KINDERGARTEN READINESS

Description Of Indicator

Orange County uses the Early Development Index (EDI) to measure children’s readiness for school. The EDI, conducted during the kindergarten year, assesses children’s development by using a questionnaire filled out by kindergarten teachers for every child in their class. It tracks five areas of a child’s development: language and cognitive development; communication skills and general knowledge; social competence; emotional maturity; and physical health and wellbeing. In 2015, comprehensive EDI data were available for children enrolled in public school for the first time in Orange County and thus serves as a baseline to measure changes in incoming kindergarten class readiness over time.

Why this is Important?

Long-term, a child’s academic success is heavily dependent upon their readiness for kindergarten. Children who enter school with early skills, such as basic knowledge of math and reading concepts as well as communication, language, social competence and emotional maturity, are more likely than their peers without such skills to experience later academic success, attain higher levels of education and secure employment.1 Factors that influence kindergarten readiness include family and community supports and environments, as well as children’s early development opportunities and experiences. The EDI is one way to assess how well communities are preparing their children for school.

Findings

• In 2015, 51.9% of children in Orange County were developmentally ready for kindergarten. Children are considered developmentally ready for school if they are on track on all five areas assessed (or on all four areas if only four areas were assessed).

• Among Orange County kindergartners, the areas of greatest vulnerability are language and cognitive development (28% vulnerable or at-risk), followed by communication skills and general knowledge (27%), social competence (22%), physical health and well-being (19%) and emotional maturity (19%).

• The five developmental areas are made up of 16 sub areas and within these sub areas, children are least ready in their communication skills and general knowledge (62% not ready), prosocial and helping behavior (62% not ready), overall social competence (54% not ready) and gross and fine motor skills (49% not ready).

• Cities with the highest percents of students developmentally ready for school include Irvine at 65.5%, followed by San Clemente at 63.2% and Dana Point at 62.8%.

• The lowest percents of students ready for school are in the cities of La Habra at 42.2%, followed by Santa Ana at 43.0% and Laguna Beach at 43.7%.

Percent of Children Ready and Not Ready for

By

Area,

Advanced literary skills

Interest in literacy/numeracy & memory Basic literacy skills