Early Entry to Kindergarten

Your child may be considered for early entry to kindergarten in PWCS if they:

• Will turn five years old between October 1 and December 31 during the upcoming school year; and
• Have completed at least one full year of formal preschool in a preschool program including the following settings:
  • A school-based preschool program (including Virginia Preschool Initiative).
  • Head Start program.
  • A National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited preschool program.
  • A licensed child care center.
  • A licensed home daycare provider.

To help PWCS better understand your child’s readiness, families will be asked to submit supporting information such as:

• A letter from your child’s preschool teacher, program director, or knowledgeable individual describing kindergarten readiness.
• A recent progress report or report card.
• Relevant evaluation information, if your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or has recently been assessed for a suspected developmental delay or disability.

If your child meets the age entrance criteria but has not been enrolled in a preschool program described here, please email [email protected] to discuss options for assessment.

• Families may request an early entry assessment during a defined date window before each school year.
• Requests must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian.
• When completing the request form, families should be prepared to upload the required documents outlined above.

Children who meet the initial eligibility criteria will be invited to participate in an in-person kindergarten readiness assessment with trained PWCS staff.

During the assessment, staff will look at your child’s:

• Early academic skills aligned to kindergarten expectations.
• Social and emotional readiness for a full-day school setting.

Assessment schedule:

• Families will receive an appointment time and location.
• Most appointments last about 30-60 minutes.
• Assessments are designed to be child-friendly, with breaks provided as needed.
• Interpretation services are available, and assessments may be given in your child’s primary language.
• Assessments for families who move to Prince William County after the initial evaluation timeline will be scheduled on an individual basis.

After all assessments are completed:

• PWCS staff will carefully review assessment results along with any supporting documentation you provided.
• Families will be notified of the decision after the testing window closes.

If your child is approved for early entry, you will receive:

• Written confirmation that your child is eligible for early entry.
• Information about completing kindergarten enrollment at your child’s zoned PWCS school.

PWCS will also notify the school and maintain the assessment information in your child’s educational record.

If your child is not approved, you will receive:

• Written notification summarizing the assessment results.
• Helpful feedback about your child’s development.
• Information about other preschool or early childhood options that may be a better fit at this time.

A few important things to keep in mind:

• Early entry decisions are based on multiple measures of readiness, not age alone.
• Approval for early entry does not guarantee placement at a school other than your child’s zoned school.
• If early entry is approved, families must still complete all standard PWCS kindergarten enrollment steps.