Additional Resources

COVID-19 Related Information

• P-12 School and Child Care COVID-19 Guidance
• Maryland’s Recovery Plan for Child Care
• Child Care Data Dashboard
• COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care Facilities
• FAQ’S and Guidance for Child Care Providers During COVID-19
• Maryland Child Care COVID-19 Response and Preparedness Plan
• COVID-19 Guidance – For Child Care Facilities

Accreditation

• Maryland Department of Education Accreditation
• NECPA Resource Guide and Standards
• NECPA Self Assessment Instrument

Funding

• Childhood Care Quality Incentive Grant Program
• Preschool Development Grant
• The Unrealized Potential of Child Care Scholarship in Maryland 

Curriculum

• MSDE Early Childhood Curriculum

Legislative/Advocacy

• Maryland General Assembly
• Commission on Trauma-Informed Care

School Age

• The 2018-2019 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Report
• Ready At Five
• A Guide to School for Families of English Learners 

 Health & Safety

• 2019 Prevention Resource Guide
• Kids Health
• Potty MD
• Eliminating Lead Risks in Schools and Child Care Facilities

 Preschool Activities

• Free Preschool Printable Activities
• Preschool Express

Classroom Aides

• High Low Schedule
• What’s in Your Bag Icebreaker
• Positive Feedback Sentence Starters
• Give Cheers
• What is CLASS

The Maryland Early Education Career Guide

See the Press Release for the Maryland State Department of Education (MDSE) new guide for those seeking a path to Early Childhood Careers.

The Maryland Early Childhood Career Guide is complete and ready for distribution. This guide provides an overview of careers in early childhood education in Maryland. The Direct Services and Supportive Services sections of this document describe specific jobs, including lists of job responsibilities, recommended or required educational requirements, and potential job settings. In the Education Options section, there is information about two- and four-year degrees, training, and other preparation programs and options. Finally, the Grants and Scholarships section explains some of the financial assistance that is available in Maryland to support your career in early childhood education. Please share the Guide with your Early Childhood constituencies.

http://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/prek-grade-2/professional-development/careers-early-childhood-education

The direct link to the guide is:
http://earlychildhood.marylandpublicschools.org/system/files/filedepot/4/careersinec_ed_april_14_2016_final.pdf

MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UPDATES STATE-RECOMMENDED CURRICULA FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS

PROJECT DESIGNED TO SUPPORT PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

BALTIMORE (June 4, 2014) – The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), responsible for early care and education programs throughout the state, has updated its state-recommended list of early childhood curricula for child care centers, Head Start programs, and nursery schools. In 2007 and 2010, MSDE had posted recommended lists online and provided monetary support for early childhood programs to purchase the curricula. The Department this year embarked on another round of reviews to recommend preschool curricula that demonstrate the best alignment with the new State’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten curricular frameworks, which constitutes the foundation of the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. The project is designed to support preschool age children before they start their school careers. MSDE’s Division of Early Childhood Development has created policies and procedures for getting the resources to the providers. “Quality early childhood programs have always worked with curricular resources and often, early childhood providers from the non-public sector ask the Department which curricula to use with three- and four-year-olds,” said Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools. “We are very excited about this effort to provide guidance to child care and other early childhood programs about the selected early childhood curricula.”

The selected programs now include:

• Robert-Leslie – InvestiGator Club (ages 3, 4, & 5)
• Frog Street Inc. – Frog Street Preschool (age 4)
• MacMillan/McGraw Hill – Little Treasures (age 4)
• McGraw-Hill Wright Group – DLM Early Childhood Express (ages 3 & 4)
• Success for All – Kinder Corner (age 5) and Curiosity Corner (age 4)
• Teaching Strategies – Creative Curriculum for Preschool (ages 3 & 4) and Family Child Care (ages 3, 4, & 5)

The initiative also ensures that the teaching of these resources aligns with the guidelines of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Representatives from the early care and education community, higher education, and public and non-public schools reviewed the submitted curricula for three- to five-year-olds.

State-Recommended Early Childhood Curricula

“We have established a very rigorous review process to determine the soundness of the curricular resources with regard to the state’s expectations of what young children should know and be able to do,” said Dr. Rolf Grafwallner, Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of Early Childhood Development. “The challenge remains of getting these resources to as many child care, Head Start, and nursery programs as possible.” More information about the Early Childhood Curriculum Project and the Curriculum Fund is available online at Early Childhood Curriculum Project.

With Pre-K Expansion on the way, providers will need to have a certified Pre-K teacher in the classroom if you wish to apply for future grant money. If you have staff members that possess a Bachelors degree and are interested in obtaining their teaching certification, take a look at the information below or contact Jenaya Smith. The MAAPP-ECE is a bridge to certification for non-public teachers and career changers desiring certification in Early Childhood Education (ECE). The purpose of the program under the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant is to increase the quality of early childhood programs and the pool of certified ECE educators in child care settings. As a result, there is a 2 year service commitment that must be satisfied upon completion of the MAAPP-ECE program requirements (please see the attached Service Commitment Form). Completion of the MAAPP-ECE program will result in receipt of a Professional Eligibility Certificate (PEC) in Early Childhood Education. The PEC translates to a Standard Professional Certificate (SPC) upon entry into a public school setting. The SPC in ECE enables a candidate to teach Prekindergarten – grade 3 in a public school setting. The MAAPP-ECE classes are offered on weekends (2 Saturdays per month). The mandatory four (4) week internship is completed in the candidate’s current place of employment (must be a licensed child care setting) and in a local public school. Candidates must be employed as the “teacher of note” or have the ability to take over all classroom planning and decision making on a full-time basis during the internship and at other specified times during the residency. MSDE will reimburse for any sub costs associated with participation in the MAAPP-ECE. The program is a cohort model and will take approx. 2 years to complete. Prior to the internship start date (fall/winter 2015) participants must complete all Praxis requirements (Praxis I and Praxis II). Educators with a degree in ECE, Special Ed., or Child Development would need to provide proof of qualifying scores on the Praxis I, SAT, GRE, or ACT. Please see the site below for information about qualifying scores.

http://www.msde.maryland.gov/MSDE/divisions/certification/certification_branch/testing_information/praxis1.html

Educators with degrees in any other field (other than ECE, Special Ed., or Child Development) would need to take Praxis II: EC Content Knowledge. You would need to submit qualifying scores from Praxis I or from the SAT, GRE, or ACT. Praxis I is offered on a very consistent basis. Childcare Management Solutions (CMS) http://www.ets.org/praxis/md