As a result of lengthy deliberations and review of evidence-based proven practices by the Leadership in Action Program in Maryland, this action agenda details 6 goals, 25 strategies, and 106 action steps determined as most critical to ensuring that all of Maryland's children will enter school ready to learn. The action agenda was submitted to the Maryland Subcabinet for Children, Youth and Families for consideration in their deliberations concerning a 5-year school readiness strategic plan for submission to the Maryland General Assembly. The goals of the action agenda are as follows: (1) all children, birth through age 5, will have access to quality early care and education programs that meet families needs, including full-day options; (2) parents of young children will succeed in their role as their child's first teacher; (3) children, birth through age 5, and their families will receive necessary income support benefits and health and mental health care to ensure they arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies; (4) all early care and education staff will be appropriately trained in promoting and understanding school readiness; (5) all Maryland citizens will understand the value of quality early care and education as the means to achieve school readiness; and (6) Maryland will have an infrastructure that promotes, sufficiently funds, and holds accountable its school readiness efforts. Strategies in the action agenda range from those that are easily implemented to those requiring a large investment of funds, time, and energy and build upon efforts already underway to improve school readiness. Following introductory remarks, the action agenda provides a rationale for a school readiness focus, describes current school readiness levels based on Work Sampling System data, considers explanations for findings that only 49 percent of Maryland students enter kindergarten prepared, and delineates efforts to support families with young children and improve early care and education. Implementation of the action agenda is proposed to reach the target of 75 percent of kindergartners assessed as fully ready in the 2006-07 school year. Goals, strategies, and action steps are presented in tabular format, with level of monetary investment, degree of difficulty, and proposed timeframe indicated for each action step. A glossary of relevant terms and a cost of bad outcomes analysis are appended. (Contains 22 footnotes.) (KB)