ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's Department of Education (MSDE) is moving away from its current method of conducting Kindergarten Readiness Assessments.
The annual assessments are meant to measure the readiness levels of incoming kindergartners by examining their language and literacy, mathematics, social foundations, physical well-being and motor development skills.
Recently Maryland state law mandated a review to determine whether the assessments are racially or ethnically biased.
Results of the review were revealed late last month, which found potential implicit bias.
"Some Language and Literacy items that measured applied language skills (e.g., naming nouns and verbs, using prepositions) or productive language skills (e.g., engaging in conversations and using words that reflect variety and complexity) were challenging for Asian students, Hispanic/Latino students, and students who are English learners," the review stated.
The authors wondered if the current format of assessments were even relevant in determining a child's readiness for kindergarten. They suggested students be able to take the assessments at home in their own language.
According to the authors, about 23 percent of Maryland's public school students speak Spanish in their homes.
"Children who cannot demonstrate readiness in mathematics and language and literacy when being assessed in English might be able to demonstrate these skills in their home or preferred language," the review concludes. "There is also strong evidence to support that assessing bilingual or multilingual students in their home language and in English provides the most accurate estimates of their overall ability level."
Results from the 2023 Kindergarten Readiness Assessments can be found here.
