what the 2008-2009 school readiness data mean for Maryland’s children
March 2009
Maryland Model for School Readiness
School Readiness Pays Rich Dividends
• The Early years are a critical launching pad for school & life. They provide the
greatest opportunity to nurture cognitive & social skills
• 90% of child’s brain growth happens by age 5
• High-quality early learning programs, such as pre-K, provide proven benefits
and more successfully prepare young children than home or informal programs
• Early childhood programs offer a high “Return on Investment”
• 16% financial rate of return: fewer grade retentions, reduced need for special
education, lower dropout and criminal activity rates, and a higher likelihood
that a child will grow up to be a productive employee and taxpayer
• Kindergarteners documented as “fully” school ready are 8 times more likely to
get an “advanced” ranking on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) in
reading and math than kindergartners with skill deficiencies (“developing”
readiness)
• Maryland needs to maximize the benefits
• Pre-K currently serves only 36.7% of Maryland’s four-year-olds
Source: Maryland State Department of Education and Arthur Rolnick, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank
Maryland Model for School Readiness
About the MMSR
• The Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) is a body of standards and
an assessment tool that teachers use at the start of each school year to
assess and observe the school readiness of entering kindergartners in
Maryland public schools.
• MMSR measures what each child knows and is able to do in the seven
“Domains of Learning”
• The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) annually releases
both statewide and jurisdictional MMSR data
• MMSR data:
• Influence classroom instruction
• Guide professional development
• Promote better communication between school staff and families
• Increase collaboration and coordination among ECE programs
• Support the alignment of ECE and public school systems
Source: Maryland State Department of Education and Arthur Rolnick, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Statewide demographic data
Census Data
School Enrollment
US Census 2000
Estimated Chilren Age 4
Children <5 (age 0-4)
School Year 2008/09
Kindergarten Students
73,109
365,545
60,530
Kindergarten Ethnicity
Prior Care Enrollment
(School Year 2007/08)
Pre-K Students
Full-Day Program
Half-Day Program
Percent of 4-Year Olds
27,179
44.3%
55.7%
37.2%
American Indian
Asian
African American
White (not of Hispanic origin)
Hispanic
0.5%
6.4%
35.3%
45.7%
12.2%
Kindergartners Receiving Services
Special Education
English Language Learners
Free/Reduced Priced Meals
7.8%
9.4%
39.2%
Pre-K Students
Full-Day Program
Half-Day Program
Percent of 4-Year Olds
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
26,821
36.0%
64.0%
36.7%
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Extraordinary jump in school readiness
80
73
67
70
60
50
55
49
44
58
68
60
52
41
38
40
35
34
28
30
28
24
20
10
7
Remarkable progress. 73% of Maryland
kindergartners are fully ready for school,
a 24-point statewide increase in school
readiness since 2001/02 and a 5-point
increase since 2007/08.
7
6
6
6
5
4
3
0
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
Full
Approaching
Developing
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
More to do. More than 15,000 Maryland
children (27%) need targeted or
considerable support to do kindergarten
work.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Major improvements across all Domains of Learning
71
Soc ial & Perso nal
Increased readiness. Maryland’s
children are well-rounded, showing
major improvements in all seven
Domains of Learning.
55
82
Ph ysi cal
D eve lopm ent
60
75
Th e Arts
51
Kindergartners demonstrate strongest
readiness in the areas of:
• Physical Development (82%)
• The Arts (75%)
• Social & Personal Development (71%)
63
Soc ial Studie s
32
54
Sc ienti fic
Th inki ng
24
67
Mathe matic al
Th inki ng
40
62
Langu age &
Literac y
36
0
20
40
60
01 /0 2
07 /0 8
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
80
08 /0 9
10 0
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Impact of early literacy efforts
73
75
70
67
68
65
62
60
58
60
58
56
55
55
50
52
50
49
48
45
45
40
42
36
35
30
25
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Language & Literacy
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Good news. The statewide and
jurisdictional efforts that focused
on early language and literacy
yielded large gains in the Language
& Literacy Domain of Learning.
62% of Maryland’s kindergartners
are fully ready in the area of
language & literacy, up from 36%
in 2001/02.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Notable increases in math & science
80
73
70
67
63
58
60
55
52
50
49
54
67
63
60
56
54
49
45
44
40
68
47
38
40
35
32
29
30
24
20
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Significant advances. 67% of
Maryland kindergartners are fully
ready in math, up from 40% in
2001/02, and 54% are fully ready
in science, up from 24%.
Science
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Mat h
Continued focus. Despite gains,
readiness in science remains the
lowest of all Domains and more
than 26,000 children require
support to do kindergarten work.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Gains in key Domains correlate to overall improvements
•
Secondary analysis reveals a high correlation between overall
school readiness gains and improvements in cognitive Domains of
Learning and key indicators.
• Readiness in three “cognitive” Domains of Learning—language &
literacy, mathematical thinking, and scientific thinking—results
in higher full readiness levels
• Three indicators have the greatest impact on school readiness:
- Demonstrates beginning phonemic awareness
- Comprehends and responds to fiction & non-fiction
- Using & explaining strategies to solve problems
•
Targeted focus in these areas may lead to further increases in
Maryland’s overall school readiness.
Source: Maryland State Department of Education and Arthur Rolnick, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Impact on Maryland School Assessment
90
80
76.8
75.8
78.6
79.1
80.5
82.6
83.2
78.3
70
60
54
49
50
44
40
40
48
45
42
36
30
01/02
(2005)
02/03
(2006)
K Language & Literacy
K Mathematical Thinking
03/04
(2007)
04/05
(2008)
Grade 3 Reading
Grade 3 Mat h
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Continued academic success.
Children who enter school fully
ready to do kindergarten work in
two key Domains of Learning
(Language & Literacy and
Mathematical Thinking) are more
likely to be proficient on the Grade
3 Maryland School Assessment
(MSA) in reading and math.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Gains among males and females
80
78
75
73
70
65
65
66
62
67
62
74
68
73
69
63
60
60
55
50
58
While only 69% of males are fully
ready for school, they are within 4
points of the statewide average.
58
55
54
55
53
52
50
49
46
45
43
40
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Male
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Significant progress. In the last
8 years, males (26-point
improvements) and females (24point improvements) made
significant gains.
Female
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Improvements among children of all ethnicities
Impressive progress. African
American children made impressive
strides (a 32-point gain since
2001/02) and narrowed the disparity
with their white peers from 19 points
in 2001/02 to 9 points in 2008/09.
69
Africa n Americ an
37
80
Asi an
55
71
Americ an Ind ian
Continued focus. While Hispanic
children made noteworthy gains (a
24-point gain since 2001/02), only
63% of Hispanic children are fully
school-ready.
44
63
His pani c
39
78
Whi te
56
0
20
40
01/02
60
07/08
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
80
08/09
100
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Noteworthy gains by English Language Learners
75
75
70
70
70
65
60
60
57
55
50
45
58
53
49
62
67
60
55
73
68
60
55
49
52
45
49
40
40
35
37
37
35
30
25
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Limited English Proficiency
English Proficient
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Tremendous progress. English
Language Learners (ELL—children
whose first language is not English)
experienced a 25-point increase in full
readiness since 2001/02.
ELL experienced a 22-point increase in
the Language & Literacy Domain in
the past eight years.
ELL status significant risk factor.
ELL children are less likely to be fully
ready than English-proficient children:
60% of ELL children were fully ready
for school, compared with 75% of
their English-proficient peers.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Gains among children from all income levels
79
80
73
70
67
67
74
73
68
65
64
Extraordinary gains. Low-income
children (as indicated by Free and
Reduced Price Meal status)
experienced a 31-point gain in full
readiness in the past eight years.
62
60
58
60
58
58
59
55
52
50
52
49
47
40
48
This year, more than 7,800 lowincome and 7,500 mid- to highincome children required support to
do kindergarten work.
41
40
34
30
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Low- Income
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Challenges exist. 65% of lowincome children are school-ready,
compared with 79% of mid- to highincome children.
Mid/High-Income
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Gains by children receiving special education services
80
76
70
71
70
73
60
53
49
58
68
60
55
47
52
48
43
40
30
67
57
60
50
62
35
30
36
43
37
30
20
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Receiving Special Educat ion Services
Not Receiving Special Educat ion Services
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Improvements seen. 47% of
children receiving special education
services were fully ready for school
in 2008/09, a 4-point increase
from last year and a 17-point
increase from 2001/02.
Challenges exist. Children
receiving special education services
did not improve at the same rate
as their peers: an 18-point
difference in 2001/02 widened to a
29-point difference in 2008/09.
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Proven benefits of pre-Kindergarten
80
75
70
70
70
63
67
73
68
60
60
57
60
58
52
50
55
52
47
49
40
01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
All Children
Pre-Kindergarten
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Higher school readiness. The
impact of Pre-K (serving mostly
low-income children) on school
readiness is evident: 75% of
children who were enrolled in pre-K
programs were fully school-ready,
above the statewide average
(73%).
Maryland Model for School Readiness
High-quality early learning promotes school readiness
High-quality programs are
crucial. Children who were
enrolled in pre-K programs (75%),
child care centers (77%) and nonpublic nursery schools (86%) the
year prior to kindergarten
exhibited higher school readiness
levels than those who were at
home or in informal care settings
(63%) the year prior to
kindergarten.
77
C hil d C are C enter
45
69
Famil y C hild Ca re
45
64
Hea d Start
43
63
Hom e/In formal
39
86
Non -p ubli c
Nurs ery
67
75
Pre-Kin dergarten
47
0
20
40
01 /0 2
60
07 /0 8
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
80
08 /0 9
10 0
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Majority of jurisdictions gain ground
• 17 jurisdictions improved their school readiness percentages from
2007/08.
• 7 jurisdictions experienced 25-point or higher improvements in
full readiness in the past eight years, greater than the statewide
gain of 24 points.
• The largest eight-year gains were made by Baltimore County (41
points) and Baltimore City (37 points).
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Majority of jurisdictions gain ground
Alle gany
Anne Aru ndel
2001/02
2008/09
Balti mor e C ity
Balti mor e
C alve rt
C ar olin e
C ar ro ll
C eci l
C har les
D or che ster
Fr ed er ick
G ar re tt
Har for d
Howar d
Kent
Montgo mer y
Pr inc e G eor ge 's
Q ueen Anne' s
St. Mar y's
Some rs et
Tal bot
Was hin gton
Wic omi co
Wor c este r
0
10
20
30
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
40
50
60
70
80
90
10 0
Maryland Model for School Readiness
Majority of jurisdictions gain ground
Jurisdiction
Maryland
Allegany
Anne Arundel
Baltimore
Baltimore City
Calvert
Caroline
Carroll
Cecil
Charles
Dorchester
Frederick
Garrett
Harford
Howard
Kent
Montgomery
Prince George's
Queen Anne's
Somerset
St. Mary's
Talbot
Washington
Wicomico
Worcester
01/02
07/08
08/09
49
66
51
32
28
48
42
62
46
55
38
68
58
69
66
83
61
36
64
81
47
52
58
55
45
68
77
72
73
57
75
79
63
61
46
61
76
76
82
76
81
70
62
89
78
69
66
69
66
75
73
76
73
80
65
79
55
69
59
73
71
77
69
84
76
82
73
71
88
85
79
69
72
68
75
8-Year 1-Year
Result Result Total K
Source: Maryland State Department of Education
+24
+10
+22
+48
+37
+31
+13
+7
+13
+18
+33
+9
+11
+15
+10
-1
+12
+35
+24
+4
+32
+17
+14
+13
+30
+5
-1
+1
+7
+8
+4
-24
+6
-2
+27
+10
+1
-7
+2
0
+1
+3
+9
-1
+7
+10
+3
+3
+2
0
57,775
611
5,430
7,571
6,353
1,121
436
1,890
1,129
1,640
343
2,835
310
2,710
3,309
155
10,273
8,836
531
225
1,195
315
1,656
1,191
465
Impressive progress. Over the
last eight years, 7 jurisdictions
experienced 25-point or higher
improvements in full readiness,
greater than the statewide gain of
24 points.
The largest eight-year gains were
made by Baltimore County (41
points) and Baltimore City (37
points).