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Digest of Education Statistics
1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

Table 149.Ages for compulsory school attendance, special education services for students, policies for kindergarten programs, and year-round schools, by state: 1995 and 1996

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      |             |                 |   Year-round schools,  |     Provision of kindergarten
                      |             |                 |         1995           |         education, 1995
                      | Compulsory  |   Compulsory    |------------------------|-----------------------------------
                      | attendance, |   special edu-  |Has policy|    Has      |School districts |   Attendance
        State         |    1996     |  cation services|on year-  |  districts  |required to offer|    required
                      |             |       1996\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 20   |          |      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 .|     7 to 17 |\4,5\  3 to 21   |          |             |        |   X    |        |   X
Florida ..............|     6 to 16 |       3 to 20   |    X     |      X      |        |   X    |        |   X
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Georgia ..............|     7 to 16 |\4\    3 to 21   |          |      X      |        |   X    |        |
Hawaii ...............|\6\  6 to 16 |\4\    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 16 |       3 to 21   |          |      X      |   X    |        |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Iowa .................|     6 to 16 |     Birth to 20 |          |             |        |        |        |
Kansas ...............|     5 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |        |        |        |
Kentucky .............|\8\  6 to 16 |\4\    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 16 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |      X      |        |   X    |        |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Missouri..............|     7 to 16 |\4\    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 |\4\    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 16 |       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 .........|     5 to 16 |       3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |   X    |   X    |   X
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
Ohio .................|     6 to 18 |\4\    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 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |             |   X    |        |   X    |
                      |             |                 |          |             |        |        |        |
South Carolina .......|\12\ 5 to 17 |\4\    3 to 20   |          |      X      |   X    |        |   X    |
South Dakota .........|\10\ 6 to 16 |       3 to 21   |    X     |             |   X    |   X    |        |
Tennessee ............|     7 to 18 |\4\    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 |\4\    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 eligiblity has been updated for 1996.

\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.

\7\From age 7 until student (1) graduates; (2) between age 16-18 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 of 16 and 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 15 and has completed grade 8, has a useful occupation, has met graduation requirements or has 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 Seventeenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 1995; National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc., unpublished data; Education Commission of the States, "Clearinghouse Notes," April 1996; and Council of Chief State School Officers, State Education Policies on Student Attendance and Use of Time: 1995. (This table was prepared May 1996.)


1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest