Oregon releases kindergarten assessment results
The Oregon Department of Education and the Early Learning Division on Thursday jointly released results from the 2018-19 Oregon Kindergarten Assessment.
The assessment is given each fall to entering kindergartners and provides a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in three core areas of learning and development: early literacy, early math and interpersonal/self-regulation skills.
“This assessment helps us measure the strength and capacity of our early learning system and the readiness of our K-12 system to serve each and every child in Oregon,” said Colt Gill, director of Oregon Department of Education. “It is not about the readiness of our children. All of our children are ready to learn every day.”
2018-19 Oregon Kindergarten Assessment results:
Early Math scores: students correctly answered 11.1 out of 16 simple math questions. Scores for Approaches to Learning remained the same at 3.6 out of 5. This key assessment includes examining a student’s social-emotional well-being via teachers observing and leading the student through daily activities such as following directions or cooperatively playing in groups. Early Literacy scores: Oregon kindergartners recognized 7.7 letter sounds, 14.3 uppercase letters, and 11.7 lowercase letters.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s budget calls for an additional $270.8 million to expand access to high-quality preschool through Preschool Promise and Oregon prekindergarten, and $15 million through culturally responsive school readiness strategies through the Equity Fund to benefit 10,000 additional Oregon children.
“The first few years of a child’s life are a critical time to invest in high quality learning experiences that will continue to pay off throughout their school career,” said Miriam Calderon, Oregon’s Early Learning System director. “We know supporting children and families from the start helps them be ready for success when they enter kindergarten, and be on track by third grade.”
More analyses will be released in the spring that provide disaggregated data by sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, ODE and ELD will continue to track students’ progression from kindergarten to third grade.
Oregon’s 16 regional Early Learning Hubs, which work across education, health, human services, and businesses to support families with young children, use the assessment data to prioritize investments, such as Kindergarten Readiness Partnership and Innovation Funds.
Kindergarten assessment results, including a breakdown by school district, are available online. Private schools are not reflected in the results.
