Welcome Back to VKRP: Preparing for the 2026–2027 Fall Assessment Term

Whether your school year is already underway, or you are counting down the days until students return, the beginning of a new school year brings a familiar mix of excitement, preparation, and anticipation. Classrooms are being arranged, routines are taking shape, and educators across Virginia are either getting ready to or are already in the process of welcoming a new group of young learners.

The VKRP team is excited to welcome you to the 2026–2027 school year!

As you settle into the new year or prepare to get started, we’d like to share some updates from our team that will hopefully set you up to have a successful fall assessment window. Taking some time now to prepare can help make the assessment process smoother and, most importantly, help ensure that the information you gather provides a meaningful snapshot of the students’ current levels of skills in your classroom, school, program, or division this fall.

A New School Year with Familiar Purpose

The 2025-2026 school year marked an important milestone for VKRP as it became part of Virginia Connects for Kids (VAConnects), an integrated data system that brings together VKRP, the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS), and LinkB5. VAConnects provides a shared platform with one login and a more streamlined experience for educators and administrators.

Now, as we begin another school year, VAConnects is becoming a familiar part of the way educators across Virginia access and use information to support young learners.

While systems and processes may change, the purpose behind VKRP remains the same: to provide educators with information about children’s school readiness and learning that can help identify strengths, understand areas where additional support may be needed, and inform instruction and conversations with families.

VKRP's Fall Assessment Term

The VKRP Fall 2026 Assessment Term is August 17 through November 6.

Wherever you are in your back-to-school timeline, a little preparation now can help set you up for a successful fall 2026 assessment window. It’s a great time to get familiar with navigating your way around VAConnects and familiarizing yourself with our updated resources.

Plan Ahead for EMAS and VALLSS: The Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) is another important component of VKRP and provides information about students’ mathematical skills. As you begin thinking about your assessment window, keep the timing of VKRP and VALLSS in mind. VKRP recommends completing EMAS two weeks prior to the VALLSS: Pre-K or VALLSS: Kindergarten assessment window. Planning these dates early can help reduce last-minute scheduling challenges and create a more manageable assessment experience for both educators and children.

Inventory Your EMAS Kit: To ensure you have everything you need for your designated assessment window, take the time before the window opens for assessment to check your EMAS kit for materials. You can use the inventory lists, located on the VKRP Resources page under Administration, to check off items that you have and note what you do not. If you are missing any materials, please reach out to your VKRP school or site contact so that they can order replacement materials for you.

Get Comfortable with VAConnects: If you are returning to VKRP, take some time to revisit VAConnects and refresh your familiarity with the platform. As you might recall, your VAConnects password expires every 90 days, so it’s possible you will be prompted to update your password before you can you can access VAConnects. If this is your first year using VAConnects, give yourself time to explore before assessment activities begin. Become familiar with where you will find VKRP, how students and classrooms are organized, and where to access training and support resources. A little time spent navigating the system now can make the assessment process feel much more comfortable later.

Review Your Assessment Resources: Whether you are a seasoned VKRP user or new to the program, now is a good time to review the resources available to support assessment administration. Visit the VAConnects site (vaconnects.virginia.edu) and navigate to VKRP’s home page. On the left, you will see Resources listed. Click on Resources and at the top of your page, you will see a tab for Training & Support. This tab houses the available VKRP resources and is the place to go to make sure you have the information you need to prepare for the fall assessment term. You may also want to revisit assessment guidance and administration procedures, particularly if you are new to VKRP or have not administered the assessments recently. As a reminder for returning teachers, the assessments are the same as they were last fall, so all your materials remain the same.

Give Yourself Time to Get to Know Your Students: For those already welcoming students into their classrooms, the first few weeks of school are about much more than assessment. They are an opportunity to build relationships, establish routines, observe student interactions, and learn about each student’s unique strengths and needs. For those who have not yet started, this is a helpful reminder to build observation time into your plans once students arrive. The Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is designed to be completed after teachers have observed students in their classroom settings. VKRP recommends waiting at least four weeks after students are enrolled—and ideally six weeks—before completing the CBRS. This time allows teachers to develop a more comprehensive understanding of each student’s self-regulation and social skills. In other words, there is no need to rush. Those first weeks of building relationships and learning about your students are an important part of preparing for a meaningful assessment.