KRA Items

The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment uses a developmentally appropriate mix of item types (direct performance and observational) in order to create a multi-modal assessment. The direct performance items are presented as Selected Response Items and Performance Tasks. KRA items were developed based on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Common Language Standards, which are a subset of the R4K Common Language Standards.

Review the document through the following link (document opens on an external browser):

Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Common Language Standards

Selected Response Items and Performance Tasks

Provide opportunities for direct interaction with students on a one-to-one basis. This creates a valuable connection between the student and the teacher at the beginning of the school year. Each item is scored using a rubric.

Observations

Can take place in a variety of naturally occurring settings and groupings. Teachers can use their professional judgment on an item-by-item basis to observe students individually, in small groups, or as a whole class. Observation items are scored using a rubric that includes specific criteria at three levels of proficiency.

The KRA Includes:

• Teacher Administration Manual: directions for administration, scripts and scoring rubrics
• Test Image Items: booklet of images that students interact with as the teacher administers the assessment
• Manipulatives
• KRA App: a number of items are offered in an interactive format that can be accessed through a desk-top computer or mobile device
• Item Score Sheets: provide valuable information about each child's performance across multiple learning domains

KRA Guidelines for Allowable Supports

Universally Designed Allowances

The KRA is designed as a single school readiness assessment to be used with all students. This requires a fully accessible system that allows for students with varying levels of ability, including students with disabilities and students who are English learners (ELs), to participate in the assessment.

A universally designed approach to assessment development and implementation is paramount to promote accessibility for all students. The KRA is unique and differs from other statewide school-age assessments, because it addresses the variability of student development and learning in the KRA’s targeted age group. The KRA includes features that are often perceived as accommodations for specialized populations, such as students with disabilities, but are identified as more appropriate as universally designed allowances within the KRA. Universally designed allowances include the range of actions, material presentations, procedures, and settings that are acceptable for use with all students when administering the KRA. The use of universally designed allowances does not invalidate the assessment results. The Guidelines for Allowable Supports for Administration of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment document outlines five categories of universally designed allowances that teachers can use with any child as needed on an item-by-item basis:

• Directions
• Item Presentation
• Student Response
• Setting
• Scheduling

Children with Disabilities and English Learners

Expectations for students participating in the KRA have been established with consideration for their unique developmental needs and levels of school readiness. Even with the use of universally designed allowances, teachers may find it necessary to provide additional individualized supports to students with disabilities or to children who are English learners (ELs). For the purposes of the KRA administration, we will refer to the use of such individualized supports as strategies to Level the Field. The Guidelines for Allowable Supports for Administration of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment document outlines specific Level the Field supports that may be used with children with disabilities and ELs. Teachers are trained on what these supports are, the decision-making process for determining the use of supports for individual children, and scoring children's responses.

Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Blind and Visually Impaired

The KRA also provides supports for students who are blind and visually impaired, including Tactile Graphics that incorporates raised images and Test Item Images with braille, as well as supports for teachers and students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

KRA Professional Development

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education (CTE) uses research-based methodologies for developing on-time and flexible professional development content that that addresses adult-learning practices and 508 accessibility guidelines.

The current training model builds capacity for a cadre of master trainers who have been certified to conduct KRA teacher trainings throughout the state after attending a multi-day Train-the-Trainer workshop. These trainers have access to a trainer site of materials and resources to support teacher trainings, as well as an online community of support throughout the training and testing window.

Teachers will be trained in one of three formats: face-to-face, hybrid/blended, or online only. The faculty and staff at CTE have developed a robust online site for teachers to access regardless of the format in which they are being trained. This site includes all of the content for understanding the three core components of the R4K system—technology, assessment, and professional supports. The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) online teacher site also includes robust opportunities to review engaging training content, plan for and practice administering and scoring items, simulation exercises, reflection activities and the completion of self-check quizzes and a content assessment.

Online Modules

Teachers participating in the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) receive training via face-to-face sessions or online modules. Both methods of professional development delivery are designed to engage teachers in learning experiences that prepare them to administer the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment with confidence and fidelity.

Cycle of Instruction

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Cycle of Instruction

The two modules on the teacher content site (Kindergarten Readiness Assessment-KRA) are divided into individual sessions that focus on specific topics. Activities in each session are organized around a cycle of instruction that follows a consistent format and sequence:

• 
  SET-Up: Establishes the session's purpose and poses a Challenge Question to guide learning
• 
  Presentation: Presents the essential concepts, ideas, and skills of the session content
• 
  Learning Together/Community Exchange: Involves sharing ideas and resources with other professional learning community members to reinforce key concepts. Early in the session you will prepare for this exchange. At the end of the session, you will join your Community Exchange and post your ideas
• 
  Just for Me: Allows for reflection and practice
• 
  Assessment: Checks for understanding of the essential concepts, ideas, and skills
• 
  WRAP-Up: Closes the session before exiting the module to join the Community Exchange

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Sample Modules

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Sample Modules

Online Module 1: Kindergarten Readiness Assessment

• Session 1: Introducing the KRA
  This session explains what the KRA is, why it’s important, and how it aligns with developmentally appropriate assessment practices. Teachers also have an opportunity to learn about the six domains measured by the KRA.
• Session 2: Preparing for the KRA
  This session introduces teachers to the KRA materials that they will receive to administer the assessment. It also focuses on the item types included on the assessment. And, it helps teachers explore ways to organize and manage their classrooms to create a stress-free environment conducive to assessing young children.
• Session 3: Universally Designed Allowances
  This session gives teachers an opportunity to learn about the universally designed allowances that teachers can use to support all children in their classrooms when administering the KRA. Teachers apply their understanding of these allowances to a case study child as well as to children in their own classrooms.
• Session 4: Supporting Individual Children
  This session provides guidance about how to administer the KRA to children with disabilities and to children who are English learners. It also provides specific information about allowable supports beyond universally designed allowances. Lastly, the session shares ideas for effectively using the KRA decision-making process to determine the appropriate allowances for each child based on his/her unique profile and needs.
• Session 5: Practicing the KRA
  This session provides teachers with item practice. Teachers read scenarios of each item type being administered in a kindergarten classroom. They score the child (or children) based on each child’s performance, and provide a rationale for each score. Teachers then compare their scores with expert scores. This item practice prepares teachers to complete the simulation exercise.

Online Module 2: Connecting the KRA to Classroom Practice

• Session 1: Exploring the KRA Domains
  This session digs deeper into the KRA domains and identifies each domain’s importance to young learners and their development.
• Session 2: Supporting the KRA Domains in Kindergarten Classrooms
  This session focuses on ways to teach and support the domains in kindergarten classrooms. Teachers connect the domains to what they do in the classroom and plan for ways to further support children in their growth and development across the domains.

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Simulation Exercise

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Simulation Exercise

The simulation is a professional development activity designed for teachers to practice administering sample KRA item types. Teachers are shown observational and performance items and child responses - either through images, text, or video - and they then score the items.

It is important that teachers are able to administer the KRA with reliability. The simulation exercise will help determine if teachers score items consistently, meaning that teachers agree on scores for these items. If teachers’ scores for these simulation items are not consistent with other teachers, those individuals will receive follow-up support from their certified KRA trainers to ensure that they are fully prepared to administer the assessment.

Here's what other kindergarten teachers say about the simulation:

• "[The simulator] made me more comfortable with the rubrics."
• "The simulator helped me to make good decisions based on the individual student."
• "It helped me better understand what the test was about and what it entailed for the teacher."
• "I found it to be a great model. I recalled restating the questions or changing the setting for a child when necessary."
• "It gave specific behaviors that you might see in your own classroom and gave you the opportunity to practice scoring."
• "It was good to see the assessment in real life situations."
• "It helped me see the areas of the classroom that I could observe in."
• "Helped me to apply the items to possible real world situations."
• "It gave me a chance to see, think and analyze what the question(s) were and what was an acceptable response. It was simply 'good practice'."

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Content Assessment

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Content Assessment

This assessment measures each teacher’s content knowledge from the KRA training. The items come from the session presentations and assessments. If a teacher does not pass the content assessment, they will receive follow-up support from their KRA trainer to ensure that they understand the KRA content and are fully prepared to administer the assessment.

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Additional Practice

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Additional Practice

The KRA training connects teachers to enrichment activities for additional practice opportunities, including observation videos and interactive scoring scenarios.

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Instructional Resources

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Instructional Resources

Instructional resources aligned to each item of the KRA are also provided to support teachers with instruction after the KRA has been administered.

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