Enrollment of Early Entrants to Kindergarten
Eligibility criteria
A child who has passed the fourth anniversary of the child’s birth on or before April 16 may qualify for early admission to Kindergarten. (A child who reaches the age of five years on or before August 31 qualifies to enter Kindergarten through the regular enrollment process. )
The Principal, along with a committee of professional educators, will consider the following factors in determining the eligibility of a four-year-old child to enter Kindergarten:
1. Aptitude and Achievement tests
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a. Aptitude: The child should score at the 98th percentile or higher 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 test administered by a licensed psychologist. If using a test other than those named here, a parent or guardian should ask the Principal to ensure that it qualifies.
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b. Achievement: The child should score at the 98th percentile or higher on either reading or mathematics on a standard test of achievement 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 Ability, the Test of Early Reading Ability, or any other comparable test administered by a licensed psychologist, a member of the psychologist’s professional staff, or a professional educator who is trained in the use of the instrument and who has no conflict of interest in the outcome of the assessment.
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2. Work sample
The parent or guardian shall submit a sample of the child’s work that shows outstanding examples of ability (well above age peers) in any area including, but not limited to, art, mathematics, writing, dramatic play, creative productions, science, or social interactions.
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3. Recommendation letters
The parent or guardian shall provide two recommendation letters with specific documentation of physical and social maturity from preschool teachers, childcare 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. The documents should show that the child demonstrates social and developmental maturity sufficient to participate in a structured setting for a full school day.
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4. Interviews
The Principal shall conduct an informal interview with the child and a more structured interview with the parent or guardian to assess the child’s reading skills and to determine if the child displays a thirst for knowledge and seeks new and challenging learning situations.
Enrollment timeline and provisional lottery entry
A four-year-old child may participate in Telra admissions lottery and enrollment process on a provisional basis provided the parent or guardian follows the timeline described below:
1. The parent or guardian must contact the school and indicate the intent to apply for early admission to kindergarten before entering an application.
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2. The admissions and wait list process will proceed as normal for the child, however if the child is assigned a seat it will be considered provisional.
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3. The parent or guardian must submit (a) the Aptitude and Achievement tests, (b) Work sample, and (c) Recommendation letters by April 30. If the required documents are not received by this date, the child may be withdrawn from any provisionally assigned seat.
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4. The school will reach out to schedule the interviews no later than three weeks after receiving the required documentation.
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5. The school shall decide whether to grant early admission within three weeks of receiving all required documents and completing the interviews.
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6. If enrollment is granted, it will be considered conditional for up to 90 days to observe whether the child is able to adjust to the school setting. If, within this period, school staff determine that the child is not appropriately placed, the parent or guardian will be invited to assist in the development of intervention strategies for the child. If these strategies are not successful, the school shall provide the parent at least 10 days notice before exiting the child.