Measuring Student Growth

Members of the KC Pre-K Cooperative were busy this Fall collecting baseline data using the Pre-Kindergarten Observation Form (PKOF) and the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP).  The PKOF and DRDP serve as summative and formative evaluations that measure student growth and development over the course of the school year. Our coaching partners from Appletree Institute and the Teach For America Accelerate are supporting Cooperative teachers to use that data to inform instruction and curriculum planning.

During the Fall of 2022, 240 children were assessed using the PKOF. In addition to understanding our students’ starting point on their journey to Kindergarten readiness, the PKOF also collects demographic data. Data collected this Fall confirms we are reaching the students we intend - those most likely to benefit from access to high-quality pre-K.

The average age of children during the first assessment period was 4.83 years old.  Due to the mixed age groupings in Cooperative classrooms, not all enrolled children will be age eligible to transition to Kindergarten in the Fall of 2023. Of the children assessed this Fall, 84% will be age eligible for Kindergarten next year. Most of the children enrolled in KC Pre-K Cooperative classrooms are Black (82%) and speak English (95%). All are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, a proxy for low-income background.

Building on the baseline data collected this Fall, additional rounds of data collection in the Winter and Spring will illuminate how this cohort of students has grown over the course of the school year.