Maryland test finds only 40% of students ready for kindergarten

The Maryland State Department of Education reports that only 40% of this year’s kindergarteners scored high enough on a state assessment test last fall to show they are ready to participate in the classroom.

Results from the 2021-2022 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, released Tuesday, found that all 24 of the state’s local education agencies reported lower “demonstrating readiness” scores than in 2019-2020, the last time the state gave the test.

Of the more than 60,000 children who entered kindergarten in public schools, the state said 33% of them were “approaching readiness and may require additional instruction based on their individual strengths and needs.”

The state identified the remaining 27% as “emerging,” saying they would “require targeted supports or interventions to be successful in kindergarten.”