3110.1P: Early Entrance to Kindergarten Exception

A child must be five years of age as of midnight August 31 of the year of entry to be entitled to enter kindergarten. To provide a screening process and/or instrument(s) which measure the ability or the need, or both, of an individual student to succeed in earlier entry, the District has adopted the Early Entrance to Kindergarten process.

Criteria for the Early Entrance to Kindergarten Process (EEK)

Students must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply for early entrance to kindergarten assessment.

A.      Applicants must be 5 years of age as of midnight October 31.

B.      Applicants must reside within the District attendance boundaries.

Students will be allowed early entry to kindergarten based on  both the following criteria:

A.     Applicants must score statistically ‘above average’ or ‘well above average’ on the early entrance          social skills inventory, one standard deviation above the mean

B.     Applicants must  demonstrate kindergarten readiness through further assessment. At minimum,            students must score ‘above average’ or  ‘well above average’ on the early entrance assessment,          Battelle Developmental Inventory-3 , demonstrating clear need for early entrance services.                   ‘Above average’ and ‘well above average’ are defined as 1 and 2 standard deviations above the            mean.

Informational Meeting

An informational meeting will be held in the winter prior to the spring application period. Parents interested in early entrance to kindergarten for their student are recommended to attend or review the presentation online once posted. Information included will cover research statistics on early entrance, the applicable District policy and procedures, the early entrance screening, assessment, and selection process.

Application

Following the informational meeting or a review of the PowerPoint presentation, parents wishing to pursue early entrance to kindergarten for their student, may submit a request for early entrance assessment. Applicants who meet minimum requirements on the social skills inventory will be eligible for further early entrance assessment.

Time Schedule

The application period for current resident students applying for fall entry is open from March 1 to April 1. To accommodate new resident families that move into the District attendance boundaries after April 1, an application period will be open from July 1 to August 15. Documentation confirming residency after April 1 is required.

Early Entrance Screening Application Information

The screening application is a two-step process, both are required. Parents will receive an email indicating all required documents. The parent is responsible to ensure all documents are submitted to the Advanced Learning Department by the applicable application deadline as stated in the “Time Schedule” listed above.

Parent Request for Screening Application

The assessment application information and documents will be provided and/or completed by the parent:

A.     Early Entrance Assessment application form via MICROFOST FORMS.

B.     Parent/Guardian questionnaire.

C.     Copy of the child’s birth certificate or passport.

D.     A non-refundable screening fee of $75 payable to “Bellevue Public Schools”. This fee may be prorated and/or waived for an applicant that would qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

Preschool Teacher/Daycare Provider’s Screening Evaluation

Once the application is complete and documents are submitted, the child’s preschool teacher or daycare provider will be emailed a social skills screening inventory tool to better understand the child’s social and emotional kindergarten readiness.

Early Entrance Testing, Assessment and Notification

If the applicant scores in the above average range of social skills, they will be eligible for further assessment and consideration. If an applicant does not score in the above average range, they will not be eligible for further assessment and consideration. A fee of $300 will be required for the next level of assessment. This fee may be prorated and/or waived for an applicant that would qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program. The assessment process is based upon a review of each student’s abilities, as required to be successful in kindergarten. The applicants will be assessed using multiple criteria. Each student will be assessed in the following areas: cognitive ability, fine-motor skills, visual-motor skills, and verbal cognitive skills. Following the in-depth assessment, the EEK Multi-Disciplinary Team will determine the student’s readiness for kindergarten. The EEK Multi-Disciplinary Team will include a school psychologist, an elementary classroom teacher, and an administrator with responsibility for supervision of the District’s EEK program.

The EEK Multi-Disciplinary Selection Committee will evaluate each individual applicant using a blind (no name) process. The selection is based on:

1.       A preponderance of evidence from the eligibility criteria that demonstrates the applicant meets              all criteria; and

2.       Evidence of clear need and readiness for kindergarten.

If both the criteria for eligibility are met the parent will be notified via email of results for the next year’s placement.

Process for Appeal

Parents/Guardians have the right to appeal the Multi-Disciplinary Team’s decision. Individuals appealing the selection committee’s decision must submit a letter via email to the Early Entrance Kindergarten Coordinator at eek@bsd405.org requesting review of decision, within 14 school days of the decision notification.

Appeals must be based upon one of the following conditions:

1.      A condition or circumstance believed to have caused a misinterpretation of the testing results.

2.      An extraordinary and temporary circumstance that negatively affected the validity of the test                 results.

Appeals are reviewed by an Appeals Committee that consists of an administrator, psychologist, teacher, and additional professionals, if any, that the District deems necessary. The parent/guardian will be notified of the decision in email within 10 school days of the Appeal Committee’s decision.

The decision of the Appeals Committee is final. To maintain the validity of testing protocols, applicants will not be re-assessed or re-tested.

Guidance Team

If an applicant meets eligibility criteria, the school’s Guidance Team will monitor the student's school progress and appropriateness of placement in kindergarten throughout the first semester. No later than the sixth week of school, the guidance team will convene to conduct a review of student progress, including progress reports, standardized tests, assessments, student work, and observational data. The team will make a recommendation for the student to continue in Kindergarten or return to a preschool program. The recommendation of the guidance team shall be provided to the parents/guardians in writing. If a parent/guardian disagrees with the recommendation of the Guidance Team, the parents may appeal the recommendation in writing within ten calendar days to the Superintendent or Designee. The decision of the Superintendent or Designee will be the final decision.

Date: 09.13, 1.17, 8.19, 2.20. 3.23, 9.23. 11.24