Start Early. Change the Trajectory.

Using interim assessments in K–2 to forecast growth, close gaps sooner, and build momentum toward goals

In K-12 education, time is leverage. The earlier we can see a student’s trajectory in reading and math, the more likely we are to change it before small slips become stubborn gaps.

Why Starting In Kindergarten Matters

By the time a student is visibly “behind” in upper elementary or middle school, the gap has often widened across multiple skills: decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, number sense, fluency, and problem-solving. Research consistently shows that intervening earlier is more effective than intervening later, especially in literacy. The NIH study, Current Evidence on the Effects of Intensive Early Reading Interventions, notes that syntheses of primary-grade interventions show higher average impacts than interventions provided after grade 3.

And the stakes are real: students who are not proficient readers by third grade are substantially more likely to leave school without a diploma, about four times the rate of proficient readers, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s reporting on Hernandez’s “Double Jeopardy” analysis.

Math shows a similarly urgent pattern. A landmark analysis found school-entry math skills are among the strongest predictors of later academic achievement, stronger than early reading or attention in the data they examined.

Once we recognize that early skills predict later outcomes, the next question becomes: “How can schools begin monitoring growth earlier without adding new tests?”

How Growth Tracking Can Start Early Without New Tests

Most districts already run some form of interim/benchmark assessment cadence, commonly in fall, winter, and spring, and the specific windows can be quite broad to fit school schedules. That cadence matters because it allows schools to use multiple existing data points across the year, rather than waiting for a single end-of-year signal. When administered regularly and consistently, interims generate multiple measures that help educators distinguish between a one-off “off day” and a persistent pattern that needs support.

Earlier Intervention Saves Money And Protects Futures

Earlier action is not only more effective, it’s often less expensive.

High-quality early education programs have been linked to reductions in grade retention and special education placement, which create immediate cost savings for school systems. Longitudinal work with the Chicago Child-Parent Center program also found lower rates of grade retention and special education services among participants.

On the broader return-on-investment side, Nobel laureate James Heckman and colleagues have reported substantial long-term returns for high-quality early childhood programs, often summarized as around 13% annual return driven by better education, health, employment, and social outcomes.

The research speaks for itself: when we identify needs earlier, we can match support earlier, reducing the likelihood that schools must rely on more intensive, costly interventions later.

What Educators Can Do With Earlier, More Frequent Growth Insight

When growth is visible starting in kindergarten, schools can:

• Differentiate instruction earlier in reading and math, when foundational skills are forming
• Identify students needing support sooner, before gaps widen
• Use consistent growth information to communicate clearly with families (and reduce “surprise” outcomes)
• Build a continuous story of progress from early elementary into later grades, when students begin planning for their futures

While Kindergarten students may not be ready to think about their careers, middle school students are often beginning to dream about their futures. When we have the learning data to support a student’s goals, their journey toward college or career becomes tangible and actionable. A real-world example: Berkeley County School District (SC) used Lexile and Quantile growth tools to support ongoing measurement and connect student growth to future pathways; district leadership emphasized having tools to measure ongoing growth, not just performance on one test day.

A Quick Note On Tools

This is exactly why we designed the Lexile® and Quantile® Growth Planner and why we feel it is so important to extend growth trajectories to the earliest grades. Now, we can begin tracking and forecasting in kindergarten using multiple interim measures per year so schools can make every existing test count, act earlier, and carry a continuous growth story forward through grades 3–12. It’s a win-win-win for students, educators, and schools/districts.

Interested in learning more about the Lexile and Quantile Growth Planner? Reach out to us.