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District outlines Maryland Excels and accreditation push for early-childhood programs
Summary
Calvert County staff described Maryland Excels documentation requirements and the timeline for state accreditation; four schools began the process last year and four more have started this year as the district works to achieve level-5 standards by school year 2028.
District presenters described the documentation-heavy process required by Maryland Excels and Maryland accreditation and said the Blueprint makes both processes a requirement for public-school pre-K programs.
Michelle Ward said Maryland Excels is a paper-based documentation process and Maryland accreditation involves in-person auditor visits to classrooms. She said four schools (PAC, Calvert, Barstow and Sunderland) started Maryland Excels last year and received level-4 ratings; four additional schools (St. Leonard, Huntingtown, Dow and Mutual) have begun the accreditation and Excels process this year. The district will need to document family engagement, curriculum, lesson planning, policies, staff credentials and other items to meet accreditation and to be eligible for future state grant opportunities.
Why this matters: accreditation and Excels ratings are tied to blueprint eligibility and grant funds; meeting those standards requires staff time, substitute coverage, materials and coordination. Ward said ratings are valid for different durations (Maryland Excels: one year; Maryland accreditation: five years) and that the district will need to sustain documentation and renewal cycles going forward.
