The early admission process is designed for students who are born between September 2 – October 13 and are seeking enrollment to school one year early.
Children must be 4, 5, or 6 years old by September 1 in order to enter Pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade, respectively.
Age Requirement
According to HCPSS Policy 9000, early admission requests to Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade will only be accepted for children born on or between September 2 and October 13. There are no exceptions to this date-of-birth window.
Residency Requirement
Applicants for early admission to Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade must be current Howard County residents during the course of their application in order to be assessed for early admission into a Howard County school.
Disclaimer
Although early admission is rare, exceptions are made only after a variety of items have been reviewed by certified early childhood educators.
In all cases, early admission does not guarantee that the child will be promoted to the next grade.
Additional Requirements by Grade-Level
Early admission to Pre-K is based on intensive student needs and economic disadvantage, whereas Kindergarten and First Grade are based on rigorous academic standards and testing.
View all additional requirements:
Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K)
Age: fourth birthday falls between September 2 and October 13
Demonstrated need requirement:
The student meets first priority criteria (disadvantaged economic status, homelessness, and foster care)
In addition, students must demonstrate a need for early intervention as defined by at-risk developmental factors that critically impact potential success in kindergarten (Policy 9000)
Admission determined by: Office of Early Childhood Programs and Office of Early Intervention Services
Age: fifth birthday falls between September 2 and October 13
Testing and developmental requirements:
The student must complete and score favorably on an admission test conducted by HCPSS.
Applications require completion of developmental checklists.
30 day trial period:
A teacher will closely monitor the child’s progress for the first month (30 calendar days) at the school they are admitted to. The teacher’s observations during the trial period serve as the final assessment of the child’s readiness for the program.
Admission determined by: Office of Early Childhood Programs
