Four Calvert County Public Schools Achieve Pre-K MSDE Accreditation Status 

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Teachers at four Calvert County public schools were honored at the April 9 Board of Education (BOE) meeting for achieving accreditation through the Maryland State Department of Education for their pre-K programs.

According to Early Childhood Program Supervisor Michelle Ward, accreditation is a “rigorous process in which schools for early learning programs demonstrate they meet Maryland’s standards for program leadership, family and community partnerships, teaching and learning, assessment, and ongoing improvement.”

Maryland EXCELS is a statewide improvement program that recognizes programs like those in Calvert for meeting benchmarks in the above categories, as well as ensuring that children across Maryland have early learning experiences that promote growth, well-being and long-term success.

The four schools — Barstow Elementary, Calvert Elementary, Patuxent Appeal Campus and Sunderland Elementary — began the process in 2024, and all earned accreditation in Feb. 2026, with a final EXCELS score of 5, signaling the highest quality of programs. Ward said this process highlights the district’s efforts to get all schools to a Level 5 accreditation within five years of beginning the process.

“These accomplishments highlight the deep commitment of the principals, teachers, instructional assistants, and early childhood staff,” Ward said.

Principals, teachers, instructional assistants and staff were honored at the BOE meeting and thanked for their commitment to the district’s youngest learners.

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