Original Source | Statesman Journal
By Ruth Liao, Sunday December 20, 2009

A nearby Oregon county has developed what's considered a model school readiness assessment. Washington County has conducted two school readiness assessments, one in 1997 and a follow-up survey in 2007.

Diana Stotz, program manager for the Washington County Children and Families Commission, said at the time school readiness was considered a benchmark by the Oregon Progress Board in 1997, their county wanted to take an in-depth look at the issue. The survey defined school readiness by looking at indicators in the family, community and school related to cognitive, physical and social/emotional well-being.

The county invested $50,000 for each survey. A representative sampling of schools was chosen to survey, collecting information from parent, teacher and principal interviews. The data were then analyzed by researcher Rebecca Severeide.

Both surveys showed that Washington County children, overall, were "school ready."

But patterns and trends emerged in some of the data that helped bring together schools and early childhood providers.

In 2007, about half of the kindergartners did not grasp basic literacy skills such as knowing how to use books. This finding was not linked to family income or language abilities, Stotz said.

"It suggested that it was multifaceted," she said.

So the county commission focused efforts on early literacy. Their library system began training child care providers, collection sites for books were placed around the community, and a satellite library was built near a light rail line.

Between the two surveys, Washington County had a 15 percent increase in the number of kindergartners, and a 56 percent increase of families living in poverty.

By the second survey, about the same number of children were not as prepared to read - but the findings were consistent in low-income, ethnic families new to the area.

Stotz said after the county conducted the first study, more early childhood development training was done in school districts. Teachers in K-12 schools were able to receive early childhood certificates and gain more expertise in developmentally appropriate teaching.

But some of the initiatives sparked by the surveys have fallen because of a lack of funds, Stotz said. Washington County still has a challenge to support families and caregivers.

"I think there's a growing understanding in the importance of the early years. But there's a continued reluctance to invest. Little kids are not breaking laws."