Kindergarten Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • Fax: 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org State Kindergarten Statutes: State Profiles Updated December 2010 Alabama ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Alaska .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Arizona ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Arkansas ............................................................................................................................................ 10 California ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Colorado ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Connecticut ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Delaware ............................................................................................................................................ 22 District of Columbia ........................................................................................................................... 25 Florida ............................................................................................................................................... 27 Georgia .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Hawaii ............................................................................................................................................... 32 Idaho .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Illinois................................................................................................................................................ 36 Indiana ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Iowa ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Kansas ............................................................................................................................................... 43 Kentucky............................................................................................................................................ 45 Louisiana ........................................................................................................................................... 47 Maine ................................................................................................................................................. 50 Maryland............................................................................................................................................ 53 Massachusetts .................................................................................................................................... 56 Michigan ............................................................................................................................................ 58 Minnesota .......................................................................................................................................... 60 Mississippi ......................................................................................................................................... 63 Missouri ............................................................................................................................................. 65 Montana ............................................................................................................................................. 67 Nebraska ............................................................................................................................................ 69 Nevada ............................................................................................................................................... 72 New Hampshire ................................................................................................................................. 74 New Jersey ......................................................................................................................................... 76 New Mexico ...................................................................................................................................... 79 New York .......................................................................................................................................... 82 North Carolina ................................................................................................................................... 85 North Dakota ..................................................................................................................................... 88 Ohio ................................................................................................................................................... 91 Oklahoma .......................................................................................................................................... 94 Oregon ............................................................................................................................................... 97 Pennsylvania ...................................................................................................................................... 99 Puerto Rico ...................................................................................................................................... 101 Rhode Island .................................................................................................................................... 103 South Carolina ................................................................................................................................. 105 South Dakota ................................................................................................................................... 108 Tennessee ........................................................................................................................................ 110 Texas ............................................................................................................................................... 113 Utah ................................................................................................................................................. 115 Vermont ........................................................................................................................................... 117 Virgin Islands................................................................................................................................... 119 Virginia ............................................................................................................................................ 121 Washington ...................................................................................................................................... 124 West Virginia ................................................................................................................................... 126 Wisconsin ........................................................................................................................................ 129 Wyoming ......................................................................................................................................... 131 Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org Page 2 Alabama State Kindergarten Policies Kindergarten Entrance Age 5 on or before September 1 (Ala. Code § 16-28-40) Compulsory School Age 7 (Ala. Code § 16-28-3) Provision for Early Entry to Kindergarten "An underage child who transfers from the public school kindergarten in another state may be admitted to local public kindergarten on the prior approval of the local board of education on a space available basis." (Ala. Code § 16-28- 4) Other Age Issues If a district chooses to offer kindergarten, "children from 5- to 8-years-of-age may be admitted to kindergarten on such terms and conditions which county boards of education may prescribe." (Ala. Code § 16-8-41) Minimum Required Hours/Days for Kindergarten Not specified in statute Admission Requirements for Kindergarten Certification of immunization (Ala. Code § 16-30-4) Kindergarten Curriculum - General Info Students in grades K-12 inclusive must "receive instruction regarding how to study." (Ala. Code § 16-40-1.1) Kindergarten Standards - General Info Not specified in statute Kindergarten Assessment - General Info Not specified in statute State Pays for Early Entry Kindergarten Students? Not applicable