Early Learning Assessment System

In an effort to further support kindergarten readiness, Indiana has worked to develop an assessment system that effectively measures all domains of early learning for children ages birth to five. Indiana’s early learning assessment system includes three stages of assessment to monitor children’s growth and development over time.

1. ISPROUT Birth to Age 2: This phase of early learning assessment consists of educator observations and data aligned to Indiana’s Early Learning Standards.
2. ISPROUT Ages 3-5: This assessment phase runs from ages three to five-years-old still in preschool, consisting of a combination of direct child performance data and educator ratings aligned to the observations of children’s daily routines and activities. This phase aligns to the current practices for Indiana’s ISPROUT assessment system and data aligned to Indiana’s Early Learning Standards.
3. Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (IKRA): This third stage of assessment is administered to kindergarten students shortly after school starts. The IKRA includes both direct assessment items and educator-led activities to yield observations. Children are assessed in all eight domains of the Early Learning Standards, as this provides the most in-depth picture of their developmental progress, strengths, and areas of need.

The redesigned assessment system will provide early indicators for children “at risk” of not meeting proficiency in literacy and mathematics at later stages and is intended to be used by educators to improve child outcomes. The assessment system provides information to partners at the local, regional, and state levels about how prepared children are for kindergarten. Data from ISPROUT (3-5) will still be used for federally-required reporting for children ages three to five with exceptional needs served by any accredited school systems. More information on each phase of the early learning assessment system can be found below.

ISPROUT

The Indiana Student Performance Readiness and Observation of Understanding Tool (ISPROUT) is currently utilized to measure skill development in children from infancy to kindergarten. ISPROUT provides a snapshot of children’s abilities at the beginning of kindergarten from an evaluation of eight domains:

• English/Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Student Wellbeing
• Physical Health and Growth
• Creative Arts
• Approaches to Play and Learning

These concepts are reported in three categories: Student Wellbeing, Knowledge and Skills, and Independence/Motor Coordination, which are also used for federal reporting to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Children with disabilities ages three through five served by any accredited school system are required to take ISPROUT within six weeks of the start of their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and six weeks before their exit to kindergarten. Completion of this assessment is required for OSEP’s Indicator 7 reporting for the State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR), which is published annually from OSEP.

Indiana’s early learning assessment system plans to continue standard ISPROUT testing, with the option to also administer ISPROUT to students without identified disabilities. For additional information, please see these frequently asked questions.

For general assistance regarding the early learning assessment system, please contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment or Office of Kindergarten Readiness. You may also visit the Indiana Learning Lab Assessment Hub for additional resources.