According to the Florida Department of Educaton, only 38% of Escambia County kindergarteners were ready to start school for the 2024-25 school year — a 12-point drop from the previous year. The state average fell eight points, from 51% to 43%.
State law requires statewide kindergarten screening be administered within the first 30 days of kindergarten for all kindergarten students. The results of this screening provide valuable information about a child’s readiness for school, help teachers plan instruction to meet each child’s individual needs and offer useful information to parents.
In past years, the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) was the screening tool utilized for this purpose. However, in 2022-2023, Florida adopted a statewide Coordinated Screening and Progress Monitoring System known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Star Early Literacy. FAST Star Early Literacy now serves as the kindergarten screener…