A strong academic foundation is essential to individual student success. When a student enters first grade without basic literacy skills, he\/she is unable to function effectively. This learning deficit often continues to increase over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To ensure that all students have a strong academic foundation right from the start, many school districts conduct Kindergarten Exit Assessments<\/strong> (KEAs). When implemented as part of a comprehensive program of Scientific Reading Instruction, this can help teachers and administrators review each individual student’s readiness for first grade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A KEA program usually has at least three components: an overview, a practice test (or exemplar), and the final assessment itself. Here are descriptions of each, plus links to samples of what one district in the state has done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overview<\/strong><\/a>: The overview explains the rationale and purpose of the program. It also describes the components of the assessment, and gives details about any supplemental parts of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n