A Parent's Guide to Early Entrance to Kindergarten

Is Early Entrance to Kindergarten the best choice for your child?

• The standards for early entrance are high to ensure that students are not frustrated by their advanced placement.
• Although a capable young child needs to be challenged, those challenges should be closely aligned with his or her social and emotional development.
• Young children are emotionally vulnerable and may become stressed and anxious when adult expectations for their performance exceed their development capabilities.
• Children admitted to kindergarten through early entrance will be the youngest in his or her class, often a year younger than many peers. Prekindergarten may be more appropriate for some children.

What does the Kindergarten program look like?

• Kindergarten is a full day program. It is an academically rigorous program that stresses language arts, math, social studies, science, and health, as well as social, emotional and physical development.

How do I apply for Early Entrance to Kindergarten?

• Parents/guardians may apply for early entrance online.
  Apply for Early Entrance
• No application for early entrance will be accepted after June 1st.

Why do children applying for Early Entrance have to be assessed when other children entering Kindergarten do not?

• According to Maryland law, children who turn 5 on or before September 1 are age eligible and therefore entitled to enter kindergarten. A child whose birth date falls between September 2 and October 15 may be considered for early entrance.
• The intent of the early entrance program is to make kindergarten available to younger children who demonstrate kindergarten readiness by showing mastery of Prekindergarten standards in reading and math and striving efforts towards Kindergarten standards as measured by assessments administered by Prince George’s County Public School District.

What are the assessment procedures?

• A qualified examiner will test the child in a separate location from the parent.
• The Early Entrance into Kindergarten assessment will be administered on an iPad and a written portion will also be administered to assess emergent writing skills.  
• Children will be asked to follow prompts to demonstrate kindergarten readiness by showing mastery of Prekindergarten standards in language and literacy as well as mathematics and striving efforts towards Kindergarten standards. 
• A qualified examiner will monitor the child during the iPad portion of the assessment, take observational notes on the child and administer the written portion of the assessment. 
• Assessment results will be shared the same day.
• The test is only administered one time to each child. Children cannot be retested for any reason.

What are the examiners looking for in the assessment?

• Children cannot study or prepare for developmental readiness. However, students will be better prepared if they have received adequate sleep the night before along with a proper breakfast.
• Assessments include a variety of activities that measure each child’s progress in the following domains:
  • Language and Literacy
  • Mathematical Thinking
• Personal and Social Development is also taken into consideration

What are the assessment ratings?

• In order to qualify for Early Entrance to Kindergarten your child must show kindergarten readiness by showing mastery of Prekindergarten standards in language and literacy as well as mathematics and striving efforts towards Kindergarten standards. 

What if I disagree with the assessment results?

• Parents have 2 weeks from the assessment date to appeal the results. Appeal letters must be emailed to early.learning@pgcps.org
• Parents will be notified of the outcome within two weeks of the date the appeal letter was received.
• Parents may appeal the decision of the Early Childhood Office to the Office of Appeals within two weeks of the notice of the denial of the earlier appeal.
• In addition, applicants who are denied admission into kindergarten will not automatically qualify for prekindergarten. In order to be placed in prekindergarten, children must meet the criteria and guidelines set by the Maryland State Department of Education and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

What happens once my child is enrolled in Kindergarten?

• A probationary period occurs for any student offered early entrance. The school will review the child’s academic, as well as personal/social progress, to determine whether the probationary early entrance status continues or is terminated. If termination is deemed appropriate by the School Instructional Team (SIT), parents will be notified within 60 calendar days of entrance in the program.