What is school What is school readiness?readiness?

Greg J. DuncanGreg J. Duncan

Department of EducationDepartment of Education

University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine

What school-entry What school-entry academicacademic, , attentionattention, , social and social and emotionalemotional skills matter most skills matter most for:for:

School achievementSchool achievement High school completion and High school completion and

college enrollmentcollege enrollment Crime in early adulthoodCrime in early adulthood

Kindergarten Skills and Kindergarten Skills and BehaviorsBehaviors

Achievement

DescriptioDescription:n:

Concrete academic skills

Example Example test areas test areas or or question question wording:wording:

Knowing letters and numbers;

beginning word sounds, word

problems

Kindergarten Skills and Kindergarten Skills and BehaviorsBehaviors

Achievement Attention

DescriptioDescription:n:

Concrete academic skills

Ability to control

impulses and focus on tasks

Example Example test areas test areas or or question question wording:wording:

Knowing letters and numbers;

beginning word sounds, word

problems

Can’t sit still; can’t

concentrate; score from a

computer test of impulse

control

Kindergarten Skills and Kindergarten Skills and BehaviorsBehaviors

Achievement AttentionProblem

Behaviors

DescriptioDescription:n:

Concrete academic skills

Ability to control

impulses and focus on tasks

i) Ability to get along with others

ii) Sound mental health

Example Example test areas test areas or or question question wording:wording:

Knowing letters and numbers;

beginning word sounds, word

problems

Can’t sit still; can’t

concentrate; score from a

computer test of impulse

control

i) Cheats or tells lies, bullies, is disobedient at school

ii) Is sad, moody

Simple associations with Simple associations with later achievementlater achievement

Simple associations with Simple associations with later achievementlater achievement

Effects on later Effects on later achievementachievement

Effects on later Effects on later achievementachievement

Effects on high school Effects on high school completioncompletion

Effects on high school Effects on high school completioncompletion

Effects on arrests, Effects on arrests, incarcerationincarceration

Effects on arrests, Effects on arrests, incarcerationincarceration

SummarySummary

Early reading and, especially, math Early reading and, especially, math matter the most for future school matter the most for future school successsuccess

Anti-social behaviors don’t interfere with Anti-social behaviors don’t interfere with early learning, but hurt in the long runearly learning, but hurt in the long run

Attention skills matter early but not laterAttention skills matter early but not later

Mild mental health problems do not Mild mental health problems do not affect school successaffect school success

ImplicationsImplications

Pre-K curricula focused on early Pre-K curricula focused on early math skills should be an math skills should be an evaluation priorityevaluation priority