Professional Development by Johns Hopkins School of Education, Center for Technology in Education Supporting Individual Children Administering the Kindergarten

Professional Development by Johns Hopkins School of Education, Center for Technology in Education

Supporting Individual ChildrenAdministering the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment to English Learners

Supporting English Learners


Supporting Individual Children

Supporting Individual Children


Accessibility and Supports

Assessing Young Students with Disabilities

Assessing Young Students with Disabilities


Important Message: Sight Translation/Interpretation

During the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Fall 2015 administration:

English learners in Maryland will not be allowed to use the tools of sight translation and/or interpretation to enable the students to use their native languages

Important Message: Sight Translation/Interpretation


Level the Field Supports

• Reduce the language load necessary to access the assessment content

• Address the unique linguistic and sociocultural needs of the child by reducing the effects of English language skills on his or her overall performance on the assessment

Level the Field Supports


• Consider multiple modes for demonstrating skills and behaviors if the item implies verbal or spoken language, such as observational rubric items that use the words express, suggest, communicate, ask, or tell.

• Accept multiple means of expression by allowing the student to point to, gesture toward, or touch a response instead of, or in addition to providing a verbalized response

Allowable “Level the Field” Supports

Allowable “Level the Field” Supports

Maryland Determinations for Eligible ELs

• Beginning English Language Proficiency: a raw score of 0-10*

• Intermediate English Language Proficiency: a raw score of 11-18*

• Advanced English Language Proficiency (not eligible): a raw score of 19-28*

* Kindergarten W-APT Listening and Speaking Conversion Table that is used for screening to determine a student’s eligibility for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) services.

The teacher should consult with the ESOL teacher and follow the protocol that Maryland has established for eligibility as an EL and proficiency level.


• Meet with EL Team (may include teachers, school/district bilingual teachers/coordinators, school/district administrator, and parents).

• Discuss which supports might assist the student during daily instruction in the classroom.

• Determine which supports to try out with the student during instruction in each content area.

• Document and evaluate the effectiveness of the supports used over time.

• Make adjustments to the use of supports for the future.

• Determine which of the supports used effectively in the classroom should be used on the KRA, provided they are allowed.

Identifying Needed Supports

Identifying Needed Supports


Decision Making ProcessOption 1: General Administration

Student is able to participate

Administer items in the recommended order following general administration procedures and utilizing KRA universally designed allowances.

1. Record the student’s score in Ready for Kindergarten Online.

2. Continue to next item.

Note: Repeated use of a particular universally designed allowance across multiple items could indicate an instructionally-relevant pattern of support needs. Record this information on the Student Details page in Ready for Kindergarten Online by clicking the Comment button within the Individualized Supports box to note any allowances that were repeatedly used.

Decision Making Process: Option 1


Decision Making ProcessOption 2: Level the Field

Administer the item following General Administration procedures, but provide one or more of the following allowable supports beyond Universally Designed Allowances:

• Consider multiple modes for demonstrating skills and behaviors if the item implies verbal or spoken language, such as observational rubric items that use the words express, suggest, communicate, ask, or tell.

• Accept multiple means of expression by allowing the student to point to, gesture toward, or touch a response instead of, or in addition to, providing a verbalized response.

Decision Making Process: Option 2

Decision Making ProcessOption 2: Level the FieldRecording scores

Student is able to participate

1. On the Individual Student Details page in Ready for Kindergarten Online, click the View Supports button within the Level the Field Supports box and select the support(s) used under English Learner. Note: The same Level the Field support may be used for multiple items, but it only needs to be recorded once within the Level the Field Supports box.

2. Record the student’s score for the item.

3. Continue to the next item.

Option 2: Level the Field: Recording scores


Decision Making Process

1. Record “Not Scorable” for the item in Ready for Kindergarten Online.

2. Use the item’s comment box to explain why the item was “Not Scorable”. Also, look for the skill in naturally-occurring routines and activities and record information/observations useful for instructional decision-making.

3. Continue to the next item.

Option 3: Not ScorableRecording scores

Option 3: Not Scorable:Recording scores


Pausing Administration of a Domain

• Pause the administration of a domain when a student is unable to access three items (not necessarily consecutive) in the domain given allowable supports.

• Meet with the student’s EL team to review the remaining items in the domain.




• “Not Scorable” means the teacher was not able to score the item because the child could not access it given allowable supports.

• A score of “0” means the child was able to access the item, but did not demonstrate the skill according to the scoring criteria.

• Teachers are not advised to pause administration of a domain after three scores of “0” unless there are other reasons to do so.



Key Takeaways

• Follow the Guidelines on Allowable Supports for Administration of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment document

• Meet with the child’s EL team as outlined in the guidelines

• Follow the decision-making process

• Record scores and supports as appropriate

Key Takeaways

Documents

Professional Development by Johns Hopkins School of Education, Center for Technology in Education Supporting Individual Children Administering the Kindergarten