NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: November 9, 2018
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released the results of the fall 2018 assessment of kindergarten readiness.
Following annual trends, the percentage of students scoring kindergarten-ready is 36.1 percent in 2018, compared to 36.9 percent in 2017 and 36.4 percent in 2016.
Statewide, the average score on the fall 2018 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment was 501. Only 16 of 141 school districts demonstrated an average score of 530 or above.
Research from a four-year study shows that 85 percent of students at the beginning of kindergarten with a score of 530 or above on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment are on track to become proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade.
The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment evaluates early literacy skills such as the ability to recognize letters and match letters to their sounds and a student’s recognition that print flows from left to right.
Making high-quality early childhood education accessible to all children is one of the primary goals of the Mississippi State Board of Education Strategic Plan.
“High-quality early childhood education helps children prepare for kindergarten and has a positive impact on academic achievement throughout a child’s education,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education.
View the results: https://www.mdek12.org/OPR/Reporting/Assessment/2018-19
