Story Behind the Curve
For the 2014-2015 school year 43% of kindergarteners in Washington County were assessed as being fully ready for school. This was below the average for the State of Maryland, which was 47%. Washington County had the 4th lowest percentage of kindergartener's who were assessed as being fully ready for school in the State of Maryland. A variety of dynamics can influence a child's school readiness including parental education level, lack of awareness in a child's development and learning, relationship between parent and child, access to quality of early child care and prekindergarten, as well as low-income households.
Strategies to improve these indicators
Family Centered Support Services, School Readiness Program - Early Childhood Advisory Council Coordinator & Healthy Families
Why Is This Important?
All Washington County children, who are birth through age five, are provided with an enriching pre-school experience that equips them with the social and emotional developmental skills, physical skills, language and literacy skills, mathematical thinking skills, scientific thinking skills, social studies skills and artistic skills that are needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully.