Kindergarten Classroom Resources

TX-KEA is a comprehensive assessment that can be used to evaluate many learning domains critical for academic success at kindergarten entry and throughout the kindergarten year. TX-KEA data helps inform kindergarten teachers about the students in their classroom and assists them in designing more appropriate learning opportunities.

Download TX-KEA User Guide

A comprehensive guide that includes information about the administration of TX-KEA in kindergarten classrooms.

TX-KEA Domains and Subtests

The following table shows the measures/subtests available at each wave (BOY, MOY, and EOY) in English and Spanish. TX-KEA contains a BOY Literacy Screener and EOY Dyslexia Screener (highlighted in gray below).

Review these scoring guidelines to better understand the guidelines for the Vocabulary, Letter Sounds, Academic Motor, Social and Emotional and Spelling subtests. Documents are available for all three waves (BOY, MOY, and EOY), if applicable.

Download TX-KEA Scoring Guidelines

See how each TX-KEA subtest is directly aligned to the Kindergarten TEKS.

Review TX-KEA Alignment to the Kindergarten TEKS

Benchmarks are the minimum performance levels students are expected to reach by certain points of the year to indicate skill understanding. The TX-KEA Benchmark table displays the cut scores for benchmarks and is helpful in analyzing data.

Review TX-KEA Benchmarks

Dyslexia Screener

Texas state law (TEC §38.003) requires that public school students be screened and tested as appropriate for dyslexia and related disorders at appropriate times in accordance with a program approved by the State Board of Education. Kindergarten screening must be completed by end of the year. More information can be found on our Dyslexia Screener webpage.

View the Dyslexia Screener

Dyslexia Referral Checklists

The Dyslexia Referral Checklist (DRC) is a questionnaire that builds a link between direct assessment of early reading skills and classroom observations.

Review Dyslexia Referral Checklists

Dyslexia Benchmarks

The TX-KEA dyslexia benchmarks and indicators table displays the scores that determine who may be at risk based on their Dyslexia Screener and Dyslexia Referral Checklist results.

Review TX-KEA Dyslexia Benchmarks and Indicators

TX-KEA reports include completion reports, growth reports, parent reports, class- level reports, individual student reports that include student percentile rankings, and a small grouping tool that provides links to the CIRCLE Activity Collection. TX-KEA reports can be accessed at the following levels:

• Individual Student-Level Reports (for Teachers and Parents)
• Class-Level Reports
• School-Level Reports
• Community/District-Level Reports

See how to access all TX-KEA reports here: Accessing Reports

Family-Friendly Descriptions of TX-KEA Measures

These dual-language resources help teachers describe assessment measures and why they are important for later school success in family-friendly ways. These resources are designed to be shared with families to help them understand their child’s assessment results.

Download Family-Friendly Description of TX-KEA Assessment Measures (Spanish and English)

Refer to  Understanding Your Child’s Assessment Results to assist families in becoming more knowledgeable about progress monitoring and supporting learning at home.

Parent Feedback Forms

Teachers can collect valuable information on their student’s development by sharing these forms with parents and asking them to give feedback about their child. These forms are aligned to the TX-KEA assessment domains.

• TX-KEA  Emotion Management
• TX-KEA  Social Emotional
• TX-KEA Motivation to Read
• TX-KEA  Speech Production and Sentence Skills
• TX-KEA  Fine Motor Skills

Download TX-KEA Parent Feedback Forms (English and Spanish)

Implementation Guide: Student Report for Parents

This guide was developed for teachers who are sharing the Student Report for Parents with families. It includes the following topics:

• Understanding the Student Report for Parents
• Generating the Student Report for Parents and Sharing it with Families
• Having Conversations with Families about Data
• Supporting Resources

View the Implementation Guide: Student Report for Parents

Early Childhood Data System (ECDS) for Kindergarten Data

ECDS is part of the Texas Student Data System (TSDS). Click on the link below for more information about kindergarten ECDS requirement uploads:

• ECDS Uploads for Kindergarten Data

The offline assessment feature can be used to assess students when an internet connection is not available at the time of administration. The offline assessment can also be used in the CLI Engage assessment practice area.

• TX-KEA Offline Assessment

CLI developed test alternative administration functionality and protocols.

• TX-KEA Remote Administration

Comprehensive training for TX-KEA is available in the Online Courses section of CLI Engage. Users can earn certificates for the completion of each course.

• TX-KEA Introduction (1 hour)
• TX-KEA Administration Guidelines (2 hours)
• TX-KEA Reporting Features (1 hour)
• TX-KEA Overview for Administrators (1 hour)

If logged in, access the courses directly here: TX-KEA Self-Instructional Courses

• How to Access Self-Instructional or Facilitated Online Courses

The TX-KEA Training Facilitation Guides have specific training facilitation information for district/charter school staff who will be facilitating training on TX-KEA with their teachers:

• TX-KEA Training Facilitation Guide Module 1: Introduction
• TX-KEA Training Facilitation Guide Module 2: Administration Guidelines
• TX-KEA Training Facilitation Guide Module 3: Reporting Features

Download Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment Training Facilitation Guides

Apply to be a TX-KEA facilitator here! Receive access to facilitate online courses and award certificates directly on CLI Engage:  Facilitator Application Form

The eCIRCLE Professional Development Program includes 16 courses (73.5 hours) for teachers and administrators. These courses include extensive video-based demonstrations of effective instructional practices, as well as application-based assignments and activities.

eCIRCLE Professional Development Program

Visit our BOY, MOY, EOY resource pages to learn more about TX-KEA training resources.

The CIRCLE Activity Collection: Pre-K through Grade 2 includes a variety of hands-on learning activities in English and Spanish that teachers can implement in their classrooms during whole group, small group, stations, and one-on-one instruction. Free of charge to all educators.

• Pre-K to Grade 2 Collection
• Colección de prekínder hasta segundo grado

CIRCLE Activity Collection: Kindergarten Activities

Teachers can access many activities just for kindergarten by utilizing these search options:

• Search Activities by Kindergarten TEKS
• Search Activities/Kindergarten Filter

The CIRCLE Activity Collection: Family provides a variety of hands-on activities that families can do at home. This collection is organized around seven learning domains: Language & Communication, Reading & Writing, Math, Science, Social & Emotional, Physical Development, and Art & Sensory.

• CIRCLE Activity Collection: Family
• La Colección de actividades CIRCLE para la Familia

Parent Introduction letter to the CIRCLE Activity Collection: Family

This sample letter invites parents to partner with their child’s teacher by engaging in activities from the collection that support child development through play.

Sample Parent Introduction Letters (English and Spanish)

Family Lesson Form 

Share individualized activities with families to practice each week. The form is fillable and dual-language (English/Spanish). 

Family Lesson Form 

CIRCLE STEM Lab is a virtual laboratory that hosts video segments from PBS Learning Media and hands-on STEM activities to be completed independently by children 3-6 years of age. The extensive STEM LAB collection integrates video segments with hands-on activities.

CIRCLE STEM Lab Collection

CLI’s family engagement resources make the most of procedures you likely already have in place, such as progress monitoring, homework, parent-teacher conferences, and open houses.

Family Engagement Toolkit

Family Engagement Teacher Strategy Checklist Pre-K/K Version

The checklist can be used to self-assess where you are in your family engagement efforts and to set goals for practicing new strategies.

Family Engagement Teacher Strategy Checklist Pre-K/K Version

Pre-K/Kindergarten Family Engagement Bag

CLI created these Pre-K/K family engagement bag which can be folded into district-level family engagement plans.

• Download English Booklet
• Download Spanish Booklet

Families will need just a few materials to complete the activities in the family engagement bag booklet.

Download Family Engagement Bag Materials list

Let parents know you’d like to partner with them to support their child’s learning at home by sending this message with their Family Engagement Bag.

• Family Engagement Bag Message English
• Family Engagement Bag Message Spanish

The Kindergarten Classroom Environment Checklist (KCEC) is a tool that evaluates the presence and quality level of important areas, materials, and concepts in a Kindergarten classroom. The KCEC enables teachers to set the stage for successful learning as students engage in the classroom experience.

• Kindergarten Classroom Environment Checklist
• Watch our KCEC webinar to learn more about the KCEC’s development, and best practices for use.
• Kindergarten Classroom Environment Checklist How-To Guide