The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a landmark legislation passed in 2021, which includes comprehensive changes to nearly every aspect of Maryland’s public education system. Increasing annual education funding by over $3.8 billion over the next 10 years, the Blueprint will enrich student experiences, accelerate improvements to student outcomes, and improve the quality of education in Maryland.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is organized into five distinct pillars. The pillars and key implementation priorities for each include:

1. Early Childhood Education

2. High Quality and Diverse Teachers and Leaders

3. College and Career Readiness

4. More Resources For All Students To Be Successful

5. Governance and Accountability

Initiatives identified in Pillar 1 address full day Pre-K at no- or reduced-cost for more families, public-private Pre-K partnerships to expand options for families, expansion of wraparound services for students and families through Judy Centers and Patty Centers, increased funding for the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program to support students with special needs, and more funding dedicated to elevating the quality of student experiences in early childhood education.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is elevating the stature of the teaching profession through the implementation of a career ladder, competitive salaries, including raising starting pay to $60,000, incentives for National Board Certified teachers up to $17,000, as well as raising expectations for teacher preparation, induction, and mentoring programs to attract and retain high-quality teachers.

The College and Career Readiness pillar sets a new College and Career Readiness (CCR) standard that prepares graduates for success in college and the workforce by ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to complete entry-level credit-bearing college courses and work in high-wage and high-demand industries. The Blueprint aims to have all students meet the CCR standard by the end of their 10th grade year, develops CCR-Support pathways to support students in meeting the standard, enables students to enter a Post-CCR pathway that builds on the student’s strengths, develops a Career and Technical Education system that is aligned with industry’s needs, and ensures that prekindergarten through 12th grade curriculum, standards, and assessments are all aligned with the new CCR standard.

Pillar 4 initiatives focus on strengthening wraparound services through the expansion of community schools, establishing the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports, targeting supports for students and families based on differentiated need, establishing a workgroup on English learners, and developing a funding formula based on a new measure of concentration of poverty.

The Governance and Accountability pillar focuses on ensuring successful implementation of the Blueprint. It creates Expert Review Teams to visit schools, understand implementation on the ground level, and share best practices in Maryland. The Governance and Accountability pillar also creates a new Accountability and Implementation Board to plan and monitor implementation of the Blueprint.

Early in the implementation process, Somerset County Public Schools developed steering committees for each pillar to collaboratively address all components of the legislation, providing for better opportunities for students and educators.

The Initial Implementation Plan Template was presented at the March 17, 2023 Public Work Session and is available at the link below.

The Somerset Board of Education approved the system's implementation plan for submission to the Maryland State Department of Education at the April 18, 2023 Open Regular Meeting.

In early June 2023, SCPS received the results of a review conducted by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) that included recommendation for approval by the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB).

On July 27, 2023, the AIB unanimously voted to approve the SCPS 2023 Blueprint Implementation Plan. SCPS received a letter dated July 31, 2023 from Isaiah Leggett, Board Chair of the AIB as confirmation of the plan's approval.