Assessment

The implementation of TK creates opportunities to chart new paths in many areas, including assessment. When it comes to assessment, both formative and summative, it is clear that no single tool meets the needs of every school district.

Assessment is most effectual when using a variety of measurement tools and approaches including analysis of student work, teacher observation, and records of individual progress. Assessment results should identify the strengths, needs, and progress of individual students and facilitate flexible groupings.¹

Regularly using formative assessments for instructional planning supports students' development in all areas of learning, including:

• Social-Emotional
• English Language Arts
• Mathematics
• English Language Development

The following resources may be helpful as you design assessment tools and practices that meet your district’s needs.

• TK Conference Formative Assessment Workshop presentation - Power Point, Differentiated Instruction Handout and Embedded Formative Assessment Handout;
• Formative Assessment: Critical to TK Success – a Webinar and Power Point presentation from Preschool California;
• How to Know if Students are Learning - Assessments, an exerpt from CCSESA’s Transitional Kindergarten Planning Guide, pages 27-28.

¹ Adapted from the CCSESA Transitional Kindergarten Planning Guide