Creating the Blueprint Comprehensive Plan
- Objective: To develop a comprehensive plan that aligns with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and outlines how each local education agency (LEA) will meet the law's requirements.
- Rationale: The Blueprint is a statewide initiative, but its implementation must be tailored to the specific needs of each local jurisdiction. This ensures that districts are meeting the standards and goals of the Blueprint in a way that is programmatically and fiscally responsible.
- Tasks
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Develop The Blueprint Comprehensive Plan is based on recommendations from the Kirwan Commission Report, commissioned by the Governor of Maryland in 2016.
- The initial Blueprint Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2022.
- Continuously seek feedback from stakeholders and proposes changes to the Blueprint legislation annually to be responsive to community input and LEA reporting.
- Each LEA must form a Blueprint Implementation Plan Team with a cross-section of stakeholders to develop the plan, which includes responses to a series of questions across the five pillars of the Blueprint. The plan must be submitted to the AIB for review and approval.
- LEAs must engage the community and other stakeholders to gather input and feedback.
- AIB will provide technical assistance through professional development and grants to LEAs to support the development of their plans.
- AIB will identify and align resources across state and community agencies.
Updating the Blueprint Comprehensive Plan
- Objective: Conduct an annual review of the Blueprint Comprehensive Plan to incorporate ongoing public feedback, changes in legislation, and input from strategic work groups. Plans will be responsive to the data landscape and aim to address challenges to implementation.
- Rationale: The Blueprint's implementation is a phased, multi-year process that requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Annual updates ensure that plans remain relevant and effective.
- Tasks
- AIB collects public input via surveys, workgroup feedback, and public feedback sessions. All input is reviewed and compiled into a list of proposed changes.
- All proposed changes must be reviewed and approved by AIB Board members prior to being incorporated into the Blueprint Comprehensive Plan.
- All legislative changes are added to the Blueprint annually.
- Changes to the Blueprint Comprehensive Implementation Plan are communicated to state and local agencies.
Approving implementation plans yearly
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Objective: Review and approve initial implementation plans submitted by local education agencies (LEAs) and state agencies to ensure that each plan meets the Blueprint's requirements and criteria for success, and conduct annual review of LEA progress and any proposed changes to their implementation plan. The AIB has the authority to approve, or, in some cases, withhold funds from school systems that are found to be out of compliance.
- Rationale: The AIB’s role is to ensure that each plan meets the Blueprint’s requirements and criteria for success, providing accountability for the use of funds and the fidelity of implementation. Annual review of progress ensures that LEAs continue to make progress towards established goals and adjust their plans as needed.
- Tasks:
- LEAs are required to submit implementation plan updates yearly. The submission requirements may vary depending on the year. The AIB and MSDE review the submissions, as well as current LEA and state data, and provide feedback.
- State agencies that work closely with the AIB are required to submit implementation plans. The AIB and MSDE review the submissions, as well as current state data, and provide feedback.
- The AIB conducts a thorough review of each plan and provides feedback on areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. The AIB has the authority to approve the plans or, in cases of non-compliance, withhold funding.
- The AIB has reviewed and approved the initial Blueprint Implementation Plans for all 24 Maryland school systems and state agencies.
Progress Monitoring
- Objective—To continuously monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Blueprint and the outcomes it achieves.
- Rationale—Ongoing monitoring is essential to ensure that the significant investment in the Blueprint is producing the intended results. This includes assessing whether student performance is improving and whether achievement gaps are closing.
- Tasks
- The AIB collects and analyzes data, including disaggregated data on student performance, teacher preparation, and the use of funds.
- The AIB submits an annual report to the Governor, legislature, and the public, which describes implementation progress and may recommend legislative changes.
- Creation of a data dashboard that provides updated state and local data as it pertains to Blueprint outcomes.
Objective: Architects of the Blueprint recognized the importance of ensuring per pupil funding reaches the students it is intended to help and is maximized to meet the needs of students, The Blueprint law established minimum school funding at 75% of the per pupil amount applicable to the foundation program and seven targeted funding programs, as well as 100% of the concentration of poverty per pupil grant and 100% of per pupil funding for private providers participating in the full-day prekindergarten program. This means that at least 75% (or 100% specifically for Concentration of Poverty and private providers of prekindergarten) of Blueprint funds must be traceable to the individual school-house.
Rationale: The purpose of the model is to evaluate expenditure data submitted from LEAs, monitoring their progress towards achieving one of the Blueprint's goals of ensuring 75% (or 100%) minimum school funding (MSF) reaches students by appropriately resourcing their schools. The model includes formulas and calculations that, based on the allocations received and compared to the expenditure data submitted by LEAs monthly, will assist the AIB in determining whether an LEA is on track to be in compliance for the year.
Minimum School Funding Approach and Analysis
- LEAs must report to the AIB monthly their compliance with the minimum school funding requirements at both the school system and individual school levels.
- The AIB monitors LEAs’ monthly submissions to ensure progress towards full compliance.
- LEAs are able to request a waiver to obtain greater flexibility in meeting the minimum school funding requirement for reasons including, but not limited to, significant shifts in enrollment or at-promise enrollment between schools from the prior year to the current year
- Request submissions must include information on the years, schools, and/or programs for which the waiver is being sought; grounds for seeking a waiver with supporting documentation; a timeline with proposed changes to reach compliance once the waiver expires.
- LEAs may request to present an oral argument in front of the AIB, who will subsequently issue a final written decision either approving or denying, in whole or in part, a waiver request, including the AIB's rationale for its decision, setting forth the duration of the waiver, and any conditions that may apply with the approval of a waiver request.
- Waiver Requests Received:
Release of Funds
Objective: Starting in Fiscal Year 2023 and annually thereafter, a portion of the increase in the state’s share of education aid over the prior fiscal year is automatically withheld by law until the AIB determines that a local school system or public school has met adequate implementation and performance standards. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2026, the law authorizes the AIB to determine whether to release or withhold funds from an LEA based on their progress in implementing the Blueprint, per their approved implementation plan, if the LEA has taken appropriate steps to improve student performance, or if the Board receives a recommendation to release from select partners as outlined in statute.
Rationale: The AIB works to hold accountable LEAs in successfully implementing the Blueprint by regularly monitoring their progress. To ensure LEAs remain in line with their approved implementation plans, or continue to strive towards greater student outcomes, the AIB makes the determination on whether to release LEAs’ Blueprint funds.
Tasks:
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The AIB must issue a warning on or before December 1 of each year to LEAs at risk of getting their funding for the next fiscal year withheld. A final determination will be made on or before February 1 (two months after the initial warning) on whether to withhold or release funds.
- The AIB must notify the State Superintendent and Comptroller by June 1 of each year of its final decision to release or withhold funds in the next fiscal year.
- The AIB has developed an appeals process for LEAs to contest the withholding of their funds. Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the final decision.
- The LEA may request to present an oral argument in front of the AIB, who will subsequently issue a final written decision within 60 days of the oral argument (if requested) or the appeal filing date (if no oral argument).
Expert Review Teams (ERTs) and the Career and Technical Education Expert Review Teams (CTE ERT)
- Objective: Deploy multi-disciplinary teams of educators and administrators to conduct site visits, observe classrooms, gather data, and collaborate with school communities to identify gaps and recommend tailored supports.
- Rationale: Effective Blueprint implementation demands grounded insight. When teams of education experts visit and observe schools, they can uncover root causes of challenges and help schools adapt practices—boosting learning where it matters most.
- Tasks:
Independent Evaluation on Blueprint (NORC), PISA
- Objective: To conduct a comprehensive, independent evaluation of the State of Maryland's progress in implementing the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and achieving its intended outcomes.
- Rationale: This evaluation is a statutory requirement of the Blueprint law which serves to monitor and assess Blueprint implementation from a neutral perspective. It provides an objective assessment of whether the multi-billion-dollar investment is working as intended and identifies any necessary adjustments to ensure the goals are met. It is meant to be a nonpartisan and objective review of the state's progress.
- Tasks
- Develop an Interim Evaluation Plan with NORC at the University of Chicago
- Assess the use of additional funding to meet the Blueprint's goals.
- Evaluate progress toward the Blueprint's goals, particularly in closing achievement gaps.
- Review the implementation of key programs such as full-day prekindergarten, career ladders for teachers, and college and career readiness standards.
- Analyze data on student performance and other outcomes to see the impact of the Blueprint over time.
- Make recommendations to alter the goals or strategies if needed, including new uses for existing funds or additional funding.
- Leverage the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)--a global assessment that measures students' readiness for real-world challenges in reading, mathematics, and science–to evaluate progress towards improving Maryland's education system to a "world-class" standard.
Objective: The AIB increases public awareness of Blueprint implementation and progress being made across the state to achieve the goals of the Blueprint through outreach campaigns, increased communication, a website redesign, and providing educational materials that community members can use and share.
Rationale: It is crucial for Blueprint implementation that all invested partners, including but not limited to other state agencies, LEAs, administrators, educators, students, families and community members understand the impact that Blueprint implementation is having on their community, as well as how they can support implementation.
Outreach and Education Strategy
- Create and implement an AIB outreach and communication strategy
- Establish and maintain social media accounts to provide Blueprint implementation updates
- Launch a new website by Fall 2025
- Provide monthly updates through AIB Updates
- Provide updates during legislative session through Legislative Updates
- Release annual Blueprint Implementation Progress Highlights
- Release LEA Implementation Progress Highlights (coming soon)
- Create educational materials for Administrators, Educators, Families, and Students to provide updates on Blueprint implementation
- Collect feedback from partners on what educational materials and outreach efforts will be timely and effective
Objective: Equip local school systems (LEAs), the CTE committee, and relevant state agencies with tailored support—through funding and technical assistance—to design and execute effective Blueprint implementation strategies.
Rationale: Implementing transformative, system-wide reforms like the Blueprint is complex. Providing technical assistance and grant funding helps LEAs and partners build capacity, overcome challenges, and move critical initiatives forward—especially in areas like strategic resources, career ladders, career counseling, career pathways, and prekindergarten expansion.
Technical Assistance
- For more information on the AIB Technical Assistance Grant Program and additional Technical Assistance opportunities, visit the Technical Assistance Page in the Implementation Plans section.
