Kindergarten Assessment Required Beginning Fall 2013

3/14/2013 9:54:00 AM

In 2012, House Bill 4165 directed the Early Learning Council and the Department of Education (ODE) to jointly develop a kindergarten assessment to be piloted in the fall of 2012 and ready for statewide implementation by the fall of 2013. On March 7, 2013 the Board of Education adopted Oregon Administrative Rule 581-022-2130 mandating ODE implement a kindergarten assessment as part of the statewide assessment system beginning with the 2013-14 school year.

The assessment is a critical component of Oregon's efforts towards an integrated Preschool to Workforce system and will measure areas of school readiness. Results of the kindergarten assessment will help answer the following questions:

Are Oregon's children (as a population) arriving at kindergarten ready for school?
Is their level of school readiness improving or declining over time?
Are there disparities (geographical, cultural, racial, or socio-economic) between groups of children that must be addressed?
Are there particular areas of school readiness that Oregon must target?

In upcoming weeks ODE will release a numbered memorandum outlining kindergarten assessment policy.

ODE staff will make additional information that is critical for local planning available as soon as possible through the Assessment and Accountability Update. To date, DTCs can anticipate that in 2013:

The kindergarten assessment will be in a paper and pencil format.
The test window will be from mid-August through late September; specific dates for the window will be part of the Oregon Statewide Testing Schedule.
Administrative guidelines will be part of the 2013-14 Test Administration Manual.
Following a train-the-trainer model, ODE will offer districts both web-based and in-person regional training.
The training will be approximately one and one-half hours in length, and the in-person regional trainings will be available in May/June and in August at five locations to help ensure balanced availability throughout the state.

Results of the kindergarten assessment will be included in Oregon's statewide longitudinal data system, with participation included in the 2013-14 school district achievement compacts. Important questions about local data entry through the consolidated collection are being addressed. The data collection will provide an early snapshot of children's readiness skills that will help teachers deliver individualized supports for children that need extra help. The information will also inform efforts to improve early learning services to children across the state. It is important to note that the kindergarten assessment will absolutely not be used for determining whether a child is eligible for entry or access to any public kindergarten.

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