Early Entrance

"Early entrance to kindergarten" is the admission of a student to kindergarten who will not yet be five years old by September 1 of that school year but will be five years old by December 1 of that school year.

"Early entrance to first grade" is the admission of a student to first grade who will not yet be six years old by September 1 of that school year but will be six years old by December 1 of that school year. Students who are younger than six upon starting first grade but who were admitted early to kindergarten do not need to be reevaluated prior to admission to first grade.

Referral

Any student residing in the district may be referred by a teacher, administrator, licensed education professional, or a parent or legal guardian of the student for evaluation for possible accelerated placement. A student may refer himself or herself through a district staff member who has knowledge of the referred student's abilities. In the case of early entrance, a preschool educator, pediatrician or psychologist who knows the child may refer the student. Referrals by non-District employees must be submitted by April 1 of the year prior to the proposed early admission or acceleration.

Evaluation

A fair and equitable decision-making process involving multiple persons including the parent or guardian will be utilized to determine acceleration or early entrance. The assessment will include multiple valid and reliable indicators. Parents or guardians of a student will be informed of the evaluation results and recommendation.

Accelerated Placement Plan

A written plan will be created for students selected for acceleration and provided to the students’ parent or guardian.