Kindergarten readiness
Percentage of Montgomery County students scoring in the top tier on the state’s kindergarten readiness assessment:
2009-10 — 36.5
2010-11 — 36.8
2011-12 — 38.3*
2012-13 — 37.6
2013-14 — 37.1
* Some charter school data not reported, likely inflating number, according to ReadySetSoar
Source: Learn to Earn Dayton
Third-grade reading
Percentage of Montgomery County students scoring “proficient” or better on the state’s third-grade reading test:
2009-10 — 77.0
2010-11 — 78.2
2011-12 — 76.8
2012-13 — 78.6
2013-14 — 80.6
Source: Learn to Earn Dayton
Montgomery County schools have made significant progress on third-grade reading scores in recent years, but kindergarten readiness has remained fairly flat, according to data released Wednesday.
More than 500 educators and community leaders attended the sixth annual Kindergarten Readiness Summit at Sinclair Community College. The event, hosted by Learn to Earn Dayton and the kindergarten readiness group ReadySetSoar, focused on ways to get children ready to learn, calling it a key building block to future school success.
The percentage of Montgomery County public school students (charter and traditional) who scored “proficient” on the state’s third-grade reading test rose from 76.8 in 2011-12, to 78.6 the next year, and 80.6 in 2013-14.
“I think some of that is due to Ohio’s Third-Grade Reading Guarantee,” said Robyn Lightcap, director of ReadySetSoar.
The third-grade guarantee requires schools to give struggling readers extra help in the first years of school, aiming to make them proficient readers by the end of third grade.
“You’ve got a statewide system focused on that measure,” Lightcap said. “That shows you it does work when you look at it systemically.”
Lightcap said a big reason why kindergarten readiness scores have not risen in the same way is that early childhood education in Ohio does not have the same infrastructure and funding that exist for K-12 education.
For most of the past five years, roughly 37 percent of Montgomery County kindergarteners have scored in the top tier on the state’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for Literacy, ranging from 21 percent in Dayton to 74 percent in Oakwood. That number dropped from 37.6 percent to 37.1 in 2013-14. This year’s scores will be released next month.
“We haven’t seen the dramatic increase that we’re striving for,” Lightcap said. “I think that’s because … we have yet to see significant shifts of long-term sustainable funding to help get more children into high-quality programs. Early childhood is historically an underfunded part of the education system.”
Local education leaders touted the fact that Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal includes $118 million for early childhood education. That could increase the number of spots available for local children in high-quality preschools.
Also at the summit, local government leaders discussed the county’s continuing push for the Preschool Promise — a goal to offer voluntary preschool to all 4-year-olds from low-income families. A pilot program is under way in Kettering, and county commissioner Debbie Lieberman said the county will continue to invest.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley called the program crucial, given the concentrated poverty and low academic performance in her city.
“I am totally confident the Preschool Promise is going to happen, because it has to. We must find a way,” said Whaley, who in the past has also called for increased parent engagement in children’s education. “I am unabashedly saying that when we invest, we have to target our precious and limited resources to the children who are in need the most.”
Numerous stakeholders spoke Wednesday about helping all young students. Library officials listed multiple communities that increased summer reading participation last year. RTA executives explained how they adjusted fares so students using after-school programs wouldn’t be penalized with a higher rate for riding home later. And all 16 Montgomery County school superintendents attended, sharing programs they’ve created to improve early childhood education.
The theme many of them repeated was that their groups were “all in” to help improve local education.
Learn to Earn Dayton executive director Tom Lasley said the groups need to work harder and be willing to take risks because the region’s future workforce and economic health depend on the success of today’s young students.
“We know that 35 percent of our children are not going to preschool at all,” Lightcap said. “And of the ones who are going, half of them are not in high-quality programs. … I think we are very well poised, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work, together, so we can make systemic change.”
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