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Virginia’s kindergarten readiness rate increased from 51% in 2025 to 57% in 2026, with gains among several student groups. But about 43% of children still fell below the overall benchmark, and the state report calls for earlier support, ongoing assessment and more attention to social-emotional development.
Virginia’s share of children meeting the kindergarten readiness benchmark rose six percentage points, to 57%, in 2026, according to a new state report, but about 43% still fell short. The findings show gains among several underserved groups while underscoring persistent differences in readiness, and the report recommends earlier identification of children needing help, continued assessment and more individualized support.
The report, issued Oct. 1 by the Virginia Department of Education and the University of Virginia’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, draws on results from the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program. State lawmakers had directed the agencies to examine how Virginia’s preschool initiative supports children’s readiness for school.
Readiness increased from 51% in 2025 to 57% in 2026. The report also found gains among Latino children, whose readiness rose 7 percentage points; Black children and children from low-income families, up 6 points each; English learners, up 5 points; and children with disabilities, up 4 points. Literacy readiness rose 6 points, while math readiness rose 2.
Those improvements did not eliminate disparities. Children from low-income families, children with disabilities, multilingual learners, Black and Hispanic children, and boys were more likely than their peers to fall below the overall benchmark. The report also flags social-emotional development: some children had difficulty with self-regulation, managing emotions and interacting with others.
Readiness Gains Leave Many Behind
The figures matter because kindergarten readiness can shape how children approach early elementary school, while the report indicates that a substantial share still begins below the state’s benchmark. Superintendent of Public Instruction Jenna Conway told the Mercury that stronger readiness can improve children’s likelihood of meeting later academic expectations.
The report says schools should not focus on literacy and math alone. It calls for support for self-regulation, social skills and well-being, alongside academic instruction. That recommendation reflects the finding that some children need help with social-emotional skills even as literacy and math readiness improve.
The persistent group-level gaps also raise practical questions for schools and policymakers: whether children are identified early enough, whether teachers have support to adapt instruction, and whether families can access quality early learning. The report offers recommendations, but it does not establish that any single intervention caused the gains or would close the gaps.
kindergarten readiness assessment kit
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How Virginia Tracked Readiness
In 2020, Virginia lawmakers found that 44% of children entered kindergarten without literacy, math and social-emotional skills considered necessary for success. The new analysis follows that concern and uses kindergarten readiness assessment results to examine the state’s preschool efforts. The 2020 figure and the 2025–26 rates come from different points in time; the supplied report does not provide enough detail to treat them as a directly comparable trend series.
A separate development announced by VDOE on Wednesday concerns the state’s Virginia Quality Birth-to-Five (VQB5) system, created by lawmakers to improve readiness and expand information and support for families and providers. Its 2026 Quality Profiles cover 3,220 early learning sites serving more than 125,000 children. The average score rose to 594 out of 800, while the share of sites requiring state intervention fell to a record-low 10, according to the report.
VDOE and its partners credited the VQB5 results to investment, educator commitment and collaboration. The profiles measure early-learning program quality; they are separate from the kindergarten readiness rates. The report also says affordability and access to quality child care remain challenges.
Limits of the Readiness Findings
The reported rates show changes in the share meeting benchmarks, but the supplied material does not specify the assessment’s full methodology, sample details, or how uncertainty around the estimates was calculated. It also does not explain why readiness improved or establish that a particular preschool policy or investment produced the gains.
The report describes persistent gaps but does not quantify every group’s readiness rate or the size of each gap. It identifies social-emotional concerns without giving a breakdown of how many children struggled in each area. The available details also do not specify which recommendations will receive funding, how they would be implemented, or how officials will measure their effects.
Lawmakers Weigh January Action
Virginia lawmakers are expected to discuss legislation addressing the report’s recommendations when they return to Richmond in January. The report urges schools to use assessments throughout the year to identify children who need additional instruction or individualized help, and to respond to teacher concerns with appropriate support.
Other recommendations include stronger teacher training, better coordination between families and schools, improved assessment in grades 1 through 3, and stronger data and reporting systems. The report also calls for strengthening preschool programs so educators can better understand and support children’s development. The source material does not identify specific bills or a timetable for putting these proposals into effect.
State leaders are also continuing work on sustainable funding approaches for early childhood education, as affordability and access remain challenges. Future updates will show whether lawmakers adopt new measures and whether subsequent readiness and quality-profile results track changes across student groups.
Key Questions
What was Virginia’s kindergarten readiness rate in 2026?
The report puts the rate at 57%, up from 51% in 2025. About 43% of children did not meet the overall benchmark.
Which student groups recorded gains?
Readiness rose 7 percentage points for Latino children, 6 for Black children and children from low-income families, 5 for English learners, and 4 for children with disabilities.
Did the report say readiness gaps have closed?
No. It says children from low-income families, children with disabilities, multilingual learners, Black and Hispanic children, and boys were more likely to fall below the overall benchmark.
What does the report recommend?
Recommendations include assessments throughout the school year, earlier and individualized support, more attention to social-emotional development, teacher training, stronger family-school connections and improved data systems.
What happens next?
State lawmakers are expected to discuss legislation related to the report’s goals when they return to Richmond in January. The source material does not specify which proposals will be introduced or enacted.
Source: rss
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