View in EDS

Changes in Children's Kindergarten Readiness in the Wake of COVID-19: Statewide Evidence from Louisiana

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Changes in Children's Kindergarten Readiness in the Wake of COVID-19: Statewide Evidence from Louisiana
Language: English
Authors: Anna J. Markowitz, Walter Herring, Isabelle Fares
Source: Teachers College Record. 2025 127(6-7):66-86.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
Contract Number: R305B200005
90YE0216
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, School Readiness, Kindergarten, Young Children, Literacy, Mathematics, Learning Strategies, Interpersonal Competence, Emotional Intelligence, Physical Development, Low Income Students, Minority Group Students
Geographic Terms: Louisiana
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
DOI: 10.1177/01614681251368327
ISSN: 0161-4681
1467-9620
Abstract: Background/Context: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family life in myriad ways, including increasing family stress and reducing access to early care and education experiences. Such factors suggest that children's early learning and development may have been negatively impacted, which would have long-term implications for necessary school support. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study estimates statewide changes in kindergarten readiness in Louisiana from 2019 to 2021 to understand both the immediate impact of COVID-19 and the potential for longer-term implications. Given the unequal burden of the pandemic, variability by economic disadvantage and race/ethnicity is explored. Research Design: This report uses statewide kindergarten entry assessment data from Louisiana (N = [approximately]50,000 each year, 42% Black, 10% Hispanic, 43% White) to estimate mean school readiness in the literacy, mathematics, approaches to learning, social-emotional, and physical domains, as well as variability by child race and family economic disadvantage each year from 2019 to 2021. It then uses regression to account for potential changes in school characteristics. Conclusions/Recommendations: We find a 15% decrease in literacy, and declines from 5% to 15% across math, social-emotional, approaches to learning, and physical domains from 2019 to 2020, and very little evidence of a rebound in 2021. Consistent with evidence of a double pandemic of systemic racism alongside COVID-19, decreases in readiness were larger among Black children than White children from 2019 to 2020, suggesting that COVID-19 widened existing inequality. We were unable to explore racial inequality in 2021. Continued assessment and deployment of targeted supports will be essential to ensure pandemic-linked challenges do not exert a lasting influence, as well as a whole-child emphasis.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1484577
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1484577
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Changes in Children's Kindergarten Readiness in the Wake of COVID-19: Statewide Evidence from Louisiana
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anna+J%2E+Markowitz%22">Anna J. Markowitz</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Walter+Herring%22">Walter Herring</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Isabelle+Fares%22">Isabelle Fares</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Teachers+College+Record%22"><i>Teachers College Record</i></searchLink>. 2025 127(6-7):66-86.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 21
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)<br />Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R305B200005<br />90YE0216
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Readiness%22">School Readiness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literacy%22">Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics%22">Mathematics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Strategies%22">Learning Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Competence%22">Interpersonal Competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Intelligence%22">Emotional Intelligence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+Development%22">Physical Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Minority+Group+Students%22">Minority Group Students</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Louisiana%22">Louisiana</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Dynamic+Indicators+of+Basic+Early+Literacy+Skills+%28DIBELS%29%22">Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/01614681251368327
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0161-4681<br />1467-9620
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background/Context: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family life in myriad ways, including increasing family stress and reducing access to early care and education experiences. Such factors suggest that children's early learning and development may have been negatively impacted, which would have long-term implications for necessary school support. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study estimates statewide changes in kindergarten readiness in Louisiana from 2019 to 2021 to understand both the immediate impact of COVID-19 and the potential for longer-term implications. Given the unequal burden of the pandemic, variability by economic disadvantage and race/ethnicity is explored. Research Design: This report uses statewide kindergarten entry assessment data from Louisiana (N = [approximately]50,000 each year, 42% Black, 10% Hispanic, 43% White) to estimate mean school readiness in the literacy, mathematics, approaches to learning, social-emotional, and physical domains, as well as variability by child race and family economic disadvantage each year from 2019 to 2021. It then uses regression to account for potential changes in school characteristics. Conclusions/Recommendations: We find a 15% decrease in literacy, and declines from 5% to 15% across math, social-emotional, approaches to learning, and physical domains from 2019 to 2020, and very little evidence of a rebound in 2021. Consistent with evidence of a double pandemic of systemic racism alongside COVID-19, decreases in readiness were larger among Black children than White children from 2019 to 2020, suggesting that COVID-19 widened existing inequality. We were unable to explore racial inequality in 2021. Continued assessment and deployment of targeted supports will be essential to ensure pandemic-linked challenges do not exert a lasting influence, as well as a whole-child emphasis.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: CodeSource
  Label: IES Funded
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Yes
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1484577
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1484577
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/01614681251368327
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 66
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Readiness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Literacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Competence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotional Intelligence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physical Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Minority Group Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Louisiana
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Changes in Children's Kindergarten Readiness in the Wake of COVID-19: Statewide Evidence from Louisiana
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Anna J. Markowitz
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Walter Herring
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Isabelle Fares
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0161-4681
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1467-9620
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 127
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6-7
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Teachers College Record
              Type: main
ResultId 1