MarylandTransforms-StrategicPlanGuidebook - Flipbook - Page 38
38 MARYLAND TRANSFORMS - STRATEGIC PLAN
PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, AND STRATEGIES
PRIORITY 3: READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL
With an Early Warning System (EWS), the state will provide tools for local education agencies to identify
students who are at risk of not being college and career ready to get back on track. By utilizing indicators
such as attendance, behavior, and course grades, educators do not have to wait for students to fail to
know they are at-risk.
Provide teachers and staff access to an integrated data system that updates regularly with students’
indicators across academics, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional learning.
Create a multi-tiered response system focused on addressing the needs of all students, a group of
students, and individual student interventions.
Monitor and modify interventions that are not working, and scale those which are successful.
In addition to EWS, implementing the following best practices will leverage the developmental
opportunities of early adolescence in the middle grades:
Adopt flexible scheduling strategies such as block scheduling to support the academic and
developmental needs of students and include common planning time for teachers to plan
instruction collaboratively.
Ensure that classroom organization and staffing patterns support the needs of students through
interdisciplinary teaching, or team teaching, to improve the academic and social-emotional
outcomes for middle school students.
Provide access to enrichment and elective courses to support student engagement, and schedule
advisory periods to support student connectedness.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING &
EXPANSION OF ENRICHMENT &
STRATEGIC STAFFING
ELECTIVE COURSES
Flexible scheduling, such as block scheduling, allows for
more instructional time, enabling teachers to delve deeper
into content and engage students. It provides opportunities
for differentiated instruction, interventions, and enrichment
activities specific to individual student needs. Incorporating
common planning time and interdisciplinary teaching
allows educators to share best practices, align instructional
strategies, and develop cohesive curricula creating a
supportive environment and strengthening the professional
growth of teachers.
Enrichment and elective courses offer students the
opportunity to explore areas of interest and develop
talents beyond the core curriculum. Engaging in such
courses not only enhances student motivation and
enthusiasm but also promotes creativity, critical thinking,
and problem-solving skills. Additionally, scheduling
advisory periods dedicated to student connectedness
provides a supportive and nurturing environment
essential for a student’s social-emotional wellbeing.