More Data Showing Achievement Gap Exists Prior to Kindergarten

[Modern School]

The Minnesota Readiness Study in St. Paul has released new data showing an achievement gap exists even before students begin elementary school, particularly among children of color and those living in poverty.

The study found that 60% of all students had the prerequisite skills for kindergarten. However, only 44% of Hispanic children were ready. The study also found that only 52% of children living below the poverty line were ready for kindergarten, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

According to the report, kindergartners who had not attained pre-K proficiency were more than twice as likely require special education services or be retained by 3rd grade.

Modern School
http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-data-showing-achievement-gap.html

[applegrove]

1. I think they just started all day kindergarden in Ottawa.

[pnwmom]

2. I wonder how much the required skills have changed

since they're been turning kindergartens into something much more like first grade used to be.

[abelenkpe]

3. Was told by sons preschool teacher

He needed to be able to write his own name, know his phone number, be able to count to 100, be able to do some reading and know the alphabet before entering kindergarten. Many parents were opting to start a year late to give their kid a physical and developmental advantage. Were in LA don't know if that's true elsewhere or if it was just his school.

:shrug:

I remember spending kindergarten painting pictures

(spelling)

[pnwmom]

4. My kindergarten had a block corner, a dress-up corner,

a store corner, and a painting corner. I'm sure we must have done more than that, but that's all I remember!

In the last third of the year, we started some early reading activities, most of which I missed because I was usually home sick (chicken pox, mumps, measles). But I shot ahead with reading in first grade, because I was READY.

I hate the way they're pushing kids these days.

[femmocrat]

8. Very few of them come to kindergarten with all (or any) of those skills.

I think your pre-school teacher was overly optimistic. If your son did know all of that, he was miles ahead of the average 5-year old whom I have encountered.

You remember painting pictures because that was the most fun! (Elementary art teacher here!) :hi:

[cmd]

5. This retired kdg. teacher agrees

The skill levels of kids entering the kindergarten classrooms is so varied. Some children come into kindergarten reading on their own. Others come needing to learn basic commands: come, sit, stay. It's a very challenging - and rewarding - class to teach. I loved it, but left totally exhausted every day. Kindergarten has become first grade in recent years. That's good because kids learn best at a young age. On the other hand, it's bad because some children come to school without the skills needed for success. We need pre-school education for everyone.

[YvonneCa]

6. This retired...

...elementary teacher agrees completely. :)

[femmocrat]

7. I have often wondered if some of these children.....

were locked in a closet for the first five years of life. There are some children who don't even know their names, let alone how to interact with others.

Kindergarten teachers should receive hazardous duty pay, IMO. It is a miracle how they can take children (some of whom had to be raised with wolves) and turn them into functioning members of school society in only 9 months! Actually, I am seeing huge improvements by now, after only three months of school.

[Tumbulu]

9. so true, so true (nt)