Subdivision 1.Assessment required.

The commissioner of education must implement a kindergarten entry assessment of incoming kindergartners to identify the percent of kindergartners who meet or exceed end-of-year prekindergarten early learning standards.

Subd. 2.Process.

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(a) School districts and charter schools must choose a kindergarten entry assessment tool from a menu of valid and reliable measurement instruments approved by the department that:

(1) are aligned to the state early childhood indicators of progress and kindergarten standards and are based on the criteria to be an early learning assessment approved by the department;

(2) support the world’s best workforce goals in section 120B.11, subdivision 1, paragraph (c); and

(3) are based, in part, on information collected from teachers, early learning professionals, families, and other partners.

(b) The department must provide technical assistance and professional development related to the assessment required under this section to educators, school districts, and charter schools.

Subd. 3.Reporting.

School districts and charter schools must annually report the results of kindergarten entry assessments to the department in a form and manner determined by the commissioner that is concurrent with a district’s and charter school’s world’s best workforce report under section 120B.11, subdivision 5. The commissioner must publicly report kindergarten readiness results as part of the performance reports required under section 120B.36 and in a manner consistent with section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2).

Subd. 4.Implementation.

The requirements under this section must be phased in over three school years with all school districts and charter schools complying beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.