Assessments Matter Maryland’s kindergarten readiness assessment Kindergarteners are assessed as: demonstrating readiness Consistently demonstrates the foundational skills and behaviors that enable a child to fully participate in the kindergarten curriculum. approaching readiness Exhibits some of the foundational skills and behaviors that are needed to participate in the kindergarten curriculum. emerging readiness Displays minimal foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her to meet kindergarten expectations. Children whose readiness skills are “approaching” and/or “emerging” require differentiated instruction, targeted supports, or interventions to be successful in kindergarten.

Assessments Matter Maryland’s kindergarten readiness assessment Administering the KRA Local boards of education and individual schools choose to administer the KRA in one of the following ways: Census Administration Each kindergarten teacher administers the KRA to all incoming kindergarteners Sample Administration Each kindergarten teacher administers the KRA to a sample of students in his/her classroom. MSDE determines the sample size based on enrollment data Census Sample (% Assessed) Allegany Baltimore City Caroline Cecil Charles Dorchester Kent Queen Anne's St. Mary's Somerset Talbot Washington Wicomico Worcester Anne Arundel (21%) Baltimore County (20%) Calvert (27%) Carroll (31%) Frederick (31%) Garrett (37%) Harford (31%) Howard (31%) Montgomery (12%) Prince George’s (12%)

School Readiness In Maryland STATEWIDE & JURISDICTIONAL KRA DATA

School Readiness In Maryland CONTINUED PROGRESS, CONTINUED NEED

School Readiness In Maryland jurisdictional readiness Six jurisdictions performed far above the State average Six of the 13 jurisdictions with lower than State average readiness levels had high percentages of kindergarteners from low- income families

Performance By Domain A FOCUS ON STRENGTHS AND SKILLS School success depends on a child’s readiness in multiple domains. KRA looks at readiness across four domains. These domains are recognized as essential for school and long-term success. Maryland’s KRA data show: Average Statewide Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Scale Scores 273 Social Foundations 268 Language & Literacy 268 Mathematics 275 Physical Well-being & Motor Development

Performance By Domain A FOCUS ON STRENGTHS AND SKILLS

Race and Ethnicity demographics & readiness1 1 Readiness and demographic information for students of American Indian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ethnic backgrounds are not reported due to limited sample size.

Children Receiving Special Services READINESS BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Children Receiving Special Services READINESS BY LANGUAGE

Children Receiving Special Services READINESS BY DISABILITY STATUS

Prior Care2 experience & readiness 2 Caregivers reported the type of care children received prior to kindergarten entry

Publicly Funded3 PreK Enrollment 34% of Anne Arundel County Kindergarteners were enrolled in publicly funded PreK programs last year Of those, 37% attended full day programs 3 Publicly funded PreK refers to programs serving children in public school PreK classrooms, as well as those serving children in community-based PreK classrooms funded through the Federal Preschool Development Grants program.

Equity Matters Educational Inequity Impacts School Readiness Many of our youngest children live in communities with significant barriers that can prevent them from reaching their full potential Children from disadvantaged environments are the least likely to get the supports they need4 Personal or social circumstances – such as immigration status, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, English fluency, or disability – must not be barriers or obstacles to academic success5 4 Heckman, J. (2013). Invest in early childhood development: Reduce deficits, strengthen the economy. Retrieved from: https://heckmanequation.org/www/assets/2013/07/F_HeckmanDeficitPieceCUSTOM-Generic_052714-3-1.pdf 5 Center for Public Education (2016). Educational Equity. What Does It Mean? How Do We Know When We Reach It? Retried from: http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/system/files/Equity%20Symposium_0.pdf

Equity Matters Equity is achieved when all students have the resources they need, such as exceptional teachers or high-quality early childhood programming, to thrive and be successful.6 Investments yield high returns High-quality birth-to-five programs for disadvantaged children can deliver a 13% per year return on investment These economically significant returns are realized through better outcomes, including increased school and career achievement, more high school graduates, reduced costs of remedial education, lower health and criminal justice expenditures, and higher adult employment and incomes7 6 The Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT (2017). Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children: 2017 Policy Report. Retrieved from: https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-2017raceforresults-2017.pdf 7 Garcia, J. L., Heckman, J. J., Leaf, D. E., & Prados, M. J. (2017). Quantifying the life-cycle benefits of a prototypical early childhood program. Retrieved from: https://heckmanequation.org/www/assets/2017/12/abc_comprehensivecba_JPE-SUBMISSION_2017-05-26a_sjs_sjs.pdf

Success Is Within Our Reach addressing inequities We must ensure that all children have equitable access to enriching and supportive learning environments and that personal or social circumstances are not obstacles to kindergarten readiness and academic success. The Solution Must be Multi-faceted: Equitable distribution of education funding Support “PreK for All” or “Universal PreK” Use the KRA data Focus on the most vulnerable Demand quality Incorporate culturally & linguistically competent practices Address the disconnect Engage & empower families Keep school readiness a top priority

A Collective Obligation Help all children achieve and thrive Learn More The following materials are available to help jurisdictional leaders and key stakeholders use the KRA data: Resources Statewide Report Technical Report Statewide Infographic Statewide PowerPoint Presentation Jurisdiction-specific Issue Briefs Customized PowerPoint Presentations www.ReadyAtFive.org