The Niswonger Foundation and Ballad Health have released promising new data from the 2025 school readiness screening, revealing that students in Northeast Tennessee are entering Kindergarten significantly more prepared than in previous years. The results indicate an 11% increase in the number of school-ready students compared to 2024, with the highest proficiency scores achieved in language development. While the data highlights substantial progress, it also identifies specific developmental areas where continued support is needed to ensuring every child arrives at school physically, emotionally, and intellectually prepared.
This positive trend underscores the success of a powerful regional collaboration involving seventeen school districts, community organizations, and health partners. By adopting a universal screener to assess key developmental skills, the initiative empowers educators and community leaders with the actionable data needed to target interventions and improve student outcomes. Leaders from both organizations emphasized that this shared vision and proactive partnership are critical to strengthening the foundations of early learning, ensuring that the region's youngest students are set on a path for both academic success and lifelong well-being.
Click on the link to read the entire press release: https://docs.google.com/document/d/126Pt2zkPytOys0jd6HVY0KzXaJLX8JYg/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104429681403685529413&rtpof=true&sd=true