History of School Readiness Assessments

History of School Readiness Assessments

Beginning in 2010, CDE engaged a school readiness assessment committee with early childhood educators and experts from across Colorado to advise the department on implementation of the school readiness initiative. In 2012, the State Board of Education voted to offer districts a menu of school readiness assessments and the first kindergarten school readiness assessment review was conducted. The committee assisted in the review of assessments following the criteria established in CAP4K. In 2012, the State Board approved Teaching Strategies GOLD® as the first assessment tool for the menu. At their October 2014 meeting, the State Board voted to add three additional assessments to the menu: the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP-K), and allow the use of the Survey version of Teaching Strategies GOLD®.

In the spring of 2017, CDE solicited Requests for Information (RFIs) for both kindergarten school readiness assessment systems and additional assessment tools for Colorado’s menu of Results Matter Early Childhood Assessments. Assessment systems were reviewed by teams of stakeholders including teachers and administrators from various regions and programs in the state. Review teams used the assessment evaluation and the criteria established in CAP4K and included in the Request for Information to review and score each assessment. Recommendations for additions to the School Readiness Assessment Menu were presented to the State Board of Education on May 11, 2017. The State Board of Education voted to add HighScope Child Observation Record (COR) to the department’s kindergarten school readiness assessment menu and remove the Riverside Early Assessment of Learning (REAL) because REAL is no longer being published.