I believe the AZ cut-off date for kindergarten is Sept.1. My daughter will turn 5 on Oct. 2, 2010...is there any way I can get her into kindergarten if she's ready, even though she misses the cut-off by 1 month? Any help would be appreciated. Naturally, I will not push her if she's not ready, but if she is, I don't want to hold her back because she misses the cut-off date by such a small margin. Thanks in advance!
Hi my children go to a charter school and I know that the one they go to does accept kids as long as they turn 5 by I belive its December. What area are you in they are located on 67th Ave and southern. If you would like more info you can email me at [email protected]
Step 1: Call your school district and ask to have her tested. They usually charge about $75 for this and she'll have to score at a 5year 7 month level. The test is difficult. My son (now a honor student in gifted classes) was denied early entry because he didn't know what the word "desending" meant and couldn't skip in a straight line.
BUT... while you have them on the phone ask what their policy is about admission to 1st grade if she completes kindergarten at a charter school. (Some districts will accept them into first grade, some will make them repeat kindergarten in the district.)
Step 2: Find a charter school that has a later cut off and/or will accept her early. A lot of them go by the calender year and thus the cut off isn't until December 31st.
Alternative: On-line school (unless you work during the day) with homeschooling play groups or the best quality preschool you can find.
Good luck!
My daughter started early in kindergarten early. In AZ the initial cut off is September 1st. Children whose b-day is between Sept 1 and Dec 31 is up to the disgression of the district. My daughter took a test which was free and very reasonable as far as difficulty (To Heather: I'm sorry you were charged especially such a high amount-that doesn't seem right). It was the same test that all of the kindergarten in our district are given to see how much they know before they start- I believe that you can look on the AZ dept of education and see what areas they will be tested on. My daughter scored towards the top of the scale. After that it was a waiting game. If there was enough room my daughter would be allowed to start early. Good luck!
Each district has their own policy as far as early admission.
Yeah, my kids go to a charter school as well and their cut off is December if they test well. No charge for the test. It is basic stuff, and also to see if they can walk away from mom without crying too... Good luck!
In Gilbert, the child can take a test to get in. I heard the test is hard, so she should be at a high Kindergarten level. Talk to your school about taking the test. If she doesn't get in, there are private schools around that don't have "cutt off" dates. Then she can transfer into first grade at your neighborhood school - check with the school first though.
Hi Madonna,
My neighbor had the same problem with her daughter. She was able to put her in a Charter School so hopefully this will be an option for you.
I was able to get my daughter into Head Start and because she was was born a little after the cut off date. She was able to go through the program two years in a row. People gave me flack for it but you know she is now in High School and thanks me everyday for doing that as she is high in academics.
Hi Madonna,
As an OT who worked in schools for 6 years, here's what I'd look for in a child who's "ready" for Kindergarten:
Can your daughter consistently:
* Draw vertical (top to bottom); horizontal (left to right); and diagonal lines through imitation.
* Identify most capital letters.
* Recognize some sight words.
* Cut with kid-sized scissors on a straight line.
* Share with other children (this is a developmental, not a question of behavior).
* Wash her own hands (again, developmental).
* Sort objects by color, size, and shape.
If your daughter is missing more than a few of these skills, she is more likely to become frustrated in a kindergarten class, and start off on the wrong foot in school. At this stage development is waaay more important than age.
Good luck!
t
I live in AZ but I hate to tell you, there is no way. I understand your problem because my son will be in the cut-off (his b-day Dec. 14th) as well. The school system's rule is a hard and fast one. I'm sorry that I can't give you the answer you want. Another alternative is a private school that may have different rules about enrollment.
It really depends on the individual school and district. The school I worked for allowed early entry with testing for kids who are at least 4.8 years old. However, that changes from year to year depending on how full our kindergarten was and how much funding was available. Check with your local school first for details. They will be able to advise you on if she is ready and tell you about what she would need to qualify.
We also experienced this in NM, same cut off date of Sept. 1st, however our child's birthday is Sept. 16th and there was no available testing etc. that allowed her to begin school until the following year. frustrating, but a year later I have to say that I am happy, she is 'ahead' of the rest and not struggling at all...instead, she seems to be flying thru everything w/ease. Maybe the school systems have things set up like this for a reason.
Mommy in NM of a now 7year old born in Sept.
There's really nothing you can do. My son has the same problem for next year. He's in prek this year, his 2nd yr, and he wasn't moved up to the class that's for jumpstart to kindergarden, which means he won't go to kindergarden until school year 2011. My son missed the cut off by 3 days, his birthday is 9/4/5.
My son turned 5 Sept. 4th, so missed it by less than your daughter, but he took a test and was able to get into regular kindergarten. I think I've responded to this question more in detail before (closer to when it happened, so it was clearer in my mind :) if you check my other responses.
Good luck!!!
My advice to you would be to wait until next year. One of my sons was very young, but very smart when it came time to go to school. He passed all tests and even ended up graduating summa cum laude from ASU, but he used to cry because some people would beat him up and others wouldn't be his friend. My daughter was also young and smart, but I held her back after kindergarten - she did okay and the teacher passed her, but she was not very social. When I had her repeat kindergarten, she was confident and sure and would help others in her class. She also graduated summa cum laude from ASU. Let her wait. Confidence and having friends is amazing.
My son is August 23rd and I have been asking advice from other moms for well over a year. The majority of them say hold them (even though my female elders...moms/aunts) say put him in. Things have changed. Lots more competitive, more stress, etc. If it's for financial reasons, it's just one more year. Let the schools decide and gear you in the right direction. Her preschool will give you an update in the fall and the spring, so it's too early to fret about if you think she is ready or not, they know more about her development at this point.
Some districts let you do exceptions, but I just don't get why they are still allowing exceptions as broke as these districts are...and riffing the people who will teach your child best.
Just started my daughter in half day kindergarten this week. she is four and turns five 11/5. In gilbert all I did was call the school that I wanted her to attend to see if they had availablility and then scheduled a free and simple test. So this year she will do mornings and then next year I can put her in full day kindergarten or she can test again to go into first grade.
I taught kindergarten for many years, and saw so many children that could not attend kindergarten because of the age requirement. I really think that is a good thing. Even though you may know she is bright and ready for school, that just means that next year she will be at the top of her class. I would not rush her going to school. We had a pre-kindergarten at our school, so children could go to that class before entering kg.
As a former teacher, I think it is best to not rush our little ones. There are are a lot of demands on them when they enter kindergarten with benchmark tests, etc. Let them stay little as long as we can, and enjoy those years.
All my children waited except one of my children would have been totally bored. She's a grade ahead but I homeschooled them all. If that's an option you can homeschool her. I'd talk to the school and just ask. Maybe there would be a private or charter school that would accept her too. Just brainstorming. Good luck!
Check out some charter schools near you. My friend had the same issue with her daughter. She was very mature for her age, bright, etc. So she had her in a charter school for a year of two and then transfered her to the public school ( so she would have the same schedule).