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Hardin County highlights preschool gains, cautions against using screener as sole quality measure
Summary
At an evening meeting, the Hardin County Board of Education heard data showing the districtwide kindergarten readiness composite at 52% (state 47%) and discussed preschool enrollment, screener administration and limits on using the screener as a proxy for program quality.
The Hardin County Board of Education heard detailed kindergarten readiness results and early-childhood program updates at its evening meeting. Early childhood staff reported a district composite readiness score of 52%, compared with a statewide average of 47%, and described how the state-required kindergarten screener is administered and used.
"About 40 percent of our kindergarteners have been in our preschool program," said early childhood staff, noting that the screener assesses five areasacademic, cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotionaland incorporates a parent survey. Staff provided domain breakdowns: academic readiness in the high 30s percentage range, language development in the mid-to-high 60s, and physical development around the mid-40s.
Staff emphasized the screener is given one-on-one by teachers and submitted to the state by October, with state-level percentages released in the spring. They stressed the district turns the data in but the state does not require local follow-up based on individual screener results.
The presenters cautioned against using the kindergarten screener as a stand-alone measure of preschool quality. "That was never the intention, nor should it be," early childhood staff said, arguing that many screener items reflect kindergarten standards and that only about 40% of incoming kindergarteners had attended district preschool.
Board members also reviewed enrollment figures for preschool: staff reported 503 preschool students as of Aug. 21, compared with 508 at the same time last year and 678 by the end of last school year, and noted that preschool counts will increase districtwide totals.
District officials said preschool participation and targeted early learning programs are part of a strategy to raise readiness, and they repeated support for expanding access. The superintendent urged families to consider available First Step and district preschool options and said she would welcome efforts toward universal preschool access.
Next steps: staff will continue screening and report state results when available; the board flagged continued discussion about preschool capacity and potential EC3 expansion on future agendas.
