Ohio students entering kindergarten in Fall 2025 showed a significant increase in readiness compared to the previous year, with state data indicating an 8.2% rise. This improvement brings kindergarten readiness to a level not seen even before the pandemic. The data reveals that 44.8% of students demonstrated readiness for kindergarten in 2025, up from 36.6% the year prior. This progress is primarily attributed to young children performing better in language and literacy, with 62.8% of students on track in these key areas, an increase from 45.6% in the previous year.
The level of readiness for kindergarten is crucial for a child's long-term academic success. Kara Wente, director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, stated that Ohio data shows children who start kindergarten ready are typically nine times more likely to score proficient or higher on the state mathematics test in third grade, and seven times more likely to achieve the same in English language arts.
Despite these gains, fewer than half of Ohio’s children are ready for kindergarten, according to Lynanne Gutierrez, president and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, an early childhood advocacy organization. Gutierrez noted that while the progress is exciting, the state "has a long way to go," even as she acknowledged that policy choices can translate into meaningful improvements. The language-and-literacy measure in the kindergarten test is also above pre-pandemic levels.
Governor Mike DeWine and his administration suggest that the state’s focus on phonics and other teaching techniques within the "science of reading" approach to literacy may be a factor in these improved results. Additionally, recent changes in childcare standards for facilities serving many children with publicly funded daycare likely contributed to the increase. Expanded identification of children with special needs, leading to in-home interventions, also helped put more children on track for kindergarten readiness, Wente said.
Wente also pointed to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library as a likely contributor. The kindergarten class of 2025 marks the first cohort of children who had access to the program from birth to age 5. Championed by First Lady Fran DeWine, the Imagination Library mails a book each month to every signed-up child, and last year's kindergarten class was the first in which children from all Ohio counties were eligible to enroll at birth. Wente clarified that no single program is solely responsible for the change, but noted this was "the first cohort of kids" to access the Imagination Library from birth to age 5, adding that the gains are a "culmination of really focusing on early care and education for the last seven years."
The state’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) is administered to children between July and November when they enter kindergarten. This assessment evaluates language and literacy, mathematics, social and emotional development, and physical well-being and motor skills. It is not a traditional pen-and-paper exam; rather, teachers learn about a child’s readiness through one-on-one interaction and observation during normal classroom activities. Wente described some of the skills assessed, including a child's ability to recognize letters, write their first name, cut with scissors, hold a pencil appropriately, make direct eye contact and use sentences, and take turns. The KRA helps educators and state policymakers understand children’s knowledge base as they begin their formal schooling.
Lynanne Gutierrez of Groundwork Ohio indicated that the increase in kindergarten readiness test scores suggests the effectiveness of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, advocating against its dismantling by a future governor. She emphasized that investing in quality and having a department prioritizing children and accountable programs can lead to positive outcomes for kids and communities. Governor Mike DeWine established the department in 2023, consolidating approximately 600 employees from the state departments of Education, Jobs and Family Services, Health, and the agency now known as Behavioral Health Services and Developmental Disabilities. These employees collaborate on a range of programs, including childcare, foster youth, special education preschool, and in-home visits for children with needs. The department also handles daycare inspections and regulation.
In 2024, the Ohio Department of Children and Youth revised education standards for its Step Up to Quality program, which assists parents in choosing childcare centers. Childcare centers with at least 25% of their children receiving publicly funded care must adhere to these revised standards, ensuring trained teachers and specific learning content. Voluntary participation is available for other centers, Wente said. She added that these centers "are using a curriculum aligned with the science of reading and the early learning development standards," and that the department likely provides its own created curriculum. The department has distributed over 6,000 copies of these curricula to licensed programs statewide and more than 14,000 teachers have accessed related training. The department also collaborates with the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at Ohio State to offer mini-sessions for teachers, addressing classroom practices and aspects of the science of reading. Dr. Amy Acton's spokeswoman, Virginia Schaus, affirmed Dr. Acton's support for the Department of Children and Youth, stating that as governor, she would ensure its programs are held to the highest standards.
