Wicomico County Children Entering School Ready to Learn The 2011-2012 Maryland School Readiness Report Wicomico County what the 2009-2010 school readiness data mean for Maryland’s children

Birth to Five a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity The Greatest Chance for Learning 90% of brain development occurs before age 5 The brain depends on early experiences to grow Early learning experiences build school readiness School Readiness A child’s ability to successful carry out kindergarten work

How does Maryland Assess Readiness? About the MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) An annual assessment on what each kindergartener knows and is able to do in the following domains: Language & Literacy Mathematical Thinking Physical Development Scientific Thinking Social & Personal Development Social Studies The Arts

How does Maryland Assess Readiness? About the MMSR Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) Children are identified as: Fully Ready: Consistently demonstrates the skills, behaviors, and abilities, which are needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully. Approaching Readiness: Inconsistently demonstrates the skills, behaviors, and abilities, which are needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully and requires targeted instructional support in specific areas. Developing Readiness: Does not demonstrate the skills, behaviors, and abilities, which are needed to meet kindergarten expectations and requires considerable instructional support in specific areas.

Statewide Highlights Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 Key Trends in Maryland Strong short-term gains. Stunning long-term improvements. 83% of Maryland kindergarteners are fully school-ready, up 34-points from 2001-2002 and 2 points more than last year. Statewide full readiness level higher than projections in the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant. Maryland experienced pronounced gains across all Domains of Learning. Focus on Language & Literacy is paying off. All children show higher achievement. African-American and Hispanic kindergarteners made substantial gains – higher than statewide overall gains. Children attending a PreK program the year prior to matriculating to kindergarten are highly prepared.

Wicomico County Demographics Facts About Young Children

Significant School Readiness Gains Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 88% of the County’s kindergarten students are fully ready for school – a 33-point gain in readiness from 2001-2002. Wicomico County’s kindergarteners outpace the statewide readiness level, currently at 83%. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Stunning Improvements Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 88% of the County’s kindergarten students are fully ready for school, up from 55% in 2001-2002 and 87% last year. Only 2% of the County’s children are developing readiness – fewer than 25 students require considerable support to do kindergarten work. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Increased Readiness Across All Domains Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 Kindergarteners show the greatest gains in: Social Studies (85% fully ready, up 57 points from 2001-2002) Kindergarteners demonstrate the strongest readiness in: Physical Development (94% fully ready) The Arts (89% fully ready) Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Investments in Language & Literacy Pay Off Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 There is a direct correlation between increases in Language & Literacy skills and improvements in overall school readiness. 77% of kindergarteners are fully ready in the area of Language & Literacy, up from 40% in 2001-2002. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Big Gains for “STEM” Disciplines Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 The domains aligned with the “STEM Disciplines”– Science Technology Engineering and Math – saw high gains: Mathematical Thinking (75% fully ready, a 33-point gain) Scientific Thinking (70% fully ready, a 48-point jump) Despite the gains, about 350 kindergarteners (30%) require targeted or considerable support to successfully complete work in Science – the domain with the least readiness. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

All Children Show Higher Achievement Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 84% of African-American children are fully school- ready, up 31 points from 2001-2002. 78% of Hispanic children are fully school-ready – a 5-point jump from 2001-2002. Not Tracked in 2001-2002 * Fewer than 5 Students Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Good Progress Among Males & Females Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 91% of females are fully school-ready in 2011-2012, up from 62% in 2001-2002. While a smaller percentage of males (84%) are fully ready in 2011-2012, they are within 4 points of the County average. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Increases Among Low-Income Children Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 85% kindergarteners from low-income households (Free and Reduced Priced Meal status) rose to full readiness, up from 59% in 2001-2002. These gains bring children from low-income households within 3 points of the countywide average. 69% of the County’s kindergarteners are from low- income households. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Substantial Progress Among ELL Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 82% of English Language Learners (ELL – children whose first language is not English) are fully ready, up from 47% in 2001-2002. These gains bring ELL within 6 points of the countywide average. 8% of the County’s kindergarteners are ELL. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Good Gains Among Children with Disabilities Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 64% of children with disabilities are fully ready, a 25-point gain from 2001-2002 and 1 point more than last year. These gains bring children with disabilities within 24 points of the countywide average. 9% of the County’s kindergarteners have an identified disability or receive services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Readiness Disparities for At-Risk Children Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 Children from Low-Income Households 85% of Wicomico County’s kindergarteners from low-income households are fully ready in 2011-2012, compared with 94% of children from mid- to high-income households. The gains from 2010-2011 reduced the readiness disparity between children from low-income households and their peers from 11 points to 9 points in 2011-2012. English Language Learners 82% of Wicomico County’s English Language Learners are fully ready in 2011-2012, compared with 88% of their English-proficient peers. The 35-point gain from 2001-2002 narrowed the disparity between English Language Learners and their English-proficient peers from 8 points to 6 points in 2011-2012. Children with Disabilities 64% of Wicomico County’s children with disabilities are fully school-ready in 2011-2012, compared with 90% of children without disabilities. The gains from 2010-2011 cut the readiness disparity between children with disabilities and their peers from 27 points to 26 points in 2011-2012.

Prior Care Enrollment Predominate Care Prior to Kindergarten 55% of the County’s children who matriculated to kindergarten in 2011-2012 attended a public PreK program. This year, Wicomico County enrolled 654 students in its public PreK program. NOTE: Some prior care settings have enrollment criteria. For example, Head Start Centers and public PreK almost exclusively serve children from low-income households and children with disabilities—two subgroups that have consistently had significantly lower school readiness than Maryland kindergarteners as a whole, and are considered at risk. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Improvements For All Prior Care Settings Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 PreK experienced a 30-point gain from 2001- 2002 to 89% fully ready in 2011-2012. * Fewer than 5 Students enrolled in prior care setting. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

PreK Makes a Difference Maryland Model for School Readiness, 2011-2012 Children previously enrolled in PreK (89% fully ready) exceed the countywide readiness average (88%) and outperform their low-income peers (85%). Because public PreK programs serve a high percentage of low income children, this data is significant for addressing the achievement gap. Source: Maryland State Department of Education

Why has Maryland Improved? Long-term Investments Race to the Top PreK Full-day Kindergarten Accreditation & Credentialing Judy Center Partnerships Jurisdictional Actions Community Commitment Research & Policy Monetary Support

Looking Ahead What does the future hold? Maryland Awarded $50 million Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Funds 24 Local Early Childhood Councils Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System: Maryland EXCELS Quality Capacity Building in support of Maryland EXCELS Promoting early learning standards, aligned with statewide Common Core Standards, to all early childhood programs Expanding PD and workforce development Developing a Comprehensive Assessment System (in collaboration with Ohio) Innovative early interventions Family Engagement Leadership in Early Learning Academies Linking early childhood data with Maryland’s longitudinal data system

Looking Ahead What does the future hold? Maryland’s New Benchmarks & Ambitious Goals 92% of kindergarteners fully school-ready by 2015 Narrowing of school readiness gaps among at-risk populations Collective Action Through Maryland & Jurisdictional efforts, we are on track to achieve all Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund goals