Kindergarten Acceleration
Acceleration by Examination for Kindergarten is to allow students to advance to first grade who are not yet six years of age. Typically, these are students who have been enrolled in a private kindergarten or have attended a kindergarten in another state.
The student for whom acceleration (skipping kindergarten) is requested must be at least five years of age at the time the request is made and must be currently enrolled in the school district.
The student's parent or guardian must initiate the request by completing the Request for Kindergarten Acceleration form within three weeks of school starting. The parent/guardian must file the request with the campus principal, and attend a conference to discuss the request.
The Kindergarten Acceleration Review committee composed of the campus principal or the principal's designee, the counselor, a first grade teacher, the student's assigned kindergarten teacher, a district representative from the curriculum department who is knowledgeable in curriculum and the instruction of young children, and the parents/guardians. This committee will coordinate the process for assessment to determine if acceleration is recommended.
A kindergarten student may be accelerated to first grade if he or she meets all of the following requirements:
- Reading Assessment 80%
- Math Assessment 80%
- Other materials such as social maturity, observation records and student work
- A school district representative recommends acceleration of the student
- A parent of guardian approves acceleration of the student
- Student must be 5 years old by September 1 of the new school year.
The committee will make the recommendation for acceleration and the decision made will be final. Placement in first grade will occur based on the committee's decision. Placement should occur within the first six weeks of the school year.
Please contact the GATES teacher at your child's campus for more information and assistance.