Maryland State Board hears growth in Maryland Excels and accreditation; staff plan standards revisions

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) presented an update to the State Board of Education on Maryland Excels, the state’s quality rating and improvement system, and on Maryland Accreditation, the state-designed accreditation pathway for childcare centers and public prekindergarten programs.

MSDE senior staff said participation has climbed sharply since Maryland Excels launched in 2013, with roughly 82% of licensed childcare centers and 60% of family childcare homes now participating. Jenna Smith, who oversees the Quality Improvement Initiatives, said the rating system uses a one-to-five scale and that programs rated 3–5 are considered to be publishing “quality” ratings. She noted that participation in public prekindergarten programs and the return of larger bonus payments in FY23–FY24 have driven recent increases in ratings and program engagement.

“Programs who publish a first-time quality rating, a higher rating, or maintain a rating of 4 or 5 are eligible for bonuses,” Smith said, describing how funds have been used to purchase equipment, support staff benefits and offset family tuition. MSDE staff told the board they provided roughly 1,000 bonuses in FY23 and were tracking a burst of additional ratings in early May that would raise that number further by June 30.

The presentation also described Maryland Accreditation, which the department said has become a widely used on‑ramp to higher QRIS levels. MSDE reported 209 childcare centers and 286 public pre-K classrooms held Maryland accreditation and more than 1,000 programs were in some phase of an accreditation cycle.

Board members asked about why Maryland has both a QRIS and an accreditation pathway. Dr. Shana Cook answered that accreditation is a pathway within the broader Maryland Excels system and provides additional technical assistance and an alternate route to the top quality levels, while the QRIS serves both as a consumer guide for families and a continuous-improvement framework for programs.

MSDE signaled plans to revise rating standards to reduce duplicate evidence requirements (for example, not asking for lesson plans twice for programs pursuing national accreditation) and to make participation easier for newer providers. Staff said they will present final recommended revisions to the board for review and approval before a planned late-FY25 implementation, and will continue stakeholder feedback sessions in coming months.

MSDE said the revisions aim to preserve program-level rigor while easing administrative burden so programs can use resources for direct program improvement.