For the second consecutive year, Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) has achieved an all-time high for the percentage of kindergarten students demonstrating school readiness.  According to results from the state’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) administered earlier this fall, 55% of WCPS students enrolled in kindergarten for the 2023–2024 school year were prepared for school. That ranks WCPS fourth in the state in the percentage of young learners determined to be ready for kindergarten.

Superintendent of Schools David Sovine says, “WCPS has made great progress over the past several years helping to ensure our community’s youngest learners are ready for kindergarten. Just six years ago, 37% of WCPS kindergarten students demonstrated readiness, ranking us 23rd out of 24 school districts in Maryland. Thanks to our universal pre-k program, collaboration with private pre-k providers, and the strong professional development opportunities provided to our pre-k teachers and paraprofessionals, we are seeing great gains in the percentage of students ready to begin kindergarten."

Achievement #1-  Improved Kindergarten Readiness Across Our Community

More Washington County students are prepared for kindergarten compared to the state average. Statewide, 44% of kindergarten students demonstrated readiness through the KRA this year compared to 55% of WCPS students. WCPS continues to widen the gap, most notably since all students returned to in-person learning following the COVID-19 school closures. See graph below.  (WCPS' 55% kindergarten readiness statistic includes all WCPS students, regardless of whether they attended WCPS pre-k.)

Achievement #2- Improved Kindergarten Readiness from Our WCPS Pre-K Students

Data indicates students who have participated in WCPS pre-k are better prepared for kindergarten.  Sixty-six percent of students who completed pre-k with WCPS were ready for kindergarten this year. In comparison, only 34% of students who did not complete WCPS pre-k were ready for kindergarten. These readiness figures are also increasing each year.

Sovine adds, "I am so grateful to our teachers, support staff, school leaders, families, and our community members who have supported our pre-k students. Pre-k and kindergarten are critical developmental years that help our students build a foundation for a successful academic career and set them on a trajectory to become lifelong learners."

The KRA is administered to incoming kindergarten students during the first few months of each school year.  The assessment measures language and literacy, mathematics, social foundations, physical well-being, and motor development.