Teacher-rated school readiness items in a kindergarten sample: Outcomes in first grade

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Child Development
• Early Childhood Education

Background:

• Kindergarten readiness is crucial for academic success.
• Early identification of children at risk is essential for timely intervention.
• Universal screeners offer a feasible approach to identify children needing support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a brief, universal kindergarten readiness screener's predictive validity for first-grade outcomes.
• To determine if a single-item readiness measure predicts academic and behavioral performance 18 months later.
• To assess the screener's ability to identify children at risk for later academic and social difficulties.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of kindergarten students from urban schools was assessed.
• Kindergarten teachers provided readiness, behavior, and academic competence ratings.
• Students completed a standardized academic achievement test.
• Data were collected in kindergarten and again in first grade.

Main Results:

• The readiness screener significantly predicted negative academic and social behavior outcomes 18 months later.
• Children rated as having poor academic readiness were 9-10 times more likely to have low first-grade reading performance.
• Children rated as having poor behavior readiness were over 6 times more likely to exhibit low prosocial and high disruptive behaviors in first grade.

Conclusions:

• A brief universal kindergarten readiness screener is effective in predicting long-term academic and social outcomes.
• Early screening at kindergarten entry allows for targeted support and intervention.
• The screener can identify children needing support to develop essential early academic and social-behavioral skills.