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Early Entrance Information

The law sets the age at which a child may be enrolled in school. The law reads as follows:

  1. Each public school must be free, open, and accessible at all times to any child provided:
    1. The child may not enroll in grade one unless the child reaches the age of six before August first of the year of enrollment;
    2. The child may not enroll in kindergarten unless the child reaches the age of five before August first of the year of enrollment; and
    3. The child has not reached the age of twenty-one before August first of the year of enrollment.
  2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a school district may not enroll in grade one a child who is not six years old before August first, unless the child will be six years old before December first and:
    1. The child, by means of developmental and readiness screening instruments approved by the superintendent of public instruction and administered by the school district, can demonstrate academic, social, and emotional readiness; or
    2. The child has completed an approved kindergarten program.
  3. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a school district may not enroll in kindergarten a child who is not five years old before August first unless the child will be five years old before December first and the child, by means of developmental and readiness screening instruments approved by the superintendent of public instruction and administered by the school district, can demonstrate superior academic talents or abilities and social and emotional readiness.
  4. The requirements of this section are not applicable to the children of military families, to the extent that the requirements conflict with enrollment provisions otherwise agreed to by the state in the compact on educational opportunity for military children.

EARLY ENTRANCE

Students who meet the age requirement (NDCC 15.1-06-01) and in addition successfully pass the early entrance evaluation system described below will be entered early if a parent so chooses.

The procedure for early identification for kindergarten in the Grand Forks School District is as follows:

  1. Make an appointment with the principal of your neighborhood school to discuss your request. The principal will have you fill out an application, complete a parent checklist and will explain the process to you. You will need to pay a $25 fee at this time to cover the cost of the evaluation. If you cannot afford this fee, ask the principal about the school’s policy to have the fee reduced or waived.
  2. You will be notified from the Assistant Superintendent’s office when and where the Early Entrance Pre-Screen will be held.
  3. The pre-screen evaluation is completed by a school psychologist and you will receive the results immediately following the test.
  4. Children who do not pass the cognitive ability screener with a score of at least 128 will not be eligible for early entrance.
  5. Children who achieve a score of at least 128 or above on the cognitive ability screener, will then be eligible to complete a comprehensive cognitive ability test. There will be an additional fee of $25 for those students who take this assessment. The Assistant Superintendent’s office will notify you when and where the test will be held.
  6. Children who score at least 128 on the full battery assessment are then eligible for a 9- week probation enrollment in kindergarten at the end of which reassessment shall be made.

Following this time period a conference will be held if necessary with the parents to determine if the early entrance decision has been made in the best interest of the student. The classroom teacher, building principal, and/or parent can request the conference.