Maryland is charged with providing an equal education and ensuring that personal or social circumstances--such as immigration status, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, or disability--are not barriers to academic success. Equity is achieved when all students have the resources they need, such as exceptional teachers or high-quality early childhood programming, to thrive and succeed. Data from "Readiness Matters! The 2017-2018 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Report" indicate that many school readiness challenges must be addressed in order to close the achievement gap. The Maryland State Department of Education is taking proactive measures to focus on research-based strategies that work. Ready for Kindergarten (R4K) is Maryland's comprehensive early childhood assessment system. R4K aligns with the State's rigorous PreK-12 College and Career-Ready Standards and articulates what young children are expected to know and do upon kindergarten entry in order to be on the path toward academic success. R4K has two components: The Early Learning Assessment (ELA) and the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). The KRA is a developmentally appropriate observational and assessment tool that relies on performance tasks and observations of children's work and play to measure specific skills and determine what each entering kindergartener knows and is able to do across four domains: social foundations, language & literacy, mathematics, and physical well-being and motor development. KRA 2017-2018 data show that: (1) 45% of Maryland's kindergarteners demonstrate readiness; (2) Maryland experienced a 2-point increase in readiness levels from the previous year; (3) The majority of kindergarteners do not demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to succeed in school; (4) High poverty jurisdictions show lower readiness; (5) Gender gaps favor females; (6) Readiness gaps exist for children of color; (7) Fewer students with disabilities demonstrate readiness; (8) English proficiency impacts school readiness; and (9) The benefits of early education are clear. [For "Readiness Matters! The 2015-2016 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Report," see ED572305.]