4 Advantages of the AEPS-3 Ready-Set

Many early childhood programs are required to conduct assessments to determine appropriate teaching targets and monitor changes in children over time. But that can be a significant challenge for programs without the staff and resources to conduct a comprehensive assessment and carry out progress monitoring. Fortunately, the new AEPS-3 includes a tool that can help—the Ready-Set.

AEPS-3 Ready-Set is a brief assessment and progress monitoring measure that targets skills children need to be successful in kindergarten and first grade. Ready-Set items were taken from the AEPS-3 Test and represent the same eight developmental areas: fine motor, gross motor, adaptive, social-emotional, social-communication, cognitive, literacy, and math. Designed for use with typical and at-risk 4- and 5- year-olds as well as older preschool children with mild disabilities, Ready-Set is a great way for programs with limited resources to assess children and monitor progress while also meeting their program evaluation requirements. (Note that children who qualify for IDEA services should be assessed with a more comprehensive measure, such as the AEPS-3 Test.)

Here are four advantages of the Ready-Set:

• Emphasizes skills essential for school success. Intended for 4- and 5- year-olds, the Ready-Set items focus on skills that are key to school entry and success.
• Saves time. Because Ready-Set is much shorter than the full AEPS-3 Test, it will take less time for your program staff to administer.
• Allows for efficient progress monitoring. Ready-Set’s length makes monitoring children’s progress an efficient undertaking, allowing your program to make the most of its current resources.
• Links with the AEPS-3 Curriculum. Because Ready-Set results link directly with the AEPS-3 Curriculum, your staff will have immediate access to a resource to help them select and develop teaching content and strategies.

Before you use Ready-Set, be sure to familiarize yourself with its content and organization. Even though Ready-Set is much shorter than the AEPS-3 Test, using it to gather data requires an initial time investment. Read each item, study its associated criteria and notes, and get to know the form before you use it.

The link below will take you to a sample completed Ready-Set form that will give you a feel for how it works. For a more in-depth discussion of the Ready-Set, watch this webinar recording and read Chapter 6 in AEPS-3 Volume 2.

SEE THE SAMPLE FORM

This post has been adapted from information in the AEPS®-3 User’s Guide (Volume 1): Diane Bricker, Ph.D., Carmen Dionne, Ph.D., Jennifer Grisham, Ed.D., JoAnn (JJ) Johnson, Ph.D., Marisa Macy, Ph.D., Kristine Slentz, Ph.D., and Misti Waddell, M.S.