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|
| Table 5.3. Kindergarten requirements, by state: 2008 | ||||||
| State | Districts require students to attend kindergarten | Districts required to offer full-day kindergarten program | Districts required to offer half-day kindergarten program | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States1 | 13 | 14 | 16 | |||
| Alabama | No | Yes | No | |||
| Alaska | No | No | No | |||
| Arizona | No | No | Yes | |||
| Arkansas | Yes | 2 | Yes | No | ||
| California | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Colorado | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Connecticut | No | No | Yes | |||
| Delaware | Yes | 4 | Yes | No | ||
| District of Columbia | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| Florida | No | Yes | No | |||
| Georgia | No | Yes | No | |||
| Hawaii | No | Yes | No | |||
| Idaho | No | No | No | |||
| Illinois | No | No | Yes | |||
| Indiana | No | No | Yes | |||
| Iowa | No | No | No | |||
| Kansas | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Kentucky | No | No | Yes | |||
| Louisiana | No | Yes | No | |||
| Maine | No | No | Yes | |||
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | — | |||
| Massachusetts | No | No | Yes | |||
| Michigan | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Minnesota | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Mississippi | No | Yes | No | |||
| Missouri5 | No | No | Yes | |||
| Montana | No | No | Yes | |||
| Nebraska | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Nevada | No | No | Yes | |||
| New Hampshire | No | No | No | |||
| New Jersey6 | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| New Mexico | Yes | No | Yes | |||
| New York | No | No | No | |||
| North Carolina | No | Yes | No | |||
| North Dakota | No | No | No | |||
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | 3,7 | Yes | 3 | |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Oregon | No | No | Yes | |||
| Pennsylvania5 | No | No | No | |||
| Rhode Island | Yes | No | Yes | |||
| South Carolina | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| South Dakota | No | 8 | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| Texas | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Utah | No | No | Yes | |||
| Vermont5 | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
| Virginia | Yes | 9 | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 |
| Washington | No | No | Yes | |||
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| Wisconsin | No | No | Yes | |||
| Wyoming | No | Yes | 3 | Yes | 3 | |
|
— Not available. 1 National total reflects the number of ""Yes"" responses for the column. 2 In Arkansas, children are not required to attend kindergarten if their parents sign a waiver. 3Indicates that either full-day or half-day is required. States were only counted in the total when the entire state was required to have only a full-day kindergarten program or only a half-day kindergarten program. 4 Children in Delaware are not required to attend kindergarten if the district grants a waiver. 5 Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Vermont did not participate in the 2008 online survey; data are from the 2006 survey. 6 New Jersey data are for Abbott Districts only. Abbott Districts are school districts covered by a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that found the education provided to urban school children was inadequate and unconstitutional. There are 31 Abbott Districts in New Jersey. 7 High-poverty districts in Ohio that receive special state funding are required to provide full-day kindergarten services. 8 Effective July 1, 2010, South Dakota will require that all schools offer a kindergarten program, and that all children attend a kindergarten program. 9 In Virginia, students who are 5 years old by September 30 must enroll in school. However, attendance may be delayed for one year if, in the opinion of the parents or guardian, the child is not mentally, physically, or emotionally prepared to attend school. SOURCE: Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education: 2008, Council of Chief State School Officers, (2009). Data Source | ||||||
