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KEA Case Studies

Principal Interview Protocol

Introduction and Purpose of Interview

Thank you for your willingness to participate in this interview and allowing us to visit your school. We 

are talking with you and other administrators and teachers in your state and district about the 

Kindergarten Entry Assessment (or KEA), how it is implemented, and how you are using the results. 

We’d like to learn about what is working well in addition to the challenges and how you’re working to 

overcome them. We believe information about your experiences will be valuable for the many other 

states and districts interested in implementing KEAs. It also has the potential to inform federal policy 

and to help the U.S. Department of Education develop technical assistance that is useful for all states 

tackling this important effort. This interview will take approximately 45 minutes.

After interviewing people who have been involved in decisionmaking and administration of the KEA at 

the state level, we now want to learn more about on-the-ground implementation and use of KEA data 

from you and your teachers.

Consent Process

Have each respondent read and sign the consent form. Ask permission to audio-record the conversation. 

______________________________________________________________________________

We understand that your state has [selected or modified XX measure or developed its own measure 

XX] as your KEA. First, we want to learn a few details about the [KEA measure] itself and the nuts and 

bolts of administering it.

1. Please describe the process of administering the KEA at your school. (Q6)

2. When is the [measure] administered (i.e., during what time frame of the school year)? How 

frequently is it administered? (Q6a)

a. Is the measure used only to assess status at kindergarten entry or is it administered 

repeatedly throughout the school year to assess change?

3. What types of evidence are collected as part of the assessment? For example, are knowledge, 

skills, and abilities assessed through observation, direct assessments, and/or parent reports?

(Q2, 2b)

a. Who administers or provides information about the student for the [measure]? (Q6b)

b. How, if at all, are families involved in providing information? (Q6d)

c. To what degree is technology used to support the administration or scoring of the 

[measure]? (Q6e)

d. How much time does the KEA require of school administrators and other school staff? 

(Q6c)
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4. What general information do you, as the principal, receive about the [KEA] administration? 

Who provides you with this information? (Q9)

✪Could you provide me with a sample of the information provided?

5. What general information is provided to parents and teachers about the [KEA] administration? 

Who provides them with that information? (Q5)

✪Could you provide me with a sample of the information provided?

6. Please describe the training or support you, as the principal, received on the administration of 

the KEA? (Q5, 6b)

7. Please describe the training or support teachers received on the administration of the KEA? (Q5, 

6b)

After getting a description, ask: So would you say your training model uses [read the following 

list]? (Mark all that apply.)

a. What training model was used? (Q5a)

 Workshops

 Webinars

 Coaching

 Online modules

 Other (specify): ________________________________________

b. How well prepared were your teachers to administer the KEA? (Q5b)

c. What other supports would have been helpful? (Q5b)

d. Do individuals need to be certified before administering the assessment? If so, describe 

the process. (Q5b)

e. What, if any plans, are there to continue training after the initial introduction? (Q5b)

8. When your school administers the [measure], is it a standard process across all participating 

schools in the district? Or can your school adapt administration or implementation procedures? 

If so, what varies? (Q6g)

Probe: For example, can you choose which measure(s) you administer? Can you sample 

children (versus universally assess all children in your school)? Can you change 

administration procedures (e.g., opt in or out of parent reports, home observations)?

9. How, if at all, does the district or the state monitor and evaluate the implementation of KEAs in 

your school? (Q8)

a. What issues, if any, have been found? How have they been addressed?

10. Can you describe the how your school submits the resulting data from the KEA to the district or 

state? (Q7)

a. How are the initial results entered or recorded?

b. In what form are data submitted from the school to the district or directly to the state?

c. Where are the data entered (e.g., statewide longitudinal data system, student 

permanent record)?

d. What is the data submission timeline?

e. Who is involved in submitting the data? 
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Finding one assessment that can accurately identify young children’s development status across 

multiple learning domains is challenging. Ensuring that the measure is also linguistically appropriate 

for children whose primary language is not English adds another layer of complication, as does the 

need to accurately assess the strengths and needs of young children with developmental delays or 

disabilities. 

Within this context, we’d like to ask about your thoughts concerning the use of the KEA with these 

particular populations.

11. To what degree do you believe the [KEA measure] accurately assesses the knowledge, skills, and 

abilities of English learners? (Q6f)

a. In what ways are those who administer the KEA prepared/trained to use the [KEA 

measure] with English learners?

b. To what degree can the [KEA measure] and those who administer the [KEA measure] 

distinguish between language differences and language delays?

c. What, if any, language support is there to conduct the assessment (e.g., translation, 

nonverbal stimuli, observations done by bilingual staff or adults)?

d. In what ways are expectations or interpretations of the findings adapted for English 

learners (who are learning their home language while also acquiring a second 

language)?

12. To what degree do you believe the [KEA measure] accurately assesses the knowledge, skills, and 

abilities of children with developmental delays or disabilities? (Q6f)

a. In what ways are those who administer the KEA prepared/trained to use the [KEA 

measure] with children with developmental delays or disabilities?

b. What accommodations are made and for whom? (For example, children may be given 

additional time to perform skills, or children with physical limitations might be able to 

demonstrate a skill verbally.) 

c. Are there particular disability categories for which the [KEA measure] is not 

appropriate? 

i. Are alternate assessments used with these children?

d. In what ways are the results used for screening and referral or IEP purposes?

13. What have been the most important factors in supporting the implementation of the KEA? 

(Q14)

14. What have been the biggest challenges? (Q14)

a. What solutions have you identified for addressing those challenges? 
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Now let’s move to how KEA results are used to inform policy and practice.

15. Who receives the results of the KEAs? Probe for any groups not mentioned. (Check all that 

apply.) (Q9)

 SEA administration

 District administration

 Principals 

 Kindergarten teachers

 Preschool educators

 Parents (If so, are results translated into families’ languages?) ☐YES, ☐NO

 Others (specify): ________________________________________

16. As a principal, what information do you receive? (Q9a)

a. How useful and reliable do you find the data?

17. How do you use KEA results to inform decisions at the school level? (Q11c)

After getting a description, ask: Do you use results to:

 Discuss ways to increase children’s readiness with feeder preschools 

 Identify children who may need additional supports

 Assign individual children to classrooms 

 Benchmark learning to track progress in Kindergarten throughout the year

 Make decisions about 

 Budget allocations, 

 Curriculum, 

 Professional development, or 

 School-wide planning?

 Other (specify):

18. Please describe the training or support you received to help you use KEA results to inform 

teaching and learning. (Q10)

a. Which training or supports are most useful?

b. What other training or supports would have been useful?

19. How do you expect kindergarten teachers in your school to use KEA results? (Q11b)

For example, do expect them to use results to [read list]? (Mark all that apply)

 To identify children who may need additional supports or further assessment

 To identify specific skills to teach to individual students or groups of students

 To incorporate a new instructional strategy to support a commonly needed skill (e.g., 

something to support motor or social emotional development)

 To engage families in knowing children’s strengths and needs and ways to support 

learning at home

 To benchmark learning in order to track progress throughout the year 

 Other (specify): ____________________________________________
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20. Please describe the training or support kindergarten teachers receive to help them use KEA 

results to inform teaching and learning. (Q10)

21. Describe any policies regarding how KEA results are not to be used, if there are any (e.g., 

determine promotion or prevent kindergarten entry in any way). (Q12)

a. How, if at all, are these policies communicated to principals and teachers? 

b. How, if at all, are these policies enforced? Please give me a specific example.

22. What have been the most important factors in supporting the use of KEA results to improve 

students’ educational experience? (Q15)

23. What have been the biggest challenges? (Q15)

b. What solutions have you identified for addressing those challenges? 

This is our final question! In closing we’d like you to reflect on how your district and school 

administered and used KEA data and try to offer lessons learned. (Q14, 15)

24. Are there lessons learned or recommendations you can share with other districts and schools 

about KEA selection, implementation, and use of KEA results to inform policy and practice?

Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses.