Kindergarten

• Kindergarten screening is a brief, individually administered measure given to all incoming kindergarten students to gauge the development of a broad range of skills prior to entry into kindergarten. Kindergarten screening is not a process of determining readiness or eligibility for kindergarten; all students who meet the age requirement are considered ready for kindergarten and are encouraged to enroll.
• The screening tool utilizes standardized performance tasks, administration protocols, and scoring procedures with established reliability and validity.
• Screening takes place at the school of enrollment and is scheduled in advance. Kindergarten teachers and instructional assistants administer and supervise all screening activities.

The screening yields a quotient that is a general indicator of student performance with sub-scores in each of three skill areas (language, motor, and academic). All scores are nationally normed and can be converted to percentile ranks and age equivalent scores. In addition, the screening process provides kindergarten teachers an introductory snapshot as they interact with your child in the school setting.

• Standardized quotients and scores in each of the skill areas are used to achieve balanced placement into heterogeneous kindergarten classes.
• Screening results provide useful information for planning instruction and designing learning experiences that address the specific educational needs of all incoming kindergarten students.
• Screening results are helpful in identifying areas of individual development that require further assessment for educational programming, particularly for students who might benefit from early intervention, prevention, acceleration and/or enrichment programs.
• The well-established, positive impact of early intervention on children’s current and future development provides compelling justification for identifying emerging strengths and difficulties as early as possible.

The screening process provides a means for sampling skills and knowledge that are developmentally appropriate for young children and can be easily demonstrated or observed when mastered. Because the screening is intended to capture a glimpse of your child’s genuine development prior to entering kindergarten, drilling or practicing specific skills in isolation for the purpose of improving the screening score will not enhance your child’s overall performance in a meaningful way and is likely to cause undue anxiety or apprehension. The objective of screening is best met when educators can accurately gauge your child’s present development as a basis for providing the most responsive educational program possible.

After your child participates in the screening, the assistant principal at his/her school will have access to screening results and can respond to questions or concerns you may have.