(Joplin, MO) – Positive data trends in Joplin Schools Early Childhood programs are showing improved outcomes for incoming kindergarten students.
Each year, Joplin Schools staff use a screening tool on incoming kindergarten students called DIBELS. This tool is a series of screening subtests that measure a student’s academic readiness in areas like letter recognition, letter sounds, and more. The average Joplin student enters kindergarten scoring at the 51st percentile of national rankings. Students who have had no early learning experiences enter lower, at about the 45th percentile.
During this year’s screenings, staff collected additional data points to measure the effects of two of Joplin’s newest early learning opportunities on kindergarten readiness: Flight School and SOAR Transitional Kindergarten (TK). The Flight School program, piloted in 2024, is a full-day preschool program for four-year-olds, including classes in three elementary buildings and at Joplin Early Childhood. SOAR TK, piloted in 2023, provides an extra year of time and experience for five-year-olds with later birthdays to prepare for the full rigors of kindergarten.
The results show strong gains. Students who completed a Transitional Kindergarten year saw an average DIBELS rank in the 77th percentile and those who completed a Flight School year held an average DIBELS rank in the 63rd percentile, both well above average.
“These numbers are huge,” said Joplin Schools Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Dr. Sarah Mwangi. “Flight School and Transitional Kindergarten are meeting and exceeding our expectations. They’re giving our youngest learners the strong foundation they need to feel confident and ready to grow. When students start kindergarten on a solid footing, they’re more likely to read on grade level and become leaders as they move through school. We’re really proud of the way these programs and teachers are helping our kids.”
Part of the district’s recently approved Long Range Facility Plan includes the intention to create more spaces for early childhood classrooms in existing elementary schools. “We know what a difference it makes for a student when they are really prepared to start
kindergarten,” said Joplin Schools superintendent Dr. Kerry Sachetta. “And we know our community’s families need more of these opportunities for their children. We’re going to be focusing a lot of attention on growing access to early childhood education. It’s fantastic to see this data support the value of that focus.”
Reference:
Sarah Coyne, Director of Communications
Joplin Schools
sarahcoyne@joplinschools.org
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