2016 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Maryland

Preschool Development Grants AUGUST 2017
ED 524B Page 1 of 24

State: Maryland Zip: 21201

U.S. Department of Education

PDG Grant Performance Report Cover Sheet

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Check only one box per Program Office instructions. ✔ Annual Performance Report Final Performance Report

General Information

1. PR/Award #: S419B150034 2. Grantee Federal Information Processing Code:

3. Project Title: Preschool Development Grant - Expansion

4. Grantee Name: Maryland State Department of Education

5. Grantee Address:200 West Baltimore Street

City: Baltimore

6. Project Director Name: Elizabeth Kelley

Title: Acting Assistant State Superintendent for the Division of Early Childhood Development

Phone #: 410-767-7806 Ext.: Fax #:410-333-6226

Email Address: elizabeth.kelley@maryland.gov

Reporting Period Information

7. Reporting Period: From: 01/1/2016 To: 12/31/2016

8. Budget Expenditures (To be completed by your Business Office. See instructions.)

Budget Period Federal Grant Funds Non-Federal Funds (Match/Cost Share)

a. Previous Budget Period $13,678,929.00 $5,219,725.00

b. Current Budget Period $15,098,061.00 $5,219,725.00

c. Entire Project Period

(For Final Performance Reports only)

9. Indirect Cost Information (To be completed by your Business Office. See Instructions.)

a. Are you claiming indirect costs under this grant? Yes No

b. If yes, do you have an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by the Federal Government? Yes No

c. If yes, provide the following information:

Period Covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: From: 07/01/2016 To: 06/30/2017

Approving Federal agency: ✔ ED Other Specify other:

Type of Rate: (Final Performance Reports only) Provisional ✔ Final Other Specify other:

d. For Restricted Rate Programs (check one) -- Are you using a restricted indirect cost rate that:

✔ Is included in your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

✔ Complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2)?

10. Performance Measures Status

a. Are complete data on performance measures for the current budget period included in the

Project Status Chart?

b. If no, when will the data be available and submitted to the Department?

Yes No
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U.S. Department of Education

PDG Annual Performance Report

Executive Summary

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Grantee State: MD PR/Award #: S419B150034

You are required to submit an Executive Summary of up to 3000 words with your Annual Performance

Report. This summary should relate to your approved application and summarize the goals and

objectives that have been achieved under your grant, what you learned, and any evaluation results.

Describe any unanticipated outcomes or benefits from your project and any barriers that you may have

encountered. If there have been any changes to the project from the approved application, those

should be explained as well.

Maryland's Preschool Development Grant (PDG) implementation plan builds on the strength of its welldeveloped early childhood education infrastructure. The three key components that made an

expansion of prekindergarten for low-income children possible are:

Consolidated governance: By law since 2005, Maryland's early childhood education programs are all

under the auspices of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The Division of Early

Childhood Development, and the divisions of Special Education/Early Intervention Services and Student

and Family Support Services (which houses Title 1) provide an ideal structure for aligning policies for

services birth to kindergarten, and for the coordination of practices for a modern P-20 education

system.

Long-standing prekindergarten track record: Maryland's State Board of Education established a

prekindergarten program in public schools as early as 1980. Since then, high quality prekindergarten

has been provided as the Extended Elementary Education Program (EEEP) until 2007, and then as a

prekindergarten system at all 24 local school districts providing, minimally, to all economically

disadvantaged four-year olds access to a half-day prekindergarten education program for the school

year. In 2014, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Prekindergarten Expansion Act of 2014

which provided $4.3 million for new PreK slots. Maryland's plan builds on the Prekindergarten

Expansion model by creating a mixed service delivery for early education programs to be based in

quality community-based early learning settings, such as child care, Head Start, and nursery schools in

addition to public schools, including charter schools.

Successful implementation of Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge(RTT-ELC) grant: Through the

RTT-ELC, Maryland created two critical elements that will enhance Maryland's plan for expanding

prekindergarten - a robust TQRIS and well-developed early childhood comprehensive assessment

system. Since the inception in July 2013 of Maryland EXCELS, the State's TQRIS, early learning providers

registered with the system at a rate 3-times higher than expected. Such expectations are 

being articulated by a focus on improving the school readiness skills of preschoolers as they matriculate

into kindergarten and start their school career. The Maryland comprehensive assessment system

continues to measure school readiness skills, thereby informing early learning providers about the

effectiveness of their programs.

Maryland's long-term goal is universal access to high quality prekindergarten for all four-year olds.

While public schools provide such access to economically disadvantaged four-year olds, defined as

those whose families' household income is at or below 185% of poverty or Federal Poverty Guidelines

(FPG), Maryland's Prekindergarten Expansion Act extended the access to children with income levels at

300% of poverty. Maryland's four-year plan for this grant devises strategies of identifying and

recruiting four-year olds at 200% of poverty into prekindergarten slots at public schools and

community-based programs, and, in the last two years of the grant, by raising the income eligibility for
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the grant-funded subgrantees to 300% of poverty through matching state funds. The scope of

Maryland's implementation plan is statewide, thereby including many high-need communities in all

regions of the State, but with a special emphasis on high-need communities in Baltimore City,

especially by expanding the highly effective Judy Center comprehensive services model.

All LEA subgrantees' elementary schools have a 65% or greater FARMs (Free and Reduced Meals) rate

and recruit income eligible four-year olds into their prekindergarten classrooms. MSDE uses four

additional needs assessment criteria in awards to grantees:

• Elementary schools in school improvement, i.e., Focus or Priority schools;

• Subgrantees in jurisdictions with the highest number of income eligible four-year olds who are

not enrolled in prekindergarten;

• Subgrantees in jurisdictions with high numbers of low-income and Hispanic four-year olds

enrolled in informal care arrangements; and

• Subgrantees that provide specialized services for income-eligible four-year olds who are

medically fragile or need therapeutic nursery services.

Casting such a wide net for identifying and recruiting income eligible four-year olds ensures that a

significant number of families with four-year old children in high-need communities across the State

had access to high quality prekindergarten. Maryland was successful in recruiting 1,459 new slots and

1,273 improved slots in year 1, and 1,327 new slots (target was 1,417) and 2,203 (target was 1,416)

improved slots in year 2.

Maryland's plan requires that all subgrantees meet the High Quality Preschool criteria required by the

PDG. All subgrantees must hire lead teachers that hold a Maryland State teaching certificate in early

childhood education. MSDE has established policies by regulation and State law that define the quality

of publicly funded prekindergarten. Based on the grant program under the Prekindergarten Expansion

Act, the Maryland plan adopted the following eligibility for subgrantees:

1. Prekindergarten operated by local boards of education must comply with the State's

prekindergarten regulations;

2. Community-based programs must be :

• Published at Level 5, the highest level, in Maryland EXCELS;

• State or nationally accredited as a program of quality;

• Certified by MSDE as a nursery school.

The rationale for subgrantee eligibility among community-based programs is based on the MSDE's

accountability principles when using public funds, which call for reducing the risk of failure among

programs that have demonstrated continuous program improvement, stability of program quality, and

have the capacity to meet the Expansion Grant's criteria of High Quality Preschool programs.

Maryland's plan includes the use of a newly developed Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) as

part of the RTT-ELC funded Early Childhood Comprehensive Assessment System. The first cohort of

four-year olds in prekindergarten funded under this grant were assessed on the KRA in school year

2016-17, thereby setting the baseline for all and subgroups of prekindergarteners funded by this grant.

However, in the General Assembly, Senate Bill 794 was passed in spring 2016 and it provides school

systems with a choice in administering the KRA to a representative sample of students or to all

students. Also, each principal has the option of administering the KRA to all of their Kindergarten

students. For the 2016-2017 school year, 8 of the 24 systems elected to assess allstudents. Several of

the systems that elected to administer to a representative sample have also elected to administer to all

students in their Title I schools or Judy Center schools only. Therefore, not all students that participated
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in the PDG were assessed in fall 2016 as they entered Kindergarten.

Maryland set a per child cost allocation of $7,344 per child for new slots and $3,672 for improved slots

for year 1, and maintained the same cost allocation in year 2. Maryland also sought and received

permission from the Department of Education to raise the per child cost allocation for programs

specializing in therapeutic or extensive comprehensive services (physical therapy, psychiatric or autism

services).

Maryland identified jurisdictions for high-needs children and used data from the following MSDE data

bases in an effort to help subgrantees recruit income-eligible four-year olds:

• Child Care Subsidy data management system; and

• Prekindergarten waitlists with local schoolsystems.

In addition, the Judy Centers and their partners in selected jurisdictions, assisted in identifying families

with income-eligible four-year olds.

Maryland was successful in recruiting 1,459 new slots and 1,273 improved slots in year 1, and 1,327

new slots and 2,203 improved slots in year 2. MSDE was able to exceed the targets of 1,417 for new

slots and the target 1,416 for improved slots as subgrantees were more familiar with families and able

to recruit new students more effectively. A barrier for Maryland is the complicated income eligibility

for Maryland's Prekindergarten Programs. Locally funded PreK is available to families that are at or

below 185% of FPL. The Federal PreK Expansion Program is available to families that are at or below

200% of FPL. The State PreK Expansion Program is available to families at or below 300% of FPL. This

year Maryland created PreK flyers for each jurisdiction in Maryland which directed income eligible

families to free PreK in the area in which they live. The flyers created were in response to legislation

“HB 1095 Education PreKindergarten Program --Notification of Eligibility by Local Department of Social

Services.” Subgrantees in Maryland's PreK Expansion Program have indicated this helped with

enrollment this year. In addition, technical assistance meetings were held to help subgrantees with

recruitment strategies and collaboration among the public school and community based settings.

Maryland also plans to raise income eligibility to 300% of FPL for a total of 1,000 children in Grant Years

3 & 4, i.e., SFY18 and SFY19, through State matching funds.

Maryland's model includes programs that offer specialized services such as programs that specialize in

therapeutic and extensive early intervention services and programs that specialize in supporting

children who may be homeless. These models actively recruit for these inclusive settings. The

Directors of these specialized programs network with each other to share recruitmentstrategies to

assist in filling any openings.

Maryland requires community based programs and local education agencies to establish

Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). These MOUs include a partnership between the LEAs and 

the community based programs to help support them in providing services for students with special

needs or who may need ELL resources. The MOUs also ensure that community based program staff are

included in professional development opportunities offered by the local school system.

During the 2016 General Assembly session, House Bill 668 which provides the state match for the PDG

in the amount of $3.7 million in grant year 3, and $7.3 million in grant year 4 was passed.
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U.S. Department of Education

PDG Annual Performance Report

Grant Status Form 

Explanation of Progress (524B Section A)

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Grantee State: MD PR/Award #: S419B150034

Section A: Performance Objectives Information and Related Performance Measures Data

(narrative)

1. Project Objective

1(a) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of Eligible Children served in

High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant. Describe the State's progress in meeting

this Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measure based on enrollment of Eligible

Children in High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant as of December 1, 2016.

Maryland's plan includes many high-need communities in all regions of the state, but with a special

emphasis on high-need communities in Baltimore City and by expanding the highly effective Judy Center

comprehensive services model.

The plan uses communities with schools that have a 65 percent FARM rate as the cut-off for

determining prioritized needs, but it also recruits income eligible four-year olds into high quality

prekindergarten by using four additional needs assessment criteria:

• Elementary schools in school improvement (e.g., Focus or Priority schools);

• Subgrantees in jurisdictions with the highest number of income eligible four-year olds who are not

enrolled in prekindergarten;

• Subgrantees in jurisdictions with high numbers of low-income and Hispanic four-year olds enrolled

in informal care arrangements; and

• Subgrantees that provide specialized services for income-eligible four-year olds who are medically

fragile or need therapeutic nursery services.

Maryland served 3,530 PreK students through the PDG grant and the PreK Expansion Act of 2014 (State

matching funds) in these high needs communities in year 2. All students counted in the APR met the

PDG definition of High-Quality PreK. The subgrantees that are not at full capacity are continuing to

recruit eligible students beyond the reporting period of December 1st for the APR. Subgrantees that did

not meet capacity were a mix of both public schools and private providers. Some of the reasons that

capacity was not met were transient families that moved during the semester, other families chose

family care over out of home PreK opportunities, and some subgrantees over estimated the needs of

their communities.
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Please describe, as required in Program Requirement (k)(2) in the Notice Inviting Applicants (NIA),

how the State established policies and procedures that ensure that the percentage of Eligible Children

with disabilities served by the High-Quality Preschool Programs is not less than either the percentage

of four-year-old children served statewide through part B, section 619 of IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et

seq.), or the current national average, whichever is greater.

Note: The current national percentage of four year-old-children receiving services through part B, section 619 of

IDEA is 6.4%. Source: 2012 IDEA Part B Child Count (www.ideadata.org). States should include detailed

information on ALL structural elements.

Maryland statewide average for serving PreK students with disabilities is 6.0%, and the PDG serves 5.4% of

the total new and improved slots in year 2. The state number may or may not include students with

disabilities who are also low income. However, for the PDG, the students had to meet both the low income

and the special needs criteria. Also, there are PreK students with disabilities that were directed to non PDG

funded programs for services. Some PreK students may not have been identified yet, however through the

implementation of developmental screening in Maryland, there may be more students with disabilities

identified and referred for services. Maryland also funded therapeutic nursery school programs with PDG

funds. This was an important opportunity for these students and their families to receive intensive on site

supports to increase their school readiness.
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Describe the State's progress in increasing the number and percentage of Eligible Children served in

High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant.

Under the PDG in year 2, Maryland was able to add 1,327 (38%) new PreK slots and 3,530 (62%) expanded

slots. Of the total number of PreK slots, 780 slots are in community based programs (includes Head Starts).

Establishing additional slots in the community based programs has continued to create new collaborations

for professional development and sharing of curriculum between the local public elementary schools and

the programs. Community based programs and public elementary schools planned transition activities/

meetings with parents and students from the programs so that parents/students become familiar with their

future school and staff. In turn, PreK staff have learned the expectations of the Kindergarten teachers at

the elementary schools and are working to prepare their PreK students for Kindergarten.

In year 2, there were 460 new slots at Maryland Head Starts. Just like community based centers, Head

Start programs have continued their professional development and transition activities with elementary

schools in their communities under the PDG grant. Head Start programs include the offering of services to

children and their families, as well as parent engagement activities.

Through the 20 Judy Centers, 2,962 children were served and directed to early childhood development

services, such as, high quality child care, WIC and Medicaid in year 2. Children receive developmental

screening, access to early interventions, connections to dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and health

department services, service coordination and family support. They offer access to extended day and year

services through community based child care and ensure those partners are meeting high-quality standards

by providing accreditation support and professional development. Parents are encouraged to participate in

parent involvement activities, including kindergarten readiness activities, playgroups, adult education, and

family literacy.

Maryland worked with subgrantees to assist with student recruitment by providing informational letters to

families receiving child care subsidy through local Departments of Social Services to connect them to new

PreK slots. Additionally, lists of PreK programs by jurisdiction were mailed to the local Department of

Social Services to ensure that social workers could direct eligible families to programs in their jurisdiction.

1(b) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of children served overall in the

State Preschool Program. Please describe any increases or decreases in this GPRA measure

based on fall enrollment in the State Preschool Program for the 2016-17 school year.

In year 2, 29,215 PreK students were served in LEAs, and 1,772 of those students were served through the

PDG & State funding model, 21 students were served in Public Charters for a total of 1,793 being served in

public settings. The remaining 1,737 students were served in community based programs that include

private schools (both faith & non-faith based), Head Start programs, non-public nursery schools, and college

child development centers. Maryland served at total of 3,530 students (1,793 in LEAS and 1,737 in

community based) in PreK settings in school year 2016-2017.
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1(c) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of children in the High-Need

Communities served by the grant that are ready for kindergarten as determined by the State's

Kindergarten Entry Assessment or, if the State does not yet have a Kindergarten Entry Assessment,

other valid and reliable means of determining school readiness.

In the Year 2 APR, grantees will provide disaggregated data on the school readiness of the children served

by the grant. This may include information collected about the children served by the grant at the end of their

2015-16 preschool year or in their 2016-17 kindergarten year. States may provide data from a sample of

children (e.g., a sample being used for any evaluation).

In the Year 2 APR, grantees must describe their progress towards identifying the measures, methods,

and data on the school readiness of children served by the Preschool Development Grant. In the

narrative below provide the following information:

• The name of the assessment tool(s) and the Essential Domains of School Readiness

measured;

• When the assessment tool(s) is/are given (e.g., in preschool and/or kindergarten);

• Whether the assessment is mandated by the State, and for which children;

• How long the State has been using the assessment tool(s);

• Whether the assessment tool(s) is/are implemented throughout the High-Need Community

and/or Statewide;

• Whether the State provides or will provide training for local staff administering the assessment.

If so, describe the requirements including processes to ensure continued reliability in the

administration of the measure;

• If school readiness data is reported to the State, describe when and how data are reported.

Also, please describe, if applicable:

• The State's definition of "school readiness;"

• Disaggregated information about children's school readiness on individual domains or

subsets of the measure;

• School readiness data for children disaggregated by subgroup (e.g., students who are

American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian, not Pacific Islander; Native Hawaiian/other

Pacific Islander; Black or African American; Hispanic/Latino; White, not Hispanic; two or

more races; with disabilities; English learners; and from any other subgroups the state

determines appropriate; and

• How the State will continue to make progress in meeting this GPRA measure.

School readiness means the stage of early development that enables an individual child to engage in and

benefit from early learning experiences. As a result of family nurturing and interactions from others, a

young child at this stage has reached certain levels of social and emotional development, cognition and

general knowledge, language development, and physical well-being and motor development. School

readiness acknowledges individual approaches toward learning as well as the unique experiences and

backgrounds of each child.

In the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, the performance level of developing readiness is defined as a

student that demonstrates the foundational skills and behaviors that prepare him/her for curriculum based

on the kindergarten standards.

To align with the Maryland's PreK-12 College and Career Ready Standards, Maryland introduced Ready for

Kindergarten (R4K): Maryland's Early Childhood Comprehensive Assessment System. R4K builds on and

advances the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR), which was the statewide kindergarten

assessment tool in use from 2001 to 2013. R4K provides a single coordinated system for recognizing the

needs and measuring the learning progress (knowledge, skills, and behaviors) of young children from 36 to
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72 months (3 to 6 years of age) across four domains that align to the state standards. The R4K is comprised

of two components: the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and the Early Learning Assessment

(ELA). The KRA is administered each year from the first day of school to October 1st to all public school

kindergartners. In accordance with State Law, local school systems may administer the KRA to a

representative sample of students. The ELA is optional and became available to all child care programs,

Head Start, and public PreK and K teachers in fall 2016. The ELA was developed for children 36 months to

72 months of age.

The KRA uses age-appropriate performance tasks and observational items that measure essentialskills,

knowledge, and behaviors of children's work and play to determine what each entering kindergartener

knows and is able to do in four specific domains - Language & Literacy, Mathematics, Physical Well-being

and Motor Development, and Social Foundations. The formative Early Learning Assessment looks at

children across those four domains as well as Science, Social Studies and the Arts.

Maryland provides KRA training before school starts to all Maryland Kindergarten teachers through online

training, face to face training or a combination of both. To ensure fidelity, the Johns Hopkins University,

Center for Technology Education developed the training materials and provided a Trainer of Trainers

model. During training, teachers complete a content assessment and simulator in order to be able to

administer the KRA.. Additional professional development resources are provided to teachers through the

R4K system's online platform. Access to a Help Desk is also provided to teachers during the assessment

window.

Teachers in each LEA send home individual student reports to parents/guardians. The reports are also

discussed with parents during individual parent-teacher conferences. Teachers use the student level data

to guide instruction through the school year. The KRA statewide data report was presented to the State

Board of Education and then released to the public. Each LEA receives their disaggregated data broken

down by district and for each elementary school which administered to all students. The following data

represents just a sample of all Kindergärtners in Maryland in school year 2016-2017.

Highlights of KRA data for the third administration in school year 2016-2017 are as follows:

• 43% of all Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 36% of male Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 50% of female Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 26% of American Indian Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 50% of Asian Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 37% of African American Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 33% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 53% of White Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 27% of Hispanic Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

• 50% of Two or More Races Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness

Kindergarteners demonstrating readiness in 2016-2017 by domain is as follows:

• 40% of Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness in Language and Literacy

• 38% of Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness in Mathematical Thinking

• 55% of Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness in Physical Well-being and Motor Development

• 53% of Kindergarteners demonstrated readiness in Social Foundations
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In 2016, the General Assembly passed the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Assessments – Administration

Bill, which established a shorter testing period for the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and allowed

local school systems to choose to assess only a representative sample of students and not all kindergärtners in

their elementary schools. These requirements have limited the information that can be gleaned from the KRA

to the representative statewide sample; as well not all parents are receiving information on their student’s

kindergarten readiness. This legislation shortened the testing period from 9 weeks to 5 weeks which limits the

time a Kindergarten teacher has to administer the assessment. There were many advocates in Maryland that

lobbied against excessive testing and this bill was a result of their efforts.

Since the KRA represents a sample, not all students that participated in PreK in school year 2015-2016 were

assessed in fall 2016. Therefore, not allstudents served by PDG funding were assessed, and MSDE has data

only on the limited number of PDG students that were assessed. Thirty-six percent of the PDG students from

school year 2015-2016 were part of the fall 2016 KRA sample. Of the 36%, 45% were matched in the data

system and had the following performance on the KRA: 42% Demonstrating Readiness, 42% Approaching

Readiness, and 16% Emerging Readiness.

Teachers and elementary principals are using KRA data to inform Kindergarten classroom instruction for all

students. Many school systems are using KRA data to inform professional development for PreK and

Kindergartenteachers.
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For Preschool Development Grants - Development Grants States ONLY:

1(d) GPRA Performance Measure: The number of States that collect and analyze data on State

Preschool Program quality, including the structural elements of quality specified in the

definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs.

Not applicable.
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Section A: Part B - Selection Criteria

In this section of the APR, States will report on their progress addressing the Preschool Development Grant's

selection criteria. The State should read the questions carefully and report in the narrative fields directly below the

questions. Please include any data, data notes or formulas to help the readers understand the State's narrative

responses.

1. Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs (Selection Criteria “C” of the application)

Describe the State's use of funds received over the grant period for State Preschool Program

infrastructure and quality improvements, including the State's efforts to implement a system of

monitoring and support at the State level toward activities such as those described in Section (C)(1)(ak) of the NIA.

Note: States will report amounts and percentage of funds for State Preschool Program infrastructure

and High-Quality Preschool Programs in the Competitive Preference Priority 3 Chart.

The four-year olds enrolled in the expanded prekindergarten program are benefitting from Maryland's revised

early learning standards in terms of content and scope. The Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards

(MCCRS) were aligned to Maryland's Healthy Beginnings guidelines for Birth to Four in order to create the Early

Learning Standards document. In fall 2015, Maryland contracted with a consultant to write a curriculum for 

the Infants and Toddlers through age 4 PreK that is aligned with the standards, and it will be available for free

beginning the fall of 2018 for 3s and 4s. Infants and Toddlers will follow the next year.

The program standards for public school prekindergarten and community based programs are defined by

Maryland EXCELS, the State's TQRIS, which has five levels of quality, Level 5 being the highest. The highest

quality criteria on Level 5 include completed program accreditation by MSDE or a nationally accrediting

organization. A third set of quality program standards is defined by the education program in nursery school

certified by MSDE (COMAR 13A.17.14). These program standards comprise the eligibility for participation as a

subgrantee under this grant. Eligible prekindergarten subgrantees are either:

 Operated by a local boards of education and in compliance with prekindergarten regulations; or

 Published at Level 5 of Maryland EXCELS and

 Accredited by MSDE or a national accrediting organization recognized by MSDE; or

 Certified by MSDE as a non-public nursery school.

Maryland EXCELS provides program standards for public prekindergarten and licensed child care centers that

are based on nationally recognized indicators of quality in five areas:

 Licensing Compliance/School Approval;

 Staff/Teacher Qualifications and Professional Development;

 Accreditation/Environmental Rating Scales;

 Developmentally Appropriate Learning and Practice /Child Assessment; and

 Administrative Policies and Practices.

The Maryland EXCELS validation process ensures that programs are implementing activities consistent with

high-quality preschool programs by:

 On-site monitoring of published programs to view evidence of implementation regarding the standards

of Maryland EXCELS;

 Providing technical support for areas identified in need of improvement as a result of monitoring visits;

 Incorporating a Continuous Quality Improvement framework in all aspects of the TQRIS;

 Requiring programs to create and implement Program Improvement Plans at the higher levels of

Maryland EXCELS (i.e., Levels 3, 4 and 5), and to include school readiness goals and objectives aligned

with jurisdictional data on Maryland's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment;
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 Providing multiple layers of program support for participating programs in meeting high-quality

preschool standards within the TQRIS. The types of support come from three primary sources offered

online, by phone and through on-site visits:

o Child Care Resource and Referral Staff (i.e.,

o Johns Hopkins University, Center for Technology in Education Program Coordinators; and

o MSDE Quality Assurance Specialists.

Outside of Maryland EXCELS, the following is a list of technical assistance offered to subgrantees:

 All programs receiving PDG funds must have a Maryland certified teacher in the PreK classroom that is

paid comparable to the PreK teacher in that LEA. Programs must ensure vision and hearing screening,

health care referrals and developmental screenings. During their onsite visits, program specialists are

monitoring to ensure these services are provided. Additionally, each subgrantee signed a

Memorandum of Understanding with their LEA agreeing to partner for professional development

opportunities and transition planning/activities each year of the grant. LEAs are working with

subgrantees to ensure that students requiring individualized accommodations are supported in

accordance with their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

 Program specialists make monitoring visits to the Prekindergarten programs each spring. They provide

the subgrantees with the monitoring tool prior to the visit. The monitoring consists of a review of

programmatic and fiscal documents to ensure the subgrantees are meeting the grant criteria. The

program specialists also observe the classrooms to ensure the children are receiving a developmentally

appropriate high-quality prekindergarten experience and/or comprehensive services. Technical

assistance visits are made throughout the year to establish rapport with the subgrantees and provide

technical assistance.

 Monitoring visits occur in September-October as a check-in period and then again in March-May of

each school year. Programs receive feedback on the monitoring tool to include commendations and

any areas needed for improvement. If it is determined that a program requires improvement, a 

written program improvement plan is provided to the program that sets forth the areas of

improvement needed and a timeline in which to improve. Monitors again provide technical assistance,

check-ins and another monitoring visit to determine if the program has met the expectations of the

grant. Programs not in compliance with the grant requirements could have their funding level reduced

or terminated.

Technical Assistance webinars and meetings were held during Grant Year 2. On September 9th, a PreK

Expansion Manual & Grant Critieria webinar was held for all subgrantees to provide an overview of grant

criteria, recruitment strategies, and the grant schedule. On September 14th, a PreK Expansion Data File

Instruction webinar was held to provide instructions on how to collect and submit data on all eligible

students to the State. On October 13th, a PreK Institute was held to provide PreK grantees with technical

assistance on supporting students with disabilities and those who are English Language Learners.

Information was provided from a highly successful grantee that formed collaboration between the public

school system and community based programs and filled their PreK expansion slots through a centralized

recruitmentstrategy.
ED 524B Page 14 of 24

2. Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each High-Need Community (Selection

Criteria D of application)

Describe the progress the State has made during the reporting year to implement and sustain

voluntary high quality preschool programs for eligible children in two or more High-Need Communities

(Selection Criteria D(4) of the application) that include ALL structural elements listed below that are

included in the definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs. States should include detailed

information on ALL structural elements.

High staff qualifications, including a teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood

education or a bachelor's degree in any field with a State-approved alternative pathway, ✔ which may include coursework, clinical practice, and evidence of knowledge of content and

pedagogy relating to early childhood, and teaching assistants with appropriate credentials;

✔ High-quality professional development for all staff;

✔ A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1;

✔ A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff qualifications;

✔ A Full-Day program;

Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all

✔

opportunities;

Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and evidence-

✔ based curricula, and learning environments that are aligned with the State Early Learning and

Development Standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten entry;

Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and participate

✔

fully in learning activities;

✔ Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of local K-12 instructional staff;

✔ Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement;

On-site or accessible Comprehensive Services for children and community partnerships that

✔ promote families access to services that support their children's learning and development;

and

✔ Evidence-based health and safety standards.
ED 524B Page 15 of 24

Please describe the progress the State has made in establishing High-Quality Preschool Programs

that include ALL structural elements listed above that are evidence-based and nationally recognized

as important for ensuring program quality.

The following High-Quality Preschool Program requirements for PDG subgrantees are detailed in their grant

applications and notice of grant awards. All subgrantees are monitored to ensure that they are complying and

implementing these requirements.

(a) High staff qualifications, including a teacher holding a State certification for teaching in early childhood

education or a bachelor's degree in any field pursuing residency through the Maryland Approved Alternative

Preparation Program (MAAPP), a State-approved alternate pathway, which includes coursework, clinical

practice, and evidence of knowledge of content and pedagogy relating to early childhood, as well as teaching

assistants with appropriate credentials. Teaching certificates are reviewed during the monitoring visits.

Teachers are also observed and provided with written feedback from the PreK monitors. If needed, monitors

work with the teaching supervisors on professional development or a technical assistance plan.

(b) High-quality professional development for all staff must be provided by the subgrantees and is monitored.

Community based programs are required to have a signed Memorandum of Understanding with their LEA

which includes participation in LEA professional development. Subgrantees provided professional development

plans in their applications. In late winter, each subgrantee submits a collaboration form detailing their activities

with other subgrantees and their LEA.

(c) A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1 is also required as part of Maryland's PreK & Child

Care regulations

(d) A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff qualifications as outlined in

paragraph (a) is also required as part of Maryland's PreK & Child Care regulations.

(e) A Full-Day program (6.5 hours per day).

(f) Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all opportunities.

(g) Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and evidence-based

curricula, and learning environments that are aligned with the State Early Learning and Development

Standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten entry. Subgrantees must use a State recommended

curriculum and list their curricula in their grant applications for approval.

(h) Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and participate fully in learning

activities.

(i) Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of LEA K-12 instructional staff.

(j) Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement: Monitoring and technical assistance visits ensure

that the structural elements are in place in subgrantees' programs. Maryland was already positioned to meet

the High-Quality Prekindergarten definition as many of the elements are already a part of Maryland's

Prekindergarten regulations.

(k) On-site or accessible Comprehensive Services for children and community partnerships that promote

families' access to services that support their children's learning and development. In Maryland, 20 Judy

Centers are funded through the PDG. All Judy Centers are located in or near Title I elementary schools. All

children ages birth through kindergarten (through age 4 for those funded by PDG) and their families living in

the designated Title I school zones are eligible for Judy Center services and activities. Most of the work of the

Judy Centers is accomplished through community partnerships that include local agencies, organizations and

businesses. Judy Centers must meet 12 Component Standards that result in the delivery of comprehensive

services. The 12 Component Standards necessitate close collaboration with the Maryland Infants and Toddlers
ED 524B Page 16 of 24

Program, food sources, health providers, as well as case management providers such as DSS, Healthy Start, and

Healthy Families. Judy Centers and its partners sponsor ongoing rich family engagement activities that

promote school readiness. Adult Education programs and local colleges and universities also work with Judy

Centers to ensure parents have opportunities to increase their educational levels and career advancement.

Judy Centers coordinate with teachers in all early education settings, including child care providers, Head Start

and prekindergarten to ensure high quality programming.

In 2016, the centers served 18,099 children across the state at 52 Judy Centers (children ranged in age from

birth through kindergarten). Kindergarten demographic data at Judy Centers shows ethnic composition as 42%

African-American, 28% White, 22% Hispanic, 6% two or more races, 2% Asian and less than 1% Other. Of the

children attending kindergarten at Judy Center schools, 61 percent received at least one year of Judy Center

services prior to kindergarten entry.

In Fall 2016, the KRA data shows that 38% of Maryland kindergärtners who attended a school associated with a

Judy Center were demonstrating readiness for school. In contrast, only 28% of the children who did not attend

a school associated with a Judy Center and who were in home/informal care prior to entering kindergarten

demonstrated readiness. Students who were eligible for FARMs who attended schools associated with a Judy

Center prior to kindergarten were more likely to be rated Demonstrating Readiness than those who did not

attend schools associated with a Judy Center (34% vs. 32%, respectively). Kindergärtners in schools with Judy

Centers report an average FARMS participation rate of 66%, whereas Kindergärtners in schools without Judy

Centers report a FARMS rate of 42%. This data indicates that Judy Center services assist FARMs students in

accessing comprehensive services that assist them in being ready for Kindergarten.

(l) Evidence-based health and safety standards:

Health and safety are ensured in community based programs through their child care licensing monitoring

visits. All subgrantees are required to participate in EXCELS at level 5. Maryland EXCELS - the TQRIS standards

incorporate criteria to promote children's physical, social, and emotional development as well as promoting

healthy eating habits, improving nutrition, and expanding physical activity. The TQRIS standards include the

following criteria:

• Serving fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and limiting fat, sugar, and salt in food served by the

program;

• Monitoring foods from home and supplementing as needed, to ensure children are receiving nutritious

meals and snacks;

• Participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program;

• Providing information to families on the program's policies for nutrition, health and physical activity;

• Providing information to families on the program's policies and practices regarding promoting positive

behavior and guidance to children;

• Requesting information from families upon enrollment, regarding any special needs, or health care

needs, and information from an IEP or IFSP, if available;

• Incorportaing information from the child's IEP or IFSP, when provided by the family, for individual

planning related to the child's health, physical, social, and emotional development and the child's

activities;

• Limiting Screen Time according to AAP and Caring for Our Children guidelines;

• Recognizing programs that meet higher requirements for Health and Safety by awarding an Achievement

in this area for programs certified in Let's Move! Child Care. Programs receiving this achievement are

featured on the Maryland EXCELS website to highlight their commitment to health and wellness.
ED 524B Page 17 of 24

Selection Criteria (D)(4) from NIA

Describe the number and percent of Eligible Children served and the cost per slot.

Thirty-Nine percent of all four year olds in Maryland are being served in a PreK program. Maryland's year 2

target was 2,833, and 3,530 students were served under PDG and State Prek. MSDE funds full day slots at

$7,344.00 and improved $3,672.00. Maryland funded therapeutic nurseries mid school year, and they are

actively recruiting students. Through the PDG, a community based center was funded that enrolls students

who are homeless. They anticipated a higher number of eligible students, however in June 2015, the

housing funds for the residential program were unexpectedly suspended resulting in a change of the PreK

enrollment numbers.

Maryland has worked with subgrantees to assist with student recruitment by providing informational

letters to families receiving child care subsidy through local DSS offices to connect them to new PreK slots.

While not all programs met their enrollment target, MSDE is working with the subsidy vendor to advise

subsidy parents to move their children into eligible PreK slots. MSDE's monitors are providing strategies for

recruitment (advertising in community newsletters, circulars in housing lobbies and grocery stores in their

communities, and contacting faith community leaders).
ED 524B Page 18 of 24

3. Collaborating with Each Subgrantee and Ensuring Strong Partnerships (Selection Criteria E

of the application)

Describe the extent to which the State has collaborated with each Subgrantee to ensure that each

Subgrantee is effectively implementing High-Quality Preschool Programs (Selection Criteria E

(1-9) of the application) and how the State ensures strong partnerships between each Subgrantee

and LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as appropriate.

MSDE is providing technical assistance to each subgrantee to successfully implement a high-quality

prekindergarten. Meetings were held to announce the Grant Application process for year 2 PDG funds

and to take potential grantees through the RFP and the submission procedure. The meetings were

followed by webinars, each directed to specific applicants - LEAs and community based programs. At

the completion of the grant application process, subgrantees submitted grant applications which

specify how the grantee would meet the definition of High-Quality Prekindergarten and included a

budget narrative on how the funds will be utilized. Grant applications were reviewed and scored by

multiple reviewers. Grant awardees were notified and received the PDG administrative manual

developed by MSDE. Subgrantees were re-introduced to Maryland EXCELS (TQRIS) and were reminded

that they need to continue working to attain level 5 if they were not at the level already, and if they

were at level 5 they needed to maintain that level.

Each subgrantee signed a Memorandum of Understanding with their LEA agreeing to partner for

professional development opportunities and transition planning/activities each year of the grant.

Program specialists made technical assistance visits in the fall and focused on the performance

standards, i.e., criteria for High Quality Preschools, and any identification regarding areas of

improvement. The fiscal review in the fall consisted of invoice verification (i.e., are programs spending

the funds according to the approved plan and budget) and verification of enrollment of income eligible

students. Any community-based program receiving more than $100,000 of Federal funds falls under the

State's annual auditing requirements.

4. Alignment Within a Birth Through Third Grade Continuum (Section F of the application)

Describe progress the State has made for alignment within a birth through third grade continuum in

activities for birth through age five programs ((F)(1)(a-b) in the NIA) and kindergarten through third

grade ((F)(2)(a-d) in the NIA).

Maryland's Early Learning and Development Standards:

• are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate across each defined age group

of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers;

• cover all Essential Domains of School Readiness;

• align with the State's K-3 academic standards; and

• are incorporated in Program Standards, curricula and activities, Comprehensive Assessment

Systems, the State's Workforce Knowledge and Competency Framework, and professional

development activities.

The new Maryland Early Learning Standards reflect the alignment of two documents- the Healthy

Beginnings' indicators from Birth to Age 4 (used prior to 2014) and the Prekindergarten through Grade

2 Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards. The completed Maryland Early Learning Standards

have been disseminated to our early childhood stakeholders in a variety of ways: as an Appendix to our

Supporting Every Young Learner- Guide to Early Childhood Pedagogy Birth to Age 8, online on the
ED 524B Page 19 of 24

MSDE website, and presented to various stakeholders at conferences and workshops. Emphasis was

placed on providing professional development on the Social Foundations standards since it contains

new standards in Approaches to Learning and Executive Functioning skills. Professional development

was offered over the summer that focused on increasing their knowledge of early learning

development and the standards in the STEM areas of the domains of Social Foundations, Science, and

Mathematics. During 2016, presentations focused on the mathematics standards as the data from the

2014 and 2015 Kindergarten Readiness Assessments indicated this domain having the lowest

percentage of students demonstrating readiness.

As Maryland develops its new state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act, strategies are being

included that will focus school districts on strengthening and improving the instructional quality of

PreK-grade 2 classrooms in order to improve student outcomes by the next statewide data point in 3rd

grade.
ED 524B Page 20 of 24

Section A: Part C - Competitive Preference Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Contributing Matching Funds (if included in the State's

approved application.

Describe the progress the State has made on its credible plan for obtaining and using non-Federal

matching funds to support the implementation of its ambitious and achievable plan during the grant

period. For progress not made in this area, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that

measurable progress will be made by the end of the grant period. Please describe any changes made

to the data reported in Table 7(a); explain if your Year 2 Target differs from the Year 2 Actual.

While public schools provide access to economically disadvantaged four-year olds, defined as those

whose families' household income is at or below 185% of poverty or Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG),

Maryland's Prekindergarten Expansion Act extended the access to community-based programs for

income levels at 300% of poverty. Maryland's four-year plan for this grant devises strategies of

identifying and recruiting four-year olds at 200% of poverty into prekindergarten slots at public schools

and community-based programs, and, in the last two years of the grant, by raising the income eligibility

for the grant-funded subgrantees to 300% of poverty through matching state funds.

Replacement paragraph page 20—PDG funds allow for improved slots. In Maryland, these slots are

generally used to increase from half-day to full-day PreK. In Year 2, 1,258 slots were increased from

half-day to full-day. Maryland also uses the improved slots to fund Judy Centers to provide for

extensive comprehensive services for children aged birth to four. In Year 2, Maryland provided Judy

Center services to 945 children with PDG funding.

The scope of Maryland's plan is statewide, thereby including many high-need communities in all

regions of the State, but with a special emphasis on high-need communities in Baltimore City,

especially by expanding the highly effective Judy Center comprehensive services model. There are 20

Judy centers under the PDG, and 31 funded by state funds and some foundations' funds.

In FY 14, the Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore City Public Schools and the Baltimore

Community Foundation (BCF) entered into a public-private partnership to increase the number of Judy

Centers in Baltimore City. The partnership expanded rapidly and the Federal Preschool Development

Grants (PDG) helped leverage philanthropic contributions allowing BCF to raise more funds through

private support to open eight centers in the City within a 3-year period. The amount contributed by

BCF is $1,320,000 for 3 years. There are 12 Judy Centers in Baltimore City, nine of which receive PDG

funds.

Last year, the legislature passed HB 668 "Preschool Development Grants --Expansion Grants--Required

State Funding" that will provide an additional $3.7 million in FY 18 and another $7.3 million in FY 19.

This legislation provides the required State funding match for the PDG and raises the income eligibility

of those students to 300% of FPL.

The Maryland's Governor's Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education referencing an

Adequacy Study has been making recommendations to the legislature on a PreK Expansion plan in

order to move toward universal PreK. The plan to continue the funding for the $15 million in Federal

funds and the additional $11 million in State funds is contingent on future funding passed by the

legislature.
ED 524B Page 21 of 24

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Supporting the Continuum of Early Learning and

Development (if included in the State's approved application).

Describe progress made in creating a more seamless progression of supports and interventions from

birth through third grade, such as high-quality infant and toddler care, home visitation, full-day

kindergarten, and before and after care services for, at a minimum, a defined cohort of eligible children

and their families within each high need community served by each Subgrantee. For progress not

made in these areas, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that measurable progress will be

made by the end of the grant period.

The strategic approach to Maryland's plan builds on the comprehensive systems development as

implemented by the RTT-ELC. The key drivers for system stability and sustainability are:

 Establishing Maryland EXCELS asthe state's quality rating and improvementsystem. Voluntary

participation in Maryland's TQRIS program, EXCELS, applies to all early education and care

programs in Maryland. It offers five check levels of quality with Level 5 being the highest. At Level

1, programs must be in good standing with State licensing requirements. Currently, 70% of all

licensed child care centers and 39% of all family child care providers are participating in EXCELS.

While not all licensed programs will join Maryland EXCELS, MSDE, through regulation, mandated

that child care subsidy will only be available to licensed child care programs that participate in

Maryland EXCELS. EXCELS also incorporates the program accreditation process, either facilitated

through a national organization recognized by MSDE or MSDE's own program accreditation

program for prekindergarten.

 The MOU between MSDE and all subgrantees includes a condition by which any subgrantee

currently not participating in Maryland EXCELS, i.e., LEA prekindergarten subgrantees, subgrantees

with a MSDE certified nursery schools, and State or nationally accredited community-based

programs, is obligated to participate in Maryland EXCELS by July 1, 2017.

 Maryland EXCELS describes the coordination of early childhood education programs by

standardizing the quality levels of all participating early learning providers and by including criteria

that define specific practices in terms of early learning, family engagement, inclusion of children

with disabilities, and updated business practices in administering the programs. As part of the RTTELC, the PDG plan establishes four types of supports for early learning providers entering EXCELS:

o Johns Hopkins University - Center for Technology of Education, as the vendor supporting

the online system, provides technical support in terms of guiding programs through the

online enrollment process;

o MSDE's quality assurance specialists, serving 15 regions of the state, are the brokers for

the quality improvement process, i.e., assisting programs to move from one check level

to the next and to monitor the maintenance of quality; and

o Regional Child Care Resource and Referral Centers build the capacity of programs to

participate in Maryland EXCELS.

o The PreK Education Monitors provide technical support to PreK subgrantees; this includes

supports for teachers in need of professional development, curriculum, and/or

classroom managementsupport.

 The Judy Centers offer comprehensive services such as:

o Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, including pediatric consultation;

o Vision and hearing testing;

o Health care referrals;

o Service linkages programs in public schools;
ED 524B Page 22 of 24

o Homevisiting services; and

o Public libraries' outreach services (e.g., book mobiles, family centers).

Competitive Preference Priority 3: Creating New High Quality State Preschool Slots (if included

in the State's approved application).

Describe progress made in using at least 50% of the State's federal grant award to create new State

Preschool Program slots that will increase the overall number of new slots in State Preschool

Programs that meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs. For progress not made in this

area, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that measurable progress will be made by the

end of the grant period.

Maryland exceeded the enrollment target set in the grant application for Year 2 by 26% overall. MSDE

accomplished this by working with the 24 local Department of Social Services which provided

informational PreK flyers to eligible families. Technical assistance was provided to subgrantees on

recruitment strategies and specifically partnering with local school systems to work on enrollment as a

partnership between the public and private sectors by jurisdiction. In addition, Maryland also reviewed

the PreK data from last year and determined that the schoolsystems typically served students at or

below 200% of FPL whereas community based partners typically draw families between the 200-300%

FPL. A funding strategy was developed to use Federal funds in the higher poverty communities and

State funds in the communities in the 200-300% FPL range.
ED 524B Page 23 of 24

Section B: Budget Information

Budget and Sustainability (Section G in the application)

1. Please provide a brief explanation of any discrepancies between the State's approved budget and

its total expenditures for the reporting year. Explain carry-over funds that have not been expended or

obligated from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

2. Please describe any substantive changes that you anticipate to the State's Preschool Development

Grant budget in the upcoming fiscal year (January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017).

3. Describe the State's progress on its plan for sustainability at the end of the grant period to ensure

that the number and percentage of Eligible Children with access to High-Quality Preschool Programs

in the State will be maintained or expanded, including to additional High-Need Communities.

4. Please provide a brief explanation of any discrepancies, if any, between the Subrecipients'

approved budgets and their total expenditures for the reporting year. Explain carry-over funds that

have not been expended or obligated from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

A substantive amount of the carryover was due to five Judy Centers no longer be funded out of PDG FY16.

Maryland received a Category Three amendment approval in September 2016 to carry over subgrantees' funds

among the three remaining grant years.

In Years 3 and 4 of the grant, (State FY18 and State FY19), federal funds will be matched with State

funds to expand access to an estimated total of 1,000 four-year olds whose families' income are at 300%

of poverty. In addition, equity will be served by adjusting the rate per slot of State-funded subgrantees to

match the federally funded rate.

Based on the total enrollment of four-year olds in Maryland's prekindergarten, by Year 4 of the grant the

increase of new expanded slots will be 8% above the total prekindergarten enrollment in 2013-14. In

addition, the State matching funds will boost eligibility guidelines for families to 300%.

No substantive changes anticipated.

There are no discrepancies.
I I

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