Oklahoma's Early Learning Inventory (ELI) provided teachers with a snapshot of a student’s skills and development at the beginning of kindergarten. In addition, information gained by this assessment also served as a guide to families, community partners and policymakers on how to enhance early learning opportunities.
This project was supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the George Kaiser Family Foundation. In partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, OPSR conducted statewide surveys, focus groups and personal interviews of pre-K and kindergarten teachers and administrators on the use of assessments in their classrooms. Since 2016, OPSR aggregated this feedback, presented results and provided ELI professional development to teachers and school districts.
Then, in FY17-18, OPSR conducted a feasibility study to assess the cost, resources, benefits and limitations of implementing an ELI. Our pilot areas for the ELI feasibility study included: Ada, Candian, Cimarron, El Reno, Gypsy, Marietta, Milwood, Newcastle, Oklahoma City, Osage, Pawnee, Quapaw, Stillwater, Stratford, Tulsa and Welch.
After the feasibility study, our research partners at the University of Oklahoma created a final report on how to best move forward with ELI. You can find it here.
Our research partners included: Dr. Kyong-Ah Kwon, assistant professor, College of Education, University of Oklahoma; Barbara Jones, Ph.D candidate, College of Education, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa; and Shannon Guss, project director, Early Childhood Education Institute, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.