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Digest of Education Statistics
1999 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

Table 155  Ages for compulsory school attendance, special education services for students, policies for year-round schools, and kindergarten programs, by state: 1997 and 1995

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                      |             |                 |   Year-round schools,  |     Provision of kindergarten
                      |             |                 |         1995           |         education, 1995
                      | Compulsory  |   Compulsory    |________________________|___________________________________
                      | attendance, |   special edu-  |Has policy|    Has      |School districts |   Attendance
        State         |    1997     |  cation services|on year-  |  districts  |required to offer|    required
                      |             |       1997\1\   |  round   | with year-  |_________________|_________________
                      |             |                 | schools  |round schools|Half day|Full day|Half day|Full day
______________________|_____________|_________________|__________|_____________|________|________|________|________
          1           |        2    |          3      |    4     |      5      |   6    |   7    |   8    |   9
______________________|_____________|_________________|__________|_____________|________|________|________|________
Alabama ..............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |        |   X    |        |
Alaska................|\2\  7 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |        |        |        |
Arizona ..............|\3\  6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
Arkansas .............|     5 to 17 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |        |   X    |        |   X
California ...........|     6 to 18 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Colorado .............|     7 to 16 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |      X      |        |        |        |
Connecticut ..........|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
Delaware .............|     5 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
District of Columbia .|     5 to 18 |\5\    3 to 21   |          |             |        |   X    |        |   X
Florida ..............|     6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |      X      |        |   X    |        |   X
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Georgia ..............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |        |   X    |        |
Hawaii ...............|\6\  6 to 18 |       3 to 20   |          |      X      |        |        |        |
Idaho ................|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |      X      |        |        |        |
Illinois .............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |        |
Indiana...............|\7\  7 to 18 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Iowa .................|     6 to 16 |     Birth to 20 |          |             |        |        |        |
Kansas ...............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |        |        |        |
Kentucky .............|\8\  6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |      X      |   X    |        |        |
Louisiana ............|     7 to 17 |       3 to 21   |     ---  |     ---     |  ---   |  ---   |  ---   |  ---
Maine ................|     7 to 17 |       3 to 19   |          |             |        |        |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Maryland .............|     5 to 16 |     Birth to 20 |          |             |   X    |        |        |
Massachusetts ........|     6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
Michigan .............|     6 to 16 |     Birth to 25 |          |             |        |        |        |
Minnesota ............|\9\  7 to 16 |     Birth to 20 |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |        |
Mississippi ..........|     6 to 17 |       3 to 20   |          |      X      |        |   X    |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Missouri..............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
Montana ..............|\10\ 7 to 16 |       3 to 18   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
Nebraska .............|     7 to 16 |     Birth to 20 |    X     |             |        |        |        |
Nevada ...............|     7 to 17 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |        |
New Hampshire ........|     6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |        |        |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
New Jersey ...........|     6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |             |        |        |        |
New Mexico ...........|     5 to 18 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
New York .............|\11\ 6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |        |        |        |
North Carolina .......|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |      X      |        |        |        |
North Dakota .........|     7 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |   X    |   X    |   X
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Ohio .................|     6 to 18 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
Oklahoma .............|     5 to 18 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |        |
Oregon ...............|     7 to 18 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |        |
Pennsylvania .........|     8 to 17 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
Rhode Island .........|     6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |   X    |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
South Carolina .......|\12\ 5 to 17 |\4\    3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
South Dakota .........|\10\ 6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |    X     |             |   X    |   X    |        |
Tennessee ............|     7 to 17 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
Texas ................|     6 to 17 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |   X    |   X    |        |
Utah .................|     6 to 18 |       3 to 21   |    X     |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Vermont ..............|     7 to 16 |       3 to 21   |          |             |        |        |        |
Virginia .............|     5 to 18 |       2 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |   X    |   X    |   X
Washington ...........|\13\ 8 to 18 |       3 to 20   |          |      X      |        |        |        |
West Virginia.........|     6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |             |   X    |        |        |
Wisconsin ............|\14\ 6 to 18 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |             |        |        |        |
Wyoming ..............|     7 to 16 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |        |
______________________|_____________|_________________|__________|_____________|________|________|________|________

\1\Most states have an upper age limit whereby education is provided up to a certain age or completion of secondary school, whichever comes first.
\2\Ages 7 to 16 or high school graduation.
\3\Ages 6 to 16 or tenth grade completion.
\4\Upper age limit for eligibility has been updated for 1997.
\5\State has established two points in the program year by which children must be 3 years of age to be eligible for services.
\6\Students over the age of 16 may withdraw with the approval of a principal and student's guardians, and if an alternative education program exists.
\7\From age 7 until student (1) graduates; (2) between age 16 to 18 and meets requirements for exit interview before graduation; or (3) reaches 18. Withdrawal before 18 requires parent/guardian and principal written permission.
\8\Must have parental signature for leaving school between ages 16 to 18.
\9\Age 18 takes effect in 2000.
\10\Age 16 or completion of eighth grade.
\11\Ages 6 to 17 for New York City and Buffalo.
\12\Permits parental waiver of kindergarten at age 5.
\13\Or can exit if age 16 or older, has a useful occupation, has met graduation requirements or has a certificate of education competency.
\14\Ages 6 to 18 or high school graduation.
---Data not available. 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 disabled children. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, The Eighteenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1996; National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc., unpublished data; Education Commission of the States, "Clearinghouse

Notes," March 1997; and Council of Chief State School Officers, State Education Policies on Student Attendance and Use of Time: 1995. (This table was prepared May 1997.)


1999 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest