Parent Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

Admission Into Prekindergarten/Kindergarten
Age of School Attendance
Prekindergarten programs are provided to support qualified four-year-olds with formal schooling. A child admitted to the
prekindergarten program in the public schools shall be four years old on or before September 1st of the school year in which
he/she applies for entrance. Prekindergarten is not a mandatory program in the State of Maryland; it is an application process
based on low socioeconomics. Interested families may pick up an application at any Harford County elementary school. For the
application to be considered, proof of income must accompany the application.
For entrance to kindergarten, children admitted to the kindergarten program in the public school system shall be five years
old on or before September 1st of the school year in which they apply for entrance. Exceptions to the age entrance policy are
considered only in very extraordinary circumstances. The standards are rigorous to ensure that children are not frustrated by the
advanced placement.
The request for early admission into kindergarten may be made beginning the first Friday in May through the first Friday in June.
Parents should communicate with the school to obtain the specific procedures for initiating the early admission process.
Early Entrance Into Kindergarten
Although not encouraged, exceptions to the age of entrance policy are granted by Harford County Public Schools when
it is clearly evident that the precocious four-year-old will be effectively served by a rigorous, standard-based curriculum in
kindergarten. A child with exceptional abilities may be considered for early entrance into the kindergarten program upon the
request of a parent/guardian. Exceptional abilities refer to your child being able to read the newspaper, magazines or books. For
mathematical ability, word problems should be solved without prompting. Word problems indicate the child’s ability to construct
abstract thought.
The procedure for early entrance into kindergarten is as follows:
1. For the child to be eligible for early entrance into kindergarten assessment, the child must turn five years old by October
15th and be a resident of Harford County.
2. The application process begins the first Friday of May and ends the first Friday in June. Assessments will be administered
in May and June of the current school year.
3. Obtain the Early Entrance into Kindergarten packet from the attendance area school and complete the Parent Information
Profile and other forms. The parent/guardian composes a letter stating reasons for consideration and obtain a letter of
recommendation from a professional (pediatrician) qualified to judge the child’s developmental capabilities. If the child has
attended a preschool program or special program, a letter from the school teacher is required. Employees of HCPS may not
supply a recommendation or reference for this process.
4. Send this information to the Executive Director of Elementary School Performance, 102 S. Hickory Ave., Bel Air, MD 21014.
Upon review of the Parent Information Profile and related documents, the Executive Director will forward the application
package to the Office of Early Childhood for a response to the parent/guardian.
5. If the information provided indicates that a child is to be considered for early entrance into kindergarten, a specialist will
contact the parent/guardian to schedule a language and mathematics assessment.
6. For early entrance consideration, the child must achieve a score of at least 90 percent on both parts of the assessment.
Assessments are administered by the specialist without parent/guardian presence and lasts approximately two hours. A
child may be assessed only one time for early entrance determination. *It is important to note that if early entrance is
denied, the denial is not an automatic acceptance into the prekindergarten program.
7. If early entrance is recommended, the principal or designee of the attendance area school will schedule a conference with
the parent/guardian to discuss the request. At this conference, the parent/guardian should be prepared to share information
about the child’s previous group experiences and special strengths and needs. A plan for early entrance will be developed
at that time.
8. Placement will be for a 30 day probationary period pending the child’s satisfactory social-emotional adjustment as
determined by the classroom teacher.
9. Upon completion of the probationary period, a final letter of placement will be sent to the parent/guardian from the Office of
Early Childhood. If acceptance into kindergarten is recommended, all
relevant kindergarten policies and procedures will apply including daily
school attendance.
The intent of the above procedure is to make kindergarten available to
younger students who are capable of working in a classroom setting with
children one year older. The standards for entrance to the program are very
high to ensure that children are not frustrated by the advanced placement.
Gradual Entrance For Prekindergarten & Kindergarten
Gradual entrance for prekindergarten and kindergarten is a procedure that
began with the addition of these programs to the educational continuum.
There are two purposes for gradual entrance: (1) to provide time for parents
to meet their children’s teachers and learn about the program, and (2) to
provide the opportunity for children to adjust to the school setting. The
procedure for gradual entrance for prekindergarten and kindergarten is the
same; however, prekindergarten will begin TWO DAYS AFTER the opening
of school.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - One-half of the kindergarten class will attend.
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. - Remainder of the kindergarten class will attend.
Children will be accompanied by parents; NO BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL
BE PROVIDED.
SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL
Regular schedule for all kindergarten children. BUS TRANSPORTATION
WILL BE PROVIDED; the professional staff will assist children in getting on
the buses.
THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL
9:00 - 10:15 a.m. - One-half of morning prekindergarten children will attend.
10:15 - 11:30 a.m. - Remainder of morning prekindergarten children will
attend.
1:00 - 2:15 p.m. - One-half of afternoon prekindergarten children will attend.
2:15 - 3:30 p.m. - Remainder of afternoon prekindergarten children will
attend.
Children will be accompanied by parents; NO BUS TRANSPORTATION
WILL BE PROVIDED.
FOURTH DAY OF SCHOOL
Regular schedule for all prekindergarten children. BUS TRANSPORTATION
WILL BE PROVIDED; the professional staff will assist children in getting on
the buses.
Advanced Placement Into First Grade
Although not encouraged, exceptions to the age of entrance policy are
granted by Harford County Public Schools when it is clearly evident that
the precocious five-year-old will be served more effectively in the first
grade rather than in kindergarten. A child with exceptional abilities may be
considered for advanced placement to first grade upon the request of a
parent/guardian.
The procedure for advanced placement into first grade includes the
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