http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...hanges-to-kindergarten-age-rule-proposed
Changes to kindergarten age rule proposed: Burlington mother looks to enroll 4-year-old
by Molly Walsh
Burlington (Vermont) Free Press
June 6, 2010

A Burlington mother is asking the city school
board to allow exceptions to a rule that says
students entering kindergarten must be 5-
years-old on or before Sept. 1 of the year they
start school.

Jen Appleyard believes that the current policy
needlessly prevents children who are socially and
academically ready from entering kindergarten
and could sentence gifted children to boredom
that hobbles their entire school career. She'll
make her case at Tuesday's 7 p.m. board
meeting at Burlington High School.

The current policy is a one-size-fits-all
approach that does not take into account the
significant differences in children's intellectual
and social maturity, she said. Appleyard is not
proposing that Burlington throw out its age cut-
off; only that the school district adopt a set of
criteria that can be used to allow exceptions.

Appleyard's bid to change the policy began after
she attempted to enroll her 4-year-old daughter
Maggie, who will turn 5 on Sept. 23, at
Champlain Elementary School for kindergarten
this fall. School officials told Appleyard that
Maggie would have to wait a year and register
for the fall of 2011 because she does not meet
the district age cut-off.

Many children arrive at kindergarten not
knowing how to read. Maggie started reading
when she was 3 and is now devouring chapter
books such as E.B. White's "Stuart Little," a book
typically recommended for children in grades
three to five.

<rest of article at link>

The article does a good job of discussing the issues. I hope Jen Appleyard is successful in changing the policy. Saying that a child born on September 2 MUST wait a year, regardless of that child's intellectual and academic level, is idiotic.

Good for her for following through with this even though it's unlikely to help her own child. What an advocate! Thanks for sharing the article and please post an update letting us know how things turn out.

Sad thing is her child probably would benefit from skipping kindergarten all together and being placed in 1st grade right now.

I have a friend whose daughter is in the same boat. She is a September baby, too, but misses the cutoff by a few days. The district she lives in will not even consider allowing her DD early enrollment and her DD is definitely ready for Kindergarten next year. All they offer is an evaluation when she's enrolled in kindergarten with a possible jump to 1st grade.

This is one reason I'm glad we're where we are. DD has a Sept 5 birthday and all the northwest states have a Sept 1 cutoff. CA right now is Dec 3 so she is able to go this year (was ready to go last year when gifted big brother went but that's another story, lol).

I agree with a soft cutoff of Sept 1 but they should have a way to 'override' the age cutoff for specific cases. I've heard some states have a month 'leeway' and can allow a child just past the cutoff in if they wish.

One thing that really bugs me about hard cutoff dates is that only one of the barn doors is closed, if you see what I mean.

Specifically, redshirting/keeping a five-year-old out of kindergarten until he turns six is a widely accepted practice. Schools tell us that acceleration is a Bad Thing because kids need to be with age peers; if this is so vitally important, why do they allow redshirting?

In light of this practice, I get extra annoyed when schools they get wound up about, umm, what I'm going to call greenlighting/early entrance to K (or skipping K to go straight to first).

Val

I realize I'm stating the obvious to most here, but just in case some people are going through this right now:

In many places it's very easy to get around this by doing private kindergarten.

My parents did this with me and we did it with one of our kids. In an ideal world there would be a discretionary process but if you aren't up to fighting a battle and you can swing one year of private school financially, it gets the job done.

This is only a super easy fix is your child is fairly close to the cut-off date. Otherwise it may still be iffy to convince a private school to accept a young kindergartener.

In Maryland, they have a testing policy, that if the child is born after Sept 1, but before October 15th (it used to be December 31st), parents can opt to have the kids tested. I don't know what kind of test, nor do I know how they determine if the child is ready for K, BUT I think that every state that has a cutoff should adopt a policy for those with late birthdays. DD4, who will not be attending K until NEXT year turns 5 on October 11th. She would've easily been a Kindergartener this year, and we are not sure of her LOG, if any. Though that still would've left DS6 out until the following year...

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/earlychi/earlyentranceprocedures.shtm

Val, this is one of the biggest issues for me too! DS6 had a friend in pre-K that would've turned 5 during the last week in August, and his mom held him back a year because he was socially immature. Well, DS6 was slightly immature with me too, BUT once he got into K and had his testing, the school was the one telling me how mature he was!! Schools are worried about 10 years down the line, yet if a parent is redshirting a child, he/she will be driving before anyone! So what's the big deal if my child has to wait an additional year? Driving seems to be the big issue when discussing grade skips around here. My response, other than of course telling them we have to worry about now, not then, is he'll be lucky to get his license at 16 regardless of what grade he's in!

In many Massachusetts school districts one must send the child to private school for both kindergarten AND 1st grade -- public school age requirements apply to both.

Public schools can have such silly policies because they are quasi-monopolies that parents must spend tens of thousands of dollars to avoid. I think a voucher system is needed. Schools with bad policies would lose students, and teachers in such schools would lose their jobs.

Edited - yes it can be iffy if you are advocating for a child more than a month or two off the mark. Some of the private K's have their own equally arbitrary age limits! I am dealing with one right now, although they seem to be softening up a bit!!

Ps, I found on the convenant website a good kindergarten readiness assessment tool. I realize they are in the biz of selling curriculum, but most of the questions seemed reasonable to me and it covers some social stuff, language skills, etc., for anyone interested in this sort of thing:
http://www.covenanthome.com/kready.htm

edit - here's the auto-scored one.
http://www.covenanthome.com/kready.asp

We couldn't afford private school at all (it was more costly than daycare/preschool), and I found, while looking into prior to DS6 being in pre-K, they had tougher age restrictions (any of the ones close to us, anyway), especially with DS6's birthday being in December.

Catholic schools are typically less expensive than independent ones, so we contacted a few when we wanted to enroll our son in KG at 4. One school principal said the archdiocese of Boston prohibited early admission, another school have never heard of such a rule! One needs to ask around. Unfortunately, in a recession, many parents cannot afford even Catholic school tuition, and some have been closing down. Vouchers are needed to increase options for parents.

We put our bright girl with a January birthday in preschool at age 2y8mo, and she has done fine. She will be 3y8mo this September, and we will put her in a preschool class with 4-year-olds.

California has proposed changing the minimum age for Kindergarten entry http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15212555

DD has a late Sept birthday. The public schools are 12/31 for cut-off but the privates are 9/1 so privates are not an option until 2nd grade, where they accept them.

The thing that puzzled me is that the new private gifted school Speyer, is doing a strict 9/1 cut-off. DD would have had to redo K if she went there.

Update on the schools front. DD did not get a spot at the citywide gifted school (there were only 2 spots) but she must have had a pretty low lottery number as she got the best district G&T school. Very few spots available. Although spots may open up at the citywide over the summer, the next kid in the lottery gets it. I am fighting hard.

But I think with the CTY DD will be fine. Great peer group. And the school will work with us. Since DD is one of the younger due to birthdate, I am not pushing a grade acceleration so much as pullout for the math which CTY can easily do.

Ren

In the end, does this really save the school district money? I mean now they will pay for it at the end of the child's K-12 schooling by having them in 12th a year later.

We have the Sept 1st birthday, and to me it's just a crock!

We just finished a year of private Kindergarten. Our daughter ( to be 6 on 9/4) was more than ready for Kindergarten, but the State of Missouri won't fund a child who is not 5 by July 31.

In Missouri, the school districts don't even have a choice to test children with late birthdays. Fortunately once Kindergarten is over and the child is over 5 on July 31 the districts are allowed to place the child in whichever grade they wish.

Ironically, Missouri Law does not require Kindergarten attendance, they just use it to stop young children from going to school.

Fortunately the private program was great. Our daughter was in a small class with other bright kids, reading at their own levels, conducting science experiments and working through fractions and multiplication (with manipulatives). Again, all this was done with the needs of each child in mind.

We'll see how the transition to first grade goes in August. Actually, we probably won't know if there is a problem until a few months into the year, once the "newness" wears off.

wish us luck!

Maryann

The Burlington Free Press has an editorial supporting the mother who wants to relax eligibility for KG.

Editorial: Consider ways to give boost to bright students
Thursday, June 10, 2010
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...er-ways-to-give-boost-to-bright-students

And the first comment I read is:


Grrrr.

I know parents who left their child back on purpose , redshirting I guess it is called. Does this really insure that child wil be smarter and above the others?
It annoys me because now that my son skipped a grade some kids could be 2 years older than him.

I haven't read past your post so I might be duplicating but I know some states don't allow for this. They have it in their rules that if a child comes from out of state and went to a private school (IE. Kindergarten) they will accept them but not a child in state who did the same thing. Crazy!

I think what parents fail to realize, those who redshirt, is they are not allowing their children to grow, both academically and emotionally. IMO, it also teaches them to take that easy road, as by the time they are almost 7, and in kindergarten still, they are bound to at least understand the alphabet for a year, right? Obviously there are exceptions to the "rule", but still.

I'm still trying to figure out what the benefit is for having the cutoff? Why is physical age so important?

What's the difference between someone turning 5 by September 1st? If "Johnny" turns 5 on August 31st, and "Susan" turns 6 on September 2nd, of the same school year, Susan is an entire year older than Johnny.

If they did away with the birthday rule, they will still have kids that are 12 months older than the youngest... but I'm not sure, where the gain or, in this case, loss is for the calendar year vs. the "school" year.

And for the record, we start school in very early August, so what's the point of having a September 1 cutoff instead of an August 1 cutoff???

I believe that the assumed advantage to the state of pushing back the K cut-off is two fold. One, it saves them $ on the kids who won't be able to enter K that first year it is changed making for a smaller than usual K cohort. That only lasts one year, though. Two, it makes the state more competitive on a national stage b/c their younger kids aren't being compared to older kids from other states on the same tests.

Anecdotally, we have seen a lot of the older kids who were red shirted labeled gifted in elementary due to being higher achievers than the kids who are 12-18 months younger than they are.

And there again comes my question of saving money. How does it save money when all the kids that start a year later will graduate one year later. I assume that means that some states don't have high expectations of their children graduating by then? (<--note sarcasm, slightly).

I still think it does not make the state any more competitive in the long run. In fact, I personally think it does the exact opposite.

DS6 missed ONE question on the math portion of his 1st grade achievement test this year (DS6 was grade skipped from K in the beginning of the year). And what section did he get that one wrong? Numbers and counting. Yet he got all the questions right in geometry, analytical thinking, etc... I'm not certain, but I'm fairly certain his one error was not because he did not know the answer. So had he taken the K test this year, would he really have done as great? Probably not because the test would be totally boring to him, and he'd rush right through it. I think this can be said about all children, not just gifted ones.

Sorry for the ramble - I am not frustrated with anyone, other than those who created the cutoff... of course, now I don't have to fight it for DS6 anymore, but it doesn't make me any less against that darn date!!!

Even if those redshirted kids are labled "gifted" by the school, if I were a parent or another mom in the school it would not impress me since they basically got left back. That is what redshirting should be called BEING LEFTBACK and that is what I would say to any mom doing it "oh your kid was left back?" My friend who is doing it with her son is doing it hoping he will be the smartest in the class. That is crazy.

Thanks for the links. I couldn't resist taking a look and not shocking ... my DD was 98% ready for Kindergarten. Sadly, if she took this a year ago she would have still been in the same range. So glad we stumbled upon the school she attends since she has already been doing kindergarten work and this week was moved to the next class which is equal to 1st grade. I just shutter thinking what if we didn't find this gem of a school? My DD technically would not be eligible for kindergarten for another year since her birthday is in August. (Thank goodness, since I couldn't imagine a hard cut off date of September and holding her back yet another year!) But by the time DD is eligible for Kindergarten she would most likely be ready for 3rd grade!

And don't get me started on red-shirting. I really see this as part of the 'educational' push started by Baby Einstein with the ultimate of Your Baby Can Read. Let's face it ... our society is all about competition and red-shirting is the epitome of this. And we wonder why the famous "They all even out by 3rd grade" has such a bite. I think our society has it's priorities backwards... holding some one back is not only acceptable but encouraged but the minute someone dares to argue the intellectual advancement of their child; the knowing looks and catch phrases surface.

I believe in CA you'd have to also do 1st grade at the private school or they would make you repeat K as 1st grade has an age requirement as well.

I think they should have a Sep. 1 'guideline' but should be willing to allow in kids who fall within a certain range if they are ready.

I could tell the kids who were late fall birthdays in DS's class, some were definitely not ready to be there and I believe will really struggle in 1st next year. But that isn't the case for every one, some were obviously ready and did wonderfully.

It is my understanding that in Georgia you'd have to stay in private school until 2nd grade as well (ie, the kid HAS to be 6 to start 1st grade in public school). Unfortunately, many of the private schools in this area follow Georgia law, too.

I always thought the redshirting thing was more sports motivated. I like sports and competed at the college level myself but I don't understand the emphasis some families put on sports (I'm talking specific sports, not physical health and exercise). I mean, if your mom is 5'4" and your dad is 5'10" it's pretty unlikely that you are going to be a professional player of football or basketball. So why hold a kid back so they can make JV in 10 years?


But if a child is really not developmentally ready I think it's a great idea. I have no problem with the idea of my kids competing unfairly with older kids, because it's not a competition (at least not at the elementary level). They are going to learn more if the less advanced kids their age stay back because the teacher will be teaching at a higher mean level of ability.

Of course, there are specific circumstances where this could penalize a child. Recently both of my kids were rejected from a program for highly gifted children after an interview. I think my son who has a fall birthday might have had a better chance if he wasn't being compared to other kids just as smart or smarter, but a year older.

This is the reason we opted NOT to have DS6 start private school. It basically wouldn't have mattered. I found the private schools almost more strict than public ones. There is a "law" (in the fine, fine, fine print) about whole grade acceleration once a child enters K. This is how DS was skipped to 1st this past year. I don't know what county you're in, but grade skipping is possible, just AFTER the child has entered the public school realm.

We were very lucky to have a K teacher who recognized DS6 was far beyond any Kindergartner in the school. It might've helped that she has taught all the grades from K-3 at one point in her career. We could never thank her enough for recognizing DS6 needed more than just K.

This is precisely why I have an issue with cutoff dates to begin with. If a parent is able to keep his/her child out of school an extra year, then a parent should be able to enroll his/her child a year earlier. I'm ok with a testing process for the latter, or something, but it still shouldn't be a door slammed in a parent's face (which it is here in GA) for even questioning it. Physical age should not be the only thing that determines when one starts school.

There you go dreaming again!

But great point about the preschool environment and one I hadn't thought about. In our area social preschools are huge and though private, have pull with the public school district. They provide information to the district on each child's readiness for Kindergarten, meaning if they don't feel the child is ready they voice their concern and the district considers it. They don't, however, help with early entrance into Kindergarten, but this is due to the district's rigid rules about the date. Logically, if the preschools have the ear of the district shouldn't they be able to lobby for a child's advancements that would at least get an evaluation?

I don't support univeral public (taxpayer-funded) preschool, because for many young children, the ideal environment is to stay home with their mothers, who spend a little time teaching them directly and a lot of time giving them various learning experiences. Society should not subsidize preschool over the stay-at-home alternative.

In GA, there's a state funded pre-K, for kids who are 4 on or before Sept 1. It's funded with the GA Lottery not tax payer dollars. And I would venture to say, that while space is limited, a vast majority of parents (working or not) are putting their 4 year olds in this program (including me). It would be WONDERFUL if this was the opportunity to assess where kids are and whether or not Kindergarten is needed. Maybe I'm the only one, but even if I was a SAHM, I'd be searching for morning out/preschool programs for my two for at least half a day, both for their benefit and mine.

And for the record, my mom was a SAHM back many moons ago, and I still went to a preschool (in NJ). I was actually assessed, and it was recommended for me to go to Kindergarten early (which NJ would've allowed back then), but my mom held me back until I was 5. But it had nothing to do with her staying home or wanting me to be home with her.

My two have been in childcare since they were both 8 weeks old. They are not any less behaved, not any less loved, and not any less traumatized because of it. And I am not any less of an involved, in tune, mother. I hated that I had to work while they were babies, but I'm truly grateful for the many programs out there that weren't just babysitting them while I was at work.

Umm. I'm not really sure why mothers are the only or best ones to stay at home with their kids. I know a couple stay at home dads who are wonderful parents. Their kids seem very happy and very well-adjusted. And I don't see anything wrong with daycare or preschool that allows both parents to work.

In fact, many parents have no choice. Not to mention that some kids are better off in school or preschool because of suboptimal home environments.

Bostonian, mandating that kids should stay at home with their moms is just as dictatorial as mandating that kids should go to universal preschool. It strikes me as odd that you advocate for different educational options for gifted students, yet fail to see that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work with adults ("Moms and only moms must stay home with their kids until age 5") any more than it does for schoolkids.


Hmm. Why did you put your daughter in preschool if she'd be better off at home with mom?

Val

I'm going to tentatively back Bostonian on this one, though of course I agree with Val that stay at home dads (and grandparents, etc.) can be every bit as wonderful as stay at home moms.

I do support subsidized preschool for low income children and children with disabilities, for whom I think it can be very helpful. But I don't see it as particularly beneficial for most children. If you want it for your child, that's fine...I just don't want to pay for it, unless you really can't afford to pay for it yourself. I don't expect the government to pay for my preschooler to stay home, and I don't expect the government to pay for my preschooler to go to school. If they pay for the latter, I'd like them to pay for the former.

I don't think the government should be in the business of paying for things that don't have significant proven benefits.

Perhaps people are taking things to literally? I certainly did not see Gifted Mom's comment about preschool to mean every child should have to go to public preschool nor do I see Bostonian's comment making claim that only Mothers can stay home and provide what is needed.

That said ... I do see arguments for preschool especially if the home environment is not providing opportunities for the child to socialize. I know of one situation where the mother was a SAHM but due to issues of her own never left the house and basically neglected her children. And without getting into details it was clear that the children were not getting the love and care they needed so I was overjoyed to hear that they were putting them in a preschool environment. I literally breathed a sigh of relief.

As for my DD ... I'm a SAHM but we decided to put her in an academic school after trying a social preschool at age 3. I have seen the benefits of allowing her to spend some time away from mommy. Now would I look to place her into a public preschool? No, but mainly because I feel those schools should be available for families that need assistance be it due to income or handicaps.

What private Kindergarten in Missouri did you send your daughter to? I'm having trouble finding any, and my daughter only misses the cutoff by 13 days.