Is Kindergarten Mandatory In Nj

Under What Circumstances Will A Parent/guardian Of A Child Be Required To Inform The Local Board Of Education Of The Intent To Educate His/her Child Elsewhere Than At School

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There are two circumstances in which a parent/guardian of a child will be required to inform the local board of education of the intent to educate his/her child elsewhere than at school:

  • If a parent/guardian attempts to register a student in a local school district and the district refuses to enroll the student, the parent may provide the district with an intent to appeal such denial. If the parent does not provide the district with an intent to appeal, the parent/guardian is required to provide a statement of verification regarding whether the student will be attending school in another school district or a nonpublic school, or will be receiving instruction elsewhere than at school ) AND
  • If a parent/guardian decides to remove an enrolled student from his/her high school educational program, the parent/guardian will be required to complete a transfer form which includes information related to the intent to provide instruction elsewhere than at school for the purposes of collecting accurate data on high school enrollment.

For any other circumstances, the New Jersey Department of Education encourages parents to notify the local board of education of the intent to educate the child elsewhere than at school so that questions do not arise with respect to the parents compliance with the compulsory education law.

How Will Grade Placement Be Determined For A Child Educated Elsewhere Than At School Who Returns To School

When a child returns to school following a period of homeschooling, the local board of education treats the child as any other new or returning child . There are no special provisions made for the child who was educated at home. Placement should be based on an objective assessment that is given to all students for that subject or grade. In assessing the child educated elsewhere than at school, the child may not be held to a higher standard than similarly situated students within the district or transferring from other public or nonpublic schools. Also, if a child educated elsewhere than at school re-enrolls in the public school in order to obtain a high school diploma, an assessment is made as to the childs compliance with state and local requirements, as the board of education would with any new or returning student, since no diploma can be issued when such requirements are not met. A determination on a student’s grade placement may include scores on the state assessments applicable to the proposed grade of entry.

How Many Days Can A Child Be Absent From School In Nj

Every absence must be documented with the Main Office no later than ten school days following the students return to school. Any Excused Absence or Verified-Unexcused Absence that is not documented within ten school days will be considered an Unverified-Unexcused Absence.

How many days is a child allowed off school?

ten daysThe law changed in September 2013 and schools no longer have the freedom to allow parents to take their children out of school for up to ten days in term time. Only in exceptional circumstances can you write to the headteacher and ask to take your child out of school.

Is full-day kindergarten required in NJ?

Full-day kindergarten is offered by most school districts in New Jersey, but is not required under state law. Most do not charge tuition.

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Is 6 Years Old Enough For Kindergarten

Should my child begin kindergarten at the age of five or six? Individual states have different age restrictions for starting school, but children can generally begin kindergarten when they are five years old. They are not required, but when a child turns six years old, they must complete some form of schooling.

Is The Local Board Of Education Required To Allow A Child Educated Elsewhere Than At School To Participate In The Regular School Curriculum Or In Extracurricular Or Sports Activities

Kindergarten

The local board of education is not required by law to allow a child educated elsewhere than at school to participate in the regular school curriculum or in extracurricular or sports activities. Such participation is at the sole discretion of the board once the child is identified as educated elsewhere than at school as identified below:

When the public school district receives a written request for special education evaluation, the district must review the request in a meeting of the child study team, the parent/guardian and the regular education teacher. This procedure applies to children who are educated at home. At the meeting, current information about the child is reviewed to determine whether an evaluation is warranted. If an evaluation is warranted, another determination will be made regarding the assessment procedures. Written notice of the determinations is given to parent/guardian. Once the assessments are completed, a meeting in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:14-2.31 is held to determine whether the child is eligible for special education and related services.

If the child is eligible for special education and related services, the public school district must make a free, appropriate public education available only if the child enrolls in the district. If the child does not enroll in the public school district, but the district chooses to provide services, the district would develop a plan for the services to be provided.

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Nj District Offering Full

A Morris County school district is reviving its tuition-based, full-day kindergarten program in September after it stalled for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The School District of the Chathams is doling out by lottery up to 60 slots with a tuition rate of $7,000 per student, according its website.

Full-day kindergarten debuted in the K-12 district in the 2019-20 school year, also on a tuition basis, Schools Superintendent Michael LaSusa said. Prorated refunds were provided to parents last year after all New Jersey schools closed in March 2020, for the remainder of the school year, due to the pandemic.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Homeschooling

In New Jersey, the Legislature under the compulsory education law has permitted children to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school, including the home. The following homeschooling questions and answers are intended to assist a parent/guardian and public school district in dealing with issues that frequently arise in this context.

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Answers To Frequently Asked Questions

While Wis. Stat. Sec. 121.02, requires all Wisconsin school districts to offer five-year-old kindergarten , school districts have the option of offering four-year-old kindergarten . If they offer 4K, they must make it available to all age-eligible 4-year-olds. The following questions and answers are designed to provide information to parents and school districts about kindergarten admission policies and practices for both 4K and 5K.

  • At what age can a child enter kindergarten?

    State law, Wis. Stat. Sec. , specifies that children are eligible for kindergarten based on their age. To be eligible for 4-year-old kindergarten, a child must be 4 on or by September 1 of the school year. To be eligible for 5-year-old kindergarten, a child must be 5 on or by September 1 of the school year.

  • Are parents required to enroll their 5-year-old children in 5K programs?

    No. The new law, Act 41, does not require parents to enroll their 5-year-old children in 5-year-old kindergarten. However, Act 41 does prohibit a school board from enrolling a child in first grade unless the child has completed 5-year-old kindergarten or has received an exemption.

  • A personal meeting with the parents to determine their reasons for requesting entrance prior to the legal age.
  • An assessment of the child’s potential to benefit from early admission and to successfully participate in the grade level, including consideration of emotional stability, social and mental maturity, and physical health.
  • Note:

    Is The Local Board Of Education Required To Review And Approve The Curriculum For A Child Educated Elsewhere Than At School

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    The law does not require or authorize the local board of education to review and approve the curriculum or program of a child educated elsewhere than at school. When parent/guardian educate a child elsewhere than at school, they are responsible for the educational outcomes of the child. The local board of education is not required or authorized to monitor the outcomes of the child.

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    Proof Of Residency List

    Verification of a childs residency in East Orange requires the presentation of:

    Any three of the following items listed:

    • Homeowner East Orange property tax bill, mortgage statement, or signed Contract of Purchase
    • Tenant Active lease
    • Child and Parent living with an East Orange Resident Signed, notarized Sworn Statement of Residency completed by the East Orange resident and parent or guardian
    • Child Placed in East Orange by Court Court order placing a child in the home of an East Orange resident
    • Child Placed in East Orange by Child Welfare Agency Documentation from a child welfare agency ordering the placement of a child in the house of an East Orange resident or Foster Parent Placement Letter
    • Drivers License
    • Public assistance documents
    • Income tax return
    • Postal Change of Address

    Medical Requirements

    For Kindergarten your child must have a current record of immunization records that are age-appropriate along with a current physical . These shots are required and are without exception:

    • 4 doses DTaP with one dose given on or after the 4th birthday or any 5 doses
    • 3 doses Polio with one dose given on or after the 4th birthday or any 4 doses
    • 1 dose HIB minimum 1 dose given after the 1st birthday
    • 3 doses of Hepatitis B
    • 1 dose Varicella
    • 1 dose of PCV7/13 minimum of 1 dose after the 1st birthday
    • 1 dose Influenza annually between September 1st to December 31st each year

    Kindergarten And Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement And Reporting

  • Are district truancy notices to parents required for 5-year-old 5K students who do not attend or are withdrawn?

    Districts are required to notify parents or legal guardians if their 5-year old 5K student is absent without an acceptable or legal excuse following the same procedures as other students for truancy and habitual truancy. Beyond notice, truancy enforcement steps are controlled by local board polices .

  • Do compulsory school attendance enforcement steps apply to 5-year-old 5K students?

    The statute does not specifically address whether truancy enforcement procedures would apply. Districts may attempt to enforce truancy provisions, and the courts would determine whether those provisions apply. Local Truancy Committees may make recommendations on truancy enforcement for 5-year-olds.

  • At what age may a child enter first grade?

    State law, Wis. Stat. Sec. 118.14, states no child may be admitted to the first grade unless he or she is 6 years old, on or before September 1 of the year he or she proposes to enter school. However, school board policy may permit exceptions. Under Wis. Stat. Sec. 120.12 school boards must prescribe procedures, conditions and standards for early admission to first grade.

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    Age To Start Kindergarten By State

    How old does a child need to be to start kindergarten? A total of 32 states in the United States require that a child be 5 years old on or before September 1 in the year he or she starts kindergarten, with 11 states having a cutoff date between September 1 and October 15. Only Connecticut still has its cutoff date set at January 1, with 7 states offering local schools the option set their own required dates.

    Here is a list by state of kindergarten entrance age, early entry rules, age a child must start school and other relevant information regarding kindergarten eligibility.

    • Alabama: 5 years of age on or before September 1.
    • Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory.
    • Compulsory school age is 6 years old.
    • Early entry to kindergarten is not an option, unless the child has transferred from a public school kindergarten in another state.
    • There are no specified kindergarten assessment protocols listed in the state statute.
  • Alaska: 5 years of age before August 15
  • Kindergarten attendance not mandatory.
  • Compulsory school age is 7 years old.
  • A child under the eligible age for kindergarten entry may be admitted to the school in his or her school district of residence at the discretion of the school board.
  • No kindergarten entrance assessment is specified.
  • Arizona: 5 years of age before September 1
  • Kindergarten attendance not mandatory.
  • Compulsory school age is 6 years old.
  • There is no statewide mandate in place for pre-entrance testing or screening for kindergarteners.
  • Is A Child Educated Elsewhere Than At School Eligible To Participate In District/state Testing

    Kindergarten

    The local board of education is not required or authorized to test a child educated elsewhere than at school. The local board of education does not have to ensure through testing or another mechanism that instruction is being appropriately delivered or achieving its desired effect, to review the quality of instruction, or to monitor the results. A child educated elsewhere than at school is not required to sit for a state or district standardized test.

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    The Debate Heats Up Over Whether Kids Need To Be In School All Day To Prepare For First Grade Or If Half

    Laura WatersPublished:

    Should full-day kindergarten be required in New Jersey? A state task force may soon form to assess the pros and cons of mandating kindergartners stay in school for the entire day. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? In these days of heightened academic expectations and working parents, who wouldnt support a program already available in most of the states public school districts?

    Thirty years ago, most kids attended kindergarten for only half a day. In my elementary school in Queens, NY, the older half of the grade went in the morning and the younger half in the afternoon. By the 1990s, after pleas from parents and early education advocates, half-day kindergarten started to go the way of bell-bottoms, while full-day enrollment for five-year-olds accelerated.

    Breaking Down the Debate By 2012, 77 percent of kids across the country went to full-day kindergarten, according to a report from Child Trends Data Bank and New Jersey followed the trend. By 2015, more than 80 percent of the states kindergartners were in full-day programs, according to the NJ Department of Education. Though a majority of Garden State districts offer full-day kindergarten, New Jersey law doesnt require it, with the exception of 31 state-funded and lower income school districts. It doesnt even require parents to register children for school until age six, typically by first grade.

    Is The Local Board Of Education Required To Establish A Record For A Child Educated Elsewhere Than At School

    A board of education is not required to establish a record for a child who is educated elsewhere than at school. If the board of education receives information from the parent/guardian of a child educated elsewhere than at school, the board may establish a record for a child for the sole purpose of documenting that the child is receiving an education as required by law.

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    What Is The Responsibility Of The Local Board Of Education Regarding Compulsory Education

    The local board of education is required to enforce the compulsory education law, N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25. If the local board of education determines that there is credible evidence that the parent/guardian or other person having custody and control of a school-age child is not causing the child either to attend school or to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school, the board may request documentation, such as a letter of intent from the parent/guardian confirming that the child is either attending a nonpublic school or receiving equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school. The mere fact that a child has been withdrawn to be homeschooled is not, in itself, credible evidence of a legal violation. If it appears that the child is not receiving an education in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25, the board may wish to consult with its attorney regarding possible charges against the parent/guardian for failure to have the child educated.

    Newark Board Of Education

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    Dont wait until your child turns 3 to apply for Pre-K! If your child is turning three or four years old on or before October 1, it is time to complete your Pre-Kindergarten application. Children who live in Newark, New Jersey are eligible to participate in FREE Pre-K programs offered by the Newark Public Schools in various settings.

    The Basics:

  • Pre-K is free. You do not have to pay to attend participating Pre-K programs.
  • You must be a Newark resident.
  • Your child must be 3 or 4 by October 1.
  • Child DOES NOT have to be potty trained.
  • Programs are full day .
  • Morning and Afternoon Care offered at many locations.
  • Breakfast, Lunch and Snack provided.
  • Programs are available at district schools, charter schools, and community-based provider preschools. There is a separate application process for district and charter schools and community-based private provider preschools.
  • District, Charter and Community-Based Preschool providers have evidenced-based curriculums, no more than 15 students in a classroom, and use the GOLD assessments to measure student progress.
  • PROJECT CHILD FIND: If you have or know a child that is 3-5 years old who has difficulty hearing, walking, talking or has serious health problems, please contact the Office of Special Education at 973-733-7313.
  • Pre-K Options:

    Why Should Your Child Attend a Pre-K Program?

    Pre-K programs are important because they create a foundation for your childs future success.

    Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Is Pre-K Mandatory?
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    What Case Law Exists Regarding Homeschooling

    There are two major court decisions in New Jersey relative to homeschooling:

    • State v. Vaughn 44 N.J. 142 : This case deals with the procedures to be employed when a parent/guardian is charged with failing to cause the child to attend school under the compulsory education law. During the prosecution of a case against a parent/guardian for a violation of the compulsory education law, the State needed only to allege a violation of the statute. It was then incumbent upon the parent/guardian to introduce evidence showing that they are relying on one of the two statutory exceptions . Once there is such evidence in the case, the burden of persuasion with respect to whether the education comes within the exception is with the State.
    • State v. Massa 95 N.J. Super 382 : In court, the parents were charged with failing to cause the child to attend school under the compulsory education law. The only issue before the court was whether the parents were providing equivalent instruction. The court held that the language under the compulsory education law, providing for equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school, required showing only academic equivalency and not equivalency of social development derived from group education. In educating the child at home, the parents were required to show only that the instruction was academically equivalent to that provided in the local public school.

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