Children entering kindergarten in Maryland are considerably better prepared to begin school than in years past, according to a new report by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

“Children Entering School Ready to Learn: School Readiness Information for School Year 2006-2007,” a report by MSDE’s Division of Early Childhood Development, revealed continued steady progress in most demographic subgroups. Maryland’s students entering kindergarten fully prepared for learning increased by 7 percent over 2005-2006, from 60 to 67 percent. That percentage has jumped 18 percentage points since the baseline year of 2001-2002, an indication that approximately 10,000 more kindergartners were ready for the rigors of school in fall 2006 than had been the case just five years earlier.

“Children who have a good start in learning before they begin kindergarten do better in school,” said Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools.  “It is clear that this message is getting out, but every family needs to know how important this is.”

The annual MSDE study reflects portfolio assessment information of kindergartners’ readiness levels in social and personal areas, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, physical development, and health. The annual kindergarten readiness report is the result of legislative action to gauge the progress on school readiness skills of incoming kindergartners. This year, more than 2,000 kindergarten teachers used portfolio-based assessment to document their students’ performance in their classrooms during the first 8 weeks of school.

The MSDE study found improvement in school readiness in most demographic categories.  For example:

  • School readiness levels for African American kindergartners improved for the composite by 9 percent.
  • The increase for Hispanic children was 8 percent for the composite and 2 percent for the Language and Literacy scores. 
  • The improvement for the composite among low-income children and children with disabilities was 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
  • The results for English language learners increased at a greater rate than in past years, jumping 4 percentage points for the composite and 5 percentage points in the Language and Literacy domain.

Children who spent time in early care settings started kindergarten better prepared for learning than those who remained at home or in the homes of relatives, states the report.  The composite scores for prekindergarten and Head Start children improved by 7 and 9 percentage points, respectively. Children who attended child care centers and family child care had better composite scores than the entering kindergartners the previous year, up by 6 percent for both groups. The results of children who entered kindergarten from home or in informal care remain relatively lower than those of early childhood programs.

Kindergarten teachers evaluated and rated student performance November 6 through 17, 2006, using the early childhood assessment protocol and specific guidelines that were developed by MSDE. The assessment information in the report reflects scores for each of the seven domains of learning, such as literacy, math, and social skills, as well as the composite score of all domains. 

Students are rated in those categories as fully ready to meet the challenges of kindergarten; approaching readiness, which means they demonstrate skill