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Study finds majority of Minn. five-year-olds prepared for kindergarten

STUDY FINDS MAJORITY OF MINNESOTA FIVE-YEAR-OLDS PREPARED FOR KINDERGARTEN IN KEY DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS

~After five years of study, report also shows need for continued efforts to support at-risk children~

Roseville – The majority of Minnesota children are prepared for kindergarten, according to a study released today by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The Minnesota School Readiness Study found that between 90 percent and 97 percent of Minnesota five-year-olds were In Process or Proficient in five developmental areas necessary for success: physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking.

“Children entering kindergarten ready to learn is important to overall success in school,” Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “We are committed to improving the school readiness of our youngest children, especially those who are the most at risk.”

The study involved 6,493 kindergarteners from 96 elementary schools and represents just over ten percent of students entering kindergarten in the fall of 2007. The study divides readiness ratings into three levels: Not Yet, In Process and Proficient. The number of students rated as Not Yet well prepared for kindergarten remains the same compared to previous years.

For the fifth year in a row, ten percent of Minnesota five-year-olds entering kindergarten have not yet mastered skills, knowledge and abilities appropriate for four-year-olds in the key developmental domains of mathematical thinking and language and literacy.

“We are dedicated to continuing to pursue strategies that help prepare at-risk children for kindergarten,” Commissioner Seagren said. “Implementing those targeted interventions statewide is essential to preparing every student for success in kindergarten.”

Beginning in 2002, MDE initiated a series of three yearly studies focused on obtaining a picture of the school readiness of Minnesota kindergartners as they enter school in the fall. The studies were well-received by the public, and during the 2006 legislative session, Governor Pawlenty proposed, and the legislature appropriated, funding for the study to continue on an annual basis.

This year’s report also examines how child and family characteristics may affect children’s ratings. For example, household income as indexed to the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and primary language spoken in the home were shown to be related to the level of readiness of a child. A student whose household income was in the category of 250 percent FPG and above was slightly more than three times as likely to be rated In Process or Proficient as compared to a student whose household income was in the category of 0-100 percent FPG in Mathematical Thinking. Speaking English as the primary home language was associated with nearly three times the odds of being rated In Process or Proficient in Language and Literacy as well as Mathematical Thinking.

The most recent report summarizes study findings from previous representative studies and presents findings from the assessment of school readiness of a random sample of children entering kindergarten in fall 2007. The report found the following readiness rating levels by area:

Note that categories may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

The study brief of the report can be found at: http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/Communications/documents/Publication/034046.pdf.

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