Kg. Entry Assessments: A Fulcrum for B-3rd Learning

Tom Schultz Council of Chief State School Officers

NGA Building a B-3rd Grade State Policy AgendaMay 10, 2012

These slides are adapted from presentations by Catherine Scott-Little, Peter Mangione, Jacqueline Jones and Linda Smith at a BUILD/CCSSO KEA meeting convened Feb. 8-9, 2012 in San Antonio, TX

Acknowledgments

Road Map Overview of State KEA initiatives

KEAs as the “fulcrum” between 0-5 and Kg.-Grade 3 assessments

Key issues for state leaders

25 states with Kindergarten assessment

Purposes of the assessments◦ 18 states—plan instruction◦ 12 states—inform policy/track status of children◦ 4 states—feedback to parents

Areas of children’s development assessed◦ 11 comprehensive assessments: 5 or more

domains◦ 9 reading only◦ 2 reading & mathematics

State KEA Efforts - 2010

Start development: 18 states plus DC

Continue development: 3 states

Scale-up to all children: 2 states plus PR

Revise/build on current KEA: 9 states

KEAs in 33 Early Learning Challenge Proposals

Most states would develop own instrument

Purposes/uses reflected ELC requirements◦ Improve instruction in K-3◦ Identify gaps/improvements in early childhood

system/services◦ Include data in K-12 longitudinal data systems

KEAs in ELC Proposals

4 statewide implementation already◦ 2 refine current KEA system (CA and MN)◦ 2 develop new KEA tool/system (MD and OH)

3 partial implementation◦ 2 refine/revise current KEA and move to state-

wide implementation (DL and NC)◦ 1 scale up current KEA system (WA)

2 plan/develop KEA (MA and RI)

KEAs in 9 ELC-Funded States

Movement toward combining observational & direct/performance assessments -DE, MD/OH

Multiple assessments/common metric – MA

Developing assessments to track children’s progress over time (NC: K-2; MD/OH: Kg.)

Certification process for teachers - MD & OH

Trends and Innovations

View KEAs as 1 element in a comprehensive B-8 system of assessments, data and data use

Highlight how KEAs add value to B-8

KEAs: Fulcrum of B-8 Assessment Systems

Screening Measures

Ongoing Formative Assessments

Measures of Environmental Quality

Measures of the Quality of Adult-Child Interactions

Data on Families/Family Engagement/Communities

Birth – 8Comprehensive Assessment System

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How KEAs Add Value to B-8 Assessment Systems

KEA data is unique: ◦ Data on all children◦ Data on multiple domains◦ Data from a common/consistent instrument

Timing of KEAs is strategic:◦ Baseline on what children know & are able to do

at the beginning of K-12.

KEAs as the Fulcrum between 0-5 and Kg.-Grade 3

Feedback to ECE• Status of all

children in multiple domains.

• Target professional development/T/TA

Inform teaching in K-3• Plan curricula &

individualize learning opportunities

• Help families understand their child’s strengths & weaknesses

Kg. Entry

Knowledge &

Skills

Alignment of KEAs with early learning and development standards and with Common Core and other Kindergarten standards

Supports for implementation◦ Good attention to professional development on

administering the KEA◦ Limited attention to use of KEA for instruction◦ Limited attention to maintaining assessment quality

Attention to children with high needs◦ Often addressed in selection of instrument◦ Less attention in professional development on how to

administer and use assessment results◦ Less attention to disaggregating data

Key Issues for State Leaders

Few plans for monitoring, quality control or system evaluation

How KEAs will work in concert with new K-3 formative assessments in literacy & math.

Use of the data◦ Lot of attention linking to the data system◦ Less attention to what will do with the data◦ Limited attention to safeguards to prevent misuse

Missed opportunity on family engagement in assessments and use of results

Key Issues for State Leaders

We can’t afford to waste resources of collecting assessment data that won’t be used.

So support ways to share data with multiple audiences and help them understand & use the information.

BUT - keep in mind that KEAs are only 1 piece of the picture on how young children are doing.

..AND 1 More Thing...