NAEYC Offers States Guidance on Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

New report deals with complexities of a growing national trend

WASHINGTON — Today the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) released a new report to help states and other stakeholders with a growing early childhood education trend: statewide kindergarten readiness assessments.

The report, “Developing Kindergarten Readiness and Other Large-Scale Assessment Systems: Necessary Considerations in the Assessment of Young Children,” presents a framework for the development and implementation of large-scale kindergarten readiness assessments.

Approximately half of the states have instituted some form of kindergarten entry or readiness assessment, and all but one state applying for funding under the Race to the Top―Early Learning Challenge have signaled that they will develop or revise current assessment systems regardless of the outcome of the federal competition.

The report, authored by Kyle Snow, PhD, director of NAEYC’s Center for Applied Research, provides a series of inter-related, specific considerations that take into account opportunities and serious cautions in the appropriate use of kindergarten readiness assessments.

NAEYC, the largest organization of early childhood professionals, provides support and leadership in early education through programs focused on research, policy and practice. Informed by its extensive research and application experience, the association works with state and other policymakers on a comprehensive system of high-quality early care and education for children from birth through age eight.

According to Jerlean E. Daniel, PhD, executive director of NAEYC, “Assessment with young children compared with older children requires very different considerations in terms of how it is conducted and used. Having reliable information on how children are doing in all areas of cognitive, social and emotional development is the key to good education both before and after kindergarten assessments.”

Snow added, “Readiness assessments can provide important information about children as they enter kindergarten. We look forward to working with states as they move forward in this area.”

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