Fayette County ECC: Kindergarten readiness at 48%; winter MAP shows small overall growth, disparities remain

Dr. Brooke Stinson, a Fayette County Public Schools staff member, told the Equity Council Committee on Feb. 4 that the district’s most recent Brigance kindergarten-screener results show 48% of incoming kindergartners were classified as “school ready.”

"For this last year, our current kindergarten class, they're at the 48 percent. And what we're seeing in here is that 48 percent of our kindergartners are, school ready," Stinson said while presenting district early-childhood initiatives tied to screening results.

The Brigance screener is a brief (about 15–20 minute) pre-kindergarten assessment used in Kentucky to provide an early snapshot of a child’s skills before or shortly after they begin kindergarten. Stinson noted the July–mid-September administration window is the basis of the state-provided trend data the district reported; assessments taken later in the year are not reflected in the state file FCPS reviewed.

Stinson and council members highlighted subgroup outcomes included in the presentation: African American students were reported at 39% kindergarten ready, students with an IEP at 28% and English learners at 27%. Stinson emphasized the Brigance result is one data point among many and includes children coming from a range of pre-K settings (FCPS preschool, private programs, faith-based care, or no formal preschool).

On the district’s winter MAP universal screener (Measures of Academic Progress), Stinson reported modest growth from fall to winter. She described MAP as an adaptive, nationally normed assessment and summarized the district’s summary result as movement in the growth metric between the fall and winter windows (the presentation described growth moving from the “50 fourth percentile” in the fall to the “50 sixth percentile” in the winter for math, and improvement in reading growth and achievement measures).

Stinson said the district uses MAP data to identify students for interventions and extensions and to inform PLC (professional learning community) conversations, MTSS decision-making and curriculum/pacing adjustments. She described partnerships and programs intended to boost early literacy and readiness, including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (FCPS distributes thousands of free books), iPad-based early learning resources, outreach via social media, community screening tools (Ages & Stages questionnaires) and a baby handbook distributed at local hospitals.

Council members asked about McKinney-Vento students and outreach to families not enrolled in FCPS preschool. Stinson said family liaisons and home visits are a primary outreach strategy and offered to provide preschool-specific breakdowns (kindergarten readiness among students who attended FCPS preschool vs. those who did not) to Dr. Matthews and the council.

Council members also asked about accommodations for English learners and students with disabilities on the screeners. Stinson said the Brigance is administered in a standard manner but that interpreters/translators are provided when needed for family surveys and that schools often provide additional supports during administration.

The presentation and the council discussion emphasized that the Brigance is an early diagnostic tool to guide immediate supports and that FCPS uses a combination of early-childhood programming and family engagement to address gaps. Stinson said additional disaggregated data (for example, preschool-attendance-specific readiness rates) is available and offered to share it with the council.

Looking ahead, Stinson said FCPS will continue using screening and MAP data to guide MTSS interventions, refine professional learning, and coordinate with community partners to reach high-need families.