The Blog

Bette Hyde, Director, Department of Early Learning Bette Hyde, Director, Department of Early Learning

02/26/10

Every child in Washington deserves to start school confident and ready to learn.  The Governor and Legislature provided funding for the Department of Early Learning (DEL) and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to design and pilot a kindergarten readiness assessment. We are calling this pilot the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS).

WaKIDS is meant to be a way to learn what children know and are able to do when they enter kindergarten. It can help parents, teachers, early learning professionals and communities better support school readiness for children.

What will WaKIDS look like, and what kind of data will it collect? We need you to help us answer those questions. We want a tool or tools that:

  • are culturally appropriate

  • help early learning and K-12 educators partner on behalf of children, and

  • helps parents ensure smooth transitions from early learning settings to kindergarten and beyond

Visit the WaKIDS section of DEL’s Web site to learn more. Then, if you want to be part of a group of “key communicators” who offer regular input to the design and pilot process, e-mail [email protected]. We want to hear from you.