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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">The following news release from the Oregon Department of Education indicates there is improvement on the statewide Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. However there is still much to be done to help kids get ready
for kindergarten, especially among children of color. Now might be a good time to start thinking about what your library is doing to engage children of color in storytimes and other library programs that may help them get ready for kindergarten.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Katie <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Katie Anderson, Youth Services Consultant
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/osl/LD/pages/index.aspx"><span style="color:blue">Library Support and Development Services</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><a href="mailto:katie.anderson@state.or.us"><span style="color:blue">katie.anderson@state.or.us</span></a>, 503-378-2528<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ORLibSupport"><span style="color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D1625A.C30D9140" alt="cid:image004.png@01D0358C.4523C4D0"></span></a><span style="color:#1F497D">
</span><a href="http://osl-lis.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D1625A.C30D9140" alt="http://www.thewwwblog.com/images/blogger-logo.jpg"></span></a><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/orlibsupport"><span style="color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="24" height="24" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image004.gif@01D1625A.C30D9140" alt="http://www.aethlonmedical.com/assets/001/5130.png"></span></a><span style="color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#002163"> </span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/Pages/index.aspx"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1659D8;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="99" height="38" id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image005.jpg@01D1625A.C30D9140" alt="Picture"></span></a><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#002163"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">NEWS RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">February 8, 2016
<br>
Media Contact: Karol Collymore, (503) 930-1434<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">State Officials Announce: Oregon Kindergarteners Better Prepared for School
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Third year of data capture shows slight improvement in early math and literacy skills
</span></i><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">(Salem, Ore) – The Oregon Department of Education released results today from the third annual Kindergarten Assessment. The assessment is given each fall to entering kindergarteners and
provides a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in three core areas of learning and development: early literacy, early math and interpersonal/self-regulation skills. This year’s results showed
<span style="color:#1F497D">a </span>slight increase in students’ early math and early literacy skills across all populations and groups. The averages for self-regulation and interpersonal skills remained consistent with previous years’ results.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Students showing the most positive movement are African American, Latino, and Native American children, gaining an average of 0.4 points in early math and 0.7 points in early literacy.
Asian children – highest overall – gained 0.6 points in early math and 1.7 points in early literacy. White children gained 0.4 in math and 0.5 points in early literacy. While the uptick in math and literacy results for Oregon’s young learners is encouraging,
the data also show that disparities still persist. Access to the kinds of early learning experiences that support children to enter school with the skills they need to succeed is still limited, particularly for students of color. “This overall positive movement
upwards for all of our children is something we are celebrating, “says Megan Irwin, Early Learning Systems Director for the state. “However, we must continue to focus our attention on closing gaps in opportunity and access for populations of students our system
consistently and historically has not served well.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">The Kindergarten Assessment provides state policymakers with valuable information about opportunity gaps within Oregon’s Early Learning System, and helps drive investments in Oregon’s
youngest children to where they are most needed. The use of the assessment as a tool to drive investment is more important than ever following the $100 million in new funds prioritized for the early learning system by Governor Kate Brown and the Legislature
in the 2015 legislative session, including $17.5 million to start new preschool programs.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">“Students in Oregon enter kindergarten with a wide range of knowledge and skills,” said Deputy Superintendent Salam Noor. “We are working to build bridges between early learning providers,
families and elementary schools so that we can continue to improve our supports to children and families in these critical early years. These Kindergarten Assessment results help us understand where our students are when they walk through our doors so that
we can help improve our system, address gaps early, and prepare each student for future success.” The Kindergarten Assessment focuses on the foundational knowledge and skills that are strongly linked to 3rd grade reading and future academic success. The self-regulation
and interpersonal skills are measured through a survey based on teacher observation of the student during regular classroom activities and routines. Teachers spend time with kindergartners one-on-one as they work through the literacy and math assessments,
asking them, for example, to identify letters, or to count the number of objects in a picture.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">“As a kindergarten teacher, gathering this information about my students really helps me gauge where they are in their development,” says Wayne Bund, a teacher in the David Douglas School
District. “I am able to get a snapshot of the kids and plan my lessons accordingly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">This year the assessment was delivered in the fall, and data are made available to school districts and educators in the spring. Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, data from the assessment
will be immediately ready for analysis and feedback so that educators and hubs can use the information to better inform their practice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">The link to the Kindergarten Assessment data with specific numerical breakdown across student groups and an FAQ can be found
</span><a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=3908"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">here</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#00A79D">Karol Collymore </span></b><span style="color:#00A79D">|<b> </b></span><b><span style="color:#746458">Early Learning Public Affairs Director</span></b><br>
<b><span style="color:#00A79D">EARLY LEARNING </span><span style="color:#2CB673">DIVISION </span></b><span style="color:#00A79D">|</span><b><span style="color:#2CB673">
</span></b><span style="color:#746458">OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION</span><b><span style="color:#2CB673"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#746458">OFFICE</span><span style="color:#2CB673"> </span><span style="color:#00A79D">503.378.2792 |</span><span style="color:#2CB673"> </span><span style="color:#746458">MOBILE </span><span style="color:#00A79D">503.930.1434<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#00A79D"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EarlyLearningDivision">Like us on Facebook!</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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