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Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (MKEA): Updates

Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (MKEA): Updates . State Associations & Legislators Subcommittee Meeting May 9, 2013 State House, Room 348. MKEA: Federal Context.

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Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (MKEA): Updates

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  1. Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (MKEA): Updates State Associations & Legislators Subcommittee Meeting May 9, 2013 State House, Room 348

  2. MKEA: Federal Context • Massachusetts is 1 of 9 states to be awarded a first-round Race to The Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant by U.S. ED and HHS. • $50M over four years to strengthen early education and align with elementary-level education. • RTT-ELC requires the state to implement a “Comprehensive Assessment System” (birth – 5). • Elements of a Comprehensive Assessment System: • Screening Measures • Formative Assessment • Environmental Quality • Quality of Adult-Child Interactions

  3. MKEA: State Context • MKEA is a component of the Massachusetts Early Learning and Development (MELD) System. • Goals of MELD: • Establish seamless screening and assessment system from birth – 3rd Grade. • Measure and support a child’s growth and development outcomes from birth – 3rd Grade.

  4. MKEA: State Context (cont’d) • MELD Implementation Partners: • Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) • Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) • 99 Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grantees across Massachusetts • Early education programs, including public school-based programs • Public schools, K – 3rd Grade • Families • The Readiness Centers • Other institutions of higher learning

  5. MKEA: State Context (cont’d) • Tools: • Screening Tools: • Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) • Ages and States Questionnaire: Social Emotional (ASQ:SE) • Formative Assessment Tools: • Teaching Strategies GOLD • Work Sampling System • High Scope Preschool Child Observation Record

  6. Why Conduct Formative Assessments in Kindergarten? • Equips kindergarten teachers with child-level and classroom-level information across all domains. • Supports kindergarten teachers by informing classroom instruction. • Gives teachers and schools valuable information about the child to share with child’s family, to inform family’s understanding of child’s strengths and weaknesses. • Supports school districts in fortifying the existing alignment of early childhood education and elementary school. • Helps state and local education policymakers identify trends and resource needs.

  7. MKEA Implementation: Year 1/Cohort 1 (2012-2013) • 20 public school districts volunteered to participate in MKEA as part of Cohort 1. • Formative assessment tool options for Cohort 1: • Teaching Strategies GOLD • Work Sampling System • High Scope Preschool Child Observation Record

  8. MKEA Implementation: Year 1/Cohort 1 (2012-2013) (cont’d) • Cohort 1 Timeline: • March 2012: districts chose formative assessment tools and created professional development plans. • Spring – Fall 2012: professional development provided to the districts. • Fall 2012: districts conducted the initial student assessments. • Fall/Winter 2012: districts analyzed the assessment data to inform teaching and learning. • Spring 2013: districts will be conducting the year-end student assessments.

  9. Cohort 1: Districts and Assessment Tool Chosen

  10. MKEA Implementation: Year 2/Cohort 2 (2013-2014) • All Quality Full-Day Kindergarten Grantees invited (142 school districts & 6 charter schools). • Cohort 2 participants: • 59 public school districts • 2 charter schools • 1 Independent kindergarten program • Tool Selection: • 46 selected Teaching Strategies GOLD • 16 selected the Work Sampling System

  11. MKEA Cohort 2: Implementation Timeline • Winter – Spring 2013: • Wheelock/Aspire/CASE conducts professional development needs assessment. • Wheelock assists Cohort 2 districts in developing district-specific professional development plans. • Spring 2013: • MKEA Cohort 2 Regional Conferences in Boston (4/26) and Worcester (5/3). • ESE Spring Kindergarten Networking meetings (5/6, 5/13 and 5/17). • Confirm # of licenses requested; EEC orders and pays for licenses • Spring – Fall 2013: • Training on the formative assessment tools.

  12. MKEA Cohort 2: Implementation Timeline (cont’d) • Fall 2013: • K teachers from Cohorts 1 and 2 districts participate in state-wide optional professional development opportunity on “Assessment and Observation in the Early Childhood Classroom.” • Cohort 2 districts conduct initial student assessments and report assessment results online. • Cohort 2 districts analyze assessment data to inform teaching and learning. • Spring 2014: • Cohort 2 districts conduct year-end student assessments and report assessment results online. • Cohort 2 districts analyze assessment data to inform teaching and learning.

  13. MKEA Contact Information Brad Kramer Interagency Liaison, EEC (617) 988-7811 brad.kramer@state.ma.us John Swanson, Policy Analyst, EEC (617) 988-7803 john.swanson2@state.ma.us Donna Traynham Education Specialist, ESE/Learning Support Services (781) 338-6372 dtraynham@doe.mass.edu

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