Circle KPM User Guide

• New to CLI Engage? Sign up for access to CLI Engage  
• For more information, view the Getting a CLI Engage Account How-to Guide
• If you need additional support with your account, reach out to the Help Center

From the dashboard, you can navigate everything on CLI Engage! After logging in, you will see a dashboard that includes links to: 

• SCREENING, PROGRESS MONITORING, & OBSERVATION tools, including the Circle Progress Monitoring System and Assessment Practice Area
• ONLINE LEARNING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT for access to online courses
• ACTIVITIES & MATERIALS for teachers and families (Circle Activity Collections)
• QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & INNOVATION to access collaborative tools to support teacher goal-setting
• ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS to manage your student roster and classes

View the Quick Start Guide to learn where to find all the tools and resources on the platform.  

The Assessment Practice Area is located under the red banner, “Screening, Observation, and Assessment.”

In the assessment practice area, you can:

• Practice assessing children
• View assessment items in each measure
• Practice pulling class-level reports

Comprehensive training for KPM is available in the Online Learning and Professional Development section of CLI Engage. Users can earn certificates for the completion of each course.

• KPM Overview (30 minutes)
• Getting Started with KPM (30 minutes)
• KPM Administration Guidelines (1.25 hours)
  • Includes Administration Videos

When logged in, access the courses directly here: KPM Self-Instructional Courses

• How to Access Circle KPM Training

• Login to CLI Engage and locate the “Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Observation” red banner on the dashboard
• Click the “Circle Kindergarten Progress Monitoring” button
• On the “Class View” page, click on the name of the class that includes the students you wish to assess
• View your roster and begin assessing students on the “Student View” page

This page allows you to:

• Select which wave you are assessing (BOY – Wave 1, MOY – Wave 2, EOY – Wave 3)
• Choose to administer a measure in English/Spanish
• See the benchmark scores for students in a class
• Launch a measure, or multiple measures

There are several options for uploading data into CLI Engage to create accounts for teachers and other staff, as well as adding children into the system for progress monitoring. Your rosters may be uploaded on your behalf.

Find instructions and more information: Uploading Teacher and Student Data

The following table shows the KPM measures available in English in each wave, the type of response collected in the measure, and the administration time per student.

The following table shows the KPM measures available in Spanish in each wave, the type of response collected in the measure, and the administration time per student.

Learn about how the KPM measures are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):

• KPM-TEKS Alignment for Kindergarten

KPM is a user-friendly and psychometrically sound screening and progress monitoring tool developed by the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). KPM is a standardized, criterion-referenced measure that relates well to established standardized tests and is sensitive to growth in student skills over time.

KPM tracks student progress throughout the kindergarten year, ensuring comprehensive monitoring across all timepoints. This provides a thorough overview of students’ academic and developmental growth, helping educators tailor their approaches to support each student’s learning needs. Additionally, the integration of screeners in the same assessment allows educators to identify and address specific areas where students may require additional support.

For detailed information about its reliability and validity, please refer to the KPM Technical Manual, available upon request.

After a measure is administered, the student score is color-coded to indicate progress toward benchmark expectations.

• On Track: Student performance meets or exceeds benchmark expectations.
• Monitor: Student performance is approaching benchmark expectations and may benefit from additional support.
• Support: Student performance is below benchmark expectations and may require targeted intervention.
• No Color: No benchmark has been established for the measure.

KPM Benchmark Legend on CLI Engage

The  state-mandated KPM Literacy Screener is comprised of the Vocabulary, Letter Names, and Spelling measures, administered at Wave 1 (BOY). After teachers administer all three measures, two composite scores are produced.

KEA Literacy Screening Score

Students will score within the “On Track” (green), “Monitor” (yellow) or “Support” (red) benchmarks ranges for each measure. These scores assist districts in informing student instruction. The composite score produced can be used to identify students who meet the “Support” benchmark because they are in the bottom 25th percentile.

Statewide Kindergarten Readiness Score: Reported to TEA

The Statewide Kindergarten Readiness score is also comprised of Vocabulary, Letter Names, and Spelling measures, administered at Wave 1 (BOY). Students must meet the “On Track” (green) benchmark for all three measures to meet the kindergarten readiness criteria determined by TEA. Districts can use these measures to make individual determinations regarding students who may require additional support.

CLI Engage offers two tools to support dyslexia screening for kindergarten students in English and Spanish, administered at Wave 3 (EOY). These tools can be used together to identify students who may be at risk of dyslexia.

The Dyslexia Screener is a direct assessment that aligns with the student skill criteria for dyslexia screening in accordance with Texas Education Code §28.006 and §38.003(a). The kindergarten Dyslexia Screener on CLI Engage uses the following measures to assess skills identified in TEA’s Dyslexia Handbook.

English

• Letter Sound Knowledge or Letter Naming Fluency: KPM Letter Sounds (receptive and expressive)
• Phonological Awareness: KPM Blending (receptive and expressive)

Spanish

• Letter Sound Knowledge or Letter Naming Fluency: KPM Sonidos de las letras (receptivo)
• Phonological Awareness: Combinación de sonidos (receptivo y expresivo) and Decodificación

The Dyslexia Referral Checklist (DRC) is a supplemental questionnaire that links direct assessment of early reading skills to classroom observations.

Teachers can use the DRC as an additional source of information to support dyslexia screening.

Understanding the Rating Levels

The following rating levels are used to describe children’s early literacy and reading skills:

• Masters Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that the student is expected to succeed in the next grade with little or no academic intervention.
• Meets Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students have a high likelihood of success in the next grade but might need some short-term, targeted academic intervention.
• Approaches Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade with targeted academic intervention.
• Did Not Meet Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students are unlikely to succeed in the next grade without significant, ongoing academic intervention.

Important: The Dyslexia Referral Checklist should be used as one source of information when considering whether additional evaluation may be needed. Checklist results should be reviewed alongside classroom performance, intervention data, screening results, and other relevant student information.

How should the teacher and student situate themselves?

• You can sit side-by-side.
• You can sit adjacent to each other.

How do you administer?

• Student must wear headphones.
• Have student listen to the audio prompt and make a selection.
• You do not prompt student.

How is it scored?

• CLI Engage scores each item.

How should the teacher and student situate themselves?

• You can sit side-by-side.
• You can sit adjacent to each other.

How do you administer?

• Student must wear headphones.
• Prompts will either be audio prompts given by the test or teacher prompts read from the screen.
• Have student listen to the audio prompt or your teacher prompt and verbalize their response.

How is it scored?

• CLI Engage scores each item.
• For some teacher-recorded response items, the teacher will indicate whether the student response was correct or incorrect by clicking a colored button.
  • Incorrect student response: blue button, or press the left arrow on the keyboard
  • Correct student response: Click the purple button or press the right arrow on the keyboard. “Right is right!”

How do you administer?

• Complete electronically in CLI Engage.
• Reflect on student’s typical interactions.
• Answer all questions.
• Only complete Checklists for 5 students or less in one sitting.

How is it scored?

• CLI Engage scores each checklist

How do you administer?

• Teacher will prompt students to write words.
• Students will write responses on a sheet of paper.

How is it scored?

• Teacher will score on CLI Engage.

Vocabulary is a foundational language skill that supports learning across all content areas. Understanding a student’s vocabulary knowledge helps teachers adjust instruction and language use to better support individual learning needs. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Vocabulary Features

• Untimed
• Teacher-recorded responses
• Picture naming task

Administration Directions

1. Ensure the student is not wearing headphones.
2. Silently review the general administration directions displayed on the screen in black text.
3. A picture will appear for the student.
4. Read the prompt displayed on the screen in colored text exactly as written.
5. After the student responds, select:
   • Purple for a correct response
   • Blue for an incorrect response
6. Refer to the Vocabulary Scoring Guidelines for acceptable responses.
7. CLI Engage will automatically calculate the score.

Allowable Prompts

In some situations, a student’s response may require clarification before scoring. The following prompts may be used when appropriate:

• Wrong language: “What’s the English word?”
• Student identifies the wrong part of the picture: “What is this?” (while pointing)
• Response is too general (e.g., “animal” for dog): “What kind?”
• Response is too specific (e.g., “golden retriever” for dog): “Tell me another word.”

Prompting Guidelines

• Each prompt may be used only once per item.
• More than one type of prompt may be used for the same item if necessary, although this should be rare.
• Prompts are intended to clarify a student’s response, not provide a second opportunity to answer correctly.
• Most student responses can be scored immediately without prompting.
• If the same prompt would be needed a second time for the same item, do not repeat the prompt. Score the item based on the student’s response.

Important: Use prompts only to clarify student responses. Do not use prompts to coach, cue, or lead students to the correct answer.

Listening comprehension is a foundational language skill that supports learning in all content areas. KPM assesses the student’s ability to understand verbal information and follow directions.

Listening Comprehension Features

• Untimed
• Includes single-select items and multiple-select items

Administration Directions:

1. Ensure the student is wearing headphones.
2. Silently review the administration directions displayed on the screen.
3. The student will hear the directions and test items through the headphones.
4. Grayscale images will appear on the screen while the audio is playing.
5. Once the audio is complete, the images will change from grayscale to color.
6. The student selects the picture or pictures that best match what was heard.
7. Items may require either:
   • Single select: one correct answer
   • Multiple select: more than one correct answer

Important: Although this is a self-guided measure, teachers should monitor students to ensure they wait until the images change from grayscale to color before making their selections.

Allowable Prompts

Use the following prompts only when necessary:

• If the student does not respond within 5 seconds:
  • “Go ahead. Point to the picture(s).”
• If the student selects a picture before the images change from grayscale to color:
  • “Wait until the computer is done talking.”
  • “Wait until all the pictures turn to color.”

Note: If a student does not respond after an extended period of time, the item will be scored as incorrect, and CLI Engage will automatically advance to the next item.

Letter Names assesses students’ knowledge of the names associated with letters of the alphabet. Knowledge of letter names is an important component of letter knowledge and is a strong predictor of later reading achievement. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Letter Names Features

• Untimed
• Teacher-recorded responses for English administration
• Student-selected responses for Spanish administration

Letter Names Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

English Administration

1. The student does not wear headphones.
2. A letter will appear on the screen.
3. Read the prompt displayed in colored text exactly as written.
4. The student responds verbally.
5. Record the student’s response by selecting the appropriate button on the screen:
   • Purple = Correct
   • Blue = Incorrect

Spanish Administration

1. The student wears headphones.
2. Four letters appear on the screen while the computer provides auditory instructions.
3. The student selects the best response.
4. CLI Engage automatically scores the response.

Decoding assesses a student’s ability to read unfamiliar words by applying letter-sound knowledge rather than relying on memorization. This skill reflects a student’s ability to blend sounds together to read words accurately.

Decoding Features

• Untimed
• Teacher-recorded responses

Decoding Directions

The teacher and student should sit side-by-side during administration.

Say: “I am going to show you some words and I would like you to try to read them to me. What word is this?”

Example

• Teacher: “What word is this?”
• Student: “hot”

After the first item, the prompt may be shortened to:

“What word is this?”

If the student reads the word sound-by-sound (for example, /h/ /o/ /t/), prompt the student by saying:

“Now say the word smoothly.”

This prompt may be used each time the student attempts to read a word by sounding out the individual letters.

Scoring Guidance

• Score the response as correct only if the student reads the word smoothly and accurately.
• If the student does not respond within 5-10 seconds, encourage the student to make a guess.
• If the student does not respond after approximately 10 seconds, score the item as incorrect and continue to the next item.

Important: Credit should only be given when the student successfully blends the sounds and reads the complete word accurately.

There are two measures that assess students’ knowledge of letter sounds: Letter Sounds-Receptive and Letter Sounds-Expressive. To gain the most complete understanding of a student’s early literacy development and support instructional planning, educators are encouraged to assess both letter names and letter sounds. Letter knowledge at kindergarten entry is a strong predictor of literacy achievement. These measures are available in both English and Spanish.

Letter Sounds-Receptive Features

In the Letter Sounds-Receptive measure, the student hears a letter sound and identifies the corresponding printed letter.

• Student-selected responses
• Untimed

Letter Sounds-Receptive Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. The student wears headphones.
2. Four letters appear on the screen.
3. The computer provides auditory instructions identifying the target letter sound.
4. The student selects the corresponding letter.
5. CLI Engage scores the student’s response.

Allowable Prompts for Letter Sounds-Receptive

If the student does not respond within 10 seconds:

• Prompt the student to point to a letter. If the student does not respond within 10 seconds after the prompt is provided, the item is scored as incorrect. This prompt may be used only once during the measure.

If the student says, “I don’t know,” shrugs, or does not initiate a response:

• While moving a pointed finger in a circular motion just above the screen, say: “That’s OK. Just go ahead and point to one. Point to the letter that makes (sound).”

If the student selects multiple letters:

• Say: “Just point to one letter.”

Score the item as incorrect by selecting an incorrect letter on the screen. The computer will automatically advance to the next item.

Important: Allowable prompts are intended to encourage a response and should not be used to help the student identify the correct answer.

There are two measures that assess students’ knowledge of letter sounds: Letter Sounds-Receptive and Letter Sounds-Expressive. To gain the most complete understanding of a student’s early literacy development and support instructional planning, educators are encouraged to assess both letter names and letter sounds. Letter knowledge at kindergarten entry is a strong predictor of literacy achievement. These measures are available in both English and Spanish.

Letter Sounds-Expressive Features

In the Letter Sounds-Expressive measure, a letter is displayed on the screen, and the student provides the corresponding sound.

• Teacher-recorded responses
• Untimed

Letter Sounds-Expressive Directions

This measure assesses the student’s knowledge of letter sounds. The teacher and student should sit side by side during administration.

Say: “We are going to look at some letters and see if you know the sound they make. It is OK to guess if you do not know the sounds. Some letters make only one sound, and some make more than one sound. Try to tell me at least one sound the letters make. Ready?”

Present each letter and record the students’ response.

If the student says the name of the letter instead of the sound, say:

“Tell me the sound.”

There are two blending measures that assess students’ phonological awareness, or sensitivity to the sound structure of oral language: Blending-Receptive and Blending-Expressive. Phonological awareness is essential for learning to read and write and is a strong predictor of literacy achievement. These measures are available in both English and Spanish.

Blending-Receptive Features

• Student-selected responses
• Untimed

Blending-Receptive Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. The student wears headphones.
2. Three or four grayscale images appear on the screen, one at a time. As each image appears, the computer identifies it aloud.
3. The computer provides a series of sounds and asks the student to identify the image representing the blended word.
4. Once the audio is complete, the grayscale images change to color, allowing the student to select the picture that matches the word formed by blending the sounds.
5. CLI Engage scores the response automatically.

Allowable Prompts for Blending-Receptive

If the student does not respond within 10 seconds:

• Prompt the student to point to a picture. If the student does not respond within 10 seconds after the prompt is provided, the item is scored as incorrect.
• This prompt may be used only once during the measure.

If the student points to multiple images:

• Say: “Just point to one picture.”
• Score the item as incorrect by selecting an incorrect image on the screen. The computer will automatically advance to the next item.

If the student says the word but does not point to a picture:

• Say: “Go ahead and put your finger on _____.”

Important: Allowable prompts are intended to encourage a response and clarify student actions. Prompts should not be used to help the student identify the correct answer.

There are two Blending measures that assess students’ phonological awareness, or sensitivity to the sound structure of oral language: Blending-Receptive and Blending-Expressive. Phonological awareness is necessary for learning to read and write and is predictive of literacy achievement. These measures are available in English and Spanish.

Blending-Expressive Features

• Blending-Expressive includes teacher-recorded items
• Untimed

Allowable Prompts for Blending-Expressive

• Ensure the student says the word fluently.
• If needed, prompt the student: “Now, say it fast.”

Spelling assesses students’ early spelling abilities, including their ability to apply sound-symbol relationships when writing words. KPM includes spelling because it is strongly related to later literacy achievement. Attempting to spell words requires students to apply multiple literacy skills simultaneously, including alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness. Different items are administered during each Wave of the measure.

All materials can be downloaded from the KPM Scoring Guidelines page.

Spelling Features

• Untimed
• Student-written responses
• Can be administered individually or in small groups (approximately 5 students)

Required Materials

Download the following materials from the KPM Scoring Guidelines page:

• Teacher Demonstration Video showing a teacher modeling the spelling of a sample word (available on the Directions page after launching the Spelling measure)
  • Alternative: Spelling Model Cards may be used if technology is unavailable; however, use of the video is strongly recommended.
• Student Form (one per student)
• Teacher Script with Picture Cards (print double-sided)
• Scoring Guidelines
• Letter Approximations

Administration Directions

Use the Teacher Script for administration instructions. The Teacher Script can be downloaded from the KPM Scoring Guidelines page on CLI Engage.

Allowable Prompts (English Administration)

If a student appears finished or pauses for 10-15 seconds without putting the pencil down:

• Ask: “Are you done with that word?”
• If the student indicates they are still working, allow an additional 10-15 seconds.
• Then say: “Let’s go on to the next word.”

If a student says, “I don’t know,” or does not understand the task:

• Say: “That’s okay. Just write what you can and put the pencil down when you’re done.”

If a student is scribbling within the writing line:

• Allow the student to continue for 10-15 seconds.
• Then say: “Okay, that’s all the time we have for that word, so put your pencil down.”

If a student writes outside the line:

• Say: “Remember to write on the line.”
• This reminder may be repeated as needed.

Important: Allowable prompts are intended to support task completion and should not provide assistance with spelling the word or identifying the correct response.

There are two Mathematics measures: Math, Part 1 and Math, Part 2. Both measures must be completed to calculate a student’s overall Mathematics score.

A strong foundation in mathematics during early childhood supports later math achievement. Through informal and formal learning experiences, students develop skills in problem-solving, number sense, operations, patterning, and applying mathematics in everyday situations. The mathematics measures assess these foundational skills.

Mathematics Features

• Math, Part 1 includes teacher-recorded responses.
• Math, Part 2 includes student-selected responses.
• Untimed

Math, Part 1

This measure assesses students’ knowledge of numbers and counting, operations, patterns, and real-world mathematics through teacher-recorded responses.

• The teacher and student should sit side-by-side during administration.
• The student responds verbally to the prompts.
• The teacher records each response as correct or incorrect.

Math, Part 2

This measure assesses students’ knowledge of number recognition, patterns, and operations and may be completed independently with adult supervision.

• Students are encouraged to wear headphones during administration.
• The measure includes audio prompts.
• Verify that students listen to the entire prompt before selecting a response.
• Students select the best response, and CLI Engage automatically scores the item.

Mathematics Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. The student wears headphones.
2. Silently review the administration directions displayed on the screen.
3. The student receives instructions through the headphones.
4. For Math, Part 1, record the student’s verbal response by selecting the appropriate option on the screen. Indicate any allowable prompt(s) used during administration.
5. For Math, Part 2, the student selects the best response, and CLI Engage scores the response automatically.

Allowable Prompts for Mathematics

There may be rare occasions when a student’s response requires follow-up prompting.

• Allow up to 10 seconds for the student to respond before providing a prompt.
• Prompts may be used one time only.
• If the student does not provide the correct response within 10 seconds after the prompt is given, score the item as incorrect.

Counting Aloud Item

1. If the student does not begin counting, say:
   • “1, 2, 3.”
2. Cardinality Item
3. If the student counts the objects but does not state how many there are, ask:
   • “How many are there?”

Special Scoring Instructions for Mathematics

For cardinality items, the student’s final answer is the response that should be scored. The counting sequence itself is not scored.

Correct Responses

A response is scored as correct when the student provides the correct cardinal value, even if the counting sequence was inaccurate.

Example 1

• Student counts: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
• Teacher asks: “How many are there?”
• Student responds: “5.”
• Score: Correct

Example 2

• Student counts: “1, 2, 5, 6, 3.”
• Teacher asks: “How many are there?”
• Student responds: “5.”
• Score: Correct because the student provided the correct cardinal value.

Incorrect Responses

A response is scored as incorrect if the student:

• Provides no response.
• Says, “I don’t know.”
• States any number other than the correct cardinal value.
• Correctly counts the objects but provides an incorrect cardinal value.

Example

• Student counts: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
• Teacher asks: “How many are there?”
• Student responds: “6.”
• Score: Incorrect.

The Science measure includes science and engineering concepts and assesses students’ knowledge of physical, life, earth, and space sciences, as well as engineering applications of science. Science instruction builds on students’ natural curiosity about the world and supports predictive thinking, causal reasoning, and reflection on systems and models. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Science Features

• Untimed
• Student-selected responses

Science Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. The student wears headphones.
2. The student receives instructions through the headphones.
3. Pictures appear on the screen while the computer presents the verbal prompt.
4. The student selects the picture that best answers the question.
5. CLI Engage automatically scores the response.

Allowable Prompts for Science

• Allow up to 10 seconds for the student to respond before providing a prompt.
• Prompts may be used one time only for each item.
• If the student does not respond correctly within 10 seconds after the prompt is given, score the item as incorrect.

If the student does not respond after 10 seconds:

• Say: “It’s okay to guess.”

Important: Allowable prompts are intended to encourage participation and should not be used to provide clues or help the student identify the correct answer.

Social Emotional Competence focuses on students’ social and emotional skills within a classroom setting. This measure evaluates students’ prosocial skills, approaches to learning, and understanding of emotions.

Social Emotional Competence Features

• Untimed
• Observation checklist

Social Emotional Competence Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. Observe the student interacting with peers and adults in the classroom.
2. Select a rating for each item based on the student’s typical observed behavior.
3. CLI Engage automatically calculates the student’s score.

Scoring Social Emotional Competence

Use the Social Emotional Competence Scoring Guidelines, available on CLI Engage, to support scoring and enter ratings online.

This measure is completed through ongoing classroom observations. We recommend completing the checklist after students have adjusted to kindergarten and you have had sufficient opportunities to observe their interactions with peers and adults.

When selecting a rating, consider the student’s typical behavior across classroom activities and routines.

Rating Definitions

• Rarely: The behavior has been observed only a few times.
• Sometimes: The behavior has been observed occasionally since the beginning of the school year, but not consistently.
• Consistently: The behavior is observed frequently and on a regular basis.

Scoring Instructions

For each item, select the rating that best reflects the student’s typical behavior:

• Rarely / Rara vez
• Sometimes / Ocasionalmente
• Consistently / Consistentemente

Important: Consider the student’s behavior across multiple observations and settings rather than relying on a single interaction or event.

Emotion Management focuses on students’ ability to manage their emotions and respond appropriately to emotional experiences. This measure evaluates how well students adapt to the expectations and demands of the classroom and school environment. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Emotion Management Features

• Untimed
• Observation checklist

Emotion Management Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. Observe the student interacting with peers and adults.
2. Select a rating for each item based on the student’s typical observed behavior.
3. CLI Engage automatically calculates the student’s score.

Scoring Emotion Management

Students are assessed using an observation checklist completed through ongoing observations of classroom interactions. Teachers record whether the student’s behavior occurs rarely, sometimes, or consistently.

We recommend completing the checklist after students have adjusted to kindergarten and you have had sufficient opportunities to observe their interactions with peers and adults.

When selecting a rating, consider the student’s typical behavior across classroom activities and routines.

Rating Definitions

• Rarely: The behavior has been observed only a few times.
• Sometimes: The behavior has been observed occasionally since the beginning of the school year, but not consistently.
• Consistently: The behavior is observed frequently and on a regular basis.

Scoring Instructions

For each item, select the rating that best reflects the student’s typical behavior:

• Rarely / Rara vez
• Sometimes / Ocasionalmente
• Consistently / Consistentemente

Important: Consider the student’s behavior across multiple observations and settings rather than relying on a single interaction or event.

Students are assessed on their ability to hold in memory 1–3 pieces of information in an increasingly complex setting. Students recall where cars are parked in a garage. The number of cars and the number of parking spaces increase as the student progresses. This measure is available in English and Spanish.

Working Memory Features

• Untimed
• Student-selected responses

Working Memory Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. Headphones are worn by the student.
2. The student is told what to do through the headphones.
3. Pictures will appear on the screen as the computer provides the verbal prompt.
4. Students will recall and select the spot where a car was previously parked.
5. The computer will score the students’ response.

Allowable Prompts for Working Memory

Allow 10 seconds for the student to respond before providing a prompt. The student can be prompted one time. If the student does not reply with the correct answer within 10 seconds after the appropriate follow-up statement is provided once, then the item is scored as incorrect.

• If the student does not respond after 10 seconds, you can prompt the student by saying, “It’s okay to guess.”

Students are asked to respond accurately to a specific stimulus (e.g., butterfly), and withhold, or inhibit, a response to a different stimulus (e.g., bee). This task involves students catching butterflies in a butterfly net but NOT catching bees for a certain time limit. They are warned that the butterflies are fast and that the students must be fast too. Scores reflect the student’s ability to respond accurately while inhibiting a response. This measure is available in English and Spanish.

Inhibition Features

• Timed
• Student-selected responses

Inhibition Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. Headphones are worn by the student.
2. The student is told what to do through the headphones.
3. Pictures will appear on the screen as the computer provides the verbal prompt.
4. The student will attempt to only “catch” butterflies by touching the screen or clicking the mouse over the image when a butterfly appears on screen.
5. The computer will score the students’ response.

Allowable Prompts for Inhibition

Allow 10 seconds for the student to respond before providing a prompt. The student can be prompted one time. If the student does not reply with the correct answer within 10 seconds after the appropriate follow-up statement is provided once, then the item is scored as incorrect.

• If the student does not respond after 10 seconds, you can prompt the student by saying, “It’s okay to guess.”

Attention assesses a student’s ability to focus, stay on task, and quickly and accurately identify relevant features of a task. During this measure, students have 2 minutes to make as many correct matches as possible between a target flower and one of five response choices. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Attention Features

• Timed
• Student-selected responses

Attention Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. The student wears headphones.
2. The student receives instructions through the headphones.
3. Pictures appear on the screen while the computer provides verbal prompts.
4. The student matches the flower shown in the top row to the corresponding flower in the bottom row by touching the screen or clicking the mouse.
5. CLI Engage automatically scores the response.

Allowable Prompts for Attention

• Allow up to 10 seconds for the student to respond before providing a prompt.
• Prompts may be used one time only.
• If the student does not respond correctly within 10 seconds after the prompt is given, score the item as incorrect.

If the student does not respond after 10 seconds:

• Say: “It’s okay to guess.”

Important: Allowable prompts are intended to encourage participation and should not provide clues or assistance that could influence the student’s response.

Academic Motor Skills assesses a variety of motor skills that support successful participation in school activities. Motor skills play an important role in how young children learn and contribute to both cognitive and social development. This measure is available in both English and Spanish.

Academic Motor Skills Features

• Untimed
• Observation checklist

Academic Motor Skills Directions

Directions will be provided on the screen.

1. Observe the student’s motor behaviors in the classroom and in the playground.
2. Select a rating for each item based on the student’s typical observed behavior.
3. CLI Engage automatically calculates the student’s score.

Scoring Academic Motor Skills

Use the Academic Motor Skills Scoring Guidelines available on CLI Engage to support scoring and enter ratings into KPM.

Students are assessed using an observation checklist completed through ongoing observations of motor behaviors. Teachers record whether each skill is:

• Not Observed
• Delayed
• Typical for Age

We recommend completing the checklist after students have adjusted to kindergarten and you have had sufficient opportunities to observe their motor skills in a variety of settings and activities.

Rating Definitions

Not Observed
The teacher has not yet observed the student demonstrating the skill. Because KPM is typically administered approximately one month after school entry, this rating should be used sparingly. Teachers should have opportunities to observe many of these skills during classroom activities, small-group instruction, playground time, and measures such as Spelling. If a skill has not been observed naturally, teachers may create opportunities for observation through classroom tasks.

Delayed
The student’s motor skill development appears significantly below that of most kindergarten peers. This rating should be used when the student’s performance is clearly outside the expected developmental range.

For example:

• The student is unable to maintain a three-finger (tripod) pencil grip, even with support.
• The student has difficulty drawing recognizable shapes.

Typical for Age
The student’s motor skills are developmentally appropriate and similar to those demonstrated by most kindergarten students.

Scoring Instructions

For each item, select the rating that best reflects the student’s typical motor behavior:

• Not Observed
• Delayed
• Typical for Age

Important: Ratings should be based on multiple observations across activities and settings whenever possible, rather than a single observation or isolated event.

The decision to assess Spanish-speaking students in Spanish, or in both English and Spanish, should follow the recommendations of the campus Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC). Decisions on the language of assessment for native English speakers who are participating in Spanish-English dual-language immersion programs is left to the discretion of program personnel.

• Measuring Language Proficiency: KPM has not been validated for use as a measure of language proficiency in either language.
• Using the Spanish or English KPM to Guide Instruction: When using KPM results to guide instruction, you should assess students in the language of instruction to determine current levels and goals. You may also choose to assess in the alternate language if you can make use of the student’s skills in that language.

KPM allows you the flexibility to assess students in one or both languages. Students can be assessed in both English and Spanish for individual measures.

To help guide instructional planning, a teacher may wish to learn more about a student’s performance in Spanish even if the student is receiving all English instruction.

For example:

• It may be useful to know if a student has well-developed phonological awareness skills in Spanish relative to their age. This information may indicate that the student has skills in place for developing phonological awareness in English.
• Alternatively, it may be useful to know if a student has limited phonological awareness skills in Spanish as this may indicate the need for further instruction in English and/or Spanish to support optimal phonological awareness growth. By assessing the student in both languages, the teacher can better plan instruction to extend strengths and support weaknesses.

There may be instances when you find it helpful to administer specific sub-measures in a student’s most proficient language.

• Example 1: Student A is a native Spanish speaker. Their performance on the language sub-measures in English is very low. The teacher may find it helpful to administer the same sub-measures in Spanish to gather some additional information about their strengths and needs.
• Example 2: Student B is also a native Spanish speaker. Their performance on the self-regulation sub-measure administered in English is very low. The teacher may choose to assess self-regulation in Spanish to be sure low English proficiency is not being confused with poor self-regulation.

Linguistic accommodations are those that reduce the English proficiency demands of the test without altering the construct the test is intended to measure.

• Time accommodations are built into KPM since the language, literacy, and cognitive sub-measures of KPM are not timed.
• An oral translation of the English KPM test instructions can be provided to students. The person providing the translation should be a fluent speaker of the student’s language.
• Translation of test items and use of dictionaries are not appropriate linguistic accommodations for KPM.

CLI Engage allows you to set your own assessment schedules; this is a local leadership decision. We normally suggest that beginning-of-year (Wave 1 on CLI Engage) assessments be conducted starting in mid-September and ending by mid-October. Middle-of-year (Wave 2) may be around mid-January to mid-February. Administration at the end-of-year (Wave 3) can be around mid-April to mid-May. You can also determine which of the available measures, beyond the required measures, may be more useful to meet your instructional objectives.

Assessment Windows Lock Feature

The optional “lock” feature allows LEAs to limit access to specific administration windows for teachers. Administrators can set testing dates for assessments and waves. This feature ensures that teachers conduct assessments during the correct waves and within designated testing windows. Learn more about this tool here: Assessment Lock Feature How-to Guide

Utilize CLI’s resources for alternative administration functionality and protocols for KPM. Visit our detailed webpage to access teacher’s guides, webinars, and visual schedules to support teachers as they administer assessments remotely: Remote Assessment Administration

The offline assessment feature can be used to assess students when an internet connection is not available at the time of administration. The offline feature for KPM can be accessed from the assessment practice area (for practicing the offline feature) or directly from the class view in KPM (when conducting the assessments): KPM Offline Assessment

The Exclude button is used to “exclude” a student OR the entire class from a specific measure. The completion report takes this exclusion into account when tabulating completion rates. For example, in a class of 10 students, if 2 are excluded and the remaining 8 are measured, the completion report will indicate 100%. If the students are not formally excluded using this feature, the report would indicate an 80% completion rate. Anyone with access to a class can exclude measures.

If all students are excluded from a measure (i.e., the measure is not being administered to any student), it is more efficient to use the Exclude All button that appears just below the measure name, rather than excluding each individual child. This feature excludes the entire class from a measure with one click. In this case, the “Launch” icon is replaced by a gray square preventing the measure from being administered to the student. This can also be done by an administrator, but would have to be set for every class (i.e., it cannot be performed school-wide). In this case, the teacher would not see the measures that the administrator had excluded.

If a teacher excludes all students from a measure, it is helpful to also remove it from view using the Hide/Display Measures feature. This makes it easier to locate measures you are actually assessing without having to scroll through the full list of available measures. It is important to note that the “Hide/Display Measures” button hides a measure from view for navigational purposes only. Hiding a measure does not affect data or reporting. Hiding is set by each user, and the system remembers the user’s preference; therefore, no user can hide measures for another user.

The teacher will indicate a child’s correct or incorrect response for each item by clicking the buttons on screen or using the keyboard arrow keys:

• Click the blue button or your keyboard’s left arrow if the student gave the incorrect response.
• Click the purple button or your keyboard’s right arrow if the student gave the correct response.

If a scoring error is made, the assessment must be invalidated. To invalidate an assessment, click the “Invalidate this Assessment” button on the results screen.

Once an assessment has been completed and you have clicked “Done” you will not be able to invalidate. On CLI Engage, only administrators have the ability to invalidate student assessment scores. Invalidating a student score will delete the record of a student’s assessment and enable the teacher to reassess the child. Scores must be invalidated per child, per measure. Invalidated scores cannot be retrieved, so score invalidation should be done with utmost caution. For assistance, please submit a help ticket.

Score invalidation examples:

• Teacher accidentally assessed the wrong child
• Teacher accidentally assessed a child in the wrong language
• Teacher accidentally assessed the wrong measure
• Teacher accidentally assessed a child outside the guidance from their IEP

For some direct assessments, the child may see a celebratory completion page after completing all items.

When finished, you may dismiss the child and click “Next” to see the results.

The teacher’s results screen includes:

• Child’s name, class, and DOB
• Assessment items, child’s answers, and the child’s score for each item
• Option to click “Done” to submit the score or “Invalidate” the results
• Comment feature to record important notes.

The CLI Engage Family Engagement Toolkit make the most of procedures you likely already have in place, such as progress monitoring, homework, parent-teacher conferences, and open houses. CLI advocates a new focus for these efforts: supporting families in better understanding children’s development and engaging in fun, developmentally appropriate activities that not only build skills but strengthen the bonds between family members.

Family Engagement Toolkit

Teachers using KPM can share student reports with families by printing them or providing a PIN for online access. Teachers can also send families activities that are designed to support skill development at home.

Student Report Resources:

• Overview Video: Watch the Student Report for Parents
• Generating Student Reports for Parents how-to guide
• Printing Parent PIN Pages how-to guide

Implementation Guide (available in English and Spanish) includes the following topics:

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

Helping Families Understand Their Child’s Assessment Results:

• Understanding Your Child’s Assessment Results
• Family-Friendly Description of Assessment Measures

Teachers can collect valuable information on their student’s development by sharing these forms with families and asking them to give feedback about their child. Each form is aligned to the KPM measures to support the integration of family information into instructional planning. Family Observation Forms are available in English and Spanish.

Many studies have shown that families and teachers working together to support children’s development can lead to better outcomes for children. This collection includes fun, easy activity ideas that families can do together to help support important school readiness skills for children ages 0-6. Learn more here: Circle Activity Collection: Family

Teachers can also share family activities directly with families via email throughout the school year. This feature is accessed through your class small group report for KPM. After uploading parent email addresses, teachers can select and share activities aligned to each child’s areas for skill development so children are supported at school and home.

Students with disabilities have a wide range of skills, and many students with mild forms of disabilities, such as a language delay, can easily complete many of the KPM measures with no or minimal accommodation.

Understanding how a student with a disability scores relative to typically developing peers can provide teachers with information to share with parents about the relative strengths and weaknesses of students with disabilities. For example, you may have a student with a language delay who scores within normal limits on the Math and Self-Regulation measures but struggles on measures assessing phonological awareness. This provides a wide range of information about these students’ strengths and areas for growth.

TEA provides detailed information on the provision of accommodation for state assessments on its website. Even though KPM is not a mandated state assessment, TEA guidelines should be used to determine which accommodations can be provided for KPM. Please see the Accommodations Resources section on the TEA website.

KPM provides two classes of recommendations within the TEA model: Low Risk and High Risk.

Low Risk Decision Rule: Accommodations that DO NOT alter or change the wording, scoring criteria, or time limits imposed on certain KPM measures are considered low risk and easily approved and implemented by ARD or 504 committee. Many TEA accommodations are appropriate for KPM measures with low risk to the integrity of the assessment. Examples of Low Risk accommodations are provided below.

• Example 1: Use of individualized structured reminders to help a student pay attention, or get ready for the next item. This would be seen as conforming to acceptable test practices for all students.
• Example 2: Use of amplification and projection devices with a range of students with visual or hearing deficits.
• Example 3: Manipulation of test materials is considered low risk. Student-selected response items can be answered by assistive technology products, such as alternative keyboards, electronic pointing devices, sip-and-puff systems, wands and sticks, joysticks, trackballs, and other tools.
• Other Low Risk Accommodations: Oral/signed presentation of test items would also be acceptable. Math manipulatives are included in some of the easier KPM counting and operation items and would be acceptable accommodations.

High Risk Decision Rule: Accommodations that DO alter or change the wording, scoring criteria, or time limits imposed on certain KPM measures are considered high risk. High Risk accommodations may impact the validity and integrity of the assessment making interpretation more challenging. High risk accommodations may be helpful when using KPM to evaluate a student’s relative strengths and weaknesses rather than using the scores to relate performance to the norm group. These would not be norm-based, but may provide meaningful information for teachers and professionals for students’ learning and educational planning.

• Example 1: Providing extra time or an extra day for timed tests. If violated, the test isn’t valid for its purpose.
• Example 2: Manipulating or substituting words for vocabulary and comprehension tests. Accommodations that substantively change test items in any way should be avoided.
• Example 3: Changing scoring criteria to accommodate student’s response style. For example, when counting on the Math screener, the item is scored based upon the cardinal value that is provided by the student. Changing the scoring criteria to give credit for students who are able to count objects correctly but do not understand the concept of cardinal value would be considered to be high risk and should be avoided.

While not technically an accommodation, it is hoped that good testing practices are utilized when teachers use KPM in a classroom. Establishment of rapport with young students is critical for KPM assessments.

Students should not be penalized for words that are poorly articulated. Kindergarteners often struggle articulating words clearly. A good rule of thumb is that if two adults could easily determine what word the student said then the verbal response should be scored.

Teachers and administrators should make reasonable efforts to provide appropriate accommodations that will allow students with disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. The best judges of the appropriateness of the accommodations are the professional staff who has the most contact with the student with a disability. Creative accommodation approaches that allow students with disabilities to successfully complete KPM measures but do not violate the content of the assessment would be welcomed by the authors of KPM. TEA Guidelines should be considered when attempting to determine appropriate accommodations.