Hoyer Attends Tour, Participates in Briefing at Prince George's County Judy Center
ADELPHI, MD – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) joined Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., Superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools, Amber Waller, Member of the Prince George's County Board of Education, and others, for a tour of the facilities at the Prince George's County Judy Center. Following the tour, there was a briefing to discuss the recent report <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/01/13/16stateofthestates.h30.html?tkn=OZWFBPfso6GowQRnY7ZhYpGKp6j6W1ufX5AC&cmp=clp-edweek> ranking Maryland Public Schools as number one in the nation for the third straight year and the release of a report from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) on the success of the Judy Centers. In addition, Congressman Hoyer announced that he will introduce legislation in the coming weeks to expand community schools – like the Judy Centers – nationwide.
"Classroom education is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring that all children succeed," stated Congressman Hoyer. "Today's report from MSDE proves that Maryland's Judy Centers – which partner with the community to provide children and their families with a full range of services – have been a success in giving children the tools they need to come to school prepared to learn and excel. We believe we can build on this idea to help more children throughout the country reach their full potential. In the coming weeks I will introduce legislation in the House that would apply the successes we have had in Maryland's Judy Centers to expand the idea of full-service education throughout the country, so that children receive supportive wraparound services in addition to high quality education."
Judy Centers – named in tribute to Rep. Hoyer's late wife and longtime early childhood advocate Judith Hoyer – are designed to improve the school readiness skills of children ages birth through five by providing comprehensive early childhood services to students and their families.
The report released today – "An Analysis of Influence of Judy Center Services" – is based on research conducted during the 2008 and 2009 school year by the Maryland State Department of Education. The study looked into the effect of the Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Education Enhancement Program—the Judy Centers—on children starting in kindergarten.
The study found that:
· Judy Centers serve a significantly larger proportion of kindergartners receiving special services (free and reduced price meals, special education, and English Language Learners) than those in Maryland's public school system overall (65 percent to 47 percent).
· Seventy-one percent of children who took advantage of early childhood programs and services at Judy Centers were fully ready for kindergarten in the fall of 2009, compared to 63 percent of kindergartners that did not have prior Judy Center experience.
· By spring of the kindergarten year, children who had prior Judy Center experience continued to outrank their peers who did not.
For more information about Maryland's Judy Center programs and complete results of the new study, click here <http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/early_learning/Judy> .
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