Maryland Enters Race To The Top Early Learning Challenge

[Howard Hartman]

For Immediate Release	October 19, 2011

Maryland Enters Race To The Top Early Learning Challenge

State Brings Strong Proposal, Experience To The Table

BALTIMORE (October 19, 2011)—The Maryland State Department of Education is taking another bold step toward eliminating chronic achievement gaps that plague classrooms. The Department is taking aim at that goal by improving early childhood education.

MSDE, on behalf of the Governor and his Advisory Council of Early Care and Education, today submitted its proposal to the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund (RTTT-ELC). The program, co-managed by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to narrow the school readiness gap for children in poverty, English language learners, and those with disabilities.

Maryland is eligible for $50 million over four years. The grant program builds on the success of the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top program. Maryland in August 2010 was one of a handful of states to be awarded a RTTT grant, which carried with it $250 million over four years to boost the State’s third phase of education reform.

Interim State Superintendent of Schools Bernard Sadusky said Maryland’s entrance into the latest Race to the Top competition meshes well with the State’s other efforts to improve student performance.

“The achievement gap we observe in education can most effectively be addressed by giving our young children a robust and high quality foundation for success,” Dr. Sadusky said. “This proposal offers a serious remedy in solving this issue. Strong learning habits are developed at a very early age.”

Maryland has developed an ambitious slate of projects in its RTTT-ELC application. They range from strengthening the Maryland EXCELS child care rating system to revising the early learning standards to align with the Common Core to refining the State’s assessment system for pre-school children.

Those efforts would combine with other work already ongoing in the State. Maryland has a nationally recognized early childhood development program, providing unique early learning opportunities, strong oversight of childcare, and other programs designed to give the State’s youngest learners a leg up in school.

MSDE’s development of its RTTT Early Learning Challenge proposal was the result of the Division of Early Childhood Development’s collaboration with partners.

“We received support and commitments from numerous early childhood and K-12 education stakeholders,” said Dr. Rolf Grafwallner, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of Early Childhood Development. “Everyone wants Maryland to succeed. Dozens of state and local agencies, associations, and others interested in early childhood helped craft the proposal.”
Over the past 10 years, Maryland has demonstrated that children starting their formal school career have improved their school readiness skills over time. In 2001, 49 percent of all children entering kindergarten were assessed as being ready for school, while 81 percent were kindergarten ready in 2010.

“The data from the kindergarten assessment is a testimony that our early childhood community stepped up to the plate and focused on what matters to young children – a successful transition to school,” added Grafwallner. “Our proposal will build on the past successes to make sure that being ready for success is accessible to every child.”

The decision about the awards will be announced late December, and implementation will start January of 2012.