What it is

Kindergarten readiness—also known as school readiness—refers to the quality of a child’s learning and development experiences before age 5.

The National Education Goals Panel identified five general categories associated with readiness for K-12 schooling:

1. Health & physical development
2. Emotional well-being & social competence
3. Approaches to learning
4. Communicative skills
5. Cognition & general knowledge

The goal of a quality pre-school or early childhood education program should be to ensure that children make progress in each of these areas by the time they enroll in kindergarten. However, children enter kindergarten with a wide range of development in each of these areas, much of which is affected by access to quality childcare, health care, early education, nutrition, and other factors.  

Why it matters

Kindergarten readiness can predict student academic and socio-emotional outcomes later in school (Bernstein et al, 2019; Hein et al, 2013).

A University of Missouri study found that students continue to lag 18 months behind after entering kindergarten less prepared than their peers. 

These assessments are critical in ensuring each individual child has the skills and competencies needed to thrive in school.

Readiness assessments can be useful diagnostic tools that give parents and teachers critical information on how to support individual students.

Given their predictive power, they can also help identify individual students who risk falling behind over time. Finally, they can provide policymakers with the evidence needed about system-wide strengths and deficiencies to help direct early childhood funding and policy more effectively.

What we’re learning

Kindergarten assessments provide critical information:

For parents and teachers by measuring whether children have the skills and competencies needed to successfully transition into kindergarten.

For teachers, these assessments also help identify individual students who risk falling behind.

For policymakers, they provide the evidence needed about system-wide strengths and deficiencies to help direct early childhood funding and policy.

For example, Maryland measures kindergarten readiness in part to determine whether local and statewide efforts are adequately meeting children’s needs. One study found a relationship between kindergarten readiness and third-grade reading and math skills. Nine out of 10 children whose scores indicated they needed the most support for kindergarten were not proficient in reading or math by third grade. This finding illustrates how early data can inform statewide work to identify challenges and define solutions.  

Approximately half of all states and Washington, D.C. require kindergarten readiness assessments. 

Prior to 2021, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommended a school readiness tool called Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) to assess the skills and behaviors of preschoolers heading into kindergarten. Fewer than one in 10 schools used it. 

The state is piloting a Kindergarten Observation Form registration administered to children within the first few weeks of starting preschool or Kindergarten.

Without consistent data collection regarding school readiness, it will be difficult for Missouri to have insights needed to effectively direct resources and support to children who need them the most.