Ages for compulsory school attendance and compulsory provision of services for special education students, by state: 1992-93 and March 1994

Table 148.

______________________________________________________________
                      |                |        Compulsory
                      |     Compulsory |   provision of services
        State         |     attendance |   for special education
                      |    (March 1994)|     (1992-1993)\1\
______________________|________________|________________________
          1           |         2      |             3
______________________|________________|________________________
Alabama ..............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
Alaska................|\2\   7 to 16   |          3 to 21
Arizona ..............|\4\   6 to 16   |          3 to 21
Arkansas .............|      5 to 17   |          3 to 20
California ...........|      6 to 18   |          3 to 21
                      |                |
Colorado .............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
Connecticut ..........|      7 to 16   |          3 to 21
Delaware .............|      5 to 16   |          3 to 20
District of Columbia .|      7 to 17   |\6\       3 to 21
Florida ..............|      6 to 16   |          3 to 18
                      |                |
Georgia ..............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 21
Hawaii ...............|      6 to 18   |          3 to 20
Idaho ................|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
Illinois .............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
Indiana...............|\7\   7 to 16   |          3 to 17
                      |                |
Iowa .................|      6 to 16   |        Birth to 20
Kansas ...............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 21
Kentucky .............|\9\   6 to 16   |          3 to 20
Louisiana ............|      7 to 17   |          3 to 21
Maine ................|      7 to 17   |          3 to 19
                      |                |
Maryland .............|      5 to 16   |        Birth to 20
Massachusetts ........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 21
Michigan .............|      6 to 16   |        Birth to 25
Minnesota ............|\11\  7 to 16   |        Birth to 20
Mississippi ..........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 20
                      |                |
Missouri..............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
Montana ..............|\3\   7 to 16   |          3 to 18
Nebraska .............|      7 to 16   |        Birth to 20
Nevada ...............|      7 to 17   |          3 to 21
New Hampshire ........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 20
                      |                |
New Jersey ...........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 21
New Mexico ...........|      5 to 16   |          3 to 21
New York .............|\5\   6 to 16   |\6\       3 to 21
North Carolina .......|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
North Dakota .........|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
                      |                |
Ohio .................|      6 to 18   |          3 to 21
Oklahoma .............|      5 to 18   |          3 to 21
Oregon ...............|      7 to 18   |          3 to 20
Pennsylvania .........|      8 to 17   |          3 to 21
Rhode Island .........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 20
                      |                |
South Carolina .......|\8\   5 to 17   |          3 to 20
South Dakota .........|\3\   6 to 16   |          3 to 20
Tennessee ............|      7 to 17   |          3 to 21
Texas ................|      6 to 17   |          3 to 21
Utah .................|      6 to 18   |\6\       3 to 21
                      |                |
Vermont ..............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 21
Virginia .............|      5 to 18   |          2 to 21
Washington ...........|\10\  8 to 18   |          3 to 21
West Virginia.........|      6 to 16   |          3 to 22
Wisconsin ............|\12\  6 to 18   |          3 to 20
Wyoming ..............|      7 to 16   |          3 to 20
______________________|________________|_______________________

\1\Lower age limit for eligibility has been updated for 1992-93, upper age limit is for 1989-90.
\2\Ages 7 to 16 or high school graduation.
\3\May leave after completion of eighth grade.
\4\Ages 6 to 16 or tenth grade completion.
\5\Ages 6 to 17 for New York City and Buffalo.
\6\State has established two points in the program year by which children must be 3 years of age to be eligible for services.
\7\Effective 1992-93, students between 16 and 18 are required to submit to an exit interview and have written parental approval before leaving high school.
\8\Permits parental waiver of kindergarten at age 5.
\9\Must have parental signature for leaving school between ages of 16 and 18.
\10\Or can exit if age 15 and has completed grade 8, has a useful occupation, has met graduation requirements or has certificate of education competency.
\11\Will change to 7 to 18 in the year 2000.
\12\Ages 6 to 18 or high school graduation.

NOTE.--The Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) Amendments of 1986 make it mandatory for all states receiving EHA funds to serve all 3- to 18-year-old handicapped children.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Section 619 Profile, Fourth Edition, June 1993; Education Commission of the States, "Compulsory School Age Requirements, March 1994," and unpublished revisions. (This table was prepared August 1994.)

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