Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Rises to 57%, State Report Says

Norfolk Portsmouth Newport News, VA, October 15, 2026 —

Kindergarten readiness among Virginia students has risen to 57%, a six-percentage-point increase over the past year, according to a recent report from the Virginia Department of Education.

The report also describes gains among several underserved groups: Latino and Black students, children from low-income households, English learners, and children with disabilities. It does not provide, in the information available, separate readiness rates or the size of the increase for each group.

Despite the overall improvement, readiness gaps remain, with the report highlighting social-emotional skills as a particular area of concern. The summary of the report does not specify how readiness was measured, how many children were assessed, or which social-emotional skills showed the largest gaps.

The department recommends targeted teacher training, continued assessments, and individualized support for students as ways to address disparities. The report’s recommendations point to both classroom practice and ongoing monitoring, but the available information does not describe specific training programs, assessment schedules, or support models.

The six-percentage-point rise signals progress in the statewide measure, while the continuing gaps indicate that readiness is not uniform across student groups or areas of development. The report summary does not identify the precise year covered, provide detailed comparisons among groups, or state whether the recommendations have been adopted. Those details would help clarify how the gains were distributed and how officials plan to track progress.

Story summarized from the original created by Craig Belcher on wydaily.com, see more information here.

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