Piloting Ballard & Tighe's Online K-1 Reading and Writing Tests: What to Know

Updated

Ballard & Tighe offers online reading and writing tests for K-1 in both English and Spanish, and the site states these are "now available to pilot." If you want to evaluate them, the site directs interested educators to click through for more information on piloting. The pilot is aimed at schools or programs serving young learners who want to try the tests before adopting them. The site does not publish pilot terms, duration, cost, or eligibility details, so those specifics need to be confirmed directly with the company.

What the K-1 tests are

The tests are online reading and writing assessments for kindergarten and first grade, offered in English and Spanish. They sit within Ballard & Tighe's broader assessment catalog, which includes language proficiency assessments, screeners, placement tests, and progress-monitoring tools, plus targeted assessments for young learners and dual-language (English and Spanish) options.

The company describes its assessments generally as data-driven tools that support instructional decisions for English learners, usable for proficiency screening, program placement, and progress monitoring, with diagnostic reports that provide instructional recommendations.

Why a K-1 pilot may be worth considering

  • Early-grade focus: Most assessment catalogs concentrate on later grades; these tests target K-1 specifically, where reading and writing are just emerging.
  • Dual-language coverage: English and Spanish versions let you evaluate both tracks with one vendor.
  • Fit with existing products: If you already use or are considering other Ballard & Tighe assessments, piloting the K-1 tests lets you judge whether the reporting and instructional recommendations work together.
  • Support included: The site states its assessments come with unlimited support and free training/insertion (the excerpt is truncated), and that credits can be used across tests, languages, and grades with no yearly license fee commitment. These are general assessment claims, not pilot-specific terms.

How to express interest

The site's pilot callout says: "If you're interested in piloting our online K-1 tests, click here for more information." The practical path is:

  1. Go to the Ballard & Tighe site and find the K-1 pilot callout on the homepage.
  2. Follow the pilot link to the information page.
  3. If the page does not answer your questions, use the site's Order/Contact or Call/Demo/E-mail options to ask about pilot scope, timeline, and requirements.

The site does not specify what the pilot involves (number of students, length, data-sharing, or cost), so treat those as questions for the company rather than assumptions.

Questions to ask before committing

Because the published material is thin on pilot mechanics, clarify:

  • Scope: How many students and classrooms can participate, and for how long?
  • Languages and grades: Can you pilot both English and Spanish, and both K and grade 1?
  • Reporting: What diagnostic reports and instructional recommendations will you see during the pilot?
  • Training: What training or support is provided, and is it free during the pilot?
  • Cost and commitment: Is the pilot free, and does it carry any obligation to purchase? (The site's "no yearly license fee commitment" language refers to its assessment credits generally; confirm how it applies to a pilot.)
  • Data and privacy: How is student data handled during the pilot?

How it relates to the rest of the catalog

A K-1 pilot is most useful as part of a broader evaluation. Ballard & Tighe's assessment lineup includes proficiency screeners, placement and progress-monitoring tools, and targeted assessments for young learners, alongside instructional materials such as Hands-On English (K-1), which received the WIDA PRIME 2020 Seal with 4/4 in all areas. If you are considering both instruction and assessment, piloting the K-1 tests alongside a review of the K-1 instructional materials gives a fuller picture of alignment.

Bottom line

The K-1 online reading and writing tests in English and Spanish are open for pilot interest, and the site points you to a pilot information page. Use that page and the contact options to confirm scope, cost, training, and data terms before you commit; the published site does not answer those questions. A pilot makes sense if you serve K-1 English learners or dual-language students and want to test the assessments' reports and instructional recommendations before adopting them.