Help! Appeal for MCPS Early Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Has anyone successfully appealed the MCPS early entrance into kindergarten assessment exam to get your child into kindergarten?

MCPS has an age cutoff for 5-years old by September 1, but will test kids that turn 5 between September 2nd to October 15th. My daughter will turn 5 on September 15th, two weeks after the cutoff. She has been in the school aged room of her daycare for about six-months because they thought she was ready to move up. We were all shocked when we found out she didn’t pass the exam. She is social-emotionally mature, can independently complete multi-step directions, passed the mathematics and letter naming parts of the early entrance exam, but did not pass the reading/writing part. Has anyone successfully appealed MCPS to get your child into kindergarten? What supporting documentation did you submit? Are there any buzzwords/phases that are helpful to use? Is it worth mentioning her older sibling already attends the school? Any help is greatly appreciated! My daughter is ready to start school and these technicalities are heartbreaking for her continued education.

[Anonymous]

The standards are very high for a reason. Look into switching to a private K program if you think she’ll be bored at her current preschool. It is really not worth trying to fight (and almost never successful) when the evidence is clear it’s better to be the oldest rather than the youngest in the class.

- entered K early in 1990 after missing the cut off by one week.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of an appeal being successful. MCPS is allowed to set its own criteria and they say a child has to pass all parts of the exam. Your daughter didn't. There is no "right" to attend kindergarten at taxpayer expense before statutory age.

[Anonymous]

Agreed - never heard of an appeal being successful.

[Anonymous]

I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

[Anonymous]

I think it’s crazy you’d be pushing for this. The test (…and the cut-off) exist for a reason. You say you’re “shocked” she didn’t pass the exam and this is “heartbreaking for her continuing education” … respectfully, you need to chill out a lot or you’re going to drive yourself - and everyone else around you - nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully appealed the MCPS early entrance into kindergarten assessment exam to get your child into kindergarten?

MCPS has an age cutoff for 5-years old by September 1, but will test kids that turn 5 between September 2nd to October 15th. My daughter will turn 5 on September 15th, two weeks after the cutoff. She has been in the school aged room of her daycare for about six-months because they thought she was ready to move up. We were all shocked when we found out she didn’t pass the exam. She is social-emotionally mature, can independently complete multi-step directions, passed the mathematics and letter naming parts of the early entrance exam, but did not pass the reading/writing part. Has anyone successfully appealed MCPS to get your child into kindergarten? What supporting documentation did you submit? Are there any buzzwords/phases that are helpful to use? Is it worth mentioning her older sibling already attends the school? Any help is greatly appreciated! My daughter is ready to start school and these technicalities are heartbreaking for her continued education.

I understand it’s a pain to have to pay for another year of daycare, but you need to think about what is best for your daughter long term here. She didn’t pass the test, full stop. She should not be in K, and she is not ready for school

[Anonymous]

Can you get her current preschool teacher to write a letter?

[Anonymous]

She failed the test, therefor, she is not ready. Nothing will help you plead your case, because she FAILED.

[Anonymous]

Your shocked that after you have been bragging about how brilliant your child is and how she was going to be allowed to start K this year that now you will look silly and people will snicker and you also wonder if maybe your kid really isn’t that brilliant after all but is just *gasp* average.

You aren’t the first this has happened too and in a couple years you will look back and laugh at how distraught you were over this

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of an appeal working. You can think that the test/standards are wrong and shouldn't apply to your child, but PPs are right.

If you child isn't ready by the MCPS standard, then she isn't ready. If you are 100% determined to have her start this year, put her in a private Kindergarten and 1st Grade, then MCPS will be obligated to take her in 2nd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully appealed the MCPS early entrance into kindergarten assessment exam to get your child into kindergarten?

MCPS has an age cutoff for 5-years old by September 1, but will test kids that turn 5 between September 2nd to October 15th. My daughter will turn 5 on September 15th, two weeks after the cutoff. She has been in the school aged room of her daycare for about six-months because they thought she was ready to move up. We were all shocked when we found out she didn’t pass the exam. She is social-emotionally mature, can independently complete multi-step directions, passed the mathematics and letter naming parts of the early entrance exam, but did not pass the reading/writing part. Has anyone successfully appealed MCPS to get your child into kindergarten? What supporting documentation did you submit? Are there any buzzwords/phases that are helpful to use? Is it worth mentioning her older sibling already attends the school? Any help is greatly appreciated! My daughter is ready to start school and these technicalities are heartbreaking for her continued education.

Your daughter is not ready to start school and these are not technicalities. This is not heartbreaking. She sounds like a bright little girl. The test is there to make sure you don’t end up with a child who's not ready and starts to struggle and hate school. It does not matter that a sibling attends the school. Your daughter is not ready to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully appealed the MCPS early entrance into kindergarten assessment exam to get your child into kindergarten?

MCPS has an age cutoff for 5-years old by September 1, but will test kids that turn 5 between September 2nd to October 15th. My daughter will turn 5 on September 15th, two weeks after the cutoff. She has been in the school aged room of her daycare for about six-months because they thought she was ready to move up. We were all shocked when we found out she didn’t pass the exam. She is social-emotionally mature, can independently complete multi-step directions, passed the mathematics and letter naming parts of the early entrance exam, but did not pass the reading/writing part. Has anyone successfully appealed MCPS to get your child into kindergarten? What supporting documentation did you submit? Are there any buzzwords/phases that are helpful to use? Is it worth mentioning her older sibling already attends the school? Any help is greatly appreciated! My daughter is ready to start school and these technicalities are heartbreaking for her continued education.

Why would you want to do this? There are significant advantages to being among the oldest in the grade.

When your child is applying to college, remember that she’ll be competing against applicants who went on-time from school districts with a 9/1 cutoff. So, your kid will be competing with applicants who are at least a full year older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully appealed the MCPS early entrance into kindergarten assessment exam to get your child into kindergarten?

MCPS has an age cutoff for 5-years old by September 1, but will test kids that turn 5 between September 2nd to October 15th. My daughter will turn 5 on September 15th, two weeks after the cutoff. She has been in the school aged room of her daycare for about six-months because they thought she was ready to move up. We were all shocked when we found out she didn’t pass the exam. She is social-emotionally mature, can independently complete multi-step directions, passed the mathematics and letter naming parts of the early entrance exam, but did not pass the reading/writing part. Has anyone successfully appealed MCPS to get your child into kindergarten? What supporting documentation did you submit? Are there any buzzwords/phases that are helpful to use? Is it worth mentioning her older sibling already attends the school? Any help is greatly appreciated! My daughter is ready to start school and these technicalities are heartbreaking for her continued education.

None of this means anything when you’re in kindergarten. Let us know if she’s in the same spot at 15. There’s lots of shuffling between now & then.

[Anonymous]

Your daycare made a big error in assuming she would go early when almost no one does. Now she will feel left behind when everyone else leaves for K. Consider a different pre K or junior K for next year.