The Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observational tool designed to help teachers, administrators, families and policymakers better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. KIDS is core to the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) goal that every child in Illinois deserves to attend a school wherein all kindergarteners are assessed for readiness. Kindergarten teachers statewide began using KIDS in Fall 2017. The statewide implementation followed five years of piloting with select districts. KIDS deepens our collective understanding of the importance of investing in early learning for all students to get a strong start.