This week, Kansas Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) Online users received the fourth installment of Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot News and Updates, a five-part guide to a successful start to the kindergarten year.   

Each edition provides resources to guide Kansas educators through each step of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) screening process. If you are not a Kansas ASQ Online user, you can visit agesandstages.com/ks to sign up for these emails and to view past newsletters. 

Remember: The KSDEweekly article Ensure your school is ready for the 2023-2024 Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot includes key dates and helpful tips as you prepare for the coming school year. 

Sept. 20 is the deadline to partner with families of kindergarten students to complete both the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3), and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2). All data (including pending Family Access screenings and finalized manual screenings) is due in the ASQ Online system by Oct. 10.  

Resources shared this week include:  

• The article How to Use ASQ Learning Activities to Support Child Development describes tools designed to complement and serve as a follow-up to the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 screening, especially for children whose scores are in the monitoring zone. Kansas users who have not purchased these optional, supplemental materials can click here to order materials with the Kansas discounted rate. 
• The Tip Sheet ASQ Online Quick Tips: Learning Activities for Families explains how to use ASQ Online to automatically share learning activities with families who complete questionnaires online using Family Access.  
• Free ASQ:SE-2 Learning Activities will help families effectively support social-emotional development. 
• Free ASQ-3 Fine Motor Activities will help families boost fine motor skills in young children. 
• Additional Free Activities to Support Development at Home are available in English and Spanish to share with families to encourage bonding and support the development of 5-year-olds. 

As we approach the end of the 2023 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot Window, this is a good time to reflect on your strategies to engage families as students begin kindergarten. What worked well this year? Where might you focus in the future? If you have any families who have not yet completed both the ASQ-3 and the ASQ:SE-2, you have until Wednesday, Sept. 20, for families to complete questionnaires. 

All data (including pending Family Access screenings and finalized manual screenings) is due in the ASQ Online system by Oct. 10. Once data is finalized in the ASQ Online system, it is submitted for the year – you do not have an additional data upload. KSDE will compare data from ASQ Online with your Sept. 20 Count Day enrollment to calculate Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot participation rates. 

This newsletter includes excellent strategies to support young children’s development. As you consider your district’s data, you might think about opportunities to reach families of young children before they complete the Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot. Kindergarten-ready communities develop strong partnerships to reach young children and their families early and share strategies to promote early learning and growth. 

If you have questions as you finalize data for the year, the KSDEweekly article “Trainings, resources available to support 2023 Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot” summarizes available supports. 

KSDE is hosting an ASQ Tips and Questions Session from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. 

If you or others are new to the ASQ, the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) will be offering additional Introduction to ASQ training sessions in October and November. Visit https://www.ksdetasn.org/events/ to register. 

Contact Amanda Petersen (apetersen@ksde.org) and Stacy Clarke (kansasicc@ksde.org) with ASQ questions or requests for assistance.