MarylandTransforms-StrategicPlanGuidebook - Flipbook - Page 32
32 MARYLAND TRANSFORMS - STRATEGIC PLAN
DEEP DIVE INTO THE PRIORITY
READY TO READ
Research shows that the development and mastery of early literacy skills are a strong
predictor of later school reading and math achievement. It is crucial that all Maryland
students are able to successfully transition from learning to read to reading to learn.
Reading proficiently becomes increasingly important after third grade, and students that
are behind are at higher risk of not finishing high school ready for college and career.
Thousands of Maryland children reach fourth grade without learning to read proficiently.
The shortfall is especially pronounced among low-income children. Failure to read
proficiently is linked to higher rates of school dropout, which limits individual earning
potential as well as Maryland’s competitiveness and productivity. Reading proficiently
by the end third grade is a crucial marker for every Maryland child’s educational
development.
Fortunately, much is already known about the science of how children learn to read and
how to teach and develop reading skills. The problem is that policies are too fragmented,
practices too segmented by children’s age and grade, and key preparation and
intervention programs too limited to realize positive results at scale.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ASSESSMENT TREND 2019-2022
PERCENT OF STUDENTS PROFICIENT BY TEST
Maryland students have returned to pre-pandemic performance with the percent of students proficient from SY 2021-2022 similar to, or
better than, the performance from SY 2018-2019 across nearly all tests.
Note: SY 2020-2021 assessments were shortened assessments taken in Early Fall of 2021