Two-thirds of Ohio kindergarteners falling behind, data shows

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Recently-released data from the Ohio Department of Education shows nearly two-thirds of Ohio’s kindergarteners are not ready to learn at that level by the time they enter the classroom.

Ohio kindergarten teachers complete a standardized Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for each student at the beginning of every school year to show the child's level of readiness. Students' skills are evaluated in a variety of categories, including academic, social-emotional and physical. Scores fall into one of three categories of readiness: Demonstrating is the highest, Approaching is the middle tier, and Emerging is the lowest.

In the 2022-2023 school year, 35.4% of kindergarten students demonstrated readiness, according to the test scores. 34.5% scored as "approaching" readiness, and 30.1% of scores fell into the "emerging" category, meaning nearly two-thirds of kindergarteners were not ready for the classroom.

“Kids who are ready at the kindergarten level, who have access to quality early childhood experiences, have higher attainment, earn more and have better health. Not just right out of school, but through their life course,” said Lynanne Gutierrez, Chief Policy and Operating Officer at Groundwork Ohio, a Columbus nonprofit that advocates for Ohioans five and younger.

Gutierrez points to the lack of affordable, quality early childcare available to a growing number of families, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The ODE data shows 21% of children from economically disadvantaged families demonstrated readiness on the KRA in 2022. Results were similar for Black and Hispanic students, according to the data.

“The more trauma that’s in a child’s life, the more we see behavior challenges," said Meredith Schilling, a team lead Pre-K teacher at the Ohio State University's A. Sophie Rogers School. "Given that everyone’s had this trauma because of the pandemic, and most of the children in our classrooms don’t have a working memory before the pandemic, they’re all experiencing a level of trauma to some degree.”

Schilling has taught at the school for 17 years, and says her job has become more challenging in recent years as students respond to the trauma of the pandemic in different ways, and her colleagues leave for higher-paying jobs.

"I think it's very concerning," Schilling said. "I think we need to invest more in children and teachers and in families."

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio's Pre-K teachers are among the lowest-paid in the country, making an average salary of $24,540 to $32,220 in 2022.

“There are so many challenges to overcome, and the expectations on professionals who make on average $12 an hour is almost insurmountable,” Gutierrez said.

The biannual state budget that lawmakers are still finalizing includes more money than in years past for early childhood programs. The most recent version as passed by the Senate includes less than the versions proposed by Governor Mike DeWine and passed by the House.