1. Kindergarten Assessment Early Literacy & Early Math Training Required for District Test Coordinators (DTCs), School Test Coordinators STCs), and Test Administrators (TAs)
Hello, my name is Holly Dalton and I am the Early Math and Early Literacy Assessment Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education. This is the Kindergarten Assessment Early Literacy and Early Math training module for the school year. This module is required for all District and School Test Coordinators, as well as Test Administrators.

2. Purposes of the Kindergarten Assessment
Provide local and statewide information that gives families, schools, communities, and state-level policy makers a snapshot of the social, self-regulatory, and academic skills of incoming kindergartners
Provide a consistent, statewide tool for identifying systemic opportunity gaps, determining Early Learning resource allocation to best support students in need, and measure improvement over time
The Kindergarten Assessment provides statewide information that gives a snapshot of the social, self-regulatory, and academic skills of incoming kindergartners. It also provides a consistent tool to help identify systemic opportunity gaps and measures improvements to systems over time.

3. The Kindergarten Assessment Is
What it is…
What is not…
A snapshot of early literacy, early math, and approaches to learning skills of students entering kindergarten
A consistent, statewide tool
Aligned to Early Learning and Common Core State Standards
Required by Oregon law
NOT used to determine if an individual student can enter kindergarten
NOT a diagnostic tool for placing children in specific programs or classrooms
NOT a comprehensive assessment of students’ knowledge and skills
NOT designed to measure what students learn in kindergarten
The Kindergarten Assessment looks at a set of specific skills and should not be used as a gatekeeper for students entering kindergarten. It should not be used as a sole means for placement in programs or classrooms. The assessment was not designed to measure what students learn in kindergarten. The assessment is aligned to Early Learning and CCSS.

4. The Kindergarten Assessment:
Is a requirement of all districts in the state of Oregon
All students are required to participate
All Test Administrators (TAs) are required to participate in annual training
All school districts in Oregon are required to administer the Kindergarten Assessment. This means that all public schools, including public charter schools are required to administer the Kindergarten Assessment. District Test Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that any of the publically sponsored charter schools that are associated with the district are administering all statewide required assessments.
All students, including children with disabilities are required to participate in the Kindergarten Assessment. There are no domain exemptions allowed. District Test Coordinators will need to work with district staff to ensure that proper training in rules and procedures are carried out.
The annual training may be conducted by the District Coordinator and/or the School Test Coordinator who must be trained by the District Test Coordinator.

5. Oregon Kindergarten Assessment Window
Begin no later than the first day of school
Lasts 6 calendar weeks
Early Literacy and Early Math must be administered within the first 3 weeks of the window
District set local windows, based upon their individual start dates. Local testing windows last 6 weeks only. The window must open by the first day of school. The window could open earlier if students are assessed during something like a ramp up to kindergarten program. Early Math and Early Literacy must be assessed within the first 3 weeks of test window to ensure comparability of students. This assessment was not designed to measure what students learn in kindergarten. We need to capture the most accurate picture of what students know when they enter kindergarten. TAs must not wait until the end of the window to administer these measures.
Assessing Early Math and Early Literacy later in the window results in inaccuracies and compromises the comparability of scores.

6. Accessibility

7. Accessibility Supports
Equitable access to all students
Do not compromise the construct the assessment
Provide equitable access to all students, do not compromise the learning expectations, construct, grade-level standard, and/or measured outcome of the assessment, and only approved supports found in the Oregon Accessibility Manual are allowed during the assessment
If you can’t find it in the Test Administration Manual or the Oregon Accessibility Manual, don’t do it.
Only approved supports found in the Oregon Accessibility Manual
Oregon Accessibility Manual

8. Accessibility Supports
Found in the Oregon Accessibility Manual (OAM-KA)
Guides the selection of universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations
Are intended to reduce or eliminate the effects of a student’s learning challenges
Used by general education teachers, teachers of English Learners, special education teachers, test administrators, and district level assessment staff

9. Types of Supports Universal Tools Designated Supports Accommodations
(Available to all students)
Designated Supports
(Based on student need)
Universal Tools: Available to all students based on student preference and selection
Designated Supports: Accessible features available for use by any student for whom the need has been indicated by an educator or team of educators
Accommodations: Changes in procedures or materials that increase equitable access during assessment. Must be documented on student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 plan
Accommodations
(Students on IEP or 504 Plan)
Oregon Accessibility Manual

10. Documenting Accessibility Supports
Options available to the IEP team for documenting Universal Tools and/or Designated Supports on an IEP are:
Statewide Assessment
Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
Considerations of Special Factors
Supplementary Aids and Services
Accommodations are to be documented on the “Statewide Assessment” section of the IEP
While ODE recommends the documentation of assessment accessibility supports (particularly, Designated Supports) for all students (to ensure staff provide these during the statewide kindergarten assessment), Accommodations must be documented on a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan.
For students on an IEP, the following are options available to the IEP team for documenting any/all Universal Tools and/or Designated Supports on the IEP:
“Consideration of Special Factors”
“Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)”
“Participation in Assessments”
“Supplementary Aids and Services”
Oregon Accessibility Manual

11. Accessibility Support Responsibilities
Must:
May Not:
Refer to the Oregon Accessibility Manual for accessibility supports implementation guidance
Refer to student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or cumulative file as applicable to determine which accessibility supports must be provided
Provide a Designated Support or Accommodation to a student that was not selected based upon individual need
Provide the same designated supports or accommodations for every student in the class, grade or program without consideration for individual student need
In Oregon, accessibility supports are practices and procedures that, when used in an assessment, provide equitable access to all students.
Accessibility Supports do not compromise the learning expectations, construct, grade-level standard, and/or measured outcome of the assessment.
Only supports approved by the Accessibility Panel are allowed during assessment.
Accessibility supports must be identified and implemented during classroom instruction prior to the student’s participation in the state assessment. In order to provide a valid and reliable administration of Oregon’s Kindergarten Assessment, it is recommended the school or district team (including the parent or guardian) gather any information about the student prior to administering the assessment. For all students, information gathered through school- or district-based protocols (for example, registration or enrollment forms, entrance interviews, Kindergarten roundup or intake) may be useful. For students with disabilities, additional information can be found on their IEP or 504 Plan.
All supports must be set up prior to assessment.
Oregon Accessibility Manual

12. Questions to Consider
Are any students identified as Students with Disabilities?
Are any students identified as English Learners?
Are there any students who have a home language that is not English?
A designated language supports should be provided for any student who it is determined would be better served with the verbatim script read aloud in their language of origin. Spanish translation is provided by the Oregon Department of Education.
A trained staff member who is bilingual in Spanish or any other language in which the district provides translation, must administer the assessment to students using the designated language support,

13. Preparing for Early Literacy and Early MAth

14. Before Test Administration & Before Students Arrive:
Review Test Administration Manual (TAM) and Oregon Accessibility Manual for the Kindergarten Assessment (OAM-KA)
Review all OKA materials
Gather all student information
Prepare for allowable language supports, as needed
Prepare for accommodations, per IEP or 504 plan
Gather materials

15. Overview Early Literacy Early Math (Direct assessment)
English Uppercase Letter Name Recognition (26 letters)
English Lowercase Letter Name Recognition (26 letters)
English Letter Sound Recognition (26 sounds)
Early Literacy
(Direct assessment)
Counting and Cardinality
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Geometry
Measurement and Data
Early Math
The skills on the Kindergarten Assessment will include English Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Name Recognition. Students will have the opportunity to identify all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters. It will also include English Letter Sound Recognition, where students have the opportunity to identify all 26 letter sound in letter pairs (one uppercase and one lowercase letter, for example Bb).
Students will be presented with 16 math items, some of which, were revised for the test administration. The math items will continue to be cycled in and out on am annual basis. All math items will be scaled to allow comparability of scores from year to year.

16. 2018-19 Early Literacy and Early Math Materials
For the school year, there is only one form of the assessment materials. For the Early Literacy and Early Math Assessment, you will need the following:
Operational Assessor Booklet
Operational Student Booklet
Operational Scoresheet
Teacher Materials
Teacher Materials
Student Materials

17. If the student is receiving special education services
Required Information
Please be sure to fill out the following information for every student:
First and last name
District
SSID
If the student is receiving special education services
If the student speaks English as a second language
Student’s home language, if it is not English
If Accessibility Supports are required and which ones will be used
First and last name of TA for both measures
The following information needs to be filled out for every student. Districts make create labels that contain the exact information, if that is easier for them/
New this year:
TAs must indicate if the student is receiving special education and/or ESL services. If the student’s home language is one other than English, it must be indicated on the scoresheet. These will help identify accessibility supports for the students. Also, the TA needs to list which supports are being used, including accessibility supports.
TAs must include their first and last names for future reference by the district.

18. Attempt Codes
The “Y” Test Attempt Code is used when a student is given the opportunity to test. They may or may not complete the assessment.
The “N” Test Attempt Code is used when a student is not given the opportunity to test. This is used only when the assessment was not presented at all

19. Administration Codes for “Y”
“O” indicates not applicable, meaning that no special circumstances were used.
“3” indicates that the assessment was modified dues to a student’s disability, meaning that a student’s IEP plan dictates that the assessment must be changed
“4” indicates home schooled or out of state, meaning that a student who receives less that 50% of their instruction at the school or is a foreign exchange student
“7” indicates invalidation, meaning that the assessment was invalidated by ODE.
“C” indicated a student refusal of the whole measure. 3 4 7
In most cases, when using a Test Attempt Code of “Y”, you will use an Administration Code “)”, meaning that no special circumstances were applied to the assessment.
A code of “3” should only be used in the rare circumstance that a student’s IEP would necessitate changing the Kindergarten Assessment for that student. An example of this would be to change the answer choices from 3 to 2 on the Early Math measure. This would be predetermined by the IEP Team and the students would have an alternative form of the assessment. This would also result in not counting toward participation. This code should not be used to excuse students with disabilities from the Kindergarten Assessment. That is a violation of IDEA law.
A code “4” is used if a student receives less than 50% of their instruction at their home school or is a foreign exchange student.
A code “7” is to be determined by ODE only. This indicates an invalidation of the assessment, due to an impropriety.
A “C” is used in cases where the student was presented with the opportunity to test, but refuses to participate by hiding under the desk or pushing the book away. C

20. Administration Codes for “N”1
“1” indicates that a student was absent over the course of the assessment.
“4” indicates home schooled or out of state, meaning that a student receives less than 50% of instruction at the school or is a foreign exchange student
“5” indicates that a student was not enrolled during the test window.
“6” indicates a medical emergency, meaning the student was absent for the entire test window
“7” indicates invalidation, meaning that the assessment was invalidated by ODE.
“9” indicates not assessed due to parent request, due to disability or religion only.
“D” indicates repeat kindergartner. 4 5 6
An administrative code of “1” indicates that the student was absent over the course of the assessment.
Code “4” : A student who does not receive primary instruction in at the school (less than 50% instruction completed at the school), is a foreign exchange student, or a student who resides or attends school outside of the state
Code 5: A student who is no longer enrolled in the district; a student who moved before the assessment could be administered; or a student who moved into district during the last 3 weeks of administration
Code 6: A student who cannot take the assessment during the entire testing window because of a significant medical emergency
Code 7: ONLY for ODE use. Testing improprieties must be reported to ODE
Code 9: OAR permits parents to request exemption on the basis of disability or religion
Code D: In cases when a student is repeating kindergarten and the district decides not to assess them in the subject 7 9 D

21. Best Practices Develop a rapport with the student
Be engaging and positive
Seat yourself next to the student
Place the Student Booklet in front of the students
Place scoresheet (folded to the appropriate page)
on the clipboard
Direct the student to the sample item
associated with each measure
The Kindergarten Assessment differs from other Oregon Statewide Assessments in that it is a one-on-one assessment. The relationship with the test administrator affects the interaction with the assessment. Please remember that for most students this is their first experience with assessment and we want to make the student feel as comfortable as possible. This means that you should be as positive as possible. Please seat yourself next to the student and begin by introducing yourself and asking questions like, “How are you, today?”

22. Early Literacy

23. English Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Name Recognition: Overview
Direct, untimed assessments that measures both uppercase and lowercase letter name recognition
Students will be presented with two separate 26-item grids
Students will be given 5 seconds between each letter and some will require additional processing time
Spanish instructions are provided for
students as a designated support, but may
be translated into other languages, based
upon need
A direct assessment that measures both uppercase and lowercase letter name recognition (untimed)
Students are presented with a sample item for each of the measures
Students will be presented with two separate, 26 item grids (one uppercase and one lowercase) and will be asked to identify as many uppercase/lowercase letters as they can out of 26
Students will be given 5 seconds between each letter
*Some students will require additional processing time between letters
Spanish instructions are provided for students as a designated support. This designated support should be determined in the same way as other Statewide Assessment. Assessor instructions may be translated into other languages, depending on need. All translated instruction are to be delivered by a bilingual assessor.

24. English Letter Name Recognition: Instructions
Located in the Assessor Booklet:
Read directions verbatim
Do not provide feedback on sample items (Except for “Good effort,” “Keep trying,” “Next letter,” “Do your best,” and “Thank you.”)
Indicates when to refer to materials.
Indicates when the TA needs to demonstrate or show something to the student.
Indicates when the TA is required to give verbal directions to the student.
The directions are located in the Assessor Booklet and must be read verbatim. Any deviation from the instructions would be considered a testing impropriety. The test administrator should not provide feedback on sample items. You are allowed to say the phrases listed above.
Detailed instructions found in the Kindergarten Assessment Assessor Booklet

25. English Letter Name Recognition Scoring:
If the student:
Is Correct
Do not mark the letter. Leave blank and mark as correct.
Self Corrects
Mark SC above the letter and count as correct
Says incorrect letter name.
Slash through the letter and mark as incorrect
Does not name a letter.
Slash through the letter and mark as incorrect. S SC S S S

26. English Letter Name Recognition: Scoring
Record on Operational Scoresheet:
Attempt Code: Y or N
Admin Code: (provided on scoresheet)
Number Correct: Number of correct letters
Asmt Admin Dt: Date measure was administered

27. Sample English Letter Name Recognition ScoringSC 24
9/6/18

28. English Letter Name Recognition: Additional Considerations
If a student:
is unable to name a letter after 5 seconds, please direct the student to move to the next letter.
is unable to name any of the letters in the first row, say: “Can you tell me the names of any letters in the chart?”
provides the letter sound instead of the letter name, say: “Please tell me the name of the letter”
provides the letter name in a language other than English, say: “Please tell me the letter name in English”
loses his/her place, direct the student to the correct letter. The TA is allowed to point to each letter in the chart.

29. English Letter Sound Recognition: Overview
A direct, untimed assessment that measures English letter sound recognition
Students will be presented with a 26-item grid of letter pairs
Students will be asked to identify as many sound as they can
Students will be given 5 seconds between each letter sound and some students will require additional processing time
Spanish instructions are provided for
students as a designated support, but may
be translated into other languages, based
upon need
A direct, untimed assessment that measures English letter sound recognition
Students are presented with a sample item for each of the measures
Students will be presented with a 26 item grid of letter pairs (a capital and lowercase letter that are next to each other)
Students will be asked to identify as many sound as they can out of 26
Students will be given 5 seconds between each letter
Some students will require additional processing time between letter sounds
Spanish instructions are provided for students as a designated support

30. English Letter Sound Recognition Scoring:
If the student:
Is Correct
Do not mark the letter. Leave blank and mark as correct.
Self Corrects
Mark SC above the letter and count as correct
Says incorrect letter sound.
Slash through the letter and mark as incorrect
Does not say a sound or makes incorrect sound
Slash through the letter and mark as incorrect. S SC S S S

31. English Letter Sound Recognition Scoring:
If a student:
says a long or short vowel sound, count either as correct
says a hard or soft consonant sound for c or g, count either one as correct (Example: c, as in cat or c as in face, or g, as in go or g, as in barge)
is unable to accurately articulate the sound (due to a speech disorder, etc.), but demonstrates knowledge of the sound, count as correct
Record on Assessor Scoresheet:
Attempt Code: Y or N
Admin Code: (provided on scoresheet)
Number Correct: Number of correct letter sounds
Asmt Admin Dt: Date measure was administered

32. Sample English Letter Sound Recognition Scoring22
9/6/18
The use of the grid is for demonstration and training purposes. The grids will be scored the same way, but the letter arrangement will be different. SC

33. English Letter Sound Recognition: Additional Considerations
If a student:
is unable to name a letter sound after 5 seconds, please direct the student to move to the next letter pair.
is unable to name any of the letter sounds in the first row, say: “Can you tell me the sounds of any letter pairs in the chart?”
provides the letter name instead of the letter sound, say: “Please tell me the sound of that letter pair.”
provides the letter sound in a language other than English, say: “Please tell me the sound of the letter pair in English.”
loses his/her place, direct the student to the correct letter. The TA is allowed to point to each letter in the chart.

34. Group Interpretive Guidance for Early Literacy
For the past two years the Oregon Department of Education has provided interpretive guidance for the Early Literacy measures.
Scores fall into 3 categories:
Developing
Approaching
Demonstrating and Above
For each measure, there are specific achievement level descriptors.
For example, in English Uppercase Letter Names, if a student was able to name between 0 and 7 uppercase letters, he/she would be in the Developing category. If a student was able to name 8 to 17 letters, he/she would fall into the Approaching category, and if a student was able to name 18 or more letters, he/she would fall into the Demonstrating and Above category. Students who fall into the Developing category may need additional assessment and/or additional supports.
In English Lowercase Letters, if a student is able to name 0-4 lowercase letters, he/she would fall in the Developing category, if he/she is able to name 5-14 lowercase letters, he/she would fall into the Approaching category, if he/she is able to name 15 or more lowercase letter names, he/she would fall into the Demonstrating and Above category. Students who fall into the Developing category may need additional assessment and/or additional supports.
In English Letter Sound Recognition, if a student is able to name 0-3 sounds, he/she would fall into the Developing category,4-6 in the Approaching category, and 7 and above sounds, he or she would fall into the Demonstrating and Above category,

35. Early Math

36. Early Math: Overview The student booklet has one item per page
There are two sample items and sixteen assessment items
This assessment is not timed
TAs can plan on 6-9 minutes administration time
Spanish instructions are provided for
students as a designated support, but may
be translated into other languages, based
upon need

37. Early Math Instructions
Detailed instructions are located in the Operational Assessor Booklet
Read the directions verbatim
It is allowable to say:
“Good effort,” “Keep Trying,” “Next,” “Do your best,” and “Thank you.”
Item graphics are now also located in the Operational Assessor Booklet

38. Early Math Scoring
For each item, the 3 possible answers fall under columns A, B, and C
Circle each answer on the Operational Scoresheet.
All student responses will be recorded on the Operational Scoresheet.
Answer choices are A,B, or C
The correct answer is shaded on the Operational Scoresheet
N is used if a student doesn’t respond or the response is not listed
N is used if the student doesn’t respond or the response is not listed.

39. Early Math Scoring Verbal or pointed responses are acceptable
Verbalizes their answer and doesn’t point, the verbalized answer is accepted.
Verbalizes an answer, but points to a different answer, prompt the student one time to point their final answer, the pointed answer is accepted
Verbalizes in a language in which the directions were given, in English, or both, bilingual answers are acceptable
Verbal or pointed responses are acceptable

40. Interpretive Guidance for Early Math
At this time, the Oregon Department of Education does not have interpretive guidance around the Early Math measure at this time.
Guidance will be provided in subsequent years.

41. Providing Encouragement
English*
Spanish
“Good effort”
“Keep trying”
“Next”
“Do your best”
“Thank you”
“Buen esfuerzo”
“Sigue intentando”
“La siguiente”
“Haz lo mejor que puedas”
“Gracias”
*English phrases can be translated into any language necessary

42. Regional ESD Partners Karen Brown-Smith Amy Rockwell
ESD partners are available to assist with ordering , answer questions about test administration, and provide addition materials if needed.
Amy Rockwell
ext. 1 or
Karen Brown-Smith
ext.3124

43. ODE Contact Information
Holly Dalton
Early Literacy and Early Math Assessment Specialist
Elyse Bean
Kindergarten Data Owner
ODE Helpdesk
Technical Assistance
If you have any questions regarding your KA data submission that your DTC can’t answer, please contact your Regional ESD Partner or Elyse Bean
If you have questions related to assessment, policy and procedure, please contact myself.
If you having technical difficulties with the ODE district webpage, please contact your ODE helpdesk.