School Readiness
Goal:
Measure
There are seven measures in School Readiness: 1) Percent of children Ages 0-12 eligible and receiving
subsidized care; 2) Percent of children age five or less receiving Special Education Services; 3) Percent of children ages 0-5 in the Family
Assistance Program (FAP); 4) Percent of children ages 0 to 4 receiving Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) aid; 5) National poverty rank of public school districts; 6) Percent of students (grades 1-5) living in poverty
by school district; and 7) Percentage of eligible for free and reduced lunch. Additionally, Free and Reduced Lunch Rates for districts, charters, and educational centers across Midland County are analyzed.
Why This Indicator is Important
Pre-kindergarten educational experiences begin at birth and provide
children with opportunities for developing language, social, and cognitive
skills. The indicators used to measure school readiness can predict school
success, graduation rate, and healthy living.
Studies demonstrate that educational achievement gaps already exist when children enter Kindergarten. Children from low-income families are more likely to start school with limited language skills, health problems and social and emotional problems that interfere with learning. The larger the gap at school entry, the harder it is to close. When communities understand the value of school readiness and its impact on learning and life, they will invest in activities and programs that promote school readiness. Early experiences, environment and healthy development determine whether a child’s brain will provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning. The healthier young children are in their social and emotional development, the healthier their cognitive development will be in the future.
Studies demonstrate that educational achievement gaps already exist when children enter Kindergarten. Children from low-income families are more likely to start school with limited language skills, health problems and social and emotional problems that interfere with learning. The larger the gap at school entry, the harder it is to close. When communities understand the value of school readiness and its impact on learning and life, they will invest in activities and programs that promote school readiness. Early experiences, environment and healthy development determine whether a child’s brain will provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning. The healthier young children are in their social and emotional development, the healthier their cognitive development will be in the future.
How Are We Doing?
In Midland County, the percent of
children continuing to qualify for subsidized care remains about .5% lower
than the state of Michigan, with the overall percentage at 2.6%, which reflects a decrease in both the state and Midland averages. In Midland
County, about 1.8% of families received subsidized care compared to 2.3% of
families in Michigan, a drop of .7% from 2011.
A second measure is the percent of children (ages 0-5) enrolled in Special Education, which is an important measure of early intervention and preparation for school readiness. In Midland County about 7% of children ages 0 to 5 have received especial education services since 2011, compare to 3.6% for the same population in Michigan. In the Civic Engagement Section, focus group data suggests active engagement between the schools and the community.
Two other categories that address the social and health impacts on school readiness are the percent of children receiving family assistance (26% in Midland County and 34.7% in Michigan) and receiving WIC aid (55.3% in Midland and 63.6% in Michigan). Both rates have been about 8% below the state averages, which have been decreasing slightly in Midland but not in Michigan since the economic crisis in 2009.
The last three categories for school readiness are also related to poverty. First, Poverty Ranking of Schools uses census data to rank districts in each state from poorest to richest. Most Midland County districts rank above the midpoint for wealth of the 500 Michigan districts with Midland being the 50th wealthiest in the state; which also includes an overall ranking of school int he Midland ESA where Midland ranks 51 out of 83 counties with about 35% of students in Grades 1-5 living in poverty. The second category is students (grades 1-5) living in poverty. Once again, according to the federal data on poverty, about 49% of students in Coleman Community Schools; 42% in Meridian; 39% in Bullock Creek; and 24% in Midland can be classified as living in poverty.
Third, is the Free and Reduced Lunch Rates(2010-2012), which range widely across the school districts and schools in Midland County. Rates did not change much for school districts, except for the Midland County Educational Service Agency, where the percentage of students qualifying for free lunches went from 46% in 2010 to 33% in 2012. For the 2010-2011 to the 2013-2014 school years, Coleman Community Schools averaged 46% of students eligible, followed by Meridian Public Schools (up from 36% in 2010 to 41% in 2013), Bullock Creek School District (up from 30% in 2010 to 38% in 2013), and Midland Public Schools (averaged 23% from 2010-2014). Additionally, 3 schools in Midland County also received students who qualified for free and reduced lunches. The free lunch rate varied greatly there also with Midland Academy for Advanced and Creative Studies (averaged 21% from 2013-2014) on the low end and Windover High School and the Academic and Career Education Academy both increasing from 65% to 100% between the 2011 and 2013 school years. All school systems in Midland County had an average of under 10% of students who qualified for reduced lunch. The data shows that there is an income gap among Midland County students, with districts experiencing growth in the number of students who qualify for free lunch programs.
A second measure is the percent of children (ages 0-5) enrolled in Special Education, which is an important measure of early intervention and preparation for school readiness. In Midland County about 7% of children ages 0 to 5 have received especial education services since 2011, compare to 3.6% for the same population in Michigan. In the Civic Engagement Section, focus group data suggests active engagement between the schools and the community.
Two other categories that address the social and health impacts on school readiness are the percent of children receiving family assistance (26% in Midland County and 34.7% in Michigan) and receiving WIC aid (55.3% in Midland and 63.6% in Michigan). Both rates have been about 8% below the state averages, which have been decreasing slightly in Midland but not in Michigan since the economic crisis in 2009.
The last three categories for school readiness are also related to poverty. First, Poverty Ranking of Schools uses census data to rank districts in each state from poorest to richest. Most Midland County districts rank above the midpoint for wealth of the 500 Michigan districts with Midland being the 50th wealthiest in the state; which also includes an overall ranking of school int he Midland ESA where Midland ranks 51 out of 83 counties with about 35% of students in Grades 1-5 living in poverty. The second category is students (grades 1-5) living in poverty. Once again, according to the federal data on poverty, about 49% of students in Coleman Community Schools; 42% in Meridian; 39% in Bullock Creek; and 24% in Midland can be classified as living in poverty.
Third, is the Free and Reduced Lunch Rates(2010-2012), which range widely across the school districts and schools in Midland County. Rates did not change much for school districts, except for the Midland County Educational Service Agency, where the percentage of students qualifying for free lunches went from 46% in 2010 to 33% in 2012. For the 2010-2011 to the 2013-2014 school years, Coleman Community Schools averaged 46% of students eligible, followed by Meridian Public Schools (up from 36% in 2010 to 41% in 2013), Bullock Creek School District (up from 30% in 2010 to 38% in 2013), and Midland Public Schools (averaged 23% from 2010-2014). Additionally, 3 schools in Midland County also received students who qualified for free and reduced lunches. The free lunch rate varied greatly there also with Midland Academy for Advanced and Creative Studies (averaged 21% from 2013-2014) on the low end and Windover High School and the Academic and Career Education Academy both increasing from 65% to 100% between the 2011 and 2013 school years. All school systems in Midland County had an average of under 10% of students who qualified for reduced lunch. The data shows that there is an income gap among Midland County students, with districts experiencing growth in the number of students who qualify for free lunch programs.
Qualitative Indicators for Impact
Intellectual and Social Development