What kind of questions are asked for the early entrance testing for kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS needs to do away with this. Move the deadline to Sept 30 for all, and make it a hard deadline. No early entrance exceptions for anyone. This is what’s done in Fairfax.

Why should they move the deadline? Before school start approximately seems the most fair.

Because it’s a waste of resources and time to test everyone with a September Birthday that wants early entrance. Just move the deadline. Make it a real deadline. If your kid is born in October, then they wait another year.

They don't test everyone with a September birthday. Only when requested. Most people seem to focus on holding back not pushing ahead. It is not a big deal and acknowledges some kids may be ready early.

This.

Its not really pushing ahead when these kids are turning 5 2-4 weeks from the start of school. Our school gave us a terrible run around and refused to let us test. We did a jr. K which was a huge mistake and luckily that school allowed us to skip K and go directly to 1st. Its near impossible to tell if a kid is ready or not by a 15 minute test. Mine was ready but had some developmental delays which caught up in the next few years and the stronger academics were part of what helped. Kid is thriving. I think the cut off should be 11/15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS needs to do away with this. Move the deadline to Sept 30 for all, and make it a hard deadline. No early entrance exceptions for anyone. This is what’s done in Fairfax.

Why should they move the deadline? Before school start approximately seems the most fair.

Because it’s a waste of resources and time to test everyone with a September Birthday that wants early entrance. Just move the deadline. Make it a real deadline. If your kid is born in October, then they wait another year.

They don't test everyone with a September birthday. Only when requested. Most people seem to focus on holding back not pushing ahead. It is not a big deal and acknowledges some kids may be ready early.

This.

Its not really pushing ahead when these kids are turning 5 2-4 weeks from the start of school. Our school gave us a terrible run around and refused to let us test. We did a jr. K which was a huge mistake and luckily that school allowed us to skip K and go directly to 1st. Its near impossible to tell if a kid is ready or not by a 15 minute test. Mine was ready but had some developmental delays which caught up in the next few years and the stronger academics were part of what helped. Kid is thriving. I think the cut off should be 11/15.

sorry, cut off should be 10/15 or 10/30.

[Anonymous]

they are testing end of K- readiness. your child needs to show s/he would be without peers if she waited another year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid took the EEK eval and went early entrance.

They had him make a goldfish type thing, and identify letters/numbers/some words. It really wasn't a huge deal. I told DS to do the best he could and try to answer questions clearly.

If your DC has gone to a year or two of preschool, it will be fine.

This was not my daughter’s experience with the test. Much more academic than that. She was an early reader and string in math, but she did not pass. When we met with the principal about it, she made clear that the test is designed so kids won’t pass.

PP here

Yes, it was also academic. I would agree with the other PP who said they test at the level closer to where the kid should be at the end of K.

There were two kids who tested EEK when my kid tested, and both kids got in.

I don't think the test is 'designed so kids won't pass'.

[Anonymous]

It's designed to measure a bunch of different school readiness skills and what we were told was that there's no "passing" or "failing" on the test. It's just information to give the principal who makes the final decision.

A child could get every question right on the test but if there's no room at the school the principal will reject the EEK application. The space question varies year to year. Principals may be more generous if the class sizes are small or if they need a few extra kids to get an additional teacher. If the class size is already 26 or 27 or whatever the max is these days they may not accept any kids that year.

In our year the three K classes were all at the max so the principal accepted no one through EEK and later in the year actually informally suggested some kids leave and repeat pre-K and come back the following year.

My child did not do EEK but a close friend's child applied.

[Anonymous]

Thank you mom's. This has been super helpful. We will probably wait and see. I wish they just say sept 10th is just 10 days late and don't test her. From what all of you say, it just sounds difficult. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thank you all once again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi fellow moms

My daughter was born sept 10, so I was asked to fil the early entrance kindergarten forms. The school said that she will be tested to evaluate if she can join kg this year.

I want to know if anyone knows what kind of questions can be expected for the testing, so I can try and prep her accordingly.

Many thanks
Samantha

Ask how over capacity the school is and the K registration thus far.
If there’s room, good. If not, they should be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's designed to measure a bunch of different school readiness skills and what we were told was that there's no "passing" or "failing" on the test. It's just information to give the principal who makes the final decision.

A child could get every question right on the test but if there's no room at the school the principal will reject the EEK application. The space question varies year to year. Principals may be more generous if the class sizes are small or if they need a few extra kids to get an additional teacher. If the class size is already 26 or 27 or whatever the max is these days they may not accept any kids that year.

In our year the three K classes were all at the max so the principal accepted no one through EEK and later in the year actually informally suggested some kids leave and repeat pre-K and come back the following year.

My child did not do EEK but a close friend's child applied.

I do not think a public school can ask kids who who made the cutoff to leave mid year? They can certainly recommend repeating K but there is no counseling out in public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS needs to do away with this. Move the deadline to Sept 30 for all, and make it a hard deadline. No early entrance exceptions for anyone. This is what’s done in Fairfax.

Why should they move the deadline? Before school start approximately seems the most fair.

Because it’s a waste of resources and time to test everyone with a September Birthday that wants early entrance. Just move the deadline. Make it a real deadline. If your kid is born in October, then they wait another year.

It's not a lot of kids. Plus then it would be reasonable to want an EEK process for kids born in October. A hard deadline doesn't make sense.

Then why does it work in Fairfax, a county similar in demographics to MC, but is much larger?

Who says it works? There are surely kids in Fairfax whom early entry to kindergarten would be appropriate for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's designed to measure a bunch of different school readiness skills and what we were told was that there's no "passing" or "failing" on the test. It's just information to give the principal who makes the final decision.

A child could get every question right on the test but if there's no room at the school the principal will reject the EEK application. The space question varies year to year. Principals may be more generous if the class sizes are small or if they need a few extra kids to get an additional teacher. If the class size is already 26 or 27 or whatever the max is these days they may not accept any kids that year.

In our year the three K classes were all at the max so the principal accepted no one through EEK and later in the year actually informally suggested some kids leave and repeat pre-K and come back the following year.

My child did not do EEK but a close friend's child applied.

I do not think a public school can ask kids who who made the cutoff to leave mid year? They can certainly recommend repeating K but there is no counseling out in public school.

Legally, yes, but you haven't met this principal. That's his m/o, and it's been going on for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you mom's. This has been super helpful. We will probably wait and see. I wish they just say sept 10th is just 10 days late and don't test her. From what all of you say, it just sounds difficult. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thank you all once again

There are some smaller/lesser know privates that will take her into K, if that's what you prefer to do as an alternative. You can always repeat K or just continue on but either way you have to pay for the year so might as well pay for K.