State K-3 Policies
Are kindergarten entrance assessments required? If yes, what are states required to do with the results?
September 2020
At least 30 states and the District of Columbia require kindergarten entrance assessments. Of those, all but four also create requirements for what must be done with the assessment results, including prohibitions on what may not be done with that information.
The following information was gathered from state statutes and regulations only.
To view other data points, click here.
The following information was gathered from state statutes and regulations only.
To view other data points, click here.
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STATE
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Are kindergarten entrance assessments required? If yes, what are states required to do with the results?
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Source
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| Alabama | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Arizona | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Georgia | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Hawaii | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Idaho | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Kansas | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Maine | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Missouri | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Montana | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| New Hampshire | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| New Jersey | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Pennsylvania | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| South Dakota | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Tennessee | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Texas | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Vermont | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Virginia | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| West Virginia | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Wisconsin | Not specified in statute or regulation. | |
| Wyoming | Not specified in statute or regulation. | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-3-401 |
| Alaska | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment/Results: districts must submit to the department a developmental profile for each student entering kindergarten or first grade with indicators such as: physical well-being and motor development; language and literacy development; personal-social development; thinking and cognitive development; and child background. | Alaska Admin. Code tit. 4 § 06.712 |
| Michigan | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: Yes. The department of education, in collaboration with intermediate districts, must administer the Michigan kindergarten entry observation tool in each kindergarten classroom to either all enrolled students or to a representative sample of at least 35% of enrolled students. Results: results must be reported to the legislature, including comparisons between students who attended Head Start or state pre-K. Student-level data must be made available to educators and parents, and principals must use data on incoming students to target teacher professional development |
Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. 388.1704 and 380.1280f |
| Oklahoma | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the State Board of Education must develop and implement a readiness screening program for students enrolled in kindergarten. The screening must be administered prior to the student entering first grade in a public school. Results: results of the screening must be made available to the child's parent or legal guardian, teacher and school district administrator. The child's parents or legal guardian must be given notice prior to a readiness screening. |
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 1210.282 Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 70, § 1210.283 |
| Colorado | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the state board must adopt at least one assessment that is aligned with the description of school readiness and is suitable for measuring students' levels of school readiness. Local education providers must administer the assessment within the first 60 days of the school year for students enrolled in kindergarten programs. Results: results of these assessments may not be used to deny a student admission or progression to first grade. Results may not be publicly reported for individual students. The state board must adopt a system for reporting population-level results that provide baseline data for measuring overall change and improvement in students' skills and knowledge over time. |
Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-7-1004 Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-7-1014 |
| Connecticut | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the Office of Early Childhood is responsible for developing a statewide developmentally appropriate kindergarten entrance inventory that measures a child's level of preparedness for kindergarten. Results: this assessment may not be used as a measurement tool for program accountability. |
Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 10-500 |
| Illinois | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) must be administered annually to each student enrolled in kindergarten, if the state provides sufficient funding for administration. Results: data for each student, based on local instruction and assessment practices, must be reported through the KIDSTech rating system. Each school district must report the results of KIDS to the state board of education once each school year. |
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 23, 1.420 |
| Arkansas | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education must develop guidelines for school districts to perform readiness testing for children who are entering kindergarten, and each school district must conduct individual readiness testing on each child entering kindergarten. Results: districts must provide the results of the testing to the child's parents in a timely manner, and in clear, understandable terminology, before the first day of school. |
Ark. Code Ann. § 6-16-203 |
| Oregon | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the department of education must work jointly with the Early Learning Council to adopt a tool to be used for a kindergarten readiness assessment, which must be administered by school districts to all kindergarten students. Results: results must be included in the statewide longitudinal data system. |
Or. Admin. R. 581-022-2130 |
| Florida | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the department of education must adopt a statewide kindergarten screening to assess readiness of student for kindergarten, and require each school district to administer the assessment within the first 30 school days of each school year. Results: data from this screening, along with other available data, must be used to identify students in need of intervention and support. Results of the kindergarten entrance assessment are also used to evaluate the voluntary pre-kindergarten education program. |
Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1002.69 |
| Massachusetts | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the department of early education and child care must establish an assessment system that includes a kindergarten readiness assessment system. Results: Data collected from assessments may not be used for high-stakes decisions about a child's progress within the preschool environment nor about their transition to kindergarten. Data may also not be used to rank individual students within a program. |
Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. 15D § 12 |
| Minnesota | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: the Commissioner of Education may implement a kindergarten readiness assessment representative of incoming kindergartners. The assessment must be based on Department of Education Kindergarten Readiness Assessment at kindergarten entrance study. Results: Not specified in statute or regulations. |
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 124D.162 |
| California | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: standardized assessment tests in early primary programs (preschool through 3rd grade) may be used for diagnostic purposes only. Results: assessments cannot be used to deny admission. |
Cal. Educ. Code § 8972 |
| District of Columbia | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: readiness evaluations must be administered for all children entering the DC Public Schools kindergarten program to determine readiness for entry and achievement. Results: The chief executive officer of DC Public Schools must annually submit the results of the readiness evaluations, as well as a DC Public Schools report delineating the progress and readiness of all students, to the DC mayor and council. |
D.C. Code § 38-755.03 and § 38-755.04 |
| Maryland | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: local school systems must annually administer a department-approved kindergarten readiness assessment to a representative sample of kindergartners. A local county board of education may decide to assess all students in all kindergarten classes, and a principal and teacher who are in agreement may decide to assess all students in that teacher's kindergarten class. Results: the department of education must provide each local school system with the results of the representative sample's assessments, and publish and disseminate the aggregated results. For local school systems that have elected to administer the assessment to all students, the department must return aggregate results to that system. |
Md. Code Regs. 13A.08.01.02-3 Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-210 |
| Utah | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: local education agencies must give all kindergarten students a kindergarten entrance assessment either three weeks before or three weeks after the school year begins. Results: districts must submit entry assessment data to the Utah Educational Data Gateway. Districts may not use that data to justify early enrollment of a student who is not currently eligible to enroll in kindergarten, evaluate an educator's teaching performance, or determine whether a student should be retained or promoted between grades. |
Utah Admin. Code r. R277-489-3 through R277-489-4 |
| Washington | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: kindergarten teachers must administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills. School districts may seek waivers under specific circumstances. Results: results must be reported to the superintendent, who will share the results with the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families. |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.150.315 Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.655.080 |
| Delaware | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: kindergarten students must be reviewed for readiness during their enrollment into kindergarten; this readiness review must be completed within 30 school days of the start of school. Results: Not specified in statute or regulations. |
Del. Code Ann. tit. 14, § 151 |
| Indiana | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: if a student enrolls in school without having attended kindergarten, the superintendent must make a determination as to whether the student will enroll in kindergarten or first grade. The department of education must establish criteria by which a governing body may adopt a model assessment to be used in making such a determination. Results: results are used to determine grade placement. |
Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-2-7 |
| Nevada | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: if a child is 7 years of age on or before September 30 of a school year and their parents or guardians have waived their kindergarten attendance, the child must undergo an assessment from the district. Results: the results of this assessment will be used to determine whether these students are prepared developmentally for the first grade or should first be admitted to kindergarten. |
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 392.040 |
| South Carolina | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: every student entering public school for the first time in prekindergarten and kindergarten must be administered a readiness screening by the forty-fifth day of the school year. Results: results may not be used to deny a student admission or progress to kindergarten or first grade, and individual results may not be publicly reported. The state board of education must adopt a system for reporting population-level results that provide baseline data for measuring overall change and improvement in the skills and knowledge of students over time. The South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees must use the assessment information to establish standards and practices to support all early childhood providers served by First Steps. The board must report the results of the assessment by state and by county on annual reports to the General Assembly, and use the results to assist county partnerships to support local initiatives to improve readiness for all schools. Results of each readiness assessment must also be reported to the Read to Succeed office. |
S.C. Code Ann. § 59-152-33 S.C. Code Ann. § 59-155-150 |
| Louisiana | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: every student entering kindergarten must be administered a valid and reliable readiness assessment. Results: results must be used for measuring student readiness for kindergarten and for planning instruction. Each public school governing authority must report results by school to the department of education each year. |
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:391.11 |
| Kentucky | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: each school district must administer the Common Kindergarten Entry Screening to each student entering kindergarten no later than 30 days after the start of the school year. Results: results must be entered into the student information system within 30 days of the start of the school year and individual results must be shared with parents or guardians. Results may not be used to determine student enrollment eligibility, and may not be used in the school or district overall score for assessment purposes. Districts may use the data in the following ways: inform districts, parents and communities about readiness gaps; inform policy decisions; establish local goals for program improvement; and as part of program evaluation. |
704 Ky. Admin. Regs. 5:070 |
| New York | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: each school district must administer diagnostic screening of all new students, pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Results: results of the diagnostic screening must be reviewed, and a written report must be prepared by appropriately qualified school district staff alongside referrals as required. |
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8, § 117.3 |
| Nebraska | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: each school board must approve and make available a recognized assessment procedure for determining if a child is ready for kindergarten. Results: Not specified in statute or regulations. |
92 Neb. Admin. Code Ch. 10, 004 |
| Ohio | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: districts must administer the kindergarten readiness assessment provided by the state department of education to all kindergarten students between the first day of school and the first day of November. Results: results may not be used to prohibit a student from enrolling in kindergarten. The results must be shared with the student's parent sor guardians as well as with the state department of education. |
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3301.0715 |
| Iowa | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: districts must administer a valid and reliable universal screening instrument to every kindergarten student enrolled in the district. Results: results must be entered into the statewide longitudinal data system. |
Iowa Code Ann. § 279.60 |
| North Dakota | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: districts have the option to conduct a readiness test and formative assessments of incoming kindergarten students. Results: Not specified in statute or regulations. |
N.D. Cent. Code Ann. § 15.1-21-23 |
| Rhode Island | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: districts are required to screen all children prior to, or upon, their first entry into school to determining their level of educational readiness. Results: the results are used to determine if the student is educationally ready in instruction in literacy, writing, speaking, listening, or mathematics. |
R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 16-67-2 |
| New Mexico | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: all students in kindergarten must be administered the New Mexico kindergarten entry assessment within the first 30 instructional days of the school year. Results: data must be reported through the public education department's data collection reporting system. |
N.M. Admin. Code 6.30.5 |
| North Carolina | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: all students entering kindergarten must complete a kindergarten entrance assessment within 60 days of enrollment. All students entering kindergarten must be administered a developmental screening of early language, literacy, and math skills with in 30 days of enrollment. The developmental screening instrument may be composed of subsections of the kindergarten entry assessment. Results: the results of the assessment must be used to inform the status of children's learning at kindergarten entry, the instruction of each child, the efforts to reduce the achievement gap at kindergarten entry and the continuous improvement of the early childhood system. |
N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 115C-83.5 |
| Mississippi | Kindergarten Entrance Assessment: all kindergarten students are required to participate in the kindergarten readiness assessment established by the department of education. The assessment must be taken no later than 30 days after the start of the school year. Results: Parents and guardians must be informed of their student's performance. Districts must report results to the state superintendent of education. |
Code Miss. R. 7-7 Miss. Code. Ann. § 37-21-11 |