Illinois State Board of Education issued the following announcement on June 25.
The Illinois State Board of Education released today the statewide results of the 2018-19 Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS). The state- and district-level data provide Illinois teachers, administrators, families, and policymakers with vital information about the supports and opportunities needed for children to achieve success in school and beyond.
KIDS data reinforce the need for equitable supports in school and for equitable access to quality learning experiences before kindergarten. View the state- and district-level data and a summary report at isbe.net/KIDS.
“Data from the second year of KIDS implementation affirms the importance of comprehensive, high-quality supports for early learners," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Systemic inequities in resources and opportunities can negatively impact the development of young children. We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to increase the state's investments in early childhood education and close gaps in development as early as possible."
What is KIDS?
KIDS is an observational protocol through which kindergarten teachers collect multiple pieces of evidence for each student on 14 measures in three areas – social and emotional development, language and literacy, and math – to provide a proxy of readiness for a group of students at the beginning of kindergarten. Teachers observe students and document interactions and behaviors during the first 40 days of instruction as the children go about their daily routines, such as playing, doing schoolwork, having conversations, and following directions.
Because it is observation-based and not a pull out or paper-and-pencil test, KIDS is designed to accommodate the multiple ways in which students learn and show what they know and can do. Children are able to demonstrate skills and abilities in a variety of ways, such as through use of a communication board, sign language, or their native languages.
Statewide Data Highlights
Among the 115,920 kindergarten students rated on all 14 required measures in fall 2018:
26% demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas
17% demonstrated readiness in two developmental areas
18% demonstrated readiness in one developmental area
39% did not demonstrate readiness in any developmental area
53% demonstrated readiness in social and emotional development
46% demonstrated readiness in language and literacy development
33% demonstrated readiness in math
12% of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas, compared to 28% of students without IEPs
17% of English Learners (ELs) demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas, compared to 29% of non-ELs
18% of students with free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas, compared to 34% of students without FRPL
What does KIDS mean for families?
Early childhood is a time of rapid development. Many factors determine a child's “readiness" for kindergarten. The development of individual children of the same chronological age varies, and children enter kindergarten with a wide range of early experiences. KIDS can provide families with a general sense of their child's strengths and areas in which they may need additional support. A child not demonstrating readiness at the same time as his or her peers in a single measure or developmental area is not necessarily a cause for concern. Providing appropriate supports allows children the opportunity to get back on track – something easier to accomplish in the earlier years.
Families can visit ISBE's KIDS Families page to find activities to support their children's learning before they start school. KIDS data can serve as a conversation starter to help families and teachers build a common understanding of students' strengths and work together to support children's growth.
Original source can be found here.
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