By Laurie Curtis, KSDE dyslexia and literacy program 

The Kansas State Department of Education is in the third year of providing the optional second grade state assessment and we don't want districts to miss out. The window for these tests opens March 23 and closes April 24.  

The Grade 2 Kansas Reading Assessment measures both foundational skills and reading comprehension. It is designed to serve as a bridge between the early elementary goal of learning to read and the later elementary goal of reading to learn. Results are intended for parent, teacher, school, and district use. Results should be used to guide instruction and possible summer intervention prior to third grade. The Grade 2 Reading Assessment results are not included in the state accountability framework. 

This assessment is provided in two sessions, 25-30 minutes each, in an engaging format. Students have the chance to "try out" those foundational skills in passages, giving them an opportunity to see what an assessment through Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) might look like before they take their first state assessment. More information is provided here: Grade 2 Reading-Family Guide to Reports. Information and timelines for all assessments can be found on this document: Kansas Assessments Overview Calendar. 

Educators can contact their test coordinator to be set up for the assessment or contact Chelsea Pelfrey at chelsea.pelfrey@ksde.gov with questions.