MarylandTransforms-StrategicPlanGuidebook - Flipbook - Page 40
40 MARYLAND TRANSFORMS - STRATEGIC PLAN
DEEP DIVE INTO THE PRIORITY
READY FOR COLLEGE & CAREER
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future has the central goal of ensuring that all Maryland
students are college and career ready before graduation, thus signifying an ability to
transition successfully to postsecondary coursework at a two- or four-year institution
of higher education and/or to the workforce. Maryland is developing new college and
career readiness standards, with the goal of having students assessed and meeting
the standards by the end of 10th grade.
Students meeting the college and career readiness standards will be prepared to
succeed in multiple, rigorous college and career pathways at no cost to students.
These pathways will enable students to develop in-depth knowledge of a subject
area(s); earn post-secondary credits and/or in demand industry-recognized
credentials; participate in registered apprenticeships that meet workforce needs and/
or in rigorous college preparation programs.
All instruction and assessments in public schools will work toward this goal of
preparing students to be ready for college and career. Each student in Maryland public
schools, regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity, gender, zip code, socioeconomic
status, abilities, or language spoken at home, will be supported to meet the college
and career readiness standards before graduation.
THE BLUEPRINT’S APPRENTICESHIP AND INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL GOAL
(a)(1) On or before December 1, 2022, the Career and Technical Education Committee shall establish, for each school
year between the 2023-2024 school year and the 2030-2031 school year, inclusive, statewide goals that reach 45% by
the 2030-2031 school year, for the percentage of high school students who, prior to graduation, complete the high
school level of a registered apprenticeship or an industry-recognized occupational credential.
(2) To the extent practicable, the Career and Technical Education Committee shall ensure that the largest number
of students achieve the requirement of this subsection by completing a high school level of a registered
apprenticeship program approved by the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning within the Maryland
Department of Labor. (Education §21–204)
In 2021, Maryland had 57,423 graduates. To meet the 45% goal, 25,840 of these graduates would have needed to complete an
apprenticeship or industry credential. In 2021, about 7% of graduates met these criteria.