TCPS & Blueprint Implementation
TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IN TALBOT COUNTY AND ACROSS THE STATE OF MARYLAND THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND'S FUTURE
Blueprint Legislation Overview
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is landmark education reform legislation that became State law in 2021. The intent of the Blueprint is to transform Maryland’s public education into one of the top performing school systems in the world. To do this, it focuses on five major policy areas or pillars: early childhood education, high quality and diverse teachers and school leaders, college and career readiness and pathways, more resources to ensure all students are successful, and governance and accountability.
Talbot County Public Schools has developed a Blueprint Implementation Plan, which will guide the school system’s work over the ten-year implementation period. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (HB 1300 and HB1372) combines school funding and supportive policies to ensure all learners have the opportunity to become college and career ready. Additionally, the Blueprint seeks to elevate “overall student performance to be among the world’s best and eliminates achievement and opportunity gaps between students from different family incomes, races, ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, and other defining characteristics.” TCPS strives to continuously reflect, redesign, and improve existing policies and practices to create a system that equitably serves our diverse student population in every grade level.
Blueprint Pillars
Click below to view initiatives in each policy area
OVERVIEW OF PILLAR 1 INITIATIVES
- Expand publicly-funded full-day Pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families through a mixed (public and private) delivery system
- Increase the number of high-quality early childhood providers and educators
- Enhance supports for children and their families through additional Judy Centers
- Improve student readiness for kindergarten and beyond
CURRENT TCPS PROGRESS
- TCPS currently offers universal full day 4-year-old programming at all elementary schools to all those who wish to participate
- Increased P3 programming at Easton Elementary School
- Adopted high-quality Pre-K instructional materials aligned to the Science of Reading and Maryland’s Early Learning Standards
- Established Judy Centers to serve Easton and Saint Michaels area families
OVERVIEW OF PILLAR 2 INITIATIVES
- Improve recruitment and professional development efforts to create and retain a more diverse educator workforce
- Increase the number of highly-qualified staff and National Board-Certified teachers
- Enhance educator compensation and leadership opportunities through a career ladder
- Implement more comprehensive teacher induction, mentoring, and professional learning for teachers
CURRENT TCPS PROGRESS
- Improving recruitment and professional development efforts to create and retain a more diverse educator workforce
- Enhancing local Grow Your Own and Employee to Teacher programs to support and retain local educators
- Over 30 TCPS educators pursuing National Board Certification process
- Initial Career Ladder Plan was negotiated and approved in partnership with TCEA
- Established a New Teacher Mentor program to increase support for new TCPS educators
OVERVIEW OF PILLAR 3 INITIATIVES
- Implement high-quality curriculum in PreK-12 and support for students to be successful in future college and/or career opportunities
- Establish college and career readiness (CCR) pathways for students in high school
- Increase youth apprenticeship partners and opportunities for students to earn industry recognized credentials and industry experience before graduating high school
- Develop a robust career counseling program for students in grades 6-12
CURRENT TCPS PROGRESS
- Implementing additional progress monitoring in ELA and Math through NWEA MAP
- Currently offering 20 Advanced Placement (AP) course options and 15 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Completer Programs for all high school students
- Dual Enrollment opportunities available in partnership with Chesapeake College
- Expanded Career Counseling program to include full-time Career Counselors at SMMHS, EMS, and EHS
OVERVIEW OF PILLAR 4 INITIATIVES
- Expand community partnerships to coordinate more wraparound services
- Execute Concentration of Poverty Grants to support community school programs
- Prioritize funding and programming for historically underserved students
- Enhance student behavioral health services and access to providers
- Improve education for Multilingual Learners and Students with Disabilities
CURRENT TCPS PROGRESS
- Added International Family Liaisons as well as a Facilitator of Interpreting and Translation to support Multilingual students and families
- Increased Special Education staff to include 2 Educational Diagnosticians, a Special Education New Teacher Mentor, and Supervisor of Special Education
- Provided Conscious Discipline training to school teams to support early behavioral intervention strategies
- Supporting students and families at Easton Elementary and Easton Middle Schools with community school programming
OVERVIEW OF PILLAR 5 INITIATIVES
- Establish accountability and oversight of statewide Blueprint Implementation
- Develop, implement, and monitor local Blueprint Implementation Plans
- Create statewide Expert Review Teams to visit schools and provide support for improving student achievement
- Ensure at least 75% of per-student funding is directly allocated to schools
CURRENT TCPS PROGRESS
- Developed a TCPS Blueprint Implementation Plan for 2024-2027 that has been approved
- Established workgroups and committees dedicated to provide feedback with planning and implementing Blueprint initiatives
- Completed all mandated reporting requirements established by MSDE and AIB
- Implemented processes through a financial reporting system to track actual and budgeted expenditures by major aid program, category, and school location
