VKRP Across the School Year
A combination of training opportunities, assessments, data reports, and resources help teachers to get the most out of their VKRP experience.
The Big Picture
Students enter kindergarten with varying skills in mathematics, self-regulation, social skills, and literacy. The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP), in collaboration with PALS, assesses kindergartners during the first four to six weeks of school in these four critical learning domains. Using VKRP reports and recommended instructional resources, teachers can individualize and focus classroom instruction, with the goal of helping students grow across the kindergarten year and leave more prepared to succeed in future grades.
Key Steps of VKRP
1. Complete a Training
Division leaders and teachers participate in an in-person or an online training before the school year begins. These trainings provide an overview of the different VKRP components, including the assessments, reports, and linked instructional resources.
2. Administer Assessments in Fall
Teachers administer the VKRP assessments for each student in their classroom. VKRP measures students’ skills in mathematics (EMAS), self-regulation, social skills (CBRS), and literacy (PALS). The VKRP assessment window is generally two weeks prior to a school’s PALS window in the fall.
3. Review Reports
Once assessments are complete, a series of reports are available at the student, classroom, school, and division levels. These online reports provide different ways to view and organize VKRP data, and include data on the four critical domains of mathematics, self-regulation, social skills, and literacy (PALS).
4. Interpret Results
A big part of VKRP is all about helping teachers interpret and utilize their data reports to inform their instruction. Currently, VKRP offers an introductory online learning module that is designed to guide teachers in this process. In addition, data-use trainings are also available to schools and divisions, and can be scheduled with the VKRP team. These sessions support teachers and division leaders in understanding how to use the data they have collected to support their students.
5. Use VKRP Instructional Resources
Teachers can access recommended instructional resources based on their student and classroom-level data. Resources include evidence-based strategies and activities that support students’ learning in the areas of mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills. In addition to being linked within reports, all of the instructional resources are readily available on the VKRP web portal so teachers can access them directly at any time.
6. Administer Assessments in Spring
In the spring, teachers assess children’s skills again and receive additional reports that highlight student growth across the kindergarten year. The goal of VKRP is for students to enter future grades more prepared to learn and succeed.
