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Oregon pilots family conversation transition check‑in to reshape kindergarten entry
Summary
DELC and ODE reported results from a pilot of family conversation 'transition check‑ins' aimed at shifting from child‑readiness testing to relationship building and collecting family‑context data; the fall pilot reached about 50 schools and nearly 1,800 family responses.
DELC preschool specialist Lauren Sigman and ODE staff updated the council on the Early Learning Transition Check‑in pilot, a redesign of kindergarten intake that emphasizes family conversation rather than a child‑focused checklist.
"It was really important that the family conversation is reciprocal, and there's no power dynamic that's inherent that would come, like, with an interview," Sigman said, describing the pilot's intent to build connection and gather contextual information about children and families prior to school start. The pilot expanded to 50 schools across 15 districts and collected almost 1,800 family conversation responses in the most recent cycle.
ODE analyst Corinne presented preliminary analysis showing families described children's strengths, aspirations, and service utilization prior to kindergarten (for example, preschool, speech services); closed‑ and open‑ended items were used to capture both counts and nuanced family narratives. Staff added new data collection in the latest pilot to track families who did not participate in order to identify barriers and gaps in outreach.
Council members asked how early learning providers fit into the pilot; Sigman and ODE explained that DELC is coordinating with early learning hubs and CCR&R partners to share participation lists and resources and to strengthen links between pre‑K providers and kindergarten teams. Staff said they will continue piloting, refine codebooks for qualitative analysis, and provide materials and technical assistance for districts and communities before wider implementation.
