How Well Prepared for Kindergarten Are Pennsylvania Children?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding the State of Pennsylvania’s Children at Kindergarten Entry: A Stakeholder Dialogue

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide ELD stakeholders current and reliable evidence on how well prepared for kindergarten were Pennsylvania children who entered school in 2010-11.

Perspective: Kindergartener’s school readiness is critical for successful life-long outcomes (see Duncan et al., 2007). Successful transition to kindergarten is a high stakes process for all children and a goal of policymakers, educators, and parents. Most recently, President Obama argued that the benefit of universal pre-kindergarten would be increased kindergarten readiness of all young children. Understanding where Pennsylvania kindergarteners’ are in terms of their academic preparedness would inform policymakers, educators, and parents on how Pennsylvania’s early childhood education programs are meeting the needs of Pennsylvania’s young children and where it can improve.

Methods and Data Sources: In order to address the goal of Paper two, we conducted a secondary data analysis of the restricted-use Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 Pennsylvania oversample data set (ECLS-K:2011 PA). The statistical methods and data source are the same as in Paper 1 and 2.

Preliminary Results: Results for this section focus on the investigation of child outcomes data produced by school assessments that were conducted in the fall. We report the overall levels of school readiness in key domains using several measures included in the ECLS-K: PA data set, both statewide and for demographic subgroups. This data is then juxtaposed with Kindergarten Teacher survey data that indicates the teacher’s perceptions of the children’s school readiness and the teachers’ stated priorities for the same.

Significance: By providing state-level evidence on how well prepared for kindergarten were Pennsylvania children who entered school for the first time in 2010-11, we will provide reliable and current evidence on how well the state is preparing its young children for school. This evidence would allow the ELD stakeholders to better understand where the state is doing well and where it can improve.

Authors

• Aubrey H. Wang, Saint Joseph's University

• Philip M. Sirinides, University of Pennsylvania

• Toscha J Blalock, University of Pennsylvania