704 Ky. Admin. Regs. 5:070
Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 6, December 1, 2024
Section 704 KAR 5:070 - Common kindergarten entry screenerRELATES TO: KRS 156.070, 156.160
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 156.070 gives the Kentucky Board of Education the management and control over all programs operated in the public schools. KRS 156.160 gives the Kentucky Board of Education specific authority to promulgate administrative regulations establishing standards which school districts shall meet in student, operational, and program service to students. This administrative regulation establishes minimum requirements for administration of a common kindergarten entry screener in school districts, to determine a student's readiness for school in the five (5) domains of school readiness established in this administrative regulation.
Section 1. Definitions. (1) "Prior early learning settings" means the following five (5) categories of early learning settings in which each student participated prior to attending kindergarten: (c) State funded preschool;(2) "School readiness" means a student entering school is ready to engage in and benefit from early learning experiences that best promote the student's success.(3) "Screener" means an instrument designed to identify students who need further diagnostic assessment for evaluation.(4) "System of measurement" means the use of multiple assessments for multiple purposes across the learning continuum for data to be tracked and used to guide continuous improvement for students.Section 2. Required Common Kindergarten Entry Screener. In accordance with KRS Chapter 45A, the Department shall adopt a statewide common kindergarten entry screener that:(1) Aligns with the definition of school readiness and the standards established in Building a Strong Foundation for School Success: Kentucky's Early Childhood Standards;(2) Assesses the domains of adaptive, cognitive, communication, motor, and social emotional as established in Building a Strong Foundation for School Success: Kentucky's Early Childhood Standards;(3) Is a reliable and valid screener for its intended purposes for the target populations, including English learners and students with disabilities; and(4) Produces point-in-time student level results that indicate level of school readiness in the five (5) domains listed in subsection (2) of this section.Section 3. Administration of the Common Kindergarten Entry Screener.(1) Beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year, each Kentucky public school district shall administer the common kindergarten entry screener adopted by the Department in accordance with Section 2 of this administrative regulation.(2) Each school district shall administer the common kindergarten entry screener to each student entering kindergarten in the school district no earlier than fifteen (15) days prior to the start of the current academic year and no later than the thirtieth (30th) instructional day of the academic year.Section 4. Data Collection and Reporting. (1) Each school containing kindergarten students shall enter the data from the common kindergarten entry screener in the student information system within fifteen (15) instructional days of the district's administration of the common kindergarten entry screener but no later than October 15 of each academic year.(2) Data shall be reported by the Department at an aggregate level by:(b) School readiness domain;(c) Student demographics; and(d) Prior early learning settings.Section 5. District use of the common kindergarten entry screener. (1) A district shall provide individual student results of the screener to parents or guardians of individual students.(2) A district shall not use the common kindergarten entry screener results to determine eligibility for enrollment. All students who meet the enrollment requirements of KRS 159.010 shall be entitled to enter kindergarten without regard to the results of the common kindergarten entry screener.(3) Districts may use the common kindergarten entry screener data as a system of measurement in the following ways:(a) To inform districts, parents, and communities about early learning in order to close the school readiness gap;(b) To make informed policy decisions at the local level to support early learning experiences prior to school entry;(c) To establish local goals for program improvement in order to achieve early learning outcomes; and(d) To include data as evidences in the kindergarten through 3rd grade Program Evaluation under 703 KAR 5:230.(4) The results of the screener shall not be utilized as part of the school's or districts' overall score to determine recognition or support contained in any administrative regulation promulgated by the Board pursuant to KRS 158.6455.Section 6. Incorporation by Reference. (1) "Building a Strong Foundation for School Success: Kentucky's Early Childhood Standards", 2013, is incorporated by reference.(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Department of Education, Office of Next Generation Learners, 18th Floor, Capitol Plaza Tower, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.38 Ky.R. 1410; 39 Ky.R. 35; eff. 7-13-2012; eff. 8-10-2015; 41 Ky.R. 2351; eff. 8-10-2015; Cert. eff. 5/2/2022.STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 156.070, 156.160