Yakima board hears progress on early‑learning goal as kindergarten‑readiness climbs

District officials told the Yakima School District board on Oct. 21 that kindergarten‑readiness scores have moved in the right direction after targeted early‑learning work.

Hector Mendez, executive director of teaching and learning, and Lucas Jaeger, principal of the Discovery Early Learning Center, said WA Kids/TS Gold assessments show a 4.1 percentage‑point increase in students entering kindergarten ready for instruction and growth in five of six domains (cognitive, language, literacy, math, physical); social‑emotional learning (SEL) was the only domain with a small decline. Jaeger stressed that “all students means all students, no exceptions,” and pointed to partnerships with roughly 20 community providers and expanded preschool‑to‑third‑grade (P‑3) coordination as drivers of the gains.

The presenters described outreach strategies for ECAP (108 slots): three family‑support specialists who recruit at elementary family events, banners/QR codes, community events such as ‘dozer days,’ and referrals from community preschools and home‑based providers. Jaeger noted Discovery operates both dual and non‑dual classrooms and that some demographic subgroups (for example, Hispanic/Latino students) saw larger percentage increases; he cautioned that small cohort sizes can magnify percentage swings.

Board members asked for more precise counts on enrollment trends and outreach outcomes; Jaeger and Mendez said they would provide hard numbers on request. The presenters also described a P‑3 collaboration and University of Washington fellowship work with elementary principals to support transition and enrollment. The board thanked the presenters and asked for a deeper data dive at a future retreat on subgroup trends, specifically the decline seen among non‑low‑income students.

The board moved on after the presentation; no formal vote was required.