• Economic impact (poverty)
• How the assessment is delivered and by whom - in a prior year tests were only delivered via iPad which might be a barrier for young children with limited technology access/experience, create lag times that show up as deficiencies in motor skills, etc.
• Who developed the assessment?
• Potential for bias - both in the assessment itself as well as in early learning teachers/providers (similar to classroom discipline disparities in school-aged children)
• Language Barriers (tests aren't available in other languages) which further perpetuates gaps for ELL
• Technology Barriers
• Consistency in the assessments 
• Comparing tests from earlier years - would love to know about MSDE/AACPS's staff opinions on the change to the test content/process and how that has shifted us from 80%+ readiness
• Concerns about COVID compounding issues that contribute to readiness
• Parents may be unaware of the things they could/should work on with their young children to ensure readiness
• Quality childcare/early childhood education programming - we need more of it
• Accesss to childcare/early childhood education is equally problematic - not enough slots, most options are not affordable for a large percentage of parents
• Lack of programs that are involving the parents to reinforce concepts learn in preK/childcare settings
• Headstart Model/empowering parents to support early childhood learning is the ideal model - need more headstart & early headstart locations & spots!
• Parents capacity - working parents may lack time, energy, capacity to provide enough learning at home, time to do regular reading, etc.
• Trusted relationships in the community to connect parents/families to supports and programs
• Engaging the village not just the parent 
• Consistency with providers - lots of turnover means lack of consistency in learning as well
• Impact of trauma - community and personal
• Incremental successes need to be celebrated and built on!
• Lack of bilingual resources/resources that address cultural differences
• When are resources available? Timing may make them difficult for working parents to access.

Links shared during discussion:

https://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/kindergarten-readiness-report

https://www.marylandfamilynetwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/AnneArundel_1.pdf

https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins

https://www.actiaf.org/

https://aacpl.librarycalendar.com/events/importance-resilience-wellbeing-children

• City/County Gov
• School system
• Infants and toddlers
• Child Find
• Library 
• Health Department
• Healthy Start
• Early Head Start/Head Start
• Family Support Centers
• DSS
• Faith Community 
• ACT
• Children's Collab Non-Profit?
• BEST
• Babies in Bloom
• Mental Health Providers
• Childcare Providers
• Parents/Family Members
• Community
• Legal
• Judiciary 
• Partnership CYF
• Systems of Care
• community feeding programs
• community gardening programs
• ECC
• Judy Center
• LICC

• Parent Ambassador Programs - leverage interpersonal relationships & peer support
• Going out in the communities knocking on doors - bringing information and services to people where they are
• Incentives- but beyond incentives! "cotton candy and broccoli model" - need to mix incentives and fun with content & proven tools/techniques 
• Celebrate/build on small wins to help parents and families feel successful
• Creative service delivery models (mobile, informal at bus stop, community-based/focused)
• Increase trauma-informed practices to support both family and community and reduce intergenerational harm
• integration of interfaith as part of the process
• Engaging in community activities 
• More headstart/early headstart
• Expand programs/services like BEST 2.0 that help parents (like incarcerated parents) understand their role/value as child's first teacher and give them skills/tools to foster success
• Increase bi-lingual programming options

1. More access to Headstart/Early Headstart (or programs that utilize similar models)
2. More affordable quality early childhood programs/services/childcare options
3. Expansion of BEST 2.0, particularly for underserved communities (bi-lingual families, families impacted by incarceration, families impacted by substance use, single-parent households, etc.)
4. Integration of ACES/trauma-informed practices into early childhood and family programs & services