School Committee tackles age requirement
Published on December 30th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - How young is too young to start school? That is the question that the Stoneham School Committee thinks it has addressed in a policy developed about a dozen years ago but it is also one that is challenged from time to time by parents who feel they deserve input into the answer.
On Tuesday, Stoneham resident Paul Censullo asked the School Committee to review its policy regarding the inflexible date for youngster to begin Kindergarten and First Grade.
According to Censullo, the School Committee's policy regarding entrance ages for children was last revised in February of 1990. Back then, the policy was changed to one that required that in order to enter Kindergarten, a child had to reach his fifth birthday by August 31. Incoming first graders had to be six by that same date.
Through the years, parents who considered their children very bright but shy of the August 31 birthday deadline, have appeared before the Stoneham School Committee requesting an early entrance to Kindergarten or first grade. Routinely, these requests have been turned down.
Last week, Censullo asked for reconsideration of the policy to allow for more parental input into the decision to determine if a child is ready for school.
Specifically, Censullo proposed an exception period between September 1 and October 15 whereby a child whose birthday falls within this 45 day period be considered for admittance with input from parents or guardians.
"This policy would recognize that children learn at different rates academically and emotionally."
Censullo asserted that since the policy was put in place, times have changed.
"A growing number of children are accustomed to learning in a group setting at earlier ages as evidenced by the growing number of daycare centers in our town."
He added that with more children in daycare settings, many children entering Kindergarten have a greater tolerance for full day school and are more developed socially.
The town of Brookline recently adopted a similar addendum to its policy.
"I'm sure that nobody here would say that no child who turns five a day after August 31 is ready to learn while all children who turn five prior to that date are ready. However, that's what the policy currently states."
Another argument Censullo posed was that the August 31 birthday deadline was created largely because of the potentially wide disparity in ages one Kindergarten classroom could have if parents opted not to send their younger five year olds to school when first eligible.
"It seems patently unfair to those who feel their children are ready to deny them in order to uphold the wishes of those who feel their children are not ready."
But Robin Hood School Principal Maureen Solely said that at one time, Stoneham had a January 1st birthday deadline, which was subsequently reevaluated and moved up to November and finally to August 31st. Based on her experience, it is right to uphold a firm date for admission because it is very difficult to teach to a class with a wide disparity in age. Some children are continually playing "catch up," a mode they typically find themselves in well after Kindergarten.
School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly said that Stoneham's August 31st deadline is in line with the majority of the school systems in the state. Currently, 246 Massa-chusetts school systems uphold this date, 21 systems use October 1st, 6 use November 1st, and 21 use Dec 31st.
"It appears that Stoneham is currently in the vast majority..."
Connelly is not in favor of a readiness test to administer to youngsters who do not meet the age criteria due to a limited amount of staff to administer such and concern about the consistency of the approach.
He cited the Brookline policy as an example of the latter. In that community, the superintendent can delegate the testing to a building principal who then can delegate to a teacher, resulting in different people in each school making decisions that are likely subjective.
In Stoneham, any readiness testing would likely fall on the shoulders of the limited school psychologist staff which, he said, would take away from their other responsibilities.
"There is always a deadline. There will always be someone who just misses that deadline...I don't feel we have a readiness test that can give you a foolproof answer, nor do we have the staff to administer such a test."
School Committee member David Sheils said that, as a parent, he empathized with Censullo's concern, but as a member of the School Committee, he would have to see strong educational rationale for all students in Stoneham that supports amending the policy.
But Censullo countered that there is educational value in allowing parents to provide an assessment of their own child.
Censullo also requested if the committee was not ready to create an exception policy as he outlined, that it at least consider slightly modifying the admission requirement for first graders who do not meet the current age cut off but have successfully completed a recognized Kindergarten program elsewhere. The town of Wake-field currently has such a policy.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey stated that a variety of issues factor into the readiness decision, including the intellectual factor, social dynamic, difference in growth rates, and a readiness to learn, all of which must be considered.
Committee chairman Dan Moynihan advised that while no decision would be forthcoming during the evening, the School Committee would listen to the arguments and consider a review of the existing policy.
"No matter what deadline you have, some kids will be ready and some kids will not be ready," Connelly said. "As a public school, we have to deal with where the children are when they enter the doors."
School Committee Vice Chairman Marc Grimaldi thanked Censullo for bringing this issue to the School Committee and encouraged other parents to do the same with their concerns.
"Whatever comes out of it, you're a winner just for being here."
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