The Kentucky Department of Education plans to release the results of its kindergarten readiness screeners this week, officials say.
The screeners test whether children entering kindergarten have the social, emotional and motor skills needed to be successful in school. They're becoming increasingly popular with states that give priority to early intervention in schools. Last year, 109 Kentucky school districts and more than 30,000 students were screened using the Brigance screeners. Less than 30 percent of students statewide were deemed ready without additional help. In Jefferson County about 35 percent of kindergartners were ready. Early childhood education and early learning has been a hot topic in the conversation about academic success. Many studies show that students who start behind academically struggle to catch up later on. According to Kentucky's results, Asian students are most prepared before entering public school; Hispanic students scored the lowest. Teachers are supposed to use the screener information to target their instruction and help students catch up where needed. The 2013-2014 school year was the first year all incoming kindergarten students were examined. That includes more than 50,000 students across the state. Weโll have more on the results at their expected release this Thursday. (Image via Shutterstock)
