Board
Collectively, the seven Board members of the AIB must have a high level of knowledge and expertise in (1) early education through secondary education policy; (2) postsecondary education policy; (3) teaching in public schools; (4) strategies used by top-performing states and national education systems in the world; (5) leading and implementing systemic change in complex organizations; and (6) financial auditing and accounting. To the extent practicable, the Board must collectively reflect the geographic, racial, ethnic, cultural and gender diversity of the State.
Board members have staggered six-year terms. Members may be appointed to more than one term. To be appointed, members must be nominated by the AIB Nominating Committee as part of a slate submitted to the Governor. The Governor makes the final selection, subject to the consent of the Maryland Senate. The Chair is jointly appointed by the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker. The Vice Chair is selected by the Board members. For more information about the current Board members, who were appointed in November 2021, please go to the “Board Members” tab on the navigation menu on the left of this page.
Role and Responsibilities
The AIB is charged with many responsibilities to ensure the implementation of the Blueprint and the achievement of its important goals for Maryland students. Overall, the AIB must strive to provide equal access to a high-quality education with equitable outcomes for each Maryland student regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity, gender, address, disability status, socioeconomic status, or the language spoken in the student’s home.
Given the breadth and scope of the initiatives contained within the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the AIB is charged with developing a Comprehensive Implementation Plan to guide and coordinate State and local implementation of this transformative work. The State and local agencies charged with implementing the Blueprint will develop their own Blueprint Implementation Plans to outline their plan to achieve the Blueprint’s outcomes in alignment with the Blueprint Comprehensive Plan. Successful implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future that achieves its intended outcomes will require the collaboration and cooperation of the numerous State and local agencies charged with its implementation, and all of those involved in Maryland’s public schools working in coordination and dedication to achieving the Blueprint’s outcomes. Pursuing this inter-agency coordination and cooperation is an important role of the AIB. However, in the event that a policy or decision of the AIB conflicts with another State agency or a local agency, the AIB’s policy or decision holds.
Throughout the Blueprint’s implementation, the AIB is responsible for monitoring a variety of outcomes as the transformation of the Maryland education system occurs. The most critical outcome, considered the North Star of the Blueprint, is the number of students who are college and career-ready by the end of 10th grade and no later than the end of high school. The Blueprint law specifically states the twin goals that all students have an equal opportunity to become college and career ready (CCR), regardless of geographic location, race, ethnicity, gender, family income, primary language spoken, and disability status,
and
that students become CCR at equal rates. Students achieving CCR and closing the persistent opportunity and achievement gaps among student subpopulations are the key intended outcomes of the Blueprint that drive the policies contained throughout Pillars 1 through 5, which are discussed further
under the About Blueprint tab.
The AIB is also charged with monitoring progress on the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, reporting annually on progress, and recommending any legislative changes that are needed to achieve the intended results.
This involves collecting/compiling and analyzing numerous data, including disaggregated data on student performance and the diversity and quality of teachers both in schools and in the pipeline to become teachers. The AIB will closely monitor input, output and outcome data and indicators, working with all involved agencies, as well as the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center, to gather and analyze the data, and will share the data publicly through its website and reports. The AIB will also disseminate information on best practices, programs, and resources, provide technical assistance and training, resolve implementation issues as they arise, and promote interagency efforts.
Another important role of the AIB is to review and monitor the use of funds allocated to State and local government agencies for Blueprint implementation to ensure alignment with Blueprint expectations. Withholding certain funds from State entities and/or local school systems may be necessary under certain circumstances and is within the authority of the AIB. Ultimately, the AIB must ensure that funds are spent effectively consistent with the policies adopted in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to ensure that students are college and career ready by the time they finish high school and prepared for success in the 21st century workforce.
More information about the Blueprint AIB’s charge, responsibilities, and governance is available in the About Blueprint tab, and specifically under Pillar 5 - Governance and Accountability.
