TCPS Blueprint Buzz

Welcome to the second issue of The TCPS Blueprint Buzz—a newsletter designed to keep our students, staff, families, and community informed with the latest updates with Talbot County Public Schools' progress with Blueprint implementation. Over the past year, we've been hard at work, and this newsletter offers a closer look at some of the local and statewide progress.

Topics include:

• local and statewide progress within each Blueprint Pillar
• updates from 2025 Legislative Session
• resources to learn more about Blueprint Implementation

The Blueprint prioritizes expanding access to high-quality Pre-K programming for 3- and 4-year olds across Maryland. To ensure high-quality learning experiences in publicly-funded Pre-K programs, public and private providers must meet Maryland EXCELS standards. Achieving Maryland EXCELS Accreditation signifies that a provider meets rigorous standards aligned with Blueprint's expectations for instructional quality, family engagement, and developmental support.

Maryland Accreditation Process Overview

The Maryland Accreditation process occurs on a 5-year cycle, with two years dedicated to the re-accreditation process, and three years dedicated for annual reporting. During Year 1 of the process, a childcare program completes a self-assessment to evaluate current practices with EXCELS standards. Based on self-assessment results, a program develops an improvement plan and submits an application for accreditation. The program submits required documentation to state validators and participates in an on-site validation visit. Feedback from this visit is incorporated into future planning.

During years 2 and 3, the childcare program submits annual updates documenting continued improvement and progress with EXCELS standards, prioritizing quality improvement and professional development for staff.

TCPS Progress with Accreditation

For the first time, all TCPS elementary schools are fully accredited. This milestone was achieved through the active collaboration of parents, teachers, school administrators, and district leadership. These individuals have a vital role in completing self-assessments and developing program improvement plans that are tailored to address specific program and students needs in each school. TCPS greatly values the ongoing partnership with families and community stakeholders as we continue our PreK program improvement efforts through annual reviews to monitor progress and plan for next steps.

TCPS recognized new National Board Certified Teachers at the regular Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, March 19 (pictured below).

The Blueprint highlights National Board Certification (NBC) as an advanced teaching credential that supports the vision of providing every student with access to highly accomplished teachers throughout Maryland. During the NBC process, teacher candidates complete four components that assess content knowledge, instructional strategies, student learning experiences, and reflective teaching practices. Candidates complete a content assessment as well as a portfolio with video evidence, student work samples, and a written analysis. This rigorous process is typically completed over one to three years. Once candidates submit all components and earn passing scores, they are officially recognized as National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), which is typically released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in December each year.

Congratulations to all TCPS NBCTs! As of December 2024, TCPS has 15 NBCTs and an additional 28 candidates currently pursuing NBC. These teachers' dedication to this process not only strengthens their own practice, but also enhances the learning experiences for our students across TCPS.

Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) recently adopted a new College and Career Readiness (CCR) policy that aligned to goals presented in the Blueprint. This policy establishes multiple measures for students to earn CCR designation by the end of 10th grade, or before graduating high school. While meeting the CCR Standard is not required for high school graduation at this time, meeting CCR through at least one of the measures demonstrates a student's readiness for college courses and job training programs. Students who do not meet this standard by the end of 10th grade are provided with targeted CCR supports to help them achieve readiness before graduation.

Click here to view more information presented at the MSDE Board Meeting on March 25, 2025.

What is a Multilingual Learner?

A Multilingual Learner (ML) student is a student who may have been born outside of the United States and:

• who communicates in a language other than English; or
• whose family uses a primary language other than English in the home; and
• whose English language proficiency falls within the range established by the state for an English language development (ELD) program.

How are Multilingual Learner students identified?

In Maryland, public school systems administer the WIDA Screener to determine eligibility for English language development services. Students who are identified for these services participate in the ACCESS for ELLs assessment each year to monitor their progress with English language proficiency and to inform instructional decisions.

Did you know...?

TCPS currently serves over 1100 students in grades Pre-K through Grade 12 who have a home language other than English. There are 17 languages represented among TCPS students and families. ML students make up approximately 11.5% of the total student population in Maryland public schools. Among this student population, Talbot County has the third-highest percentage of ML students in the state at approximately 16%. Over the last eight years, TCPS has had a 123% increase in the number of students qualifying for ELD services. TCPS values the dedication of all of our staff who work with ML students and their families. We remain committed to prioritizing instruction and resources that support the needs of our ML student population.

The Blueprint emphasizes the need for additional targeted support for Multilingual Learner students and established the Workgroup on Multilingual Learners in Public Schools. Click here to access the Workgroup's Final Report with recommendations for improving educational experiences of ML students throughout Maryland.

TCPS International Student and Family Liaisons provide meaningful engagement between schools and families of ML students. These Liaisons assist families in navigating school system processes and coordinate necessary services to support student success, including connecting them with school and community resources. Both individuals have highlighted aspects of their roles and experiences below.

The 2025 Legislative Session convened from January 8 through April 7, 2025. During this time, the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act (HB 504/SB 429) was introduced and subsequently passed, including some adjustments to existing Blueprint programs and initiatives.

Community School Programming

• No pauses to Concentration of Poverty Grants and expands wraparound services to include services for improving student attendance and providing in-person school-day tutoring
• Extends flexibility for district-level spending for up to 50% of funds on behalf of community schools
• Requires annual evaluations of local community school programs and a statewide evaluation by December 1, 2028

Consortium for Coordinated Community Supports

• Mandated funding of $70 million in fiscal year 2026 and $100 million in fiscal year 2027 and subsequent fiscal years

Career Counseling

• Extends partnership between local education agencies and local workforce development boards through fiscal year 2028
• Requires statewide report on effectiveness of the career counseling program for middle and high school students by January 1, 2027

Career Ladder

• 3-year operational pause to teacher collaborative time implementation
• No per pupil allocation to Foundation funding category for fiscal years 2027 and 2028
• Year 1 of teacher collaborative time phase-in begins in fiscal year 2029

Statewide Initiatives for Teacher Recruitment, Development and Retention

• National Teacher Recruitment Campaign ($674,000)
• Maryland Teacher Relocation Incentive Grant ($1,000,000)
• Grow Your Own Program Expansion ($19,400,000)
• New Academic Excellence Program and Fund established

Hello! My name is Kristen Tilghman and I am the Blueprint Implementation Coordinator for Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS). My role is to ensure initiatives are successfully implemented and aligned with the outcomes set by Maryland’s Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) and our district strategic plan. This role involves developing detailed implementation plans with clear timelines and metrics, overseeing multiple district projects, and ensuring compliance with state regulations. I work closely with school and community stakeholders, as well as with local education institutions and community partners, to help develop a greater understanding of Blueprint initiatives and to foster collaboration for successful student outcomes.

Thank you for reading our newsletter! Please visit our website linked below for more information on how TCPS and all of Maryland is Transforming and Performing TOGETHER with Blueprint Implementation.

To learn more, visit our TCPS Blueprint website

Submit questions or feedback to blueprint@talbotschools.org