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Defining the School Readiness Challenge in Virginia Presentation .pdf · Defining the School...
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Amanda Williford & Daphna Bassok
October 22, 2019
Early Childhood Education Policy Summit
Defining the School Readiness
Challenge in Virginia
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Overview
▪ Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program
(VKRP)
▪ History, Background, Preliminary data
▪ Lessons from the 2019 Virginia Early
Childhood Workforce Survey
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Amanda Williford
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Most States Have Adopted a
Statewide Multidimensional
Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
Note:
* = State-mandated and multidimensional KRA/KEA,
however kindergartens have a choice of assessments.
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How Statewide Readiness Data
Can be Used in Virginia
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How Statewide Readiness Data
Can be Used in Virginia
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Readiness is defined as having foundational skills in all areas
How VKRP Measures Kindergarten Readiness
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• Literacy- PALS
• Math- Teacher
standardized
administration
• Self-regulation-
Teacher report via
rating scale
• Social-skills-Teacher
report via rating
scale
Tool selection
And estimated
statewide
representative
sample of
readiness
Piloted
measures
With expansion
of time points
in 2018-19
Voluntary
roll out
Statewide
participation
2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2018 2019 and on
History of VKRP
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What is VKRP
VKRP is a set of coordinated assessments
Literacy (PALS), math, self-regulation, and social skills combined to
provide teachers with a more comprehensive picture of students’ skills
at the beginning of kindergarten
VKRP is a reporting system
Provides detailed and integrated information about students’ skills at
the student (for teachers and families), classroom, school, division,
and state levels
VKRP is a set of instructional resources
Supports teachers to understand students’ skill levels and to use
instructional practices to support their learning and growth
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VKRP Assessments – Literacy
The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening is used to
assess students’ early literacy skills.
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The Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS)/The Party
Assesses skills in the areas of Numeracy, Computation, Patterning,
Geometry and Spatial Sense.
Teachers administer the assessment to students individually using
a flip book and manipulatives.
Teachers enter children's responses into an online application,
recording student responses as they administer the assessment.
VKRP Assessments – Mathematics
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Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS)
Short rating scale completed by the teacher that measures students’
approaches to learning, self-regulation, and social-emotional
development.
Teachers rate their students’ classroom-based behavior based upon
their observations of their students in the school setting and input
responses in an online interface.
VKRP Assessments –
Self-Regulation and Social Skills
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Reports: Classroom Overview
✓ Easy to interpret
✓ Interactive
✓ Printable
✓ Exportable
✓ Linked to instructional resources
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Reports: Student Overview
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Reports: Family Report
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Teacher Resources – Skill Example
Sample activity to support the skill
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Family Resources
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2018 Participating Divisions in Orange
N = 89
2018 VKRP Participation
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What We’ve Learned
When only using literacy (PALS)
16%
Using VKRP—literacy, math, self-regulation and social skills
42%
For students who are economically disadvantaged
48%
In terms of child skills, Virginia was too narrowly representing readiness
Estimates of children entering kindergarten who are not ready to be successful:
2017 Fall PALS and VKRP Data
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Readiness Results for 2017-18
83% 82% 82% 80%
17% 18% 18% 20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy(n=19754*)
Math(n=16580*)
Self-Regulation(n=16653*)
Social Skills(n=16653*)
Pe
rce
nt
of
Stu
de
nts
Fall 2017
Meeting Benchmark Below Benchmark
Note.* = All students who had data on each measure were included to obtain these estimates.
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There is Variability across Divisions
High LiteracyDiscrepant Self-Regulation &
Social Skills
High Math High Social Skills
98%78% 78% 83%
2%22% 22% 17%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy Math Self-Regulation Social Skills
Division A39% Not Ready
Meeting Benchmark Below Benchmark
82%96%
85% 81%
18%4%
15% 19%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy Math Self-Regulation Social Skills
Division C34% Not Ready
Meeting Benchmark Below Benchmark
85% 85% 93%75%
15% 15% 7%25%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy Math Self-Regulation Social Skills
Division B35% Not Ready
Meeting Benchmark Below Benchmark
83% 82% 88% 92%
17% 18% 12% 8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Literacy Math Self-Regulation Social Skills
Division D33% Not Ready
Meeting Benchmark Below Benchmark
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Ready
or
Not Ready
Literacy MathSelf-
RegulationSocial Skills %
Not Ready
2.9
✓ 1.9
✓ 2.7
✓ ✓ 0.7
✓ 0.9
✓ ✓ 1.5
✓ ✓ 0.8
✓ ✓ ✓ 4.6
✓ 0.8
✓ ✓ 0.6
✓ ✓ 4.8
✓ ✓ ✓ 4.5
✓ ✓ 7.8
✓ ✓ ✓ 2.8
✓ ✓ ✓ 4.3
Ready ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 58.4
Total Sample 100.0
There is Variability across Students
16%
11%
15%
Academic Only (Literacy or Math) = 9.8%
That is 23% of students who are identified as not ready
Self-Regulation and/or Social Skills = 77% of students identified as not ready
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2018 Data — Overall Readiness
Variability Across DivisionsD
ivis
ion a
vera
ge %
of
students
ready a
cro
ss a
ll d
om
ain
s
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Comparison of Fall 2018 Readiness Data
for Students Who Are and Are Not from
Low Income Backgrounds
65.350.5
34.749.5
0102030405060708090
100
Not Disadvantagedn=13,275
Disadvantagedn=11,392
Perc
ent
of
Stu
dents
Not Ready
Ready
25
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Comparison of Fall 2018 VKRP Readiness Scores
Between Children from Low Income
Backgrounds who Attend VPI and Those With
No Preschool Experience
26
58.1
37.9
41.9
62.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
VPIn=4,694
No Preschooln=2,578
Perc
ent
of
Stu
dents
Not Ready
Ready
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Preliminary findings from the
2019 Virginia Early Childhood
Workforce Survey
Daphna Bassok
Associate Professor of Education & Public Policy
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Linking kindergarten readiness to
early elementary success…
Bassok, Herring, McGinty, Miller, & Wyckoff, 2019
45
63
71
82
92
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5
Perc
ent
Pro
ficie
nt
Quintiles of PALS Scores
Proficiency on Third Grade Reading SOLby performance on the PALS at Kindergarten Entry
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Linking kindergarten readiness to
early learning experiences…
High quality early learning opportunities set the stage for school success and can narrow achievement gaps
The adults who care for, interact with, and teach young children are the key drivers of “high quality” early learning opportunities
Children learn through consistent and engaging interactions with adults.
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The early childhood workforce as critical
partners for school readiness and beyond
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The 2019 Virginia Early
Childhood Workforce Survey
As part of Virginia’s Preschool Development Grant, we invited all teachers and assistant teachers working full-time in child care centers, Head Start programs, and pre-kindergarten programs in 27 Virginia communities to take a survey.
About 2,500 teachers invited
Unprecedented response rates: 75 percent replied (!)
Broad coverage:
➢ Curricula
➢ Professional development
➢ Leadership
➢ Compensation
➢ Well-being (job satisfaction, stress, financial/food insecurity)
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Who are Virginia’s early
childhood lead teachers…
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Most work with four-year-olds…
12%
19%
13%
56%
Infants
Toddlers (ages 1 & 2)
3 year olds
4 year olds
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Over a third have a high school
degree or less
35.3
11.9
30.8
22High School or Less
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree or Higher
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Many would like additional
professional development…
48
43
34
33
33
30
29
26
26
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Supporting children with disabilities/special needs
Supporting development of English Language Learniners
Strategies for addressing trauma
Strategies for managing behavior
Tools for assessing children
Creating culturally responsive learning environment
Providing high quality teacher-child interactions
Support using a specific curriculum
Strategies for engaging families
Percentage of lead teachers who indicate “not enough” professional development on each topic
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Only about a third of lead
teachers work in schools
Centers68%
Schools32%
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Comparing early educators in
schools and child care centers…
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The racial composition of the
child care workforce mirrors Virginia’s
children
10
56
24
5 53
86
8
1 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Hispanic, any race White, non-Hispanic
Black, non-Hispanic
Asian, non-Hispanic
Other, multi-racial
Racial Composition of Early Educators
Centers Schools
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Educational attainment is much
higher in schools
52
17
25
6
1 1
44
55
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
High School or Less Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree or Higher
Differences in Education Level across Program Types
Centers Schools
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Forty percent of child care lead teachers have
a household income below $25,000…
11
29
19
11
86 6 6
32
0 02
8
1311 12
24
20
10
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Household Income of Lead Teachers in Early Childhood Programs
Centers Schools
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Many are facing food
insecurity and financial stress.
10
6
35
24
1 1
912
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
I receive SNAP benefits I receive WIC benefits The food we had didn't last and we didn’t have
money to get more
I am worried I will run out of money before I
am paid again
Financial Insecurity across Program Types
Centers Schools
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Not surprisingly, child care teachers
turn over at much higher rates.
74
58 56
73
86
74
33
93
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
I view early childhood as my long-
term career
There are enough teachers working at
this site
Teacher turnover is a problem at my site
I'm likely to still be at my site in a year
PERCEN
TAG
E O
F T
EACH
ERS W
HO
"AG
REEE"
OR "
STRO
NG
LY A
GREE"
Centers Schools
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Key take-aways… Through VKRP we now have a better understanding of young children’s
readiness for schools, and a set of tools to support learning in the early
grades.
These data tell us that many of Virginia’s youngest learners, especially
the low-income ones, enter kindergarten lacking skills in literacy,
math, self-regulation and social skills that we know are linked to
future academic success.
Often-times those children who start behind remain behind.
Access to high quality early learning opportunities is a critical need.
Too many young children in Virginia lack access to early learning
opportunities.
Most of Virginia’s youngest children who are accessing early learning
through child care settings, where they are cared for and taught by
women facing intense challenges, oftentimes including poverty, stress,
and depression.
Greater cohesion and alignment between K-12 and systems serving
children 0-5 is needed.