Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) is a reliable reporting tool that offers teachers an instructional strategy for understanding and tracking a student’s proficiency at kindergarten entry.  The tool collects information on a consistent set of standards-based indicators across the commonwealth. The KEI is based on Pennsylvania’s Learning Standards for Early Childhood and the Pennsylvania Core Standards. KEI includes 30 indicators and provides a comprehensive profile that includes the domains of: Social and Emotional Development; English Language Arts; Mathematics; Approaches to Learning; and Health, Wellness and Physical Development.  KEI is intended to be used by kindergarten teachers to record a student’s demonstration of skills within the first 45 calendar days of the kindergarten year.  It is a snapshot of skills upon entry into kindergarten.  Skills levels will be determined by multiple sources of evidence.  For more information about the Kindergarten Entry Inventory please visit, http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/departmental_offices/7235/p/1852080.

All focus and priority schools are required to implement the Kindergarten Entry Inventory as part of their school improvement efforts. Intermediate unit curriculum coordinators and academic recovery liaisons (priority schools) are ready to assist you in the KEI implementation process. 

This also serves as an invitation for all non-focus and priority schools who wish to implement Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory on a voluntary basis beginning in the 2015-16 school year. The Kindergarten Entry Inventory is available to all school districts at no cost.

In order to implement the Kindergarten Entry Inventory, a Kindergarten Entry Inventory Point of Contact (KEI-POC) is required. The KEI-POC will act as the liaison between local education agency (LEA) administrative staff, implementing kindergarten teachers, and OCDEL and data systems staff. Having a dedicated KEI-POC will ensure that effective communication and implementation occurs throughout the KEI process.  Please send the KEI-POC name, email address and phone number to RA-PWOCDELKEI@pa.gov by March 13, 2015. Receipt of this information will initiate participation in Cohort 2: 2015 Kindergarten Entry Inventory.

Please note: If your LEA participated in Cohort 1: 2014 Kindergarten Entry Inventory, a KEI-POC must be assigned for 2015 implementation.

All kindergarten teachers who have not previously participated must complete skills and scoring practice professional development and complete a proficient user assignment in order to gain access to the web-based data system.  Teachers with a proficient user certificate of completion do not need to repeat the professional development protocol. 

The tentative training schedule is as follows:

March – June:

• Face-to-face skills and scoring practice professional development available/ dependent on number of teachers and availability of OCDEL staff

March -September:

• Asynchronous webinar available for skills and scoring practice professional development

ALL implementing kindergarten teachers without a proficient user certificate of completion MUST complete either face-to-face or asynchronous training.

August-September:

• KEI systems professional development opportunities available

By the start of school:

• Implementing kindergarten teachers must have proficient user certificate of completion on file in order to gain systems access

45 calendar days from start of school:

• Observation and evidence collection/scoring completed

60 calendar days from start of school:

• Data submissions (student outcomes) finalized within data system

Questions about this communication may be sent to RA-PWOCDELKEI@pa.gov.