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4K Delayed Admission

Can my child attend 4K as a 5-year-old?
All grade entry decisions shall be made in the context of the Mission Statement of the Appleton Area School District and the Guiding Principles of Appleton Community 4K. A child who is age 5 on or before September 1 would be enrolled in 5K according to school district policy (late summer birthdays are an exception). However, there is a procedure in place to allow for requests for consideration of entry for 5 year olds into 4K. 

Procedures for Consideration of Delayed Entry Appleton Community 4K

All grade entry decisions shall be made in the context of the Mission Statement of the Appleton Area School District and the Guiding Principles of Appleton Community 4K. In addition, decisions regarding delayed entry of children attending 4K will include consideration of research and established best practice as identified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Children enrolled in Appleton Community 4K attend for one year. A child enrolled in Appleton 4K must be 4 years old on or before. September 1 st . A child who is age 5 on or before September 1 st would be enrolled in 5K according to school district policy. These procedures are in place to allow for parent requests for consideration of entry for 5-year-olds into 4K.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) encourages parents to send their children to kindergarten when they are age-eligible. The Department states that, “If parents have concerns about their child being among the youngest in the class or not socially mature enough for kindergarten, the parent should talk with the staff to learn more about the program and how they can work together for a quality experience for their child.”

There are several reasons why a child should attend kindergarten with children their own age range:

  • All school districts are responsible for meeting the needs of all kindergarten students, regardless of their age or state of development. Kindergarten curriculum is designed to meet the wide variation in development levels of all children.
  • Children will arrive in kindergarten with a wide variety of abilities, and that is perfectly normal.
  • If a child is an English Learner, he or she receives support in kindergarten programs to learn English at an early age.
  • Research indicates that keeping an age-eligible child out of kindergarten does not always result in any long-term benefits.
  • Kindergarten is an important part of a school’s educational program and is part of the overall developmental curriculum.
  • Kindergarten instruction promotes learning of many skills that are the foundation of the curriculum through grade 12. For example, early reading instruction is especially important to all learners.

Additional information from DPI on this topic can be found on their website.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children provides additional guidance regarding the consideration of holding children out of kindergarten beyond their age of eligibility.

If a parent/guardian of an Appleton Area School District student wishes to delay their child from entering 5-year-old kindergarten by enrolling them in Appleton Community 4K, they should submit a letter to the Director of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten stating the reason for the request. All requests must be received by March 15th.

Letters should be sent to:

Director of Four-Year-Old Kindergarten 
Appleton Area School District
P.O. Box 2019
Appleton, WI 54912

There will be a three step process for consideration of a delayed attendance request. Requests will be considered after the March 15th deadline with decisions made prior to the end of the school year:

  1. Director of 4-Year-Old Kindergarten will schedule a student services team meeting for review of the request. The team shall be comprised of the parent, the principal and the school psychologist.
  2. The school psychologist will complete readiness screeners.
  3. Next, the school social worker will do an adaptive rating scale which includes a social-emotional scale and an interview.

The parent/guardian will be informed of the outcomes at all points of this process. The final recommendation is made with the team, including the parent(s)/guardians. If parent(s)/guardians disagree with the team’s decision they may appeal the decision to the Assistant Superintendent which will be the district’s last step in the request process.