MDE Kindergarten Readiness Scores released; Picayune scores top in area school districts

The Mississippi Department of Education released fall 2021 Kindergarten Readiness Scores this past Friday. MDE did not publicly report results of the 2020 state test because of concerns with comparability of data due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the 33,265 kindergarteners tested, 31.8% scored kindergarten-ready with a score of 530 or higher on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. Statewide, the average score was 487. The MDE uses a score of 530, or 70% mastery, as a benchmark for the readiness assessment.

Results of students scoring kindergarten-ready in previous years were 36.6% in fall 2019 and 36.1% in fall 2018. The statewide average for students scoring 530 or above on the 2021 assessment was 31.79%, down from 36.56% in 2019.

“A score of 530 indicates a student can identify most letters of the alphabet and match most letters to their sounds,” the MDE said in a press release. “Students are beginning to “read” picture books and are building their vocabulary, listening skills and understanding of print.”

“The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment is further proof of the pandemic’s impact on students in the state,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Mississippi’s kindergarten teachers are outstanding. Yearly, their hard work leads to significant gains for the state’s youngest students, and I anticipate seeing those gains when students are retested in spring 2022.”

Locally, Picayune School District had the highest score with 28.57 percent of students tested scoring above 530.

To see statewide results (Click Here)