100% of VPK Students Achieve Kindergarten Readiness Scores, While Elementary Students benefit from new year-round Reading Readiness program.
Boca Raton, Fla. June 12, 2025 – In a time when young children across the country are still grappling with the lasting effects of pandemic-era learning loss, Fuller Center is proud to announce that 100% of its 2025 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) graduates have achieved kindergarten readiness. All students scored at or above average benchmarks, far surpassing both state and national averages.
This milestone comes amid a growing education crisis. According to the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning, just 64% of children who completed a VPK program in 2023–2024 demonstrated readiness for kindergarten. Nationally, readiness rates remain even lower in many regions, with early literacy skills still lagging pre-pandemic levels.
“We are facing what I call a ‘quiet crisis,’” said Eric Roby, CEO of the Fuller Center. “The pandemic disrupted foundational learning years for millions of children, and the consequences won’t fully reveal themselves until years down the line—when these children reach high school, college, or the workforce. At Fuller Center, we’re not waiting to see the effects. We’re addressing these challenges now so the children we serve can meet reading standards soon and avoid life-long financial hardships later.”
A major part of that effort is Fuller Center’s new partnership with the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI). Fuller Center piloted the UFLI Foundations phonics-based literacy program last summer with 15 students. After seeing immediate growth, Fuller Center has now expanded the program to reach 40 children this summer and is launching the curriculum across its early education classrooms year-round thanks to generous financial support from the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
Built on the science of reading, the UFLI program equips educators with proven strategies to strengthen decoding skills, reading comprehension, and student confidence—all key components of kindergarten readiness and long-term success.
“This isn’t just about passing a readiness test,” Roby added. “It’s about making sure our children are equipped with the literacy tools they’ll need to thrive academically and economically in the future.”
Fuller Center’s model also addresses the whole child by pairing academics with social-emotional learning and robust family support. With this holistic, cradle-to-career approach, Fuller Center is not just preparing children for school—but for life.
Learn more about the UFLI Foundations program here: https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/foundations/
About the Fuller Center
For more than 50 years, the Fuller Center has embraced, educated, and empowered hardworking, under-resourced families across South Florida. Serving over 1,100 children annually — from infants through teens — and reaching more than 700 families across 40+ zip codes in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, the Fuller Center provides affordable, high-quality early education, out-of-school programs, private elementary education, teen leadership development, and family support services. Each year, the organization delivers more than 430,000 meals and snacks to ensure children’s health and wellbeing at three campuses.
Facebook: @fullercenterfl
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