Calling all Maine kindergarten teachers, administrators, and curriculum directors! Are you interested in exploring strategies to help support transitions from early childhood settings into a Kindergarten setting? If so, you may be interested in engaging in an upcoming project the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is launching related to the design of a Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI).
A KEI is a tool administered in the beginning of Kindergarten to help teachers gather information about children’s development across a range of domains so that teachers can be responsive to children’s learning. Additionally, data aggregated from KEIs can help strengthen Maine’s early care and education system by identifying areas of steady growth and continuous improvement.
In 2022, the Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), was awarded the Preschool Development Renewal Grant B-5. This three-year, $8,000,000/year grant supports early care and educational programming for our youngest students. One of the many projects included in the grant is the development of a KEI.
If you are an early childhood educator or school administrator serving these grade levels, please be on the lookout for an upcoming survey later this spring. The survey will gather multiple points of information including current assessment practices utilized as part of children’s transition into, and journey through, kindergarten. The survey will also gather educators’ thoughts about the design of a KEI and questions they may have. Additionally, the survey will offer an opportunity to recruit for educator involvement by either serving on a KEI Advisory Team or by being a Kindergarten Entry Implementation Team Member.
Keep watching your emails. More details and information will follow soon.
For questions, please reach out to Karen Mathieu, Maine DOE Kindergarten Entry Inventory Specialist, at karen.mathieu@maine.gov .