The North Carolina General Assembly passed BH-1099, allowing early admission to Kindergarten of a child who has reached his/her fourth birthday by April 16th if the child demonstrates extraordinary academic ability and maturity. The State of North Carolina has created standards for the principal to use in determining if a child is appropriate for early entrance to kindergarten. Once the principal receives the minimum requirements the principal shall confer with a committee of professional educators to consider for each child various standards that will indicate readiness.

 

Standards established by the state of North Carolina are described as follows:

 

Student Aptitude- The child shall score at the 98th percentile on a standard individual test of intelligence such as the Stanford-Binet, The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, the Kaufman Anderson, or any other comparable tests, that shall be administered by a licensed psychologist.*

Achievement- The child shall score at the 98th percentile on either Reading or Mathematics on a standard test such as the Metropolitan Readiness Test, the Stanford Early School Achievement test, the Mini Battery of Achievement, the Woodcock-Johnson, the Test of Early Mathematics (TEMA), the Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA) or any other comparable tests that shall be administered by a licensed psychologist.*

Performance- The child shall be able to perform tasks well above same-age peers as evidenced by behaviors in one or more areas such as independent reading, problem-solving skills, advanced vocabulary, and some writing fluency. The parent shall submit a sample of the child’s work that shows outstanding examples of ability in any area including, but not limited to, art, mathematics, writing, dramatic play, creative productions, science, or social interactions.

Observable Student Behavior/Student Interest- The child shall demonstrate social and developmental maturity sufficient to participate in a structured setting for a full school day. The child shall be capable of following verbal instructions and functioning independently within a group. The parent shall provide two recommendation letters (from non-family members) with specific documentation of physical and social maturity from preschool teachers, child care workers, pediatricians, or others who have direct knowledge of the child. Useful documentation checklists include The California Preschool Competency Scale, the Harrison Scale or any other comparable scale of early social development.

Motivation/Student Interest- The principal or principal’s designee shall conduct an informal interview with the child and a more structured interview to determine if the child displays a thirst for knowledge and seeks new and challenging learning situations.

 

*Parents are responsible for arranging and paying for this test. TISA cannot provide a recommendation for a psychologist. It is recommended parents/guardians obtain recommendations from the child’s pediatrician or family physician.

 

Parents wishing to have their children considered must submit information within the first 30 calendar days of the school’s instructional year. All testing should be administered after the April 16th that follows the child’s fourth birthday.

 

The principal shall decide whether to grant the parents’ request for enrollment within three weeks of receiving this information. The principal may conditionally enroll the child for up to ninety days in order to observe whether the child is able to adjust to the school setting. If the principal determines that the child has not adjusted to the school setting, the principal shall deny the request for enrollment. However, before the child is exited from school, the principal shall invite the parent to assist in the development of intervention strategies for the child. If those strategies are not successful, the principal shall provide the parents at least 10 days notice before exiting the child from school so the parent may arrange child care, if needed. Early admission to kindergarten shall not automatically result in the placement of the child in the program for academically gifted students. By the time the child has been enrolled for 90 calendar days, or at any earlier time that school officials determine that the child has adjusted satisfactorily and shall be allowed to remain in school, the Talent Development school-based committee shall review the child’s information to determine if the child meets the expectations established by the LEA’s Plan for Gifted Education. If the team determines the child is eligible to receive gifted services, it shall develop an Individual Differentiated Education Plan (IDEP) for the child.

 

Steps for Parents to Take

 

1. Schedule aptitude and achievement tests with a licensed private psychologist.

It is recommended you receive a referral from your pediatrician or your family physician. Testing is at the cost of the parent and must occur after April 16th.

 

2.If the child meets the minimum testing expectations of 98% percentile on aptitude and 98% percentile on reading, or math achievement, begin to gather work samples and letters of recommendations. If the child does not meet these expectations the process should stop.

 

3.Upon gathering all standard information: aptitude scores, achievement scores, performance or work samples, and at least two letters of recommendation (from non-family members), complete the application for early admission to kindergarten (page four of this packet).

 

4.Submit all documentation and application to TISA. **

 

5.If an administrator feels the submitted packet meets the minimum requirements, a school-based interview/assessment will be scheduled to meet the child and parent.

 

6.Upon a final decision regarding the placement of a candidate, parents may reach out to TISA if questions or concerns arise.**

 

Please note that students wishing to be considered for Early Entry to Kindergarten are not eligible to participate in a lottery program for their kindergarten year.

 

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