Baltimore City Public School (City Schools) pre-K students are better prepared for kindergarten literacy and math than students coming from prior care settings outside of City Schools, according to Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) data released by the Maryland State Department of Education. In fact, City Schools’ pre-K students in specific student groups including Economically Disadvantaged, Hispanic, and Multilingual students outperformed their peers in the state.
This is the first year of the state’s new Maryland Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and therefore sets a new baseline for kindergarten readiness. The KRA is administered during the first few weeks of school. Students who score “Established” consistently demonstrate early literacy and math skills that support learning based on Maryland’s kindergarten standards. The district will use this assessment as the benchmark to track progress, pairing KRA results with ongoing classroom assessments and progress-monitoring tools to guide instruction, provide supports, and measure growth.
“The value of City Schools pre-K is clear from these results,” said CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises. “We set early learners up for kindergarten success with researched-based curriculum and materials, multilingual supports, and responsive social-emotional strategies that establish a strong foundation that develops our clever and curious learners.”
Of City Schools kindergarten students who attended City Schools pre-K programs:
50.8% demonstrated the “Established” level in Early Literacy – English. That figure was 35.8% for students who did not attend a City Schools pre-K.
61.1% achieved the “Established” level in Early Literacy – Spanish. That figure was 35.6% for students who did not attend a City Schools pre-K.
52.1% achieved the “Established” level in Math. That figure was 40.8% for students who did not attend a City Schools pre-K.
Furthermore, Economically Disadvantaged, Hispanic and Multilingual pre-K students in City Schools went on to outperform peers across the state once in kindergarten in all three KRA tests.
Results by Student Group:
Of Hispanic City Schools kindergarten students who attended City Schools pre-K:
36.5% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – English compared to 36.0% for Hispanic students statewide.
61.8% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – Spanish compared to 50.3% for Hispanic students statewide.
46.8% achieved “Established” in math – Spanish compared to 46.0% for Hispanic students statewide.
Of Multilingual learners in City Schools kindergarten who attended City Schools pre-K:
27.1% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – English vs. 22.1% for Multilingual learners statewide.
59.0% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – Spanish vs. 48.0% for Multilingual learners statewide.
40.7% achieved “Established” in Math vs. 38.8% for Multilingual learners statewide.
Of Economically Disadvantaged City Schools kindergarten students who attended pre-K:
47.1% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – English vs. 44.3% for Economically Disadvantaged students statewide.
64.9% achieved “Established” in Early Literacy – Spanish vs. 49.8% for Economically Disadvantaged students statewide.
48.7% achieved “Established” in Math vs. 46.4% for Economically Disadvantaged students statewide.
Students who attended City Schools pre-K programs demonstrated lower risk, meaning that they are more socially-emotionally prepared to succeed than students who did not attend City Schools pre-K, as measured on the state’s Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS). Of City Schools kindergarten students who attended City Schools pre-K programs, 78.9% of City Schools pre-K students demonstrated “low risk,” compared to 69.0% for students who did not attend City Schools pre-K.
Registration for City Schools for pre-K and kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year is open from February 16 to April 17. Families with age-eligible children are encouraged to enroll in “Leap into Learning.” More information on our pre-K programs is available on our Pre-K and Kindergarten registration webpage.
Districtwide, 45.4% of all City Schools kindergarten students demonstrated the “Established” level in Early Literacy – English; that figure was 51.1% for students in Early Literacy – Spanish, and 48.0% in math. Please see the Maryland Report Card for additional details on City Schools districtwide and state data.