Now that the school year is in session for everyone, there are a few important updates and reminders about programs that use the Early Learning Assessment (ELA).
2023-2024 Step Up to Quality Comprehensive Assessment Requirement
For the 2023-2024 school year, programs that choose to use Ohio’s Early Learning Assessment as their comprehensive assessment to meet SUTQ requirements, who do not opt in to the ELA Pilot, must assess all preschool age children using 28 progressions, not including the fine arts section, a minimum of two times during the year following a program determined schedule.
Ready for Kindergarten Online (KReady) System
For the 2023-24 school year, any program using the Early Learning Assessment (ELA) as part of the requirements for Early Childhood Education Grant (ECE) and/or Preschool Special Education (PSE) funded children, must enter all student ratings in the Ready for Kindergarten Online (KReady) system. Programs will NOT report ELA results in EMIS or EAS as they have in previous years.
For the 2023-2024 school year, there are two options to meet the Early Learning Assessment requirement for ECE and PSE programs:
Option 1 Assess children funded by funded by ECE or PSE in the set of Ten Required Learning Progressions (including 24 skills, or SKBs) in the fall and spring and report ratings in the Ready for Kindergarten Online (KReady) system. This is the same set of SKBs that ECE and PSE programs have been using for many years.
Option 2 Participate in an optional Early Learning Assessment Pilot. Assess children funded by ECE or PSE with a set of 25 SKBs in the fall and spring and enter ratings in the Ready for Kindergarten Online (KReady) system. This is a different set of SKBs derived from the comprehensive ELA and includes a new Oral Motor progression.
See this 2023 ELA Pilot Overview document for a list of SKBs included in the pilot.
Early Learning Assessment Pilot
We have extended the timeline to opt in to the 2023-24 ELA Pilot. Here are some additional details about the pilot:
- A separate, simpler data collection in the KReady system with about half of the SKBs (only 34).
- The full set of 34 SKBs in the pilot data collection meet the SUTQ comprehensive assessment.
- The priority filter will show the pilot alternative to the Ten Required Learning Progressions for children participating in ECE and PSE. The pilot priority set includes 25 SKBs.
- There is separate data collection in the KReady system.
- There is a new Oral Motor progression.
Fill out this form by September 30, 2023 to let us know if your program is choosing to participate in the Pilot. We will be sending separate communications to Pilot participants throughout the school year. You will be asked to identify a primary point of contact and your data manager when completing the form. Please discuss this opportunity with the classroom teachers and building administrators in your program before deciding to opt in to the pilot. We strongly recommend that programs opt in at the organization level (e.g., an entire district) rather than at the classroom or building level.
For more information about the ELA, please go to the Early Learning Assessment website or send an email to ELAHelp@education.ohio.gov.
For technical questions, please contact the Help Desk:
844-K12-OHIO (844-512-6446)