Interim Evaluation Updates provided by NORC

  • ​At the March 20, 2025 AIB Meeting, NORC cond​​ucted an introductory presentation for the Board and public. Those slides can be found here
  • At t​he July 24, 2025 AIB Meeting, NORC presented their evaluation plan
  • At t​he December 18, 2025 AIB Meeting, NORC presented an update on the evaluation

Interim Evaluation Resources provided by NORC

  • Quarterly Status Report #1​ (submitted April 2025)
  • Quarterly Status Report #2 (submitted July 2025)
  • Quarterly Status Report #3​ (submitted October 2025)
  • Survey #1 for LEAs (administered Winter 2026)



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    Interim Evaluation Ba​ckground

    The Blueprint law requires the AIB to contract with a public or private entity to conduct an interim independent evaluation of the State’s progress in implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and achieving the expected interim outcomes, including an assessment of the use of existing and additional funding to support this progress.

    The evaluation should:​


    Determine whether current strategies are moving Maryland forward ​at a sufficient pace to meet Blueprint goals and/or suggest changes in strategies to accelerate progress; and

    Propose different uses of existing or new funding to better meet Blueprint goals and align with suggested strat​egy revisions, if applicable. ​
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    The interim evaluation report is due to the AIB by December 1, 2026. The AIB must then submit an interim report to the Governor and General Assembly by January 15, 2027, on the findings of the interim evaluation. Section 5-410 of the Maryland Annotated Code, Education Article, specifically requires the AIB to report on the State’s progress towards:

    • increasing the number of teachers achieving National Board Certification (NBC),
    • providing full-day Pre-K programs for 3- and 4-year olds,
    • improving behavioral health services, and
    • ensuring that students enrolled in public schools demonstrate College and Career Readiness (CCR).​


    State law also requires the AIB’s interim report to identify any “legislative or structural corrections necessary to fully implement the Blueprint.” The AIB expects this interim evaluation to also inform its recommendations on necessary correcti​​ons.​​

    In addition to these requirements, the AIB intends the interim evaluation to assess the State’s progress towards the Blueprint’s expected outcomes and critical pillar-level objectives and outcomes, as identified in the Blueprint’s Comprehensive Implementation Plan, that inform the Blueprint’s overall theory of action to provide a world-class education to every student.

    A final evaluation report of the Blueprint is due by December 1, 2030. A separate RFP will be issued for this wor​​​k.


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    ​Vendor Selection

    The AIB put out an RFP for the Interim Evaluation in October 2024, with submissions due on November 19, 2024.

    ​Following its review of the submitted proposals and interviews with each of the teams that submitted a proposal, AIB staff recommended NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) as the awardee of the contract for the Blueprint Interim Evaluation Services in the amount of $766,790. AIB staff based this decision on NORC’s approach to this evaluation, capacity to perform within the specified timeframe, and efficient and effective delivery of services in a manner that is most advantageous to AIB as reflected in its proposal.

    The AIB approved the recommended contract award at the 1/30/25 meeting and delegated final contract approval to the Executive Director.

    AIB and NORC signed the final contract on 2/25/25 and held a kickoff meeting on March 3. ​