Findings from the 2015 statewide implementation of the North Carolina K-3 formative assessment process : kindergarten entry assessment

During the first 60 instructional days of the 2015-2016 academic year, the Office of Early Learning (OEL) at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction implemented a new formative assessment process in all kindergarten classrooms in the state. The assessment, known as the NC K-3 Formative Assessment Process: Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA), is the initial step in the development of a comprehensive formative assessment process for young children from kindergarten entry through the end of third grade. The assessment process includes five steps for teachers: selecting learning targets, developing criteria for success, eliciting evidence of student learning, interpreting the evidence, and adapting instruction to respond to the student’s learning needs. To assist teachers in identifying and selecting learning targets for their students, the assessment includes several construct progressions that outline the developmental pathways of foundational skills within the five domains of early childhood development that are necessary for academic achievement.