Using Star Assessments for KRA and Universal Screening (K-3) in Mississippi - Implementation Guide

Sep 15, 2026

Mississippi’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) requires three screenings per year for eligible pre-K and kindergarten students, serving as a critical early indicator and a universal literacy screener aligned with state requirements. Star Early Literacy is designated for KRA, using an eight-to-ten minute computer-adaptive format with images and audio prompts. For grades 1–3, Star Early Literacy or Star Reading is used based on reader independence thresholds. The guide covers administration steps via the Renaissance platform, testing windows, benchmark and cutoff interpretation using Percentile Rank (PR), parent communication timelines, diagnostic testing for IRPs, and ongoing progress monitoring after each nine-week period.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Star Assessments for KRA and Universal Screening

Administering the KRA

Screening frequency and software tile access

2026-2027 KRA and Universal Screening Testing Windows

Fall, Winter, Spring windows

Benchmarks and cut scores

Percentile Rank (PR) proficiency benchmark

Next steps

Parent communication

Diagnostic testing and individualized reading plans

Progress monitoring

Using Star Assessments for KRA and Universal Screening (K-3) in Mississippi Overview Mississippi’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) requires that all kindergarten students and pre-K students who are four years of age on or before September 1st must be screened three times per year. The primary purposes of the KRA are to provide an especially critical “first look” at individual students and improve the quality of instruction and services provided to students from birth to 3rd grade. The KRA also serves as the kindergarten literacy universal screener to meet Mississippi requirements as outlined in the Universal Screener Companion Guide. Star Early Literacy has been selected as the single assessment for the KRA. Star Early Literacy is a computer-adaptive test that is normed for grades preK-3. It is an 8–10-minute assessment of early literacy skills that can be administered to the whole class or in small groups. The assessment uses images and auditory prompts to support emerging readers. See the Mississippi K Readiness Assessment Test Administration Manual for more information. In addition, all students in grades 1-3 must be screened at least three times per year to meet Mississippi screening requirements for literacy (see the Universal Screener Companion Guide) . Star Early Literacy and Star Reading are approved for this purpose in Mississippi. Star Reading is a computer-adaptive test that is normed for grades K-12 which measures comprehension and vocabulary of independent readers. Star Reading can be administered to the whole class and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Table 1 outlines the correct assessment to use at each grade level for KRA and Universal Screening. Table 1: Star Assessments for KRA and Universal Screening | Assessment by grade level | | | --- | --- | | Pre-K | Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) | | Kindergarten | Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) | | Grade 1 | Star Early Literacy or Star Reading | | Grade 2 | Star Early Literacy or Star Reading | | Grade 3 | Star Early Literacy or Star Reading | | Considerations for choosing the right assessment for grades 1-3: Assess students who are emerging readers with Star Early Literacy. As students become independent readers (generally indicated by and 852 scaled score) administer Star Reading. See K-3 Guidance for Star for further information on choosing the appropriate assessment for students. | | Administering the KRA The KRA should be administered three times per year to 4-year-old (on or before September 1) pre-K students and all kindergarten students. When taking Star Early Literacy for the purpose of completing KRA requirements, students will launch the assessment by selecting a unique K Readiness Assessment tile in the software. Students will only be able to complete one assessment during each screening window when using the K Readiness Assessment tile. 2026-2027 KRA and Universal Screening Testing Windows Fall: July 20–September 21 Winter: November 16–December 18* Spring: April 12–May 14 * To receive SGP scores for your students, Winter testing must begin on/after December 1st. 1. Once students log into the Renaissance platform, they will see a MS State Assessments tile on their homepage under State Tests. 2. After selecting the MS State Assessments tile, students are brought to a landing page where they will select the K Readiness Assessment tile again. 3. When using Star Early Literacy for Universal Screening (grades 1-3) or for monitoring progress between testing windows, students will select the Star Early Literacy tile to launch the assessment. Benchmarks and cut scores 3 2 The state of Mississippi has determined the benchmarks for districts to use in pre-K through third grade and Renaissance has set the District Benchmarks in your Renaissance platform according to those benchmarks (see Table 2) . There is no need to adjust district benchmarks as these have been pre-set. (In the event

FAQs

What is the purpose of Mississippi’s KRA and universal literacy screening?

The KRA provides an early look at individual students and improves instruction and services from birth through grade 3, while also functioning as the kindergarten literacy universal screener required by Mississippi.

Which Star assessments are used for KRA and for universal screening in grades 1–3?

Star Early Literacy is selected for KRA. For grades 1–3, Star Early Literacy or Star Reading is used based on the guidance for identifying emerging versus independent readers.

How are testing windows and Renaissance platform access handled for KRA and universal screening?

The guide lists fall, winter, and spring windows for 2026–2027 and explains that students access the K Readiness Assessment or Star tiles through the Renaissance platform tiles on their homepage.

What follow-up actions are required after screening for students below the PR threshold?

Students scoring below 33 PR require parent/guardian notification, additional diagnostic testing for individualized reading plan needs, and progress monitoring after each nine-week period targeting the lowest foundational skills.

Sep 15, 2026

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