Eric.ed.gov – Early Education Gaps by Social Class and Race Start U.S. Children Out on Unequal Footing: A Summary of the Major Findings in “Inequalities at the Starting Gate”

Understanding disparities in school readiness among America’s children when they begin kindergarten is critically important, now more than ever. In today’s 21st century global economy, it is expected that the great majority of children will complete high school ready to enter college or begin a career, and assume their civic responsibilities. This requires strong math, reading, science, and other cognitive skills, as well as the abilities to work well and communicate eeffectively with others, solve problems creatively, and see tasks to completion. Unfortunately, the weak early starts that many children are getting make it hard to attain these societal goals. Knowing which groups of children tend to start school behind, how far behind they are, and what factors contribute to their lag, can help in developing policies to avert the early gaps that become long-term problems. “Inequalities at the Starting Gate: Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills Gaps between 2010-2011 Kindergarten Classmates” explores gaps by social class and race/ethnicity in both cognitive skills–math, reading, and executive function–and noncognitive skills such as self-control, approaches to learning, and interactions with teachers and peers. The authors refer to these skills gaps as gaps in school readiness. [For the full report, see ED560407.]