From Gaps to Gains: Closing the Kindergarten Readiness Divide

One year. An 82% jump in readiness. Here’s what happens when systems align for children.

Last year, only 5% of children in one of our centerprise cohorts, Operation Breakthrough, would have entered kindergarten fully ready. Just one year later, that number rose to 87%.

That’s not a typo—it’s transformation.

At SOCI, we believe in what’s possible when the right people, programs, and resources come together to meet families where they are. This is more than a success story—it’s a model for closing one of our most urgent equity and access gaps.

1. The Readiness Gap is Real

In underserved communities, children often enter kindergarten up to two years behind their peers in language, math, and social-emotional development.

These gaps don’t just go away. Without intervention, they widen over time, showing up in test scores, graduation rates, and economic outcomes.

But the good news? High-quality early education changes trajectories.

2. Partnership is the Power

SOCI doesn’t operate in a silo. We collaborate with high-impact organizations like Operation Breakthrough, SchoolSmartKC, Open Minds Child Development Center, KidZone and a network of Centerprises across Kansas City.

Together, we braid funding, align strategies, and share data—ensuring that families don’t fall through the cracks and that educators have what they need to deliver results.

3. Data-Driven Outcomes

We don’t just believe in impact—we measure it.

Through regular developmental assessments, our partner centers adjust instruction, build responsive environments, and ensure that children are growing across every domain of learning.

The results speak for themselves: when children are in full-day, full-year programs supported by trained educators and systems-level resources, readiness soars.