Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland State Department of Education Release Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan and Engagement Report
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Lora Rakowski 410-767-0486
lora.rakowski@maryland.gov
Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland State
Department of Education Release Phase 1 of the
Strategic Plan and Engagement Report
Stakeholder Engagement Defines and Guides Education Transformation and Implementation of Multiyear Strategic Plan
HAGERSTOWN, MD (October 25, 2022) – Committed to a transformative path forward in support of every student in Maryland, the Maryland State Board of Education (SBOE) and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) today released Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan at the State Board meeting hosted in Washington County. The Strategic Plan will be released in three phases leading up to June 2023. Informed by unprecedented stakeholder engagement, Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan outlines the new mission, vision, values, priorities, and enablers that will guide MSDE’s organizational direction, on behalf of the State of Maryland, as it leads the transformation necessary to achieve excellent and equitable outcomes for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved.
“We are honored and humbled to present Maryland’s Strategic Plan for Maryland’s children. Its renewed vision states that we will be a system of world-class schools where students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college, careers, and life. Based on the input we received during intensive engagement these past several months, the first phase of the Strategic Plan aligns our vision, mission, values, priorities and enablers with the Blueprint’s promise of an excellent and equitable education for every student,” said Maryland State Board of Education President Clarence C. Crawford. “Together, we will seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to fully implement the Blueprint and transform Maryland education. We ask that stakeholders across the State continue to partner with us to ensure a rigorous and exceptional educational experience for every Maryland student because we can’t do it alone.”
“Even before the pandemic, educational experiences in Maryland did not prepare all students for post-secondary success, as evidenced by State assessment results and downward trends on the National Assessment for Educational Progress. We know that deep and unacceptable opportunity and achievement gaps continue to persist for historically underserved groups. Committed to actualizing the transformative change all students deserve, the multiyear Strategic Plan will operationalize our mission to ensure that every Maryland student has access to excellent educational opportunities that realize their full potential,” said Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury. “Encapsulating comprehensive stakeholder input, Phase 1 identifies the core priorities that trace the full journey and key milestones of a student’s successful education from prekindergarten through 12th grade. Ultimately, through flagship programs, initiatives, and strategies, the Strategic Plan will anchor and reinforce the Blueprint legislation into the fabric of our everyday work and will embody the aspirations that Marylanders have for our students.”
Phase 1 elements of the Strategic Plan include: the vision and mission for transforming public education; the values that inform everyday practices and relationships with our diverse communities and stakeholders; the priorities that must be achieved to ensure a successful educational experience for every Maryland student, from early childhood to college and careers; and the enablers, or structural conditions, regarding data-driven decision-making, resource allocation, human capital, and support systems that need to be in place for the priorities to be achieved. By reinforcing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the Strategic Plan will provide the direction and leadership to accelerate student achievement, narrow opportunity and achievement gaps, and ensure all students reach their full potential.
Through surveys, round tables, listening sessions, community conversations and events, the SBOE and MSDE leveraged a number of stakeholder connections to inform Phase 1 of the Strategic Plan. This significant work is described in a comprehensive Engagement Report. Engagement will continue throughout the development of the next phases of the Strategic Plan with new opportunities to participate in round tables, community conversations, surveys, and regional data walks.
The SBOE and MSDE will work collaboratively and transparently with educators, families, local education agencies and boards of education, institutions of higher education, the Accountability and Implementation Board, employers and stakeholders across our State to ensure success.
The Strategic Plan survey is currently available in multiple languages at: marylandpublicschools.org/survey.
To access the Strategic Plan and Engagement Report, please visit: strategicplan.marylandpublicschools.org.
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Strategic Plan Phase 1 Press Release 10.25.22