• What is the purpose of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment?
• Which children are assessed on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised?
• Does the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised replace the kindergarten screening requirement?
• Does the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised requirement apply to all types of schools or only public schools?

• Can we use a staggered start date model to administer the assessment?
• How are students assessed?
• Is there a specific sequence for assessing students?
• Who can administer the assessment?
• How can others provide support to teachers with assessment administration?
• What technological components are required?
• Does the assessment have to be administered face-to-face at e-schools?
• How do I explain the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised to families?

• What training is required for teachers?
• When will the trainings be offered through the Office of Early Learning and School Readiness?
• How can I register for a KRA-R training?

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No. The assessment does not meet the screening requirement stated in law.

Districts are still required to screen students for hearing, vision, speech and communications, and health or medical problems and for any developmental disorders in addition to completing the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised.   

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By law, only public and community schools are required to administer the assessment. 

Any chartered nonpublic school may elect to administer the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised (KRA-R) to all kindergarten students enrolled in the school. The materials, training and supports are available at no cost to the school who signs an agreement with the Ohio Department of Education. The law does require notifying the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the school’s intent to administer the KRA-R no later than March 31 prior to any school year in which the school will administer the assessment.

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As long as districts meet the minimum instructional time requirement for the academic year (for all-day Kindergarten, 910 hours, or 455 hours for half-day), they may begin to give the assessment during the staggered start time. However, districts should not expect teachers to complete the entire assessment for any one student during the staggered start window. The assessment should be completed in small increments of time over several weeks.

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This Welcome to Kindergarten video introduces Ohio's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. Students are assessed the following ways:

• Observation - Teachers will use a rubric with three description levels for the skill(s) being measured. 
• Selected response questions – Teachers have a scripted prompt that could include a story or pictures and a question with answer choices.
• Performance tasks- These require an action or verbal response from the child in response to a scripted prompt, such as producing a rhyming word.

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There will be a recommended sequence to follow, but teachers will be able to administer the items in any order.

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Educators administer the assessment but must (1) be employed by the student’s school or district, (2) hold a valid Ohio Department of Education-issued permit, license or certificate, and (3) have successfully completed the required Kindergarten Readiness Assessment training. The department strongly recommends that each student’s primary classroom teacher or another teacher who has regular contact with the student(s) (e.g., an intervention specialist or reading specialist) administer the assessment.

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All test administrators must be employees of the school district, hold an Ohio Department of Education-issued license, certificate or permit, AND successfully complete the teacher training.

Any trained teacher can train a resource teacher or paraeducator as a KRA-R App Proctor to administer some of the items of the KRA-R app.

 This "KRA-R App Proctor" does not need to complete the full KRA-R teacher training. Instead, the proctor must review and complete the proctor training contained in the Proctor Training and Guidelines document. 

Literacy specialists, intervention specialists, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teachers and other related services personnel who regularly work with a specific child, would be appropriate test administrators for some or all assessment items. 

• Example 1: A literacy specialist, who regularly works with Kindergarten students in the classroom and successfully completed the teacher training, could administer the direct assessment language and literacy domain items to all kindergarten students in that building. The teacher of record would need to print the necessary score recording forms for the literacy specialist and input the student scores into the online system. 
• Example 2: A literacy specialist may assist with scoring observational language and literacy domain items by either leading the class in interactive literacy activities while the regular classroom teacher rates the students on the observational rubrics or vice versa.

Individuals who do not work regularly with Kindergarten students, such as retired teachers employed by districts as contractors or substitutes may administer the assessment if they meet the requirements above, but it is not recommended. The most appropriate use of these individuals as test administrators would be to have them administer only direct assessment items to students who have not been identified as students with disabilities or English learners.

District employees who hold an Ohio Department of Education-issued license, permit or certificate who have not completed the teacher training can support teachers with completing the assessments in several other ways:

• Preparing manipulatives;
• Teaching the class while the primary classroom teacher administers direct assessment items; and
• Monitoring children completing technology-administered assessment items.

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There are three technology components: two for teachers and one for students. Only the technology components for teachers are required. The technology component for students is optional. Detailed technology guidelines are posted on the Ohio Department of Education’s website for teachers, for administrators, on KReady, and on Ohio K12 Help.

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Yes. Computer-based schools must provide a physical location for statewide tests.  Each internet- or computer-based community school shall provide its students a location within a 50-mile radius of the student's residence at which to complete the statewide achievement and diagnostic assessments.

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There are a number of resources for talking with families about the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment that could be used at family visits, orientations, parent-teacher conferences, or sent home.

Here are a few of these resources that are specifically created to welcome families to kindergarten:  

• Handout: Welcome to Kindergarten - KRA Family Resource  
• Video: Welcome to Kindergarten - Ohio's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Family Resource 
• Power Point: Welcome to Kindergarten - Ohio's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Family Resource

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The KRA-R teacher training is required for teachers who have not previously completed a KRA training and who will be administering the KRA-R. The training is an online hybrid format meaning there are self-paced modules that must be completed prior to the scheduled online webinar.  Topics covered will include the purpose of the assessment, the structure of the assessment, preparing for administration, using the KReady online technology system, scoring items, test security, administration for students with disabilities, administration for English learners.  

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Trainings for the KRA-R will be available starting in June 2021 and continue through October 2021. KRA-R teacher trainings are only available from the Office of Early Learning and School Readiness statewide trainers.  Educators can search and register for events in STARS using the keyword search term kra or krar.  Please see this Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised (KRA-R) Virtual Training Dates.
 

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Prior to registering for the training, each participant must have an individual account in the Ready for Kindergarten Online system (KReady).  Please contact your building administrator or district data manager to obtain an account.
 
Teachers must register through STARS. It is extremely important that your contact information is correct in STARS and your primary email address is your work email. Search using the keyword search term kra or krar. For additional assistance on how to register, please see STARS Registration for KRA-R. 
 

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