Blueprint for Maryland's Future

The Blueprint establishes a significant expansion of free full-day prekindergarten to low-income families so that all children have the opportunity to begin kindergarten ready to learn. Prekindergarten will be free for all 3- and 4-year old students whose parents meet income eligibility requirements and will be available on a sliding scale to all other 4-year old students.

In order to support such expansion, the Blueprint will provide funding to both public and community-based early education programs that meet rigorous quality standards. Expansion will be an ongoing process, as it requires adjustments to early education preparation programs, increases to physical and staff capacity, and demonstration of quality and continuous improvement as measured by a quality rating system.

The Blueprint raises the status of the teaching profession and encourages professional development through a performance-based career ladder with salaries comparable to those in other professional fields with similar education requirements. Local school systems will work with stakeholders to create a career ladder that recognizes effective teachers and school leaders and incentivizes them to stay in the classroom. Advancement up the ladder is based on the acquisition of specified knowledge and skills, rigorous evidence of success as a classroom teacher, and willingness to take on leadership responsibilities.

By increasing the rigor of teacher preparation programs and raising compensation to be more comparable to that expected in other professions, it is hoped that Maryland will create and sustain a teaching faculty that reflects the diversity of the student population.

Teacher salary progression and classroom performance will be linked to teacher achievement of National Board Certification (NBC). CCPS has increased its efforts to support teachers who are pursuing NBC and looks forward to increasing the number of NBC teachers in our classrooms.

Maryland public schools will use their internationally benchmarked curricula to facilitate most students achieving “College and Career-Ready” status by the end of 10th grade. CCR status will be aligned with global standards to ensure students have the literacy and mathematics skills to succeed in first-year Maryland community college courses.

Students who achieve CCR will have the opportunity to pursue pathways that include Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment in college, and career and technology education programs of study. Such pathways will be designed to prepare students to join highly sought and well-paid professions.

The Blueprint supports all students being successful in school by increasing funding based on the numbers of students with IEPs, who receive ESOL services, and/or who live in poverty. Schools that have high concentrations of poverty, measured by the number of students receiving Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) or through other factors, will be provided additional funding to transform into community schools offering wraparound services for students and their families. These services may include:

• Extended day programs.
• Access to health, vision, and dental services.
• Additional behavioral health supports.
• Family and community engagement programming.

Additional funds are also available to support reading and literacy instruction in Grades K–3 through universal screening and small group tutoring or instruction. Mathematics supports can also be provided for struggling learners in the primary grades.

The Blueprint establishes the Accountability and Implementation Board that has the authority to ensure that the Commission’s recommendations are successfully implemented and produce the desired results. This board will have a direct role in shaping how the Blueprint is put into action across the state.

CCPS has created a steering committee and five workgroups representing each Blueprint major initiative, which have analyzed the legislation, identified needed clarifications, established timelines for implementation, and begun to budget the fiscal impacts of both the Blueprint’s additional funding and its new mandates.

CCPS staff have been collaborating with the Accountability and Implementation Board, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Public School Superintendent’s Association of Maryland, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, and neighboring school systems to build common understandings of the legislation and share best practices and next steps.

Maryland Annotated Code

Blueprint Elements of the Maryland Annotated Code

Maryland State Department of Education

MSDE Blueprint Overview

Maryland Association of Boards of Education

MABE Blueprint Information

Accountability and Implementation Board

AIB Website

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