CONNECT: amhobart@olemiss.edu
THE READINESS GAP
Too many children start school already at a disadvantage. In their first four years of life, "an average child in a professional household would accumulate experience with almost 45 million words; an average child in a working-class household 26 million words; and an average child in a household facing economic challenges 13 million words" (Hart & Risley, 2003).
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In Mississippi, 2 out of every 3 students enter kindergarten without key foundational skills—such as recognizing that printed text carries meaning, identifying some letters and numbers, and distinguishing basic colors and shapes.
THE ATTENDANCE GAP
Too many children facing economic and social barriers miss too many days of school. Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 10% or more of the school year (18 days or more) for any reason—can significantly impact a child’s learning and long-term success.
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In the 2022–2023 school year, 108,310 K–12 students in Mississippi were chronically absent (MDE, 2023). That’s a significant loss of valuable classroom time needed to build essential academic skills.
​MDE: Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement & Dropout Prevention – Chronic Absenteeism Report​​​​​​​​​​
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THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME GAP
Too many children face limited access to high-quality learning opportunities during the summer months. Research shows that without engaging and enriching summer activities, students can lose up to three months of reading comprehension skills. By fifth grade, this cumulative summer learning loss can leave them nearly three grade levels behind their peers.
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