Children who are 6 years old by August 31, 2025 are eligible to enroll in first grade. However, children who turn 6 between September 1 and December 31, 2026 may be assessed to determine readiness for early entrance into first grade.

The intent of early entrance is to identify highly capable children who miss the regular September 1 cutoff for first grade entrance. Early entry is specifically geared for children whose curriculum achievement level far exceeds the norm. In order to be considered for the early entrance exception, the child must exhibit advanced skills in language arts, mathematics, and in social, emotional and motor development as measured by tests administered by the Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD).

Early entry first grade testing procedures are as follows:

• Complete online registration for "Early Entry First Grade Readiness Test", which includes submitting an online payment of a $75.00 non-refundable test fee at the time of registration.
• At the time/date of your child's test appointment, the following items MUST be presented:
  • Receipt for the $75.00 test registration
  • Child's ORIGINAL birth certificate
  • Kindergarten grade report
  ***Failure to bring these items to the test appointment will result in your child not being tested.***
  
• Registration opens February 15, 2026 for the 2025-2026 school year.  
• Testing takes approximately 1 hour and involves basic readiness skills such as social, emotional, and education abilities. All testing is held at DVUSD District Office 20402 N 15th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85027.