Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Requirements

Overview
progress monitoring

This page contains information pertaining to the requirements for progress monitoring of prekindergarten students. 

 Beginning of Year

Beginning-of-Year FAMILY CONNECTIONS / Screening of GENERAL EDUCATION Students

The Beginning-of-Year Family Conferences and Screening process is for all prekindergarten age students (Pre-K general education students, special education students, and Learning Together Program (LTP) students). The Beginning-of-Year Family Conference is the first Family Connection session. 

Process

1. Schedule Beginning-of-Year Family Conferences with all families.
2. Send home the Initial Prekindergarten Parent/Guardian Interview Questionnaire.
• English Links to an external site. 
• Korean Links to an external site.
• Chinese Links to an external site.
• Spanish Download Spanish
3. Parents/guardians may complete the questionnaire and bring it with them to the conference, or just use it to familiarize themselves with the questions prior to the conference. The answers to these questions will be the content of the conversation at the conference.
4. Every parent/guardian should be given an opportunity for an individual conference from August 28 - September 29, 2023.
   • Please note, teachers return on 8/17/23 and the first day of school for RECC/Pre-K is Thursday, 8/31/22.
   • After the initial conferences, teachers will meet with each family regularly using the guidelines outlined in the Family Connections Canvas page.
5. If there are concerns noted for general education Pre-K students, the classroom teacher should collaborate with their special educator and/or related service providers assigned to their prekindergarten/RECC team.  If there is no special educator assigned to the prekindergarten/RECC team, please contact the ECP point of contact Links to an external site..

Additional Suggestions

• If parents/guardians choose not to attend the session, please ask the parent send in the completed form.
• Utilize interpreters for the session, as appropriate. Directions for requesting interpreters and scheduling Google Meets for virtual sessions that require interpreters can be found on the Family Connection page.

 Ongoing

Formative Assessment Tools

Assessment is a crucial part of the planning process and is a continuous process to inform decision-making to help ensure that each child gains the experiences they need to be successful. There are a variety of formative assessment tools used to inform instructional decisions.

  Connect4Learning Formative Assessment Manual

  Teacher-Developed Assessment

  Grading Tools Folder Links to an external site.

  HCPSS Rubrics for Grade Books and Report Cards

While Canvas Grade Book is not required for prekindergarten, Preschool Rubrics, Pre-K Rubrics, and C4L Formative Assessments have been developed as "No Submission Assignments" for optional use. You can find these in Commons by searching for "Preschool Formative Assessments" or "C4L Formative Assessments." If you are using this optional tool, when entering Due Dates for your Canvas assignments, make sure you enter the last date of the current quarter (e.g., November 3). If this is not entered, the assignment will not be factored into the current quarter grades.

Report Cards

Report cards are completed for all Pre-K students; please see the Grading Tools Folder Links to an external site. for resources to support grading, information about SBIR, and other related resources.

For students enrolled in Full-Day Pre-K, Related Arts teachers should provide prekindergarten teachers (Pre-K, MINC-PK) with feedback to inform Related Arts report card grades. The classroom teachers are responsible for determining and entering the final grade. For more information, please see Guidance for Related Arts and Full-Day Prekindergarten Programs

Family Connection

Prekindergarten teachers will engage families in monthly Family Connection sessions. Please see the Family Connection Canvas page for more information.

EARLY READING BEHAVIOR Checklists

The Early Reading Behavior ("Pre-A") Checklist is used to monitor progress on early reading skills and behaviors and allows for standards-based reporting of information to the appropriate stakeholders. It communicates clearly the strengths and needs of individual students in the area of Language and Literacy, and is an important first step in the continuum of early literacy.

The checklist and related skills be used throughout the year to inform planning decisions, share progress towards mastery of MD Early Learning - Language and Literacy Standards for PK4 (Pre-K, MINC-PK), and articulate with receiving teams:

• Ongoing (Formative): teachers use the Early Reading Behavior Checklist Links to an external site. Links to an external site. to monitor progress and plan differentiated instruction for individual students.
• End of Year (Summative): teachers complete the Early Reading Behavior Class Spreadsheet to reflect end of year performance. Each teacher will need to make a copy and add the file to your current school’s GAFE Folder. Please view this screencast for directions. If you need access to your school's secure GAFE folder, please contact Kym Nwosu.

The checklist is to be completed by all prekindergarten teachers (preschool, Pre-K, MINC). If a student begins a HCPSS program during their three-year-old year, this form may be used over a two year period. 

 End of Year

Each year, Pre-K and RECC teachers must complete a Learning Progress Form and Early Reading Behavior Class Spreadsheet for students they are sending to kindergarten. These tools provide kindergarten teachers with valuable information about the students they will be welcoming to their class.

Learning Progress Forms and the Early Reading Behavior Class Spreadsheet must be added to your school's secure GAFE folder, which will be shared with kindergarten team leaders for articulation purposes. If you need access to your school's secure GAFE folder, please contact Kym Nwosu.

Learning Progress FOrms

Learning Progress Forms Links to an external site. are completed for each rising kindergarten student to support articulation and the transition to kindergarten. Parent Consent is not needed for HCPSS programs, but is required for private child care programs.

Continuing in 2024-2025

• Learning Progress Forms Links to an external site. have been updated to include the Asset-Based Articulation Profile. This profile is required for all students who will be going to kindergarten in the fall.
• The following sections of the Learning Progress Forms Links to an external site. are optional for Full Day Programs: Science, Social Studies, Physical Well-Being and Motor Development, and the Arts.

EARLY READING BEHAVIOR Class spreadsheet

Teachers complete the Early Reading Behavior Class Spreadsheet to summarize end of year performance for all students. Each teacher will need to make a copy and add the completed file to your current school’s GAFE Folder. Please view this screencast for directions.