READY (2014 - 2024)

Understanding Kindergarten Readiness and Equity in Sonoma County

Since 2013, the READY project conducted ongoing background research to support the pilot and scaling of a common kindergarten readiness assessment in Sonoma County. The school readiness assessment was paired with a parent survey to gather information on early learning experiences and family activities of children entering kindergarten. In Fall 2015, the project transitioned to an evidence-based, classroom-friendly tool called the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP).

READY is funded by First 5 Sonoma County and implemented by Upstream Investments.

Over the course of its implementation, READY generated critical insights into kindergarten readiness across Sonoma County. Beginning in the 2016–17 school year, READY observed a decline in kindergarten readiness among the READY cohort of school districts. The project also identified persistent and significant disparities in kindergarten readiness between white students and students who identified as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, or from a Community of Color (BIPOC), as well as Dual Language Learners (DLLs). 

These disparities were not limited to school readiness at kindergarten entry. READY’s findings highlighted broader, systemic inequities that extended into family income and educational attainment, access to early learning opportunities and education, and other structural factors beyond the individual and family level. These trends and findings are documented in greater detail in the Sonoma County School Readiness Report 2021-22.

READY’s long-term goals were to:

1. Partner with additional school districts to evaluate school readiness of incoming kindergarten students
2. Deepen community engagement, especially with parents of kindergarten students who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color
3. Expand the use of READY data to strengthen early learning programs in Sonoma County that served children aged 0–5
4. Support the dismantling of structural and institutional racism in the community to close the opportunity gap
5. Strengthen connections between early learning programs and the K–12 school system
6. Provide data to inform decision-making by the community’s governing bodies, funders, and agencies
7. Through its research, partnerships, and data-driven approach, READY helped establish a foundation for understanding school readiness and inequity in Sonoma County, informing ongoing efforts to improve early learning systems and outcomes for young children and families.

Kindergarten Readiness in Sonoma County