Mind the kinder-gap: New data on children’s math and reading skills as they enter kindergarten

Abstract

States have invested heavily in improving early childhood education in hopes of improving student reading and math skills before they enter kindergarten. However, there is limited national data from later than 2010 on children’s skills in these areas at kindergarten entry, so it is difficult for educators and policy makers to ascertain whether these investments have paid off. One available source is the NWEA’s MAP Growth assessment. Christine Pitts and Megan Kuhfeld have examined the data from 2010 to 2017 and found that upon entry into kindergarten, children’s reading and math scores have declined, while gaps between white and Black students and between white and Latinx students have decreased.