Kentucky Early Childhood Data System (KEDS)

How do we determine which students from our district to include?

Demographic and assessment data are required to be submitted to KEDS for all students:

• 3 and 4 years of age with an active IEP, regardless of setting where services are received; and/or
• enrolled in state funded preschool who are at risk, meaning their household income is up to 160% of federal poverty level

This includes children who receive itinerant services, such as speech-only services.

Data for other children, including those without an IEP who are served by the local Head Start program may be included as well, though this is not a requirement.

How are child demographics transferred to KEDS and which students are included?

Student records are extracted weekly from Infinite Campus and then imported into KEDS Online.

To be included in the IC data extract provided to KEDS:

• Students receiving services in a preschool classroom, must have a record in the Preschool tab in Infinite Campus.

The Preschool tab is required for all students in state-funded preschool, and Head Start children served by the preschool program who are receiving services in a preschool classroom in grades 97, 98 and 99.

• Students receiving special education services outside of the preschool classroom, must have a record in the Special Education tab in Infinite Campus.

See the FAQ “How do I add students in Infinite Campus who are NOT enrolled in a preschool classroom?” for more information on entering records for children receiving special education services outside of the preschool classroom.

How are "At Risk" and "Over Income" defined, and where do they pull from within Infinite Campus?

"At-Risk" is defined as the student’s family income being at or below 160% of the federal poverty guidelines and is the basis for the student’s eligibility for enrollment in the state-funded preschool program.

"Over Income" is defined as the student’s family income being 161% or higher of the federal poverty guidelines.

Both At-Risk and Over Income pull from the Preschool Type categories found on the Preschool tab in Infinite Campus. They do not pull from the free and reduced lunch fields.

If you have questions please contact the School Readiness Branch at 502-564-4970.

Can 3-year-olds be considered At-Risk? (up to 160% of poverty)?

3-year-olds with IEPs can be designated as over-income (161% or higher of the federal poverty level) or at-risk (at or below 160% of the federal poverty level). If a state-funded program is blended with Head Start, a student could be at-risk funded through Head Start funds.

3-year-olds without IEPs enrolled in state-funded preschool cannot be designated as at-risk. They can be marked as “other” and the funding source identified (for example, local district funds, Head Start funds, or tuition) if the district permits such enrollment.

If you have questions please contact the School Readiness Branch at 502-564-4970

How is LEP (Limited English Proficiency) defined?

The term "limited English proficient" has been defined in Title IX of the No Child Left Behind Act under the General Provisions Part A, Section 9101 as follows:

(25) LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT —The term 'limited English proficient,' when used with respect to an individual, means an individual—
(A) who is aged 3 through 21;
(B) who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school;
(C)(i) who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English;
(ii)(I) who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the outlying areas; and
(II) who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of English language proficiency; or
(iii) who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and
(D) whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual—
(i) the ability to meet the State's proficient level of achievement on State assessments described in section 1111(b)(3);
(ii) the ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or
(iii) the opportunity to participate fully in society.

Districts are asked to use the following 4 questions to determine LEP status:
Non-English Background: A student has a Non-English language background if a language other than English is the answer to any of the following four questions in the home language survey:

1. What is the language most frequently spoken at home?
2. Which language did your child learn when he/she first began to talk?
3. What language does your child most frequently speak at home?
4. What language do you most frequently speak to your child?

A student with a Non-English Language Background may or may not have LEP, but a student with LEP is always considered to have a Non-English Language Background.

Who has access to my student data?

Preschool Coordinators have access to all child data for their district. As the Preschool Coordinator sets up teacher accounts, they assign individual students to those teachers. Teachers can only access the data for the children assigned to them.

Does the exit date need to be filled in for 4-year olds exiting at the end of the school year?

No, it is assumed that at the end of the school year all 4-year olds will transition to Kindergarten. Therefore, there is no need to fill in the exit date.

What should I do with students who are listed in KEDS, but who have withdrawn from preschool during the year?

The student's record should be updated in KEDS Online as follows:

• Enrollment Status = Withdrawn
• Exit Date = last date the student received services
  If the child never attended, enter the enrollment date as the date of exit.
• Assessment fields = [leave blank]

How do I add students in Infinite Campus who are NOT enrolled in a preschool classroom?

For students who are enrolled and receiving services from the school district, the settings are P or N. In Infinite Campus, these fields are under the category of Active Enrollment Service Type within the General Enrollment Information tab.

• N: Students who are special education only – or receiving itinerant services from the school district. These students receive special education services (and WILL need an assessment in KEDS) but they are not served in the preschool classroom. District preschool students with IEPs who are served in Head Starts are also coded “N.” These are the students for whom districts are NOT to fill out the preschool tab, but ARE to fill out the special education tab and enter and lock the active IEP in Infinite Campus. Each of these students MUST have full assessments entered in KEDS.
• P: Students whose primary placement is in the preschool classroom.

For Head Start Enhanced students: Preschool state-funded students who are usually in a blended Head Start program and who receive additional Head Start services. They are technically state-funded preschool students; they have both Head Start enhanced and preschool funding, and MUST have complete assessment data entered in KEDS.

• For Head Start Enhanced students who are eligible for special education services through an IEP, the State Funded Disabled box under Preschool Type should be checked in the Preschool tab.
• For Head Start Enhanced students who are income eligible for preschool services, the State Funded At Risk box under Preschool Type should be checked in the Preschool tab.
• The Head Start Enhanced box should also be checked for all children receiving Head Start Enhanced services.

How do I determine whether to indicate that a student has a current IEP?

If the student has an IEP in effect for any portion of a data collection season, please indicate that an IEP was in effect for the student for that data season.

What do I enter in the "Assessment Date" field in KEDS?

The assessment date is the last date observations were taken and/or the assessment completed by the teacher for each data season. It is NOT the date that the results were entered into publisher’s online system or KEDS Online.

KEDS uses the assessment date and birthdate to calculate the student’s chronological age at the time of assessment.

What enrollment date should I use for students who were in KSI/RTI and are now enrolled?

Once a student has an active and locked IEP, add a Preschool tab in Infinite Campus and enter the original enrollment date.

How should I list the IEP status of students in KEDS who were discharged from an IEP or who begin an IEP during a data collection season?

Students who have an IEP in place anytime during the data season should be marked as having an IEP for data analysis purposes.

What grades are assigned to preschoolers in Infinite Campus?

Grade 99: 4 years old on or before August 1 Grade 98: 3 years old on or before August 1 Grade 97: 2 years old on or before August 1 and turned 3 years old during the school year Infinite Campus records for students not assigned one of these grades, will not be exported to KEDS.

What Enrollment Status Do I Choose?

The Enrollment Status is very important when updating student demographics as it affects the Data Download Report as well as what happens to the student's record at the close of the data season.

• Enrolled: Students currently receiving preschool services (in the state-funded preschool or have an active IEP).
• Withdrawn: Children either no longer receiving services (e.g., child who moved) or who were enrolled during RTI, but later deemed ineligible for preschool services. Don’t forget to enter the exit date in KEDS! If the child did not receive services this year, the enrollment date can be entered as the exit date.
• New Enrollees: Two-year olds who appear in KEDS because they are getting ready to transition into the preschool classroom.
• Late Enrollees: Similar to New Enrollees, but are 3- or 4-year olds who entered the preschool program in the fall, but after the start of the school year and whose entry (baseline) assessment will not be completed/finalized before the November 15. An assessment should still be completed and then entered in the winter data collection point.
• Determining Eligibility: Children who are in KSI/RTI. Once a decision has been made about their eligibility, their enrollment status will need to be updated in KEDS to Enrolled, Late Enrollment, or Withdrawn.

At the end of each data collection season,

• Children whose enrollment is Enrolled or Withdrawn will be removed from the KEDS system.
• Children whose enrollment is New, Late, or Determining Eligibility will remain in KEDS for districts to complete/finalize their entry/baseline assessment.

What if a student is missing from KEDS?

Student records are imported from Infinite Campus. Therefore, corrections must be made directly through Infinite Campus.

KEDS staff cannot make any changes to the data in Infinite Campus.

Why are there variables in KEDS Online that are not in Infinite Campus?

There are three variables in KEDS Online that are not imported from Infinite Campus:

• Assessment Date
• Limited English Proficiency
• Enrollment Status

What about students who enroll late, after the start of the year?

Districts will have a choice for all children who enroll after October 1. The entry/baseline assessment may be entered either in the fall or the winter data point. The option depends on the district's ability to complete the assessment and enter the assessment in the approved data collection by the November 15 fall deadline. If this deadline cannot be met, the assessment should be entered in the winter data point.

What if the school district and Head Start program use different assessments?

The Head Start program may use a different assessment than the district as long as it is an approved assessment. It is the district’s responsibility to ensure that the Head Start follows approved assessment procedures and that KEDS receives all assessment data.

Do I mark Head Start = Yes in KEDS Online for Head Start Enhanced students?

Students receiving Head Start Enhanced services should not have the Head Start field marked "Yes" as the Head Start field is used to identify students who are Head Start funded and receiving special education services.

How are Head Start students assessed?

Any student for whom the district provides state-funded preschool or special education services must have an assessment completed, including students receiving services in a Head Start blended program.

It is the district's responsibility to work with Head Start to ensure that:

1. All required students are properly entered into Infinite Campus
2. Teacher accounts are established in KEDS for each Head Start classroom
3. Valid SSIDs are included in all student assessment records entered into publisher online systems

How do I set up a KEDS account?

Preschool Coordinators
Complete the KEDS Preschool Coordinator Account Setup Form to request an account. Once an account has been created, you will receive an email from KEDS with your login information.

Teachers
Accounts are set up by your Preschool Coordinator. Each fall, preschool coordinators must reactivate teacher accounts. Teacher accounts that are inactive for more than 1 year are deleted.

Detailed information on setting up teacher accounts can be found in the KEDS Online User Guide, Section 2: Establishing and Managing Teacher Accounts.

I forgot or misplaced my KEDS username or password. Help!

Lost your username?
Email hdi-ectech@l.uky.edu to request your username be emailed to you

Forgot your password?
Click on the Forgot Password link located below the Log In button. After you have answered the security questions, you will be given a temporary password that can be changed after successfully logging in.

Do preschool coordinators need to create teacher accounts even if coordinators are entering all student assessment information?

No, teacher is not a required field. However, preschool coordinators are encouraged to provide this information.

Why is KEDS Online only open for data entry during limited times of the year?

Per our agreement with publishers, data entry forms are only accessible during specific data entry periods to ensure that we are adhering to copyright laws.

How soon should an entry/baseline assessment be completed on a newly enrolled child?

For a good baseline measurement, it is recommended the first assessment be completed within four (4) weeks of enrollment.

However, special circumstances may delay a teacher’s ability to complete the assessment within this timeline (e.g., a child’s hospitalization). In these special circumstances, the teacher should do his or her best to complete the assessment within a reasonable timeframe, realizing that observations collected close to the enrollment date as possible tend to be most reflective of the child when she or he entered the program.

What if I assess a child using an infant/toddler version of an assessment?

It is accepted KDE policy for students to be assessed with an infant/toddler version of an approved assessment for whom the preschool version is not yet appropriate. This includes the Carolina Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs and the AEPS.

Are children receiving KSI/RTI services required to be assessed?

No, an entry/baseline assessment does not need to be completed until after eligibility is determined and the student is enrolled in the preschool classroom.

If the student’s name is included in KEDS Online, you may update their Enrollment Status to "Determining Eligibility." Once eligibility is determined, you will need to update the student’s Enrollment Status in KEDS Online to “Enrolled” or “Withdrawn” depending on their status.

Do speech-only children have to have a full assessment conducted?

YES! According to federal policy, each student who has an IEP must have a complete assessment. This policy includes students who only receive speech therapy services.

Districts may complete their assessments on students who only receive speech services several ways. One way is for the Speech Therapist to administer one of the approved instruments, if they are trained on an approved assessment. Another option is to have a preschool or itinerant staff member assess that student. All approved assessments are designed to be completed based on therapist or teacher knowledge of the student over time.

Do I need to enter student SSID numbers in the publisher’s online assessment system?

YES! You must enter the student’s SSID (student state identifier) in every assessment record entered into a publisher’s online system. Without the SSID, the student’s assessment data cannot be identified and matched with their data in KEDS Online and therefore, cannot be included in the analyses.

SSIDs are imported into KEDS Online from Infinite Campus, but they are NOT imported into publisher online systems.

Does KEDS provide district reports regarding child progress?

The results of student outcome data by state and by district are available annually to district coordinators through their KEDS accounts.

What is the policy for assessment of students who pay tuition or are district-funded (students that are not at-risk or do not have an IEP)?

Full assessment of these students follows best practice and is requested but not required.

What is the difference between Pre-K and Part B Section 619 funding for preschoolers?

• Pre-K dollars are the state-funded dollars a district receives for provision of preschool services.
• Part B Section 619 funds are the federal (IDEA) dollars received for special education services provided to students 3-5 years of age.

Students with disabilities who are receiving the spectrum of preschool services in state-funded preschool programs would be both Pre-K and Section 619 funded. However, some students with identified disabilities may be Section 619 funded only. Section 619 funded only students are often served in settings other than state-funded preschool programs. A couple of examples would include Head Start students for whom special education services are provided by the district or students with speech/language delays who come to the school only for speech/language services. At-risk 4’s (income up to 160% of poverty level) served in the state funded preschool program would be Pre-K only funded.

My publisher’s online system has a different data entry deadline than KEDS. Why?

Publishers have default dates in their online systems for each data season. These dates can be changed by the district.

Does an assessment need to be completed for a student who is of kindergarten age, but is placed in a preschool program, and who has a service plan?

No. This student is considered a kindergarten student and should be counted and monitored through the primary program. The student should be coded in Infinite Campus as Grade 00 and would not be included in the preschool child count. If this child is listed in KEDS Online, update the Enrollment Status to "Withdrawn" and enter the enrollment date as the exit date.

Should we score the Spanish Language and Literacy Objectives in Teaching Strategies GOLD™?

Information for scoring Spanish Language and Literacy items (8-10 and 15-19): Teachers should not be assessing these alone. If teachers are using these, then there should also be scores for the English objectives (8-10 and 15-19). These Spanish Language and Literacy objectives are items that should only be used with children whose home language is Spanish AND who are being instructed in Spanish. The Spanish Language and Literacy objectives differ from the English Language Acquisition Objectives (37 and 38). The ELA Objectives assess progress in learning to speak and understand English and are for use with ELL children.

With the Teaching Strategies GOLD™, can teachers used the “Not Observed” or “Not Yet” choices?

With GOLD™, you are allowed to use the Not Yet option for items for which the student has no level of skill attainment and that is a score that we do receive. The Not Observed option is reserved for items that have not been seen, but we do not encourage this option as we do not receive any score for such items and must consider that item as missing data.

What are the current approved preschool assessment instruments?

A list of the current approved assessments can be found here. As of 2018-19, approved preschool assessment instruments include:

• Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) for Infants and Children, Second Edition
• Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs (CCPSN) or Carolina Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs (CCITSN), Second Editions
• COR Advantage
• Teaching Strategies GOLD™, Birth – 3rd Grade
• Work Sampling System (WSS) and WSS Head Start, Fifth Editions

Your local RTC can assist you in obtaining copies of these instruments.

How are students who are functioning at very young development levels assessed?

Students who are functioning developmentally below 3 years of age should receive a full assessment from one of the approved tools that measures the student’s current level of functioning. Both COR Advantage and Teaching Strategies GOLD™ cover functioning from birth through preschool. Additionally, the AEPS and Carolina both have Infant Toddler versions. A district staff member needs to be designated to administer such instruments in this case, and must be trained in the assessment selected.

By federal regulation, all students with an IEP must have a full assessment; by KY regulation, it must be done with one of the approved assessment instruments.

It is very important that all students be fully assessed in order to program appropriately.

Where do I enter the SSID number?

If you are entering assessment data in KEDS Online, you do not need to enter the SSID number as it will be generated for you.

If entering assessment data into a publisher’s online system, use the following field as identified in the SSID Guide which can be found on the Preschool Resources page:

• AEPSi = Child ID

• COR Advantage = Student ID

• Teaching Strategies GOLD™ = Student ID#

• Work Sampling = SSID Student Identifier

If SSIDs are not included in each assessment record as required, the assessment information cannot be matched to the student and will result in missing data.