What is Early Access?
To meet the needs of "highly advanced" children who have not yet entered kindergarten or first grade, 51风流 does have the Early Access process available. These highly advanced gifted children who do not meet the age requirements outlined in District Policy JEB must have a body of evidence that is at or above the 97th percentile. The students selected for Early Access must be academically, emotionally, and behaviorally ready to fully participate in all aspects of public school. This process is not for typical children who miss the October 1 kindergarten/first grade entrance date. Rather, this process is really for the top 3 percent or less of the gifted population.
The determination as to whether a student qualifies for the PSD Early Access Program is solely within the discretion of PSD staff. And, if a child earns the opportunity for Early Access, that Early Access kindergarten or 1st grade class spot is offered at the child's home school in PSD. Early Access is a separate process from School of Choice.
“Highly-advanced gifted child” means a gifted child whose body of evidence demonstrates a profile of exceptional ability or potential compared to same-age gifted children. To meet the needs of highly-advanced development, early access to educational services may be considered as a special provision for the highly-advanced gifted child who exhibits exceptional ability and potential for accomplishment in cognitive process, academic areas, and behavior.
Early Access Age Requirements:
- The student must reach the age of four by October 1 for kindergarten.
- The student must reach the age of five by October 1 for first grade.
Criteria for Early Access students
A child admitted under the Early Access provision must show high:
- Aptitude
- Achievement in BOTH reading and math at or above the 97th percentile
- Cognitive performance at or above the 97th percentile
- Readiness for advanced placement
- Observable advanced social behavior
- Motivation to learn
- Strong fine motor skills
- Support from parents
Application process
Only the children of PSD residents will be considered for Early Access. Families who live in PSD may request an application from the PSD K-12 Gifted Coordinator at any time, but applications will not be distributed until March 1st. Applications will be emailed directly to parents.
Parents must submit these documents and forms to apply for Early Access:
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Application form (an online Microsoft Form)
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Body of Evidence (an online Microsoft Form) - - The BOE gathers information about your child's cognitive, creative, social emotional, behavioral, developmental, and interpersonal skills.
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Signed Approval for Testing and Records Release Form (online fillable PDF)
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Parent letter stating reasons for considering Early Access
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Proof of residence within PSD boundaries
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Proof of child's age - - There is a wide variety of documents that can fulfill this proof.
All of these documents and forms may be submitted to the PSD K-12 Gifted Coordinator between March 1st and April 1st. The Early Access team will review all documents and the results of the child's 1:1 screening to determine whether or not the child will move forward with additional testing no later than April 17, 2025.