Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, 黑料吃瓜网 will require that all children enrolling in kindergarten turn 5 years old by Sept. 1.
Lawmakers approved the kindergarten age change during the 2023 legislative session. The previous cutoff was Jan. 1 of the following year.
But there鈥檚 an exception to the rule 鈥� parents/guardians of younger children can apply for a waiver to enroll their child in kindergarten early.
Here鈥檚 what to know about 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 kindergarten age change and the waiver process.
Is the new age requirement in line with other states?
Yes. 黑料吃瓜网 was the only state to have a Jan. 1 kindergarten cutoff date as of 2020, and that children be 5 years old by the end of September.
There鈥檚 generally among educators and developmental experts, though experts also stress that child development is not linear and varies child-to-child.
How can a parent/guardian apply to enroll their child early?
Families of younger children can submit a written request to their principal to enroll their child at a younger age.
The student must then undergo an assessment, conducted by school leadership, to 鈥渆nsure that admitting such a child is developmentally appropriate,鈥� according to the law.
That assessment is not discretionary and must be implemented if a parent or guardian requests it in writing, the state titled 鈥淣ew Entry Age for Kindergarten: Considerations for 黑料吃瓜网 Schools.鈥�
How will school districts assess children鈥檚 readiness for kindergarten?
The Department of Education has not provided specific guidelines for what the assessments must show or how schools should test students 鈥� and its 鈥淣ew Entry Age for Kindergarten鈥� guidance says it will not identify an assessment tool for schools to use.
But the guidance did reference the CT Early Learning and Developmental Standards, which provide an overview of benchmarks for children ages 0-5, as a potential tool for schools.
Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the 黑料吃瓜网 Association of Public School Superintendents, said she doesn鈥檛 expect school districts to form one standardized assessment; rather, each school district will create its own test.
She said the assessments will likely involve looking at a child鈥檚 attention span, knowledge of letters and numbers and ability to pay attention and follow directions.
鈥淐ertainly it鈥檚 not a paper-and-pencil test, and it is a test that鈥檚 assessed one-on-one with the child,鈥� Rabinowitz said. 鈥淓ach district will go into and do that assessment in a way that they think is appropriate for them.鈥�
Both Rabinowitz and Andrea Brinnel, an adjunct faculty member at UConn鈥檚 University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, said they expect some school districts will take a parent鈥檚 wishes for their child into account.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard that there are some districts who are just saying, 鈥業f a parent asks, we鈥檙e gonna let them start early,'鈥� Brinnel said.
What will the kindergarten age change mean for preschools next year?
Early childhood educators and parents of infants and toddlers are particularly concerned about the additional strain the requirement will place , soon forced to accommodate 4-year-olds with fall birthdays for another year.
And without the funding to hire more teachers, the slots those older children remain in will no longer be available for new children to enroll, meaning many new parents could have a harder time returning to work as they wait for their children to be accepted off growing waitlists. The annual cost of one year of child care is about $13,000 in 黑料吃瓜网.
The legislative change could affect as many as 9,000 families, a coalition of groups including Child Care for 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Future Coalition, Women鈥檚 Business Development Council, United Way of 黑料吃瓜网 and Social Venture Partners CT said in an open letter to Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders this fall.