Kindergarten Teachers See Alarming Trend – As much as 40% of Kids Arrive Up To 18 Months Behind

Kindergarten Teachers See Alarming Trend – As much as 40% of Kids Arrive Up To 18 Months Behind

Kindergarten teachers across the region report alarming trends: more and more young students begin the school year without knowing a single letter or number or color, or ever having held a book or a crayon. These children recognize that they are far behind their peers, adding to often already existing challenges to their self esteem. The reality for these kids: far too many of them never catch up. However, a growing body of research shows that if we prioritize early childhood education and child-well being, we can all but eliminate these achievement gaps. In a famous study of an intensive services and early education program in North Carolina, researcher Steve Barnett reported that low income children born to mothers with little education who received these family services were more than twice as likely to go to college as their peers. In that same study, program participants were half as likely to repeat a grade.

This critical gap in readiness is what drove community leaders to choose as its first priority goal of The Blueprint for Educational Change TM that “All Children Enter Kindergarten School Ready.” Closing gaps to prepare every student for academic and life success is not something that schools do alone. It takes parents, families and communities, starting at birth. By focusing on the positive development of our children at the earliest stages we can lay the foundation for a prosperous future for our region. Studies tracking long term outcomes for children enrolled in high quality early childhood settings and receiving services from infancy, showed that as adults, they require fewer social services, commit fewer crimes, achieve overall better health and greater wealth. As we look at the long term well being of Central Texas, it is imperative that we start with our youngest residents whose futures can make or break our own.

Because Graduates Are Made. Not Born.

Announcing Central Texas’ first School Readiness Standard!

The Blueprint for Educational Change™, announced today a major milestone with the release of the Central Texas School Readiness Standard for Goal 1: Children Enter Kindergarten School Ready. The Central Texas School Readiness Standard is the first of its kind in the state’s history and results from the collaborative work of Central Texas school districts, community early childhood education providers, community organizations, regional experts and local workforce boards.

The purpose of the School Readiness Standard is two-fold: to offer teachers instructional strategies and assessment tools to support a child's progress while still in Pre-K and secondly, to help Central Texas better gauge how many of our children enter Kindergarten "prepared" to succeed in public education. Professional development for teachers in nine school districts as well as private providers will take place this summer so that they can roll out classroom instruction and assessment based on the Standard starting this fall. Supporting materials will also be available for parents. Over 70 administrators, Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, and private providers from across the region are helping to disseminate the materials to families and schools.

"This marks an exciting day." said Patty Shafer, Superintendent of San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District. “With the School Readiness Standard, our community and schools will have the tools to come together to assess needs and prepare our students for success.”

The School Readiness Standard builds on the Texas Education Agency's Pre-K Guidelines and program quality standards to provide guidance to schools, teachers, and parents about how to best prepare students for school. The Standard is accompanied by a set of measures that are designed to mark a child’s progression throughout the Pre-Kindergarten year. Unlike most current assessments, the Standard broadly covers child development including: Social/Emotional Development; Language and Communication; Emerging Literacy in Reading and Writing; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Fine Arts; Physical Development and Technology.

The Blueprint for Educational Change™ members Region XIII Education Service Center, San Marcos Consolidated ISD and United Way's Success by Six led this unprecedented effort, which was facilitated by the E3 Alliance and supported by the Buena Vista, Tapestry and Webber Family Foundations. Back to Top

Promote Born Learning Guides to Parents throughout the Community

Many of our parents don’t realize what they should be looking for in monitoring their children’s development and well being. Are they progressing as needed to be ready for Kindergarten and beyond?

Help us provide this information to every parent who needs it – through businesses, civic groups, and faith-based organizations - any place we can. Born Learning Guides are available for every stage of child development and set the stage for a soon to be published parent guide to School Readiness which will focus on the key milestones a child should reach by the end of their fourth year. For Born Learning Guides in English and Spanish click HERE.