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EDUCATION Not as ready as they should be State assessments show fewer incoming kindergartners know their letters, numbers Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Medford’s incoming kindergartners scored slightly below state averages in early literacy and math, according to a statewide kindergarten readiness assessment released Wednesday. This is the second year the Oregon Department of Education has collected this data, which is used to predict future success, identify opportunity gaps, inform decision-making at the state and local levels and evaluate which schools and communities need additional early learning support, said Aimee Craig, ODE’s early learning public affairs director. “What we’re trying to determine is, are we just expanding early learning opportunities or are we being attentive to the needs and values of specific communities?” Craig said. The fall assessment evaluates a student’s math, literacy, interpersonal and self-regulation skills, which have been linked to future academic success. The results of the recent assessment came as no surprise to local districts, which have been conducting their own readiness assessments for many years. Early last fall, Medford kindergarten teachers administered a Bridges math assessment, an early intervention to reading assessment and a DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment, in addition to the state assessment, said Gerry Flock, principal of Wilson Elementary School. Teachers can’t wait for the state to release the data halfway through the school year. They need to know on day one what each of their students already knows so they can adjust their lessons accordingly, Flock said Wednesday. But, generally, all the assessments come to the same conclusion: Kids aren't as ready as they should be for kindergarten. “There are more that don’t know their letters now than there used to be,” Flock said. “There are more that don’t know their numbers now than there used to be. And most (incoming kindergartners) used to know how to write their name, but now very few can.” On the state assessment, teachers were asked to observe how frequently students demonstrated various self-regulation and interpersonal skills in a classroom setting and rate them on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always). Incoming Medford kindergartners averaged a score of 3.6 on self-regulation skills and 4.1 on interpersonal skills. These students also were able to correctly answer about 7.9 of 16 math-related questions, correctly identify about 14.5 letters on a chart with 100 uppercase and lowercase letters, and correctly pronounce the sounds of about five letters on the same chart. The English literacy tasks were timed. Brock Rowley, Central Point’s director of special programs, said the state’s assessment is difficult for the district to utilize because it looks at a different cohort every year rather than the same cohort over time. However, Rowley said he was impressed that the state was evaluating students’ social and emotional skills. “If students come to school and already know how to play nice, take turns and raise their hands, then we can move the dial academically,” he said. “Whereas, if they don’t know any of these things, then that’s where we have to spend our time.” In addition to the state’s teacher-administered assessments, the Central Point School District also has parents conduct a similar assessment “because parents have known the child for about four years compared with the teacher, who might have known the child four days,” Rowley said. In response to last year’s state assessment, the Eagle Point School District began measuring kindergartners’ progress every two weeks and, over the summer, offered a summer program at each elementary school for incoming kindergartners, said Tina Mondale, the district’s director of school improvement. Only about 25 percent of Eagle Point kindergartners have had any formal preschool experience, Mondale said. “We don’t have too much control over what students know coming in,” she said. “We try to offer support where we can with summer school and kindergarten boot camps, but what we can control, is the growth students make throughout the year.” Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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