Children who are 5 years old by August 31, 2026 are eligible to enroll in kindergarten. However, children who turn 5 between September 1 and December 31, 2026 may be assessed to determine readiness for early entrance into kindergarten.

The intent of early entrance is to identify highly capable children who miss the regular September 1 cutoff for kindergarten 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 testing procedures are as follows:

• Complete online registration for "Early Entry Kindergarten 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
  Failure to bring these items to the test appointment will result in your child not being tested.
  
• Registration for testing opens February 16, 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year
• Testing takes approximately 1.5 hours and involves basic readiness skills such as social, emotional, and education abilities. All testing is held at the DVUSD District Office:
  • Kindergarten testing is in the Governing Board Room at our District Office, 20402 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027
  Test results will be e-mailed within two weeks of the test date. All results are final and re-testing is not permitted.