Skip to main content
Log in

Best Practices in Assessing Kindergarten Readiness

  • General Article
  • Published:
The California School Psychologist Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This artile addresses the numerous challenges that have developed in response to the first national education goal that states, “All children in American will start school ready to learn.” The definition and measurement of school readiness has been surrounded by controversy for decades. There is little consensus on how it should be defined and even greater uncertainty on how it should be measured. This paper addresses the issues of assessing readiness by reviewing the history, research, and methodological challenges relating to screening instruments for school readiness and then links these data to a best practices model of screening techniques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council of Measurement in Education. (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Athanasiou, M. S. (2000). Play-based approaches to preschool assessment. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.), The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children (3rd ed., pp. 412–427). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagnato, S. J., & Neisworth, J. T. (1994). A national study of the social and treatment “invalidity” of intelligence testing for early intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 9(2), 81–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A. (1987). Limitations of preschool instruments and standards for minimal levels of technical adequacy. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 4, 313–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A. (2000) The psychoeducational assessment of preschool children. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A., Keith, L. K., & Walker, K. C. (1998). Assessment of preschool behavior and social-emotional functioning: A review of thirteen third-party instruments. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 16(2), 153–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A., & Walker, K. C. (1997). The utility of intelligence tests for preschool children. In D. P. Flanagan & J. L. Genshaft (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (pp. 484–502). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1976). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carran, D. T., & Scott, K. G. (1992). Risk assessment in preschool children: Research implications for the early detection of educational handicaps. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 12, 196–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costenbader, V., Rohrer, A. M., & DiFonzo, N. (2000). Kindergarten screening: A survey of current practice. Psychology in the Schools, 37(4), 323–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fast Response Survey System. (1993). Public school kindergarten teachers’ views on children’s readiness for school. Contractor report to the National Center for Education Statistics. NCES 93-410. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan, D. P., & Alfonso, V. C. (1995). A critical review of the technical characteristics of new and recently revised intelligence tests for preschool children. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 13(1), 66–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gredler, G. R. (1992). School readiness: Assessment and educational issues. Brandon, VT: Clinical Psychology Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gredler, G. R. (1997). Issues in early childhood screening and assessment. Psychology in the Schools, 34(2), 99–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ireton, H. (1990). Developmental screening measures. In J. H. Johnson & J. Goldman (Eds.), Developmental assessment in clinical child psychology: A handbook (pp. 78–99). Elmsford, NY: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacob-Timm, S., & Hartshorne, T. S. (1998). Ethics and law for school psychologists (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansky, J. J. (1978). A critical review of some developmental and predictive precursors of reading disabilities. In A. L. Benton & D. Pearl (Eds.), Dyslexia: An appraisal of current knowledge (pp. 313–347). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, M. F., & Surbeck, E. (1991). Restructuring early childhood education. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingslake, B. J. (1983). The predictive accuracy of on-entry to school screening procedures when used to anticipate learning difficulties. British Journal of Special Education, 10, 24–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochaneck, T. T., & Hennen, F. (1988). Prediction of special education need from preschool screening data: A two-year follow-up investigation. Special Services in the Schools, 4(3/4), 23–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lehr, C. A., Ysseldyke, J. E., & Thurlow, M. L. (1987). Assessment practices in model early childhood special education programs. Psychology in the Schools, 24, 390–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenstein, R., & Ireton, H. (1991). Preschool screening for developmental and educational problems. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.), Psychoeducational assessment of preschool children (pp. 486–513). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meisels, S. (1992). Doing harm by doing good: Iatrogenic effects of early childhood enrollment and promotion policies. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 7, 155–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meisels, S. (1993). Remaking classroom assessment with the Work Sampling System. Young Children, 48, 34–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meisels, S. (1995). The work-sampling system: Reliability and validity of a performance assessment for young children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 10, 277–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meisels, S. J. (1998). Assessing readiness. (Report No. 3-002). Ann Arbor, MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. Retreived from http://www.ciera.org/products/meisels-1998/reports32.html

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, C. D., Algozzine, B., & Trifiletti, J. J. (1979). Early identification: An analysis of the research. Learning Disability Quarterly, 2(2), 12–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Education Goals Panel. (1991). The national education goals report. Washington, DC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, C. M. (1996). Health and environmental effects on the academic readiness of school-age children. Developmental Psychology, 32(3), 515–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & McCoy, S. J. (1997). The first day of school: The predictive validity of early school screening. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 18, 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafoth, M. A. (1997). Guidelines for developing screening programs. Psychology in the Schools, 34(2), 129–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satz, P., & Fletcher, J. M. (1988). Early identification of learning disabled children: An age old question revisited. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 824–829.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scarpati, S., & Silver, P. G. (1999). Readiness for academic achievement in preschool children. In E. V. Nuttall, I. Romero, & J. Kalesnik (Eds.), Assessing and screening preschoolers: Psychological and educational dimensions (2nd ed., pp. 262–280). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepard, L. A. (1997). Children not ready to learn? The invalidity of school readiness testing. Psychology in the Schools, 34(2), 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, H. W., Parker, W., Wilkinson, A., Hegion, A., & Fish, E. (1976). Longitudinal study of individual differences in cognitive development and scholastic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 68(4), 377–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, B. J., Gridley, B., & Treloar, J. (1992). Validation of a battery of preschool screening tests for predicting special education placement. Diagnostique, 17(4), 289–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thurlow, M. L., & Gilman, C. J. (1999). Issues and practices in the screening of preschool children. In E. Vazquez Nuttall, I. Romero, & J. Kalesnik (Eds.), Assessing and screening preschoolers: Psychological and educational dimensions (pp. 72–93). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thurlow, M. L., & Ysseldyke, J. (1979). Current assessment and decision making practices in model LD programs. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 2, 15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tramontana, M. G., Hooper, S. R., & Selzer, S. C. (1988). Research on the preschool prediction of later academic achievement: A review. Developmental Review, 8, 89–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vazquez Nuttall, E., Nuttall-Vazquez, K., Hampel, A. (1999). Introduction. In E. Vazquez Nuttall, I. Romero, & J. Kalesnik (Eds.), Assessing and screening preschoolers: Psychological and educational dimensions (pp. 1–8). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, H. M., Severson, H., Stiller, B., Williams, G., Haring, N., Shinn, M., & Todis, B. (1988). Systematic screening of pupils in the elementary age range at risk for behavior disorders: Development and trial testing of a multiple gating model. Remedial and Special Education, 9(3), 8–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ysseldyke, J. E., Thurlow, M. L., O’Sullivan, P., & Bursaw, R. A. (1986). Current screening and diagnostic practices in a state offering free preschool screening since 1977: Implications for the field. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 4, 191–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nuttall, E. V., Nuttall-Vazquez, K., & Hampel, A. (1999). Introduction. In E. Vazquez Nuttall, I. Romero, & J. Kalesnik, (Eds.), Assessing and screening preschoolers: Psychological and educational dimensions (2nd ed., pp. 1–8). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zigler, E. (1998). By what goals should Head Start be assessed? Children’s Services: Social Policy, Research, and Practice, 1(1), 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zigler, E., & Styfco, S. J. (1994). Is the Perry Preschool better than Headstart? Yes and no. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 9, 269–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renee Pavelski-Pyle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pavelski-Pyle, R. Best Practices in Assessing Kindergarten Readiness. Contemp School Psychol 7, 63–73 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340890

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340890

Keywords

Navigation