Kindergarten Screening
Office of Teaching and Learning
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Kindergarten Screening Instructions
Children living in Framingham who are five years old on or before August 31 are eligible to enter Kindergarten in September. Kindergarten Screening is required for ALL students entering kindergarten. Both Massachusetts and Federal laws require screening as a process to understand the development of all children participating in kindergarten programming.
Students will be screened prior to their first day of school, Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
Screening Dates
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Friday, September 1, 2023
Screening appointments will be sent out with your child's classroom assignment in August.
What is Kindergarten Screening?
Kindergarten screening provides a brief picture or "snapshot" of a child's abilities in language, cognition, gross motor, body awareness and visual motor development. It is important to note that this screening does not determine eligibility for kindergarten, nor is it a test of IQ or school readiness. All children develop at their own pace. This screening will assist your child’s teacher in learning more about various aspects of your child’s development such as language, cognition, perception, and motor development.
What happens on screening day?
Bring your child to your elementary school for the scheduled screening appointment. The screening will take approximately 30 minutes. If you do not have access to transportation, please be sure to be 10-15 minutes early at your designated pick up stop. Families requesting transportation and screening should plan for a minimum of 2 hours.
Why is Kindergarten Screening Done?
Massachusetts Law mandates that all Kindergarten age-eligible children be screened for "possible special needs" by October 31 of their Kindergarten year. The goal of early identification is based on the premise that a "child's skills, abilities and intelligence are not fixed". If a child is determined to need early intervention and support services based on further evaluation, it may decrease the need for special services in later years.
If your child is currently receiving special education services through Framingham Public Schools, they have already been identified as needing support, which is the purpose of Kindergarten screening. In this case, your child does not need to participate in the ESI-K screener; however, will participate in an alternative process at their scheduled appointment.
What should occur with students who are deemed as “referred”?
The purpose of Kindergarten screening is to identify children who may need further evaluation in one or more areas of development in order to determine if she/he may be eligible for special education services.
What Is Done With The Results?
Your child's performance will be evaluated based on her/his age. If there are any concerns, parents will be contacted to either rescreen the child at a later time or refer her/him for a Special Education Team Evaluation.
Quotes taken from Developmental Screening in Early Childhood: A Guide, written by Samuel J. Meisels.
Transportation Requests
Kindergarten screening is required for incoming Kindergarten students. We will be offering transportation to any family who does not have the means to transport their child to their scheduled appointment to ensure this is possible for all students. The transportation form was shared and available to families at Kindergarten Orientation Day. If you need transportation assistance to attend your child's screening appointment and have not done so, please fill out the transportation form below by Friday, June 30, 2023.
Appointments will be included in your child's classroom assignment letter.
Christina Shea, Early Education Manager
Email: cshea@framingham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/pel
Location: 19 Flagg Drive, Framingham, MA, USA
Phone: 508-782-6898