Indicator 7: School Readiness
Rationale: Children who start school ready to learn are more likely to succeed in school. The early childhood years – birth to age five – are a critical period of growth and development. Learning begins with a healthy, nurturing start in life.
About this indicator: Department of Education data show no improvement in school readiness. Their survey draws a random selection of kindergarten students and trains teachers to evaluate their proficiency on five dimensions: physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking. Because children develop at different rates across different dimensions, no overall rating is made.
Students are most likely to be rated as “proficient” on physical development, 65 percent. Over a three-year period there appears to be a trend for students to be rated as “not yet” proficient on several dimensions, though this trend has not reached statistical significance.
Students are most likely to be rated as “proficient” on physical development, 65 percent. Over a three-year period there appears to be a trend for students to be rated as “not yet” proficient on several dimensions, though this trend has not reached statistical significance.
| Physical development | The arts | Personal and social development | Language and literacy | Mathematical thinking | |
| 2006 | 71% | 58% | 57% | 54% | 52% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 65% | 53% | 52% | 50% | 50% |
| 2008 | 65% | 53% | 52% | 50% | 50% |
| 2008 Standard Error | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Physical development | The arts | Personal and social development | Language and literacy | Mathematical thinking | |
| 2006 | 3% | 6% | 8% | 10% | 9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3% | 5% | 8% | 10% | 9% |
| 2008 | 4% | 8% | 11% | 12% | 13% |
| 2008 Standard Error | 24% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.5% |
For comparison: Comparable national data are not available.
Sources:
- Minnesota Department of Education, http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support/Early_Learning_Services/Kindergarten/Minnesota_School_Readiness_Studies/index.html
Local data:
Milestones is a product of the Minnesota State Demographic Center, a division of the Department of Administration