The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) uses the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) Work Sampling System (WSS) (click here to learn more about the MMSR) to measure the readiness level of Maryland’s kindergarteners each year. Every fall, kindergarten teachers throughout the state use the WSS to assess the readiness of their students in seven Domains of Learning:
- Language & Literacy
- Physical Development
- Social Studies
- Scientific Thinking
- Mathematical Thinking
- The Arts
- Social/Personal Development
Students are identified as:
- Fully Ready: The student consistently demonstrates the skills, behaviors, and abilities needed to meet kindergarten expectations.
- Approaching Readiness: The student inconsistently demonstrates the skills, behaviors, and abilities needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully, and requires targeted instructional support in specific areas.
- Developing Readiness: The student does not demonstrate the skills, behaviors, and abilities needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully, and requires considerable instructional support in seven areas.
After school systems submit the WSS assessments to MSDE, Ready At Five, with funding from MSDE, analyzes the data to produce our annual Getting Ready series.