Changes in Children's Kindergarten Readiness in the Wake of COVID-19: Statewide Evidence From Louisiana

• In Event: Ongoing COVID Impacts in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This report uses statewide kindergarten entry assessment data from Louisiana (N~ 50,000 each year, 42% Black, 10% Hispanic, 43% White) to estimate COVID-19 linked changes in children’s kindergarten readiness in the literacy, mathematics, approaches to learning, social-emotional, and physical domains, as well as variability by child race and family economic disadvantage. It finds a 15% decrease in literacy, and declines from 5-15% across math, social-emotional, approaches to learning, and physical domains. Decreases in readiness were larger among Black children than White children, suggesting that COVID-19 widened existing inequality. Continued assessment and deployment of targeted supports will be essential to ensure pandemic-linked challenges do not exert a lasting influence, as well as a whole-child emphasis.

Authors

• Anna J. Markowitz, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Walter A Herring, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Isabelle Fares, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author