Overview and Training

1. Overview and Training

2. Today’s Agenda • New Name, Same Instrument • Appropriate Use of QELI • Inappropriate Use of QELI • Overview of Statewide Results • How To Work With QELI Data • New Resources Available • Implementation for Fall 2005

3. Educators of primary-grade children cite school readiness as among the most serious challenges they face in achieving the educational and developmental goal they have for their students. Peter D. Hart Research School Readiness

4. School Readiness • Children must be ready to make the transition from home or child care to formal education. • Just as important, schools must be prepared to help ease that transition for children. Education Commission of the States

5. IELI = QELI

6. Overview The Qualls Early Learning Inventory is an assessment tool for use in the primary grades (K-1) to identify student development in six behavioral characteristics related to school learning. The Inventory assesses developing behaviors, so it can be used to inform classroom instruction. The QELI is not language dependent and can be used to assess children who are emerging speakers of English. A Pre-K version of QELI will be available in Fall 2006.

7. QELI Supports Best Practices NAEYC calls for: National Association for the Education of Young Children Position Statement on Curriculum and Assessment, November 2003

8. QELI Supports Best Practices NAEYC calls for: QELI National Association for the Education of Young Children Position Statement on Curriculum and Assessment, November 2003

9. Description of the Inventory • Suitable for Kindergarten and early Grade One students • 4-page Inventory booklet • One for each child observed • Teacher’s Directions and Interpretative Guide • One for each teacher

10. Description of the Inventory • General Knowledge—the extent to which the student possesses general information and facts expected of children at this age • Oral Communication—how well a student communicates ideas, describes what has been seen or heard, or asks about things • Written Language—the extent to which the student recognizes and writes letters or simple words

11. Description of the Inventory • Math Concepts—how well a student understands and uses beginning mathematical ideas and processes • Work Habits—the extent of a student’s persistence, resourcefulness, and independence in completing tasks • Attentive Behavior—the student’s ability to sustain focus on classroom activities

12. Appropriate Uses • To describe the developmental level of a child in behavioral terms • To help identify those students who might be at risk due to delayed development • To report initial status and progress to families • To be shared with Pre-K in your community/school • To be shared with staff

13. Inappropriate Uses • To select students for Kindergarten • Low scores are not necessarily an indication of a disability or deficiency • Remember: Documents learned behaviors • Calls attention to skills that can be developed with proper instructional intervention • To retain students • To place students in special education

14. QELI Results • May be used as a Communication and Transition Tool for PK Teachers • Data Results should be a “tool” to: • Help guide instruction for the PK and K student • Share results with all staff • Share with PK teachers • Strengthen the K and PK teachers knowledge of the areas of student’s strengths and weaknesses • Assist in long range planning

15. QELI • It is NOT a reflection of the school • It is a “snapshot” of the child • It is not a tool to “discourage” the child entering Kindergarten • It is a tool that will provide the teacher a “quick” observational overview of the child • It is a tool that will provide the parent a “quick” observational overview of the child

17. Statewide QELI Results

18. Score Reports

22. Putting QELI Data To Work

23. 18% of my class is delayed in the area of Work Habits Step 1: Look At “Big Picture”

24. Step 2: Find Individuals in Need

25. Step 3: Focus On Specifics

26. Preparing Arkansas Teachers and Students for the Qualls Early Learning Inventory

27. Arkansas Kindergarten Teachers • Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist (KRIC) • Getting Ready for School Calendar • Getting Ready for School Teacher’s Guide • ADE and DHS Benchmarks and/or Frameworks • Qualls Early Learning Inventory • LINK - NEW!

28. The Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist and Guidelines will be used as a tool to inform and guide teachers, administrators and parents. Act 825 of 2003 Act 1552 of 2001 Act 35 of the 2nd Extraordinary Session of 2003 KRIC

29. Why KRIC? • We must RAISE the bar! • We cannot accept “that is the way our kids come to school.” • We can not leave ANY child behind ! • Statewide Indicators will provide the EXPECTATIONS for entering kindergarten students.

30. The KRIC is not to be used for any reason to exclude a child from kindergarten. Teachers and parents should use this checklist as a tool for planning instruction and to meet the specific needs of the student. There are NO right or wrong answers on the KRIC.

31. Screening/Assessing Students Assessing/Screening the student can provide parent and teacher with essential information for individualizing the curriculum to help the child learn more effectively. Early Childhood Research & Practice Fall 2000 Volume 2 Number 2

32. Act 35 of the Extraordinary Session of Arkansas 84th General Assembly The Arkansas Department of Education shall implement a developmentally appropriate uniform school readiness screening to validate a child’s school readiness as part of a comprehensive evaluation design.

33. New! KRIC Instructional LINK For Teachers and KRIC Instructional LINK For Parents and Families

35. KRIC Instructional LINK • “LINK” • Qualls Early Learning Inventory • Kindergarten Readiness Indicators Checklist (KRIC) • Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar • Arkansas Early Childhood Education Benchmarks • Arkansas Department of Education Frameworks • Work Samplings • Head Start Outcomes

36. KRIC Instructional Link for Teachers Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist 1. Expressiveness and Language Comprehension Consistently Emerging Not Yet

37. KRIC Instructional LINK for Parents and Families Here are some examples of how you can know if your child is achieving the Kindergarten Readiness Indicators. Add examples of your own.

38. Transitioning • Transition to K is an ongoing process that require partnership and starts in PK and continues through the early months of K. • Transition is not simply an event best represented by the first day of school, nor is it a procedure that can be successfully by accident.

39. QELI Guidelines • Guidelines were developed by a committee of Arkansas teachers and administrators throughout the state. • Guidelines developed to establish statewide uniform interpretation of the QELI. • Guidelines provide suggestions and recommendations for teachers to follow as they are observing students.

40. Resources and Web Sites • Arkansas Department of Education http://arkedu.state.ar.us/K Frameworks • KRIC • LINK ADE website • www. • Division of Early Childhood Education and Childcare http://www.arkansas.gov/childcare/ • 3-4 Benchmarks • Getting Ready for School Teacher Guide • Getting Ready for School Calendars - DHS

41. Implementation Fall 2005

42. Completing the Inventory • Generally completed by classroom teacher • Approximately 10 minutes per child • Based on multiple, recent observations of a child in a typical school setting

43. Which Students Should Be Included? • Suitable for all children • Can be used regardless of language background • Useful for students with special needs

44. Completing the Inventory Code essential demographic information

45. Completing the Inventory Optional areas for local use

46. Prior to Completion • Read the entire Inventory • Pay attention to wording of statements to accurately document students’ readiness skills • Focus on how frequently you observe a behavior • Use the same standard for all students • Come to consensus with other teachers on meanings of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes”

47. Decide What Is Appropriate For some behaviors, it is more important to consider your most recent observations… In these examples, a child’s most recent attempts are more relevant than total attempts since the beginning of the school year.

48. Decide What Is Appropriate However, some behaviors should be considered based on multiple observations over time. Certain questions also require thought about how appropriate a child’s response is, not just the frequency. In this example, if the child often uses a complete sentence, but the sentence is seldom relevant to the overall conversation, then “Rarely” describes the behavior more accurately than “Often.”

49. Completed documents grouped by class • (Do not need to be in order) 2. Completed Class ID Sheet (One per class) 3. Completed Building ID Sheet (One per building) How to Pack for Scoring

50. Building ID Sheet (purple) for JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Building ID Sheet Grade/Class ID Sheet (blue) for MS. LING, GRADE K Grade/Class ID Sheet Completed QELI documents for MS. LING’S class, GRADE K Packaging for Class-LevelScoring Grade/Class ID Sheet (blue) for MR. GRAY, GRADE K Grade/Class ID Sheet Completed QELI documents for MR. GRAY’S class, GRADE K