The overall results of MD 2018 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) are showing that the readiness levels for children entering Talbot County Public Schools are staying steady. The KRA 2.0, an updated version of the assessment, was administered by all kindergarten teachers between the beginning of the school year and October 10th this year. Items on the assessment measured students’ mastery of the end of year PreKindergarten skills, knowledge, and behaviors across four domains: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Social Foundations, and Physical Well-Being and Motor Development. Along with 13 other districts in the state, Talbot County again chose to complete a census administration of the assessment, meaning that all Talbot County Public School children were assessed.
In previous years, the results of the KRA assessment students with disabilities and English Language Learners were not included in with their peers. In order to provide more transparency in the performance of all students, the 2018 KRA overall results now include the scores of students with disabilities and English Language Learners enrolled in the public schools, even if they were not able to complete the assessment with accommodations.
Initial district results show the following:
• 42% of TCPS kindergarten students began the year demonstrating readiness (demonstrating the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare students for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards)
• 41% of TCPS kindergarten students began the year approaching readiness (demonstrating some of the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare students for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards)
• 17% of TCPS kindergarten students began the year with emerging readiness (demonstrating minimal foundational skills and behaviors that prepare students for curriculum based on the kindergarten standards)
“We have an early childhood literacy coach working closely with both the schools and some of our partners serving three and four-year olds and our PreKindergarten programs to implement the Raising a Reader program. This is a family literacy and engagement program aimed at fostering positive family involvement around reading books at home,” shared Mrs. Liz Haslup, Early Childhood and Elementary Language Arts Supervisor.“We have also implemented full day, universal PreKindergarten at the Easton Elementary School Campus this year through a PreKindergarten Expansion Grant, while maintaining our universal half day PreKindergarten at the other schools. We look forward to seeing a positive impact of these initiatives on our readiness data in the coming years.”
More detailed state and school district data is available at the Ready At Five website. www.readyatfive.org
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