§ 8972 Early Primary Program Rules

• •Schools can mix kids of different ages (like preschool, kindergarten, and up to 3rd grade) in special classes called 'early primary programs' if they learn together in a fun, hands-on way.
• •Parents must be involved in these programs—like helping out or learning how to support their kids.
• •Teachers mostly watch how kids learn over time and use their work (like drawings or projects) to decide what to teach them next.
• •Schools can use tests to figure out how to help a kid, but only if the test is fair and accurate. They can’t use tests to say 'no' to letting a kid join the program.

A school wants to create a class where 5-year-olds (kindergarten) and 6-year-olds (1st grade) learn together by playing games, doing art, and working on projects.

The school can do this as long as they include parents (like having parent-teacher meetings or workshops). Teachers will watch how the kids learn over time and use their schoolwork to plan lessons. If a kid takes a test, the school can use it to see what help they need, but they can’t use the test to keep the kid out of the class.