Congratulations to Sandy Hill Elementary School for being the first elementary school in Dorchester County to participate and publish in Maryland EXCELS! EXCELS is a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) that recognizes quality in early childhood and school-age programs in Maryland. Child care and school age programs are eligible to participate. Maryland EXCELS recognizes the accomplishments of Sandy Hill’s early childhood staff in providing high-quality early education for Pre-Kindergarten and kindergarten students.

After intensive documentation of their instructional practices, Sandy Hill was able to publish their rating on September 28, 2016. Maryland EXCELS awards ratings through five progressive check levels that define a pathway to excellence. When a program joins Maryland EXCELS, the program has made a commitment to continuous quality improvement. Sandy Hill was able to publish with an initial Quality Rating Level 4. Congratulations are in order for the PreK and Kindergarten teams, as well as the entire Sandy Hill Elementary School community (Sandy Hill Judy Center, administrators, coaches, parents, etc.) for supporting these efforts. For more information on Maryland EXCELS, contact Donna Greenleaf, Coordinator of Early Childhood at greenleafd@dcpsmd.org or Marybeth Johnson, Quality Assurance Specialist for Maryland EXCELS at maryb.johnson@mayland.gov or visit the website at www.marylandexcels.org.