An abundance of research exists on risk factors that contribute to disparities in children’s school readiness. While the presence of risk does not inevitably determine whether a child will fall behind, the existence of risk is powerful enough to create barriers. The likelihood of delays is proportionate to the number of risk factors a child experiences; the more risk factors experienced in early childhood, the less likely a child is to be ready for kindergarten.²²

Cumulative risk provides an overview of the risks associated with school readiness. Scores were calculated by county to provide an indication of the overall risk. Cumulative scores include the level of risk for each of the following factors: poverty, maternal education, language spoken at home, teen pregnancy, children without health insurance, and single parent households. Each factor was assigned a score from 1 to 8, with 8 being the highest level of risk. Cumulative scores ranged from 10 (indicating the lowest risk) to 43 (indicating the highest risk).

Hovering over or tapping a county will display the level of risk for each factor and whether ECBG services are available in the county.