As part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, a Primary Program was designed for students from the time they enter school until they enter fourth grade.
The attributes of this Primary Program are: developmentally appropriate practices, multi-age/multi-ability classrooms, continuous progress, authentic assessment, qualitative reporting methods, professional teamwork, and positive parent/guardian involvement.
The Kentucky Elementary Learning Profile (KELP) is the model assessment instrument designed by the Kentucky Department of Education to correspond with the Primary Program. The KELP instrument is designed to document a student's real learning, growth, and development during the primary years.
The KELP instrument, along with the progress report and Learning Descriptions, is designed to be a comprehensive primary assessment system.