children will need to demonstrate above average performance and development in academic skills as well as social/emotional and physical development. The standards for early entrance are very high to ensure that students are not frustrated by their advanced grade placement. As of the 2008-2009 school year there will be no consideration, including an appeals process, for children with birthdates beyond October 15th. For additional information about age of school attendance, please click here.
Parents/guardians of children who wish to apply for early entrance to kindergarten must complete MCPS Form 271-6, Application for Early Entrance Kindergarten Program. Parents/guardians should call their child's home school to schedule an appointment for their child to attend the school's Kindergarten Orientation Program. Kindergarten Orientation Programs are held annually at each school from early April through late May. At this appointment, children will participate in activities with other children and complete an individual screening assessment, led by school staff. Assessments include a variety of activities that measure a child's performance during whole group and individual activities within the following developmental domains: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, physical well-being, and motor development. Recommendation for early entrance to kindergarten will be made based on a review of screening assessment data, parent application checklist, and any other relevant documentation submitted. Parents will be notified in writing of the school's recommendation within 15 days of the assessment session; therefore, results will not be provided on the day of the screening. There will be no restesting is the child is not recommended for kindergarten.
If a parent/guardian does not apply for early entrance to kindergarten for their child in time to attend the kindergarten orientation session at the child's home school, the application should be presented to the Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services (DECPS) before the June 30 application deadline. DECPS will contact the parent/guardian to schedule an screening assessment session for the child.
For more information about the MCPS kindergarten program's curriculum and expectations, please click here.
Brochures with additional information for parents about the early entrance to kindergarten process are available in multiple languages. Click on the links below to download the documents.
To view A Parent's Guide to Early Entrance to Kindergarten, please click here.
To view A Child Care Provider's Guide to Early Entrance to Kindergarten, please click here.
Per Maryland State Department of Education regulations, to be eligible to enter first grade for the 2008-2009 school year, children must be six years of age by September 1, 2008.
Parents/guardians of children who wish to apply for early entrance to first grade should complete MCPS Form 271-1, Application for Early Entrance First Grade Program. Parents/guardians should bring this form to their child's home school. For the 2008-2009 school year, applications will be accepted from July 1, 2008 through August 31, 2008. Children who are applying for early entrance to first grade will begin the school year in a kindergarten classroom. Within the first six weeks of school assessments and classroom observations will be conducted and a team of school staff will meet to make a decision on early entrance to first grade. Placement determinations will be finalized no later than October 15.
Additionally, other mitigating factors may be considered if the child's birthdate is not aligned with the state requirement. These may include, for example, previous completion of a kindergarten experience in a state approved or alternative kindergarten program. Parents/guardians should submit the child's attendance record and any end-of-year transcripts, along with the application, MCPS Form 271-1, Application for Early Entrance First Grade Program, to the school principal for consideration.
For more information about the MCPS first grade program's curriculum and expectations, please click here.
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