Age range for compulsory school attendance and special education services, and policies on year-round schools and kindergarten programs, by state: Selected years, 2000 through 2010

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Table 174.

State	Compulsory attendance														Compulsory special education services, 2004¹		Year-round schools, 2008				Kindergarten programs, 2010
	2000		2002		2004		2006		2008		2009		2010				Has policy on year-round schools		Has districts with year-round schools		School districts required to offer				Atten-dance required
	2000		2002		2004		2006		2008		2009		2010				Has policy on year-round schools		Has districts with year-round schools		Program		Full-day program		Atten-dance required
1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		12		13		14
Alabama	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 17		6 to 21				Yes		X		X
Alaska	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		3 to 22				Yes
Arizona	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	3 to 21		—		—		X
Arkansas	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 21		X		Yes		X		X		X
California	6 to 18	²	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 21	⁴	X		Yes		X

Colorado	—		—		7 to 16		7 to 16		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		3 to 21				Yes		X
Connecticut	7 to 16		7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	3 to 21				—		X				X
Delaware	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16	²	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		Birth to 20				Yes		X				X
District of Columbia	—		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		—		—		—		X				X
Florida	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	3 to 21		X		Yes		X

Georgia	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		Birth to 21	⁶			Yes		X		X
Hawaii	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 19				(⁷)		X
Idaho	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		3 to 21				Yes
Illinois	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		3 to 21		X		Yes		X	⁸
Indiana	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	3 to 22				Yes		X

Iowa	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		Birth to 21		X		Yes		X
Kansas	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	3 to 21	⁹			—		X
Kentucky	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		Birth to 21				Yes		X
Louisiana	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	3 to 21	¹⁰			Yes		X		X		X
Maine	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	5 to 19	^10,11			—		X

Maryland	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16	³	5 to 16	³	Birth to 21		X		—		X		X		X
Massachusetts	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	3 to 21	⁶	(¹²)		—		X
Michigan	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18		Birth to 25		X		Yes
Minnesota	7 to 18	²	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	Birth to 21		X		Yes		X
Mississippi	6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		Birth to 20				—		X		X

Missouri	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 17		Birth to 20				Yes	¹³	X
Montana	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	3 to 18	¹⁰			—		X
Nebraska	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 20				Yes		X
Nevada	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	Birth to 21	⁴			Yes		X				X
New Hampshire	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18		3 to 21				—

New Jersey	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		5 to 21				—
New Mexico	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	3 to 21		X		Yes		X				X
New York	6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	¹⁴	6 to 16	¹⁴	6 to 16	¹⁴	6 to 16	¹⁴	Birth to 20				—
North Carolina	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		5 to 20		X		Yes		X		X
North Dakota	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		3 to 21				No

Ohio	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21		X		—		X	⁸			X
Oklahoma	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		Birth to 21	¹⁰			Yes		X		(¹⁵)		X
Oregon	7 to 18		7 to 18		7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		7 to 18		7 to 18		3 to 20				Yes		X
Pennsylvania	8 to 17		8 to 17		8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	6 to 21		X	¹³	—	¹³
Rhode Island	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		3 to 21				—		X				X

South Carolina	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 17	³	5 to 17	³	5 to 17	³	5 to 17	³	3 to 21	¹⁶			—		X		X	⁸	X
South Dakota	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	^2,17	6 to 18	^2,17	Birth to 21		X		—		X
Tennessee	6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17	³	6 to 17	³	6 to 17	³	6 to 17	³	3 to 21	⁴	X		Yes		X				X
Texas	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21		X		Yes		X
Utah	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 22				Yes		X

Vermont	7 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	3 to 21				—	¹³	X
Virginia	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18	^2,3	5 to 18	^2,3	2 to 21		X		Yes		X				X
Washington	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 16	²	8 to 18		8 to 18		8 to 18		8 to 18		3 to 21	¹⁶			Yes		X
West Virginia	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 17		5 to 21	¹⁸	X		Yes		X		X		X
Wisconsin	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21				Yes		X
Wyoming	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	3 to 21				—		X

—Not available.

X Denotes that the state has a policy. A blank denotes that the state does not have a policy.

¹ Most states have a provision whereby education is provided up to a certain age or completion of secondary school, whichever comes first.

² Child may be exempted from compulsory attendance if he/she meets state requirements for early withdrawal with or without meeting conditions for a diploma or equivalency.

³ Parent/guardian may delay child's entry until a later age per state law/regulation.

⁴ Student may continue in the program if 22nd birthday falls before the end of the school year.

⁵ Attendance is compulsory until age 18 for Manatee County students, unless they earn a high school diploma prior to reaching their 18th birthday.

⁶ Through age 21 or until child graduates with a high school or special education diploma or equivalent.

⁷ Some districts operate on a multitrack system; the schools are open year-round, but different cohorts start and end at different times.

⁸ State requires districts with full-day programs to offer half-day programs.

⁹ To be determined by rules and regulations adopted by the state board.

¹⁰ Children from birth through age 2 are eligible for additional services.

¹¹ Must be age 5 before October 15, and not age 20 before start of school year.

¹² Policies about year-round schools are decided locally.

¹³ State did not participate in 2008 online survey. Data are from 2006.

¹⁴ New York City and Buffalo require school attendance until age 17 unless employed; Syracuse requires kindergarten attendance at age 5.

¹⁵ Beginning in 2011–12, it will be mandatory for all districts in Oklahoma to offer full-day kindergarten.

¹⁶ Student may complete school year if 21st birthday occurs while attending school.

¹⁷ Compulsory attendance beginning at age 5 effective July 1, 2010.

¹⁸ Severely handicapped children may begin receiving services at age 3.

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: Council of Chief State School Officers, Key State Education Policies on PK–12 Education, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2008; Education Commission of the States (ECS), ECS StateNotes, Compulsory School Age Requirements, retrieved August 9, 2010, from http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/86/62/8662.pdf; ECS StateNotes, Special Education: State Special Education Definitions, Ages Served, retrieved August 9, 2010, from http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/52/29/5229.pdf; ECS, State Kindergarten Statutes: State Comparisons, retrieved September 22, 2010, from http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=14; and supplemental information retrieved from various state websites. (This table was prepared October 2010.)

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