After a report from the Florida Department of Education revealed that less than half of VPK children were ready for kindergarten, Governor Ron DeSantis is calling on officials to prioritize the issue.
According to the Florida Department of Education's 2017-18 Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) readiness rates, 42 percent of children who attended pre-school last year were not ready for kindergarten.
“A 42% failure rate is simply not defendable and certainly not good enough for Florida’s youngest learners," said Governor Ron DeSantis in a statement. "I have asked Commissioner Corcoran to prioritize this issue and direct available funding to make enhancements. Nearly three-quarters of Florida parents rely on VPK programs to lay the academic and social foundation necessary for their children to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”
Florida law requires that each school district to administer the statewide kindergarten screening to each kindergarten student in the school district within the first 30 school days of each school year. Those screenings are then used to evaluate the quality of VPK providers.
VPK providers are put on probation if fewer than 60 percent of their children pass the assessment given within the first 30 days of the child starting kindergarten.
To view VPK readiness rates in your area, click here.
