Kindergarten entry assessments
Share your experiences with this type of assessment or research what is being done with this type of assessment in your state or community.
Kindergarten entry assessments: Kindergarten Entry Assessments (KEA) are used in many states to capture a snapshot of children upon entry to kindergarten. The type of information gathered, and the use of the data may vary somewhat from state to state. Explore what your state’s practices are related to KEA. Share your own reflections on this process. In response to your peers, are the practices similar across states? Do you find the practices in other states to be more or less appropriate? Share any experiences you may have had with Kindergarten Entry Assessments as a teacher or a parent.
Having seen firsthand how beneficial KEA can be for young learners entering school, I am pleased that other states such as California, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin and Washington are also utilizing similar practices when it comes to assessing incoming kindergarteners. From what I have read online however, many other states do not have any kind of assessment process designed specifically for incoming kindergartners at all which is concerning given that so much can be learned about a student’s strengths and weaknesses—academically or otherwise—with just one simple evaluation. While there may be certain logistical challenges associated with implementing an assessment program across numerous districts in different states (such as cost or staffing), I feel it is important that more states begin using KEA practices so that children throughout the country can receive the same level of support regardless of where they learn.
In conclusion, Kindergarten Entry Assessments are invaluable tools for understanding where young learners currently stand academically before they enter school. It is my hope that more states will begin using KEA practices so that all students entering kindergarten can start off on equal footing no matter where they learn.