School Readiness Background: Preschool to Post-Secondary Alignment

School Readiness Domains of Learning and Development

School readiness includes both developmental and academic domains. These domains include physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, language and comprehension, cognition, and general knowledge (C.R.S. 22-7-1004 (1)). The Colorado State Board of Education (SBE) has further defined general knowledge as math and literacy.

School Readiness Assessment in Kindergarten

School readiness assessment tools are to be research-based, reliable instruments of measuring school readiness which provide data to determine instruction and interventions to improve each individual child’s school readiness (C.R.S. 22-7-1004 (2)(a)).

Likewise, the data from school readiness assessments informs individual learning plans (school readiness plan or kindergarten plan) for each publicly funded student in kindergarten. The individual learning plan is to address the kindergarten standards and individual student needs to make continued progress toward school readiness and end-of-kindergarten expectations (C.R.S. 22-7-1014 (1)(a)).

The intent in using the data from school readiness assessments is to identify and address needed additional, targeted instruction or support for each kindergartner and may not be used to deny a student admission or progression to kindergarten or first grade (C.R.S. 22-7-1004 (2)(a)).

Colorado Revised Statutes outline the following responsibilities.

Responsibilities of the State Board of Education

Adopt a description of school readiness,
Adopt one or more assessments,
Adopt a system for reporting population-level results, and
On or before July 1, 2017 and every six years thereafter:
- review the school readiness description and adopt any appropriate revisions, and
- review the school readiness assessments and adopt any appropriate revisions.

Responsibilities of the Local Education Providers

Administer the kindergarten school readiness assessment tool(s) within the first 60 calendar days of the school year to each student in publicly funded kindergarten,
Ensure data is reported in the statewide Kindergarten School Readiness Data Collection, and
Ensure all children in publicly funded kindergarten receive an Individual Learning Plan with individual student goals informed by assessment data.

Quick Check:

Schools and districts serving publicly funded students in kindergarten

Use state board approved assessment tools.
Assess six domains of learning and development in school readiness.
Administer the KSR assessments from 1st day of school through the first 60 calendar days.
Create individual learning plans (school readiness or K plans) for each student.
Report data during the KSR data collection window.

Deepen Understanding:

Colorado Revised Statutes C.R.S. 22-7-10