Understanding Early Entry to Kindergarten or First Grade
Public school districts are required to have a formal process by which students can be considered for early entry to kindergarten or first grade. At its core, acceleration provides instruction focused on standards and skills typically taught at a higher grade level. This pathway is designed for students who meet criteria demonstrating performance beyond grade-level expectations and whose learning needs cannot be fully met through traditional classroom enrichment and differentiation.
Illinois School Code specifies that to enter kindergarten, children must be five years of age by September 1 of their Kindergarten year and six years of age by September 1 of their First Grade year. In addition to age and residency requirements, District 39 Policy allows for a screening process to take place if a request is made for early entrance into kindergarten or first grade.
Process/Timeline
- Mid-February to Late March: Families requesting early entry to kindergarten or first grade fill out a D39 Early Entry request form.
- Late March: All families who have submitted requests will be contacted to submit documentation (see below for more information).
- April-May: When a request is made, an assessment is completed to make the determination for placement. These screenings will be scheduled at the start of April, and will take place through the month of May.
- By June 1: Results from the assessment as well as placement determinations will be communicated to families.
Criteria
Documentation
- Families will be asked to submit a birth certificate for proof of child's age, as well as proof of residency after submitting a request form. Children requesting Early Entry to kindergarten must turn five between September 2 and December 31 of the calendar year. Children requesting Early Entry to first grade must turn six between September 2 and December 31 of the calendar year.
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For first grade, families will be asked to submit information about prior schooling. Students applying for early entry to first grade must have attended an accredited preschool, continued their education at that school through kindergarten, and been taught by an appropriately certified kindergarten teacher. If, after a review of documents from the prior school, additional assessment is needed, the following assessment process would be followed.
Assessment of Readiness
- After submitting a request, an assessment of readiness will be performed. This screening is to determine whether a student demonstrates kindergarten readiness, even though the student’s birthday falls after the Sept. 1 cutoff. The assessment results must show the student is likely to be successful in kindergarten (or first grade) without the need for additional support or atypical interventions (i.e. demonstrate competencies of a typical 5-year-old). If a child turns five by Sept. 1, early entry screening for kindergarten and/or criteria is unnecessary.
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The completed Screening Assessment with District 39 screening team (includes assessments of physical, academic, linguistic, and social-emotional competencies) The assessment review for potential Early Entrance includes the following:
- aimswebPlus measures of literacy and math
- Benchmark Assessment System for reading
- Classroom-based activities in word recognition, math, and
- On-demand writing prompt
- Social-emotional assessment using TS Gold
- Information gathered from pre-school or Kindergarten setting
Following the in-person screening, the team will review all evidence gathered and the student's eligibility for early entry. All decisions regarding early entrance will involve multiple individuals inclusive of parents, teachers, evaluators, and administrators.
If the student is decided to be a candidate for early entrance, they will be placed in kindergarten on a provisional basis. The school staff will assess each child’s initial adjustment during the first 6-8 weeks of school. If needed, the principal, teacher, and parents will meet to review placement. If a child’s adjustment is not satisfactory, the principal will request that the child re-enroll when the child meets the state’s enrollment age requirement for the appropriate grade level. If it is determined that the child’s adjustment is satisfactory, the child may continue enrollment in the early entrance program.
It is important to keep in mind that grade level placement has a profound effect on the rest of a child's school experience, so District 39 is intentional and thoughtful as it considers these requests, to ensure a positive experience for the child and the family.
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