Early Entrance Guidelines

Early Entrance into Kindergarten & First Grade

District 70 follows Illinois School Code, which specifies that to enter kindergarten, children must be five years of age by September 1 of their kindergarten year and six years of age by September 1 of their first-grade year. Occasionally, exceptions to both of these policies may be made when appropriate.

District 70 has specific criteria and procedures for considering early entrance requests. The decision for a child to enter school early can have a profound effect on his or her academic and social performance for the remainder of the child’s school career. It is a decision that needs to be considered thoughtfully by parents and the District 70 team.

District 70 takes the decision for a child to enter school early seriously, therefore the criteria for early entry are very purposeful and thorough. The goal is to ensure that the child will not be frustrated by the challenges of the academic services or the social/emotional demands as they navigate each grade level. 

Early Entrance application window is open from February 1st - April 15th. Applications after April 15th will not be accepted. 

Financial Aid

Families may apply for a waiver of fees online at d70schools.org or here.  Please return the paperwork to the Director of Growth and Talent. 

Kindergarten

Criteria for Eligibility:

  1. Completed -  D70 Early Entry Request Form

  2. Verified - The child’s fifth birthday falls between September 2 and October 31st, as documented by a certified copy of the birth certificate.

  3. Prove residency.

  4. Assessed - The child demonstrates attention, gross and fine motor skills, cooperative play, and expressive and receptive language skills in the average to above average range based on the D70 Kindergarten Placement Screenings.

  5. Fee -After the request form is filled out and the date of birth and residency are verified, the child will be invited to participate in an individual screening. The fee for this screening is $300 to defray associated costs with the screening process.

Process

  1. Between Feb. 1st and April 15th, parents will contact the Director of Growth & Talent (Dr. Kerri Bongle, kbongle@d70schools.org) to discuss the child’s early entrance potential.
  2. Following this discussion, if parents wish to continue this process they will be given the necessary informational forms to complete
    1. D70 Early Entry Request Form
    2. Kindergarten Readiness Survey - to be completed by the child’s preschool.
  3. Parents return the completed forms along with a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to the Director of Growth & Talent by April 15th. 
  4.  Between April 15th and May 15th, the student will be assessed by a District 70 staff member. A date will be arranged between the family and D70. 
  5. on or before June 1st, parents will be notified. The decision about early entrance eligibility will be made by the early entrance team.  This decision is final. 
  6. If the student is decided to be a candidate for early entrance, they will be placed in kindergarten on a provisional basis. The school staff will assess each child’s initial adjustment during the first thirty school days.  If needed, the principal, teacher, and parents will meet to review placement. If a child’s adjustment is not satisfactory, the principal will request that the child re-enroll when the child meets the state’s enrollment age requirement for the appropriate grade level.  If it is determined that the child’s adjustment is satisfactory, the child may continue enrollment in the early entrance program.

First Grade

Criteria for Eligibility:

  1. Completed -  D70 Early Entry Request Form

  2. Verified - The child’s sixth birthday falls between September 2 and October 31st, as documented by a certified copy of the birth certificate. The child needs to have successfully completed an accredited kindergarten program with a certified educator. 

  3. Prove residency.

  4. Assessed - Evaluated using the D70 Early First Grade Placement Screening. 

  5. Fee -After the request form is filled out and the date of birth and residency are verified, the child will be invited to participate in an individual screening. The fee for this screening is $300 to defray associated costs with the screening process.

Process

  1. Between Feb. 1st and April 15th, parents will contact the Director of Growth & Talent (Dr. Kerri Bongle, kbongle@d70schools.org) to discuss the child’s early entrance potential.

  2. Following this discussion, if parents wish to continue this process they will be given the necessary informational forms to complete
    1. D70 Early Entry Request Form
    2. First Grade Readiness Survey - to be completed by the child’s kindergarten program. 
  3. Parents return the completed forms along with a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to the Director of Growth & Talent by April 15th. 
  4.  Between April 15th and May 15th, the student will be assessed by a District 70 staff member. A date will be arranged between the family and D70. 
  5. On or before June 1st, parents will be notified. The decision about early entrance eligibility will be made by the early entrance team.  This decision is final. 
  6. If the student is decided to be a candidate for early entrance, they will be placed in first grade on a provisional basis. The school staff will assess each child’s initial adjustment during the first thirty school days.  If needed, the principal, teacher, and parents will meet to review placement. If a child’s adjustment is not satisfactory, the principal will request that the child re-enroll when the child meets the state’s enrollment age requirement for the appropriate grade level.  If it is determined that the child’s adjustment is satisfactory, the child may continue enrollment in the early entrance program.

D70 Early Entry Request Form

Following a discussion with the Director of Growth & Talent regarding early entrance, parents who wish to continue this process can download, print, complete this form, and submit it to the principal to begin the process.