How are families Informed about EMAS testing?
Families receive a notification of EMAS testing as part of the annual academic screening, growth, and diagnostic tests notification letter in grades PreK-2.
The Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) is one test required in PreK and Kindergarten classrooms under the the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP). The VKRP also requires PreK-K testing in literacy and student behaviors (self-regulation, and social skills).
The EMAS test is an interview with teacher to assess the student's early numeracy skills. The assessment is completed in fall and spring for most PreK and Kindergarten students.
Families receive a notification of EMAS testing as part of the annual academic screening, growth, and diagnostic tests notification letter in grades PreK-2.
The family report information below reflects iReady reporting data from school year 2023-24. Family reports for 2024-25 iReady tests are being updated to reflect their role as a growth measure this year. Updated family report information will be updated when it is available.
Most students in FCPS PreK and kindergarten classrooms participate in EMAS as part of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program assessments in fall and spring. After each VKRP assessment window, student results are shared with families and are used by teachers to inform instructional planning. Contents of the Fairfax County Public Schools VKRP score report is provided below for PreK and for kindergarten.
To the Parents/Guardians of ____________________SID: _________ GRD: ____
Your child recently took assessments as part of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP). VKRP is a state assessment program to understand how children’s early literacy, mathematics, and behaviors support student achievement in kindergarten and beyond. VKRP results provide information about your child’s first experience in school and how your child is learning over the course of the year. Children benefit from developing a range of early learning areas. When teachers understand current skills, they can provide appropriate support for a child’s success in school and life. For more information about the assessed skills and how to support development outside school, visit the “VKRP For Families” webpage (https://vkrponline.org/virginia-kindergarten-readiness-program-2/for-families/).
This report tells you how your child performed on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS), Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS), and Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). Your child’s current performance is reported for each learning area, including specific skills. If your child received partial testing or a non-standard administration, you will see a result of NR (Not Reported). If your child was exempt from testing based on an individual education program (IEP) team or English learner committee decision, you will see a score of NA (Not Assessed).
The report shows how your child performed compared to the maximum and target for each skill. An overall benchmark status helps us understand what scores mean. When a child meets the benchmark in Fall, it indicates a good start to the year. When a child meets the benchmark in Spring, it indicates appropriate progress for the year. The Virginia Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI) requires that schools provide intervention for children who score below the Fall PALS (Literacy) benchmark. If your child scored below the benchmark, school staff will:
-- review available data to determine if your child needs additional assessments and/or interventions
-- communicate any next steps for your child
To learn more about your child’s strengths and needs in early literacy, mathematics, self-regulation, or social skills, please contact your child’s teacher. VKRP assessments are generally administered in English. If your child qualifies for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services, contact your child’s ESOL teacher for information on your child’s English language development.
Testing Window: __________ Current School: ____________
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Target Score | Status |
PALS (Literacy) | Overall Literacy: K | __ | __ | __ | _________ |
End of Testing Window: | Rhyme | __ | __ | __ | |
______ | Beginning Sounds | __ | __ | __ | |
Alphabet Recognition | __ | __ | __ | ||
Letter Sounds | __ | __ | __ | ||
Spelling | __ | __ | __ |
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Target Score | Status |
EMAS (Mathematics) | Overall Math: K | __ | __ | __ | _________ |
End of Testing Window: | Geometry | __ | __ | __ | |
______ | Patterning | __ | __ | __ | |
Numeracy | __ | __ | __ | ||
Computation | __ | __ | __ | ||
Highest Counted | __ | -- | -- |
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Target Score | Status |
CBRS (Behaviors) | Self-Regulation: K | __ | __ | __ | _________ |
End of Testing Window: | Social Skills: K | __ | __ | __ | _________ |
______ |
For a translation of this document, please visit the webpage at https://www.fcps.edu/node/39104 or contact your student’s school.
Printable PDFs of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) kindergarten score report letter for families
To the Parents/Guardians of ______________________SID: ________ GRD: ____
Your child recently took assessments as part of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP). VKRP is a state assessment program to understand how children’s early literacy, mathematics, and behaviors support success in PreK and beyond. VKRP results provide information about your child’s first experience in school and how your child is learning over the course of the year. Children benefit from developing a range of early learning areas. When teachers understand current skills, they can provide appropriate support for a child’s success in school and life. For more information about assessed skills and how to support development outside school, visit the “VKRP For Families” webpage (https://vkrponline.org/virginia-kindergarten-readiness-program-2/for-families/).
This report tells you how your child performed on the Language and Literacy Screener (LLS), Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS), and Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). Your child’s current performance is reported below for each learning area, including specific skills. If your child received partial testing or a non-standard administration, you will see a result of NR (Not Reported). If your child was exempt from testing based on an individual education program (IEP) team decision, you will see a score of NA (Not Assessed).
The report shows how your child performed compared to the maximum for each skill. Where available, the status describes your child’s developmental band (Beginning, Growing, Strong) based on expectations for the time of year. To learn more about the assessed skills and developmental bands, view the PreK Score Reports sections of the VRKP Results webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/39104).
To learn more about your child’s strengths and needs, please contact your child’s teacher. Teachers monitor your child’s VKRP scores to provide appropriate instruction and support. The school will communicate any next steps for your child.
Testing Window: __________ Administered By: ____________
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Skill Status |
LLS (Literacy) | Overall Literacy: PreK (__) | __ | __ | -- |
Test Level: ___ | Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Names | __ | __ | _______ |
End of Testing Window: | Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Sounds | __ | __ | _______ |
______ | Phonemic Awareness: Syllable Segmenting | __ | __ | _______ |
Phonemic Awareness: Beginning Sounds | __ | __ | _______ | |
Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme Blending | __ | __ | ||
Language Comprehension | __ | __ | ||
Emergent Writing: Name Writing | __ | __ | ||
Print Concepts | __ | __ |
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Skill Status |
EMAS (Mathematics) | Overall Math: PreK (__) | __ | __ | _______ |
Test Level: ___ | Geometry | __ | __ | |
End of Testing Window: | Patterning | __ | __ | |
______ | Numeracy | __ | __ | |
Computation | __ | __ | ||
Highest Counted | __ | -- |
Test Information | Assessed Skill | Current Score | Max Score | Skill Status |
CBRS (Behaviors) | Self-Regulation: PreK (__) | __ | __ | _______ |
Test Level: ___ | Social Skills: PreK (__) | __ | __ | _______ |
End of Testing Window: | ||||
______ |
For a translation of this document, please visit the webpage at https://www.fcps.edu/node/39104 or contact your student’s school.
Printable PDFs of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) PreK score report letter for families
Choose the name of a PreK VKRP assessment below to learn more about what it measures.
The PreK Language and Literacy Screener (LLS) is a screening tool that measures young children’s language and literacy development. The screener contains subtests that measure five broad skill areas, which impact later reading achievement.
Skill Area | What It Measures | Subtest(s) |
Alphabet Knowledge | Knowledge of the letter names and letter sounds |
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Phonological Awareness | Ability to play with and hear the sounds of language |
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Language Comprehension | Showing understanding of a story by using words (expressive) and by using gestures like pointing (receptive) |
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Emergent Writing | Ability to write their name |
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Print Concepts | Understanding of how print, books, and writing work |
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Processing (Spring only) | Ability to get information from memory quickly and easily |
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The Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) is used to measure young children’s mathematical thinking. The assessment contains subtests that measure four broad skill areas, which impact later mathematics achievement.
Skill Area | What It Measures | Subtest(s) |
Geometry | Ability to identify and describe shapes |
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Patterning | Ability to see, play with, and build patterns |
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Numeracy | Knowledge of numbers and their value in the real world |
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Computation | Ability to do simple adding or subtracting |
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Counting to 100 | Highest number counted |
The Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is used to measure teachers’ perceptions of young children’s behaviors in the school environment. The assessment reports out for two broad skill areas, which impact later academic achievement.
Skill Area | What It Measures | Subtest(s) |
Self-Regulation | Ability to manage emotions, attention, and behaviors in the school environment |
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Social Skills | Ability to successfully interact with peers and adults and build relationships |
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Choose a student age below to learn more about how to interpret the scores and developmental bands used for students of that age.
When reporting PreK Language and Literacy Screener (LLS) results, four (4) assessed skills receive a developmental band. The chart below shows where a student’s fall skill score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Names | 0-4 | 5-32 | 33-52 |
Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Sounds | 0-6 | 7-13 | 14-25 |
Phonological Awareness: Syllable Segmenting | 0-4 | 5-7 | 8-10 |
Phonological Awareness: Beginning Sounds Matching | 0-4 | 5-7 | 8-10 |
The LLS includes four subtests to measure Language Comprehension. When reporting LLS results, Language Comprehension subtests are combined to provide a single score. The list below shows the maximum score for each of the Language Comprehension subtests.
When reporting Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) results, the four mathematics skills are combined to provide an overall scaled score. The chart below shows where a student’s fall overall score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Mathematics Overall | 254-500 | 501-575 | 576-758 |
When reporting Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) results, the two (2) assessed skills receive a developmental band. The chart below shows where a student’s fall skill score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Self-Regulation | 1.00-2.23 | 2.24-3.92 | 3.93-5.00 |
Social Skills | 1.00-2.86 | 2.87-4.43 | 4.44-5.00 |
When reporting PreK Language and Literacy Screener (LLS) results, four (4) assessed skills receive a developmental band. The chart below shows where a student’s fall skill score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Names | 0-9 | 10-43 | 44-52 |
Alphabet Knowledge: Letter Sounds | 0-10 | 11-19 | 20-25 |
Phonological Awareness: Syllable Segmenting | 0-4 | 5-7 | 8-10 |
Phonological Awareness: Beginning Sounds Expressive | 0-4 | 5-7 | 8-10 |
The LLS includes four subtests to measure Language Comprehension. When reporting LLS results, Language Comprehension subtests are combined to provide a single score. The list below shows the maximum score for each of the Language Comprehension subtests.
When reporting Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) results, the four mathematics skills are combined to provide an overall scaled score. The chart below shows where a student’s fall overall score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Mathematics Overall | 296-575 | 576-650 | 651-817 |
When reporting Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) results, the two (2) assessed skills receive a developmental band. The chart below shows where a student’s fall skill score fits in the developmental bands: Beginning, Growing, or Strong.
Assessed Skill | Beginning | Growing | Strong |
Self-Regulation | 1.00-2.60 | 2.61-4.21 | 4.22-5.00 |
Social Skills | 1.00-3.21 | 3.22-4.66 | 4.67-5.00 |
VALLSS assessments provide information on student needs in reading
iReady tests provide academic screening and growth data for students
Understand your student's growth and performance on state assessments
Learn about the testing and assessment in FCPS, including rights and responsibilities related to assessments.
Understanding your student's results on reading and math progress assessments
Breakout session presented by Nancy Mather, Ph.D. at the Special Education Conference on April 1, 2017