Quality Improvement and Workforce System Support

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is undertaking a comprehensive redesign of the Maryland EXCELS quality rating and improvement system to ensure stronger alignment with evidence-based measures of adult–child interaction quality and early language and literacy development. Research consistently shows that positive, responsive, and instructionally rich educator–child interactions are among the strongest predictors of children’s social-emotional growth, self-regulation, executive function, and later academic outcomes. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) offers a validated, observation-based tool to measure and strengthen these interactions.

MSDE is expanding and integrating CLASS within a redesigned statewide infrastructure to strengthen the coherence, efficiency, and scalability of quality improvement supports. This initiative will integrate CLASS and LENA Grow into a coordinated coaching and mentoring system delivered through Maryland’s existing EXCELS and Pre-K teams. By embedding CLASS, LENA Grow, and High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) into a unified quality improvement system, MSDE aims to modernize MD EXCELS, streamline operations, and ensure that funds are used more effectively and efficiently. This strengthened system will support scalable, data-driven continuous improvement and expand individualized coaching to small, rural, and family child care providers who often lack access to intensive supports. The redesigned MD EXCELS system will integrate CLASS, HQIM, and evidence-based early language tools such as LENA to improve teacher–child interactions and the overall learning experiences of young children across Maryland.

To advance this work, MSDE is seeking an expert contractor to support the continued development and implementation of Maryland’s Quality Improvement and Workforce Systems.