# 10 Tips for Transitioning to the New AEPS-3

Published December 13, 2022

The new AEPS®-3 system published last winter, and many programs are beginning to use it for the first time this school year. If your program is looking to make a smooth transition to AEPS-3, follow the 10 practical tips in today’s blog post.

01. **Use the color coding to your advantage.** Each of the 8 developmental areas—plus Ready-Set, a shorter new measure focused on school readiness skills—has its own bright color throughout the AEPS-3 print and online system. These colors help you quickly navigate the system.

See the colors for each area with this [AEPS-3 Areas & Strands poster](/content/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AEPS-3_Area-Strands_poster_Final.pdf).

03. **Familiarize yourself with the new scoring options.** In AEPS-3, items scored as a 1 (emerging performance) should include qualifying notes—1A for assistance, 1I for incomplete, or 1AI for both. And remember to use the scoring notes: report (R), modification (M), conduct (C), and performance quality (Q).

Read Chapter 2 in [AEPS-3 Assessment, Volume 2](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-Assessment-Volume-2-P1297.aspx) for detailed scoring information.

05. **Use the new Quick Reference Guides.** These handy, on-the-go guides provide all AEPS®-3 Test items and criteria in a clear, convenient format. Use these colorful guides as a helpful resource as you observe children and administer the test. (You can print unlimited copies for staff from the AEPS-3 Forms USB.)

See the [Fine Motor Quick Reference Guide](/content/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AEPS-3-QRG-1-Fine-Motor.pdf).

07. **Access resources in Spanish.** Make the most of the Spanish translations that AEPS-3 has to offer. Spanish versions of the Child Observation Data Form, Quick Reference Guides, family forms, family handouts, and more are all included on the AEPS-3 Forms USB and accessible inside the AEPSi system.

Read Chapter 6 in [AEPS-3 User’s Guide, Volume 1](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-Users-Guide-Volume-1-P1296.aspx?_ga=2.140295472.2036714289.1659965277-369648174.1612188776) to see how AEPS-3 accommodates diversity.

09. **Simplify test administration by starting with the AEPS-3 Test goals first.** Review the goals and identify ones that are clearly below and above a child’s developmental level—you can score these without observing them. And if a child scores a 2 (mastery performance) on a goal, all corresponding objectives can be scored as 2s.

Read Chapter 2 in [AEPS-3 Assessment, Volume 2](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-Assessment-Volume-2-P1297.aspx?_ga=2.145538487.2036714289.1659965277-369648174.1612188776) for detailed test administration information.

11. **Strengthen family involvement with new resources.** You can collect vital assessment information from families with two forms—the AEPS-3 Family Report, which gathers information regarding daily routines and the child’s participation in family activities, and the AEPS-3 Family Assessment of Child Skills. And, be sure to share the family-friendly handouts on the AEPS-3 Forms USB to streamline communication.

Read Chapter 4 in [AEPS-3 User’s Guide, Volume 1](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-Users-Guide-Volume-1-P1296.aspx?_ga=2.140295472.2036714289.1659965277-369648174.1612188776) for information about engaging families.

13. **Use the Skill Matrix to link assessment items with teaching strategies.** A helpful grid for each developmental area clearly links test items to curriculum routines and activities by levels. Find these grids in the curriculum volumes, AEPS-3 Forms USB, and inside AEPSi.

View the [Skills Matrix for the Social-Emotional area](/content/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AEPS-3-Skills-Matrix_Social-Emotional.pdf).

15. **Evaluate school readiness with AEPS-3 Ready-Set.** This brief new tool gathers assessment data on skills needed for school readiness and early school success. New to the third edition, Ready-Set contains 40 developmentally advanced AEPS-3 goals across all 8 areas of the AEPS-3 Test. Ready-Set supports efficient assessment of groups of children in classrooms, and it allows you to easily start the full AEPS-3 Test for children who need it.

Read Chapter 6 in [AEPS-3 Assessment, Volume 2](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-Assessment-Volume-2-P1297.aspx?_ga=2.217085205.2036714289.1659965277-369648174.1612188776) for information about AEPS-3 Ready-Set.

17. **Use assessment activities to streamline test administration.** The AEPS-3 system includes naturalistic home- and center-based assessment activities for administration of all test items for AEPS-3 and Ready-Set to up to 5 children at a time. Assessment activities are found in AEPSi, AEPS-3 Assessment, Volume 2, and the AEPS-3 Forms USB.

Read a [blog post about using the assessment activities](/content/2022/08/22/aeps-3-assessment-activities-how-they-help-how-to-use-them/index.html).

19. **Use AEPS-3 in AEPSi.** With the new AEPSi system for AEPS-3, you’ll get automated scoring, powerful data management, robust reporting, and the ability for families to complete forms online.

See AEPSi in action with our [live demos](/content/aepsi-demo/index.html).

For more details on effectively implementing AEPS-3, read the introductory chapters in the AEPS-3 Assessment and Curriculum volumes. And be sure to [sign up for the AEPS newsletter](https://brookespublishing.com/newsletters/subscribe/) for more practical tips and strategies!