Watch CBS News

Mass. Considers Tests To Assess Kindergarten Kids

BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts education officials are developing plans to test students as soon as they enter kindergarten to determine how prepared they are to start school.

Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville says they would not be used to determine who could enter kindergarten, and should not be mistaken for an early version of the standardized Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests.

Rather, he and others say the review would help measure students' early literacy and math knowledge along with their social, cognitive, emotional and physical development.

The Boston Globe reports some districts say they already use assessments in kindergarten, and that the labor-intensive data collection could be a tough sell as communities face budget cuts and larger class sizes.

Officials say 25 states already have kindergarten assessment programs, including Connecticut and Vermont.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.