Standardized Test Prep in Kansas
Every parent wants to their child to feel confident and comfortable with the assessments that schools require. As the Kansas standardized testing period start to approach, what can you do to help your student prepare?
On this page, you will discover information about which types of tests required in Kansas, testing dates, and the grade levels targeted. You’ll also learn how Time4Learning’s online curriculum helps prepare students for the subjects and concepts that are frequently tested in these normed evaluations.
What State Tests Are Available in Kansas?
The Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) is aligned to the Kansas statewide curriculum standards. The areas evaluated include general education assessments, alternate assessments, career and technical education assessments, and an English language proficiency assessment. All standardized tests are delivered via the Kansas Interactive Testing Engine® (KITE®) system.
Below you will learn more about the specific state tests administered in Kansas schools.
- General Summative Assessments – The general education assessments target students in grades 3-8 and high school. The subjects tested annually include math, English language arts, and science. Mathematics and English language arts tests occur annually in grades 3-8 and in grade 10. Science assessment tests are administered in grades 5, 8, and 11.
- Kansas English Language Proficiency Assessment (KELPA) – Specifically for English learners, the KELPA measures English language proficiency in four domains: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. All English learners in grades K-12 are subject to annual testing.
- Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) – This assessment is designed to validly measure the progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities. It maps a student’s learning throughout the course of a grade level. The grade levels and subjects assessed correspond with those assessed in the general summative assessments.
- Career Pathways Assessments (cPass®) – cPass® assessments measure both the knowledge and skills needed for specific career pathways. Assessments covering comprehensive agriculture are available to all high school students in Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education allows parents to opt out of Kansas state testing. Parents who choose this route can submit the State Assessment Opt-Out Form to the school principal prior to testing dates.
When is Standardized Testing in Kansas?
- Kansas general summative assessments are administered in the Spring of each year.
- Dynamic Learning Maps Alternative Assessments have testing windows in both the Fall and Spring of each year.
- KELPA Assessments take place in February and March of the year.
- cPass® Agriculture assessments, the testing schedule varies year to year.
Do Homeschoolers Have To Take Standardized Tests in Kansas?
Standardized testing is not required by law for homeschoolers in Kansas. However, many parents choose to have their child(ren) participate in annual or occasional standardized tests for a variety of reasons:
- To uncover potential learning gaps
- To get a sense of how their child is progressing year to year
- To have a point of comparison between their child’s academic standing and those of similar grade level, both statewide and nationally
- To help determine where to focus educational attention in the homeschool year ahead
Although Kansas homeschoolers do not have access to the KAP, there are a multitude of nationally normed private homeschool testing services to choose from. Time4Learning is an ideal partner in helping homeschool families and afterschoolers alike prepare for standardized testing.
How Time4Learning Can Help With Kansas Test Prep
Preparing your students for upcoming state tests in Kansas can be easy when you use technology as a learning tool. Time4Learning uses the power of multimedia and game-based learning to deliver standards-based math and language arts lessons from preschool to high school.
Many families in Kansas use the program to help their students prepare for annual assessments. Here are some of the reasons these parents and students turn to Time4Learning for state test prep:
- To help prepare for the Kansas state assessment, practice test simulations are included as part of the Time4Learning curriculum in grades 3-8.
- The flexible, student-paced approach combines animated lessons, interactive exercises and printable worksheets to teach the concepts tested in the Kansas General Summative Assessments.
- Time4Learning’s high school curriculum is standards-based and designed to help students achieve overall college and career readiness—perfect timing for the assessments aimed at 10th and 11th graders.
- Many families use Time4Learning as an ESL supplement to help them refine and practice the skills addressed in the KELPA.
- Time4MathFacts, a game-based program to build fluency in math facts, is included in the upper elementary grades and can significantly boost students’ ability to recall addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts during assessments.
- Our curriculum works great for students with special needs and appeals to children with different learning styles.
Through preparation and practice, your child can achieve successful results when participating in Kansas standardized testing. In addition, skill-building programs like Time4Learning can prepare your child and build their academic confidence while reducing test anxiety.
My kids continue to excel with this program
By Jennifer
“Each year, they pass their independent standardized test with flying colors!”
