Application and testing process for early Kindergarten entrance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

We are not talking about holding back. We are talking about sending the child early vs. on time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

We are not talking about holding back. We are talking about sending the child early vs. on time.

I consider holding back any kid born before October. I have a September kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

Apparently, MCPS disagrees that she is socially, academically, and physically ready.

What is your rush?

Its to MCPS advantage not to have to educate one child that year. Maybe it isn't about the kids but about the school.

That is nonsensical. The number of years of schooling is the same.

Unless, of course, the student is not ready for kindergarten upon entrance, and has to repeat a grade later. Now *that* costs MCPS some money.

No, because a lot of families go private for a few years or move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

The late bloomer might also be an "early bloomer" and have similar social issues. It can be as hard for some kids to be the first to develop. DD has an August bday and we sent her "on time" to K, even though some suggested giving her the "gift of time". Even as one of the youngest in the class, she was one of the first to develop breasts and get her period. So thankful we didn't hold her back and have her deal with this as a 4th grader.

My point isn't to sway anyone in one direction or another, it's just to say you can't predict the future. You need to make the best decision you can for YOUR kid in YOUR situation with the information you have at the time. Sometimes issues are just part of a child's personality and extra time won't change a thing, some kids bloom early, some kids bloom late, some kids will rise to a challenge, some kids will shut down if bored when younger.... there is no one right or wrong answer.

(And we never have the benefit of seeing what "would have happened" if you made the opposite choice. You can guess, but you won't know. Maybe my early developing DD would have been more confident being one of the oldest kids in the class and it would have been a non-issue. Maybe PPs late bloomer would have developed other gifts... )

Same here my August boy would have been 6 ft tall and shaving in 7th grade!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

We are not talking about holding back. We are talking about sending the child early vs. on time.

I consider holding back any kid born before October. I have a September kid.

The cut off is September 1. Child born in September is not, by definition, “held back” if she does not go to kindergarten just before her birthday.

These are the actual facts. The concept of holding back is not a matter of opinion, LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

Apparently, MCPS disagrees that she is socially, academically, and physically ready.

What is your rush?

Its to MCPS advantage not to have to educate one child that year. Maybe it isn't about the kids but about the school.

That is nonsensical. The number of years of schooling is the same.

Unless, of course, the student is not ready for kindergarten upon entrance, and has to repeat a grade later. Now *that* costs MCPS some money.

No, because a lot of families go private for a few years or move.

What does that have to do with the topic of this thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I just emailed a copy of my letter to the three posters who requested it. Good luck to you all- I hope things work out!

May I ask for a copy as well? Thank you very much! My email: [e-mail]

It’s been a while since this was posted, however if anyone can send me the appeal letter it will be greatly appreciated. [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I know this is an old post but would really like a copy of the appeal letter. My email is [e-mail]. Would really appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

Opposite situation...son went the earlier year and grew early. If we had waited a year he would have started shaving in 6th grade. You can't guess the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD's birthday was 5 days past the cutoff. My request for early acceptance was denied. I appealed- my letter was thoughtful and very specific as to why the decision should be reversed.

The appeal was decided in DD's favor. She is now is 4th grade and is one of the highest acheivers in the grade (in both reading and math). She's a leader, is very social and 'popular'.

DD's K teacher told me that she (and the other K teachers) didn't think DD was ready (she's an experienced teacher and was pissed that she didn't get her way). I volunteered in her class once a week and for the first half of the year the teacher gave me reason after reason why DD wasn't ready. Even into October she tried to convince me that DD should switch to a preschool. She was a good teacher but her ego was a bit too large.

Truthfully DD wasn't any different than most of the kids in the class. DD has always been a perfectionist when it comes to school work (something I try to discourage because it stresses her out) so it takes her longer than most to finish her work. It's not her age- it's her personality.

I think that some kids are not ready but some are.

My point is that if you are denied, it doesn't hurt to appeal. Just be sure you want it for the right reasons.

What are "the right reasons"?

I could fill my academically ready child's time with much more interesting activities, books, etc than they would receive in an MCPS kindergarten class. What is the rush?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old post but would really like a copy of the appeal letter. My email is [e-mail]. Would really appreciate it!

Most people don’t appeal because it’s a discretionary decision and the standard for success is so high. Also by the time you get through the process your kid is kindergarten age.

If you feel really strong about starting kindergarten this year, you can try a private school. But even then unless you do K and first there is no guarantee that your child will be in the grade where you want them.

You can’t google appeal decisions on early entry to kindergarten in MC. I never found any where the parents won. But this was an issue for us over a decade ago.

[Anonymous]

My kid who was EEK is now a junior in HS! The hardest thing about it is that she'll leave for college a year earlier.

It wouldn't have been fair to hold her back. She's doing great academically and socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old post but would really like a copy of the appeal letter. My email is [e-mail]. Would really appreciate it!

Most people don’t appeal because it’s a discretionary decision and the standard for success is so high. Also by the time you get through the process your kid is kindergarten age.

If you feel really strong about starting kindergarten this year, you can try a private school. But even then unless you do K and first there is no guarantee that your child will be in the grade where you want them.

You can’t google appeal decisions on early entry to kindergarten in MC. I never found any where the parents won. But this was an issue for us over a decade ago.

I understand that every child is different and I do feel strong enough to appeal. My oldest miss the cut off date and took the EEK assessment. My oldest did not get in and I did not try to appeal because I know my child wasn’t ready. However, I do feel that my youngest is ready hence I’m trying to appeal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old post but would really like a copy of the appeal letter. My email is [e-mail]. Would really appreciate it!

Most people don’t appeal because it’s a discretionary decision and the standard for success is so high. Also by the time you get through the process your kid is kindergarten age.

If you feel really strong about starting kindergarten this year, you can try a private school. But even then unless you do K and first there is no guarantee that your child will be in the grade where you want them.

You can’t google appeal decisions on early entry to kindergarten in MC. I never found any where the parents won. But this was an issue for us over a decade ago.

It's up to the school and schools are allowed wide leeway. They could deny your child who is academically ready because the class sizes could be impacted or because they said were too slow to get in line which could indicate lack of maturity. This is all part of the decision making and it is really kind of pointless to appeal. They could literally point to any reason and it would be considered reasonable.

[Anonymous]

OP of 2025-You need to look at the big picture. Being the oldest can build more confidence and leadership skills and having that extra year with you is something really precious.