Unit Five and other Illinois school districts are starting to use a new method to determine if kindergarten students are ready to move on to first grade. Teachers in more than 60 districts are using a survey to evaluate how well students are doing, in coursework and social interactions. Mary Fergus of the State Board of Education says instead of using tests, this offers a more casual way to monitor students.
"We definitely want to sort of respect that kingergarteners are learning and I think this is a natural way to develop some district wide and eventually statewide data, but in a very natural setting."
Fergus says the state board plans to require all schools use the survey by the 2015-2016 school year.
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