Kindergarten Screener
The Kentucky Department of Education piloted a common kindergarten entry screen in 109 school districts across the commonwealth during the 2012-13 school year. In the 2013-14 school year all 174 districts across Kentucky will be required to implement the screen.
The Kentucky Department of Education piloted a common kindergarten entry screen in 109 school districts across the commonwealth during the 2012-13 school year. In the 2013-14 school year all 174 districts across Kentucky will be required to implement the screen.
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Why is this important? We know the earliest years are the most important –
providing the highest rate of return of any social investment (James
Heckman) Kentucky has been investing in early childhood education since
KERA and we led the way in many areas including a Quality-Rating system for
child care and spending for pre-kindergarten.
·
What are we doing about
it? For the first time we have pilot
data showing how our investment is paying off. We have mixed results
across KY – strong social emotional but not so strong in cognitive
areas. Also, for the first time we have comprehensive data about early
childhood in each county in KY. Communities can assess their system of
early childhood services to help increase quality.
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How can you help? Schools, families and communities must work together to
move the needle on school readiness.
This screen was given to obtain a quick snapshot of a
child’s abilities at one point in time and represents only one data point for a
child. The screener results, along with other data on curriculum, assessment
and instructional practices, should guide communities toward continuous
improvement in school readiness efforts. It is important to remember that the
screen results cannot be used to prohibit a child who meets the age requirement
from
entering school.
entering school.
Following best practice in early childhood, the screener
considers the whole child, including all
five domains of a child’s development: cognitive, language, motor, social emotional and self-help skills. Approaches to learning are intertwined within both the basic screen and the social emotional/self-help scales. It is the goal of both the Kentucky Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood to encourage communities and school districts to enhance supports and resources for families, early childhood programs and communities for young children, birth to five years old.
five domains of a child’s development: cognitive, language, motor, social emotional and self-help skills. Approaches to learning are intertwined within both the basic screen and the social emotional/self-help scales. It is the goal of both the Kentucky Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood to encourage communities and school districts to enhance supports and resources for families, early childhood programs and communities for young children, birth to five years old.
It is critical that young children are exposed to
high-quality learning environments and developmentally appropriate experiences
to promote success in kindergarten. We must begin early to ensure that every
child is on track to graduate from high school ready for success in college,
career and life. High-quality
environments must include Head Start, public preschool, child care and other
community programs serving young children and their families. The transition
into public school at kindergarten is very important.
This detailed continuous
assessment data can provide a wealth of information about each child’s
abilities that 
kindergarten teachers can use along with anecdotal
records from parents and guardians, health, vision and hearing screening data,
and the common kindergarten screen data to support a young child’s transition
into the kindergarten classroom. Schools have a responsibility to their
communities and families to interpret and use the screen results appropriately
to ensure that every student entering kindergarten receives the teaching and
learning experiences to succeed early on – and that means a focus on reading
and math proficiency by third grade, leading to greater success in later years.
kindergarten teachers can use along with anecdotal
records from parents and guardians, health, vision and hearing screening data,
and the common kindergarten screen data to support a young child’s transition
into the kindergarten classroom. Schools have a responsibility to their
communities and families to interpret and use the screen results appropriately
to ensure that every student entering kindergarten receives the teaching and
learning experiences to succeed early on – and that means a focus on reading
and math proficiency by third grade, leading to greater success in later years.
Early Childhood Profile
The Governor’s office of Early Childhood is excited to
announce the creation of the 2013 Early Childhood Profiles. Communities and
families now have access to important early childhood data through the profiles
that provide rich data about the state of early childhood in each individual county.
·
Why is this important? This data
can be used, along with other local information, to continuously improve
programs and better prepare young children to be ready to succeed when they
enter school. The Early Childhood Profile provides communities with data that
lets them know what they are doing well and where areas of improvement are.
·
What are we doing about
it? The
Early Childhood Profile can help change the conversation in each community in
Kentucky to achieve the following goals: Every Kentucky child will enter school
ready to succeed; every parent will know what their child needs to be ready for
school; and every community will
come together in support of their youngest children.
come together in support of their youngest children.
·
How can you help? Visit the website below, print out your county and share
with your community.
The
Early Childhood Profile was released on March 12th by The Governor’s Office of
Early Childhood and is designed to provide each county in Kentucky with
important data that has never been together before in one place. It is combined
into one user friendly document that will assist communities in developing
local strategies to assure that every child in their community arrives at
kindergarten ready to learn, ready to grow and ready to succeed.
The
Profiles contain results from the kindergarten screener pilot and provides
information about participation in publicly funded preschool, head start and
child care. It also includes information
about the quality and availability of child care and the education of the early
childhood workforce. Finally,
demographic data is provided representing key indicators of possible barriers
to success for young children and their families and participation in public
health and social service programs that can help.
It
is our hope that this compilation of data in the 2013 Early Childhood Profile
will create local dialogue and inform local action to improve early childhood
outcomes. We believe that what gets measured gets done. Making sure every child in the Commonwealth
gets the best possible start in life must be everyone’s priority.
For
more information, call the Governor’s
Office of Early Childhood at (502) 782-0200
125 Holmes Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
http://kidsnow.ky.gov
Sources: Kentucky Department of Education and Brigitte Blom Ramsey/United Way
Office of Early Childhood at (502) 782-0200
125 Holmes Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
http://kidsnow.ky.gov
Sources: Kentucky Department of Education and Brigitte Blom Ramsey/United Way
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