Research brief
Preparing early learners: Considerations for supporting the kindergarten class of 2021
March 2021
Description
Among the many ways in which schools are being transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the change in public school kindergarten enrollment is one likely to have important consequences in classrooms across the nation. Because the academic and nonacademic skills students develop in their preschool and early elementary school years are foundational to important longer-term outcomes, understanding these changes and finding ways to effectively support our youngest students’ learning is critical for educators and leaders. Drawing on recent research, we offer four timely considerations for district, school, and classroom leaders.
See MoreTopics: Equity, COVID-19 & schools, Early learning
Related Topics
This is the technical appendix for the NWEA research brief titled, “Behind at the Starting Line,” which examines Kindergarten test scores from more than 400,000 U.S. students and noting patterns that can predict academic success or identify students at risk of falling further behind. This early identification is key for educators, enabling them to intervene and influence learning trajectories before the next critical milestone: third grade.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Informing instruction, Early learning, Empowering educators, Growth
NWEA research brief examining Kindergarten test scores from more than 400,000 U.S. students and noting patterns that can predict academic success or identify students at risk of falling further behind. This early identification is key for educators, enabling them to intervene and influence learning trajectories before the next critical milestone: third grade.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Early learning, Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction
This is the technical appendix to the research, “Academically diverse classrooms, deeper needs,” research brief examines the academic diversity of post-COVID classrooms, including the composition and spread of academic achievement levels. Key findings highlight the challenges facing educators as more students are off-track and further behind grade-level proficiency.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction
Academically diverse classrooms, deeper needs: What teachers face after the pandemic
This research brief examines the academic diversity of post-COVID classrooms, including the composition and spread of academic achievement levels. Key findings highlight the challenges facing educators as more students are off-track and further behind grade-level proficiency.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction
This white paper examines the landscape of middle school science course offerings, enrollment patterns, and assessment outcomes. The analysis of data from 2,200 schools finds that multi-disciplinary course models now dominate versus single-course offerings, though access to course types varies by race and ethnicity. In addition, students in different course models performed similarly on assessments.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Equity, Math & STEM
A Practical Guide for Considering and Interpreting Test Score Differences Among Student Subgroups
This guide offers recommendations for how to understand what differences may exist when looking at data for student groups, and gives leaders some structure for how they might consider and interpret those differences.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Empowering educators, Equity, Growth, Guidance
Achievement and Growth Norms for Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Foundational Skills Report
This technical report presents achievement and growth norms for Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Foundational Skills (grades K–3), enabling educators to interpret student performance and progress in early literacy domains relative to national peer groups.
Products: MAP Reading Fluency
Topics: Early learning, Item response theory, Measurement & scaling, Test design
