Kindergarten at 5? Not so fast, some Georgia parents say

Kindergartners by the numbers

GEORGIA

Sept. 1, 2013:

Sept. 1, 2009:

NATIONWIDE

Fall 2010:

Sources: Georgia Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

Heather Harrison agonized for months over whether her son Garner was ready for kindergarten. He turns 5 in July, just meeting the Sept. 1 eligibility date to start kindergarten in Georgia — meaning he would be among the youngest and smallest kids in his class.

After talking to her child’s preschool teachers and doing other research, the north Fulton mom decided to keep Garner in a preschool program for another year, giving him more time to mature emotionally and fine-tune his writing and other skills.

“He’ll be equipped with the skills he needs,” Harrison said. “I just think it will absolutely be the way to go for him.”

Harrison joins a small but growing group of parents in Georgia choosing to delay their age-eligible children from starting kindergarten in an effort to give them more time for growth and a leg up in an increasingly competitive and rigorous school environment.

It’s known as “academic redshirting,” and much has been written about the practice, which has gained prominence nationally in recent years and is the subject of a number of studies. The term “redshirting” is taken from college athletics and refers to the practice of athletes sitting out competition temporarily in order to extend their period of eligibility.

Besides children with birthdays falling in the latter half of the year, boys are also more likely to be redshirted than girls because they often tend to mature at slower rates, studies show.

“Kindergarten is the new first grade,” said Bruce Atchison, director of the Early Learning Institute at the Education Commission of the States, a nonpartisan agency that researches education policy in the U.S.

Susan Adams, assistant commissioner for Georgia’s pre-k program, said many parents want to be sure their children are equipped to succeed in kindergarten, which has become increasingly academic in the age of high-stakes standardized testing. There’s less play, with more emphasis on reading and math skills.

“We do feel like at 5 everybody is ready for kindergarten,” said Adams, adding that schools strive to work with kindergartners at whatever level they’re functioning. “But we also support that a parent may decide their child isn’t ready.”

That’s what Harrison decided about her son Garner, whom she expects to start kindergarten at a Fulton County public school in fall 2015, when he is 6.

“You want your child to be successful and ready,” said Harrison, adding that she thinks delaying kindergarten for a year will put Garner “at the top of his class.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics as well as a host of academics have researched redshirting. Among the findings are that redshirting can give students an upswing in academic achievement over their younger peers early in elementary school years, but that the advantage can taper off by middle school.

Other education experts, including Atchison, argue the practice can be inequitable. Redshirted students, often from affluent families who can afford to send their children to an extra year of preschool, can have an unfair advantage over their 5-year old peers who’ve had less time in preschool, critics contend.

“What parents are grappling with is they don’t want to pay for another year of preschool … another year of child care. So it becomes a socioeconomic issue for the families,” Atchison said.

In Georgia, the number of redshirted kindergartners has risen slightly within the past five years, according to state Department of Education data. About 7.3 percent of kindergartners (or roughly 10,000 children) this school year were age 6 as of Sept. 1, versus about 92 percent (or roughly 126,000) who were 5.

So far, state education officials say redshirting has not forced them to adjust teaching or curriculum, although they are monitoring the practice.

North Fulton County parent Diane Jacobi considered redshirting her two sons, who have birthdays in June and July. After researching the subject, she decided to enroll both boys in kindergarten when they were eligible at age 5.

Some 10 years later, Jacobi has not regretted her decision. She said her boys have not struggled in school and are leaders in their classes.

“It was the right decision for our kids,” Jacobi said.

If parents feel strongly about delaying when their child starts kindergarten, Jacobi said she would recommend what education experts also advise: that the child be tested for potential developmental problems.

Parents also turn to pediatricians, preschool teachers and other educators for guidance, metro Atlanta school officials say.

Angie Pacholke, principal at Freeman’s Mill Elementary in Gwinnett County, said around this time of year, when parents are trying to plan for their child’s education in the fall, the school gets phone calls from many asking whether they should redshirt their children who have birthdays near the Sept. 1 cutoff date.

Pacholke’s advice? “You just need to look very closely at your child. … You know your child the best.”

“No matter where your child starts … we work with all children,” she said. “My kindergarten teachers know they’ll have some children who will walk in, who have never been to school before. And then you’ll have kids who are reading and writing. We’re meeting kids where they are.”

As more parents explore redshirting, some education observers question whether entry ages for kindergarten should be adjusted, a decision that each state is empowered to make.

“The way it’s now in states, it’s very much a parental choice issue,” Atchison said. “There needs to be more education … that’s targeting the parents: Here’s what you need to keep in mind. Here’s what you need to be looking at.”

“It’s a tough choice for parents.”