Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) proudly announces that the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) has unanimously approved the 2023 Blueprint Implementation Plan for GCPS. The decision marks a significant milestone for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and GCPS’s commitment to transforming its public schools to better prepare every student for college, career, and life.

 At the AIB’s July 27, 2023, meeting, members voted to approve the GCPS 2023 Blueprint Implementation Plan, recognizing the school system’s dedication to implementing innovative strategies and programs to improve student outcomes. GCPS is committed to providing students with a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the 21^st-century workforce.

GCPS Blueprint Implementation Plan FINAL 092923

For more information about the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and GCPS’s implementation plan, please visit our BMF Google Drive Folder, or contact us directly by phone at 301-334-8900 or email public.info@gcps.net.

GCPS Blueprint Implementation Plan

Superintendent Barbara Baker visits WFWM Public Radio, located at Frostburg State University, to take part in their program "Community Matters" on February 25, 2022. The segment may be found on their Facebook page. 

Goals:

• Expand access to free high-quality and publicly funded full-day pre-K for all 4-year-old children and eligible 3-year-old children so that all children can begin kindergarten ready to learn
• Increase the number of high-quality private pre-K providers and qualified educators
• Ensure a unified and common enrollment process for pre-K
• Increase supports for young children and their families
• Improve student readiness for kindergarten

Focus of Current Committee Work:

Collaboration

• Increase collaboration between GCPS, local agencies, and private providers to develop plans to expand full-day pre-K for all 4-year-olds and eligible 3-year-olds
• Collaborate with all educational partners (public/private) and educators to develop action steps to decrease readiness gaps in Kindergarten students
• Increase collaboration between local agencies and GCPS to ensure students and their families have access to comprehensive services (e.g., school psychologist, vision screening, etc.)

Professional Development

• Create supports to ensure pre-K teachers are highly trained and supported to identify and address learning needs early
• Partner with Garrett College to ensure all pre-K Instructional Assistants earn a Child Development Associates Certificate or an Associates Degree to meet the qualifications criteria
• Expand learning opportunities for all providers to support kindergarten readiness for all students

Enrollment

• Analyze and refine the enrollment process to align with Blueprint criteria, ensuring a unified and common enrollment process for all eligible students

Added Supports

• Increase awareness of the Child Find process and provide increased support for students with disabilities
• Increase Judy Center and other partner support services for families and children from birth through kindergarten
• Expand outreach and support for private providers to become eligible providers

GCPS Pillar 1 Presentation Video - February 6, 2023

GCPS Pillar 1 Presentation Slideshow - February 6, 2023

GCPS Pillar 1 Presentation Survey

Pillar 1 Leads

Mrs. Dawna Ashby
Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education
301.334.7644
Mrs. Carrie Wampler
Judy Center Coordinator

Goals:

• Transform teaching into a high–status profession in the state by raising the pay and status of educators
• Improve recruitment and professional development efforts to create and sustain a diverse teaching faculty
• Support the reorganization of schools to provide teachers with professional learning and peer collaboration time during the school day
• Establish a career ladder to continuously improve teacher professional practice and student performance by July 1, 2024
• Offer teachers specific positions that increase in title, responsibility, and autonomy without leaving the classroom
• Create a leadership development system that prepares school leaders at all levels
• Increase the number of teachers who achieve and maintain National Board Certification
• Provide intensive teacher induction, mentoring, and supports for teachers

Current and Future Committee Work:

Strategic Planning

• Analyze and develop a strategic plan to implement various components of the career ladder, including, but not limited to, the following legislative mandates:
  • Teachers with National Board Certification will begin receiving $10,000 effective July 1, 2022 (FY23). A National Board Certified teacher teaching at a low-performing school will also receive an additional $7,000 effective July 1, 2022
  • Teachers will receive a 10% raise between the period of July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2024
  • Starting teacher salaries must be $60,000 by July 1, 2026 (FY27)

Analysis & Evaluation

• Analyze and explore hiring practices that will enhance our recruitment process and support high-quality and diverse teachers
• Evaluate current teacher induction and mentorship programs for newly hired educators
• Evaluate current job-embedded professional development and teacher support for all educators

Collaboration

• Collaborate with institutions of higher education and education preparation providers to increase the number of teacher candidates and provide comprehensive support to ensure successful program completion and certification
• Explore and expand Grow Your Own initiatives to recruit staff that reflect the student population and utilize strategic staffing for job placement among all applicants

Added Supports

• Explore and expand supports to assist teachers from various grade levels and subject areas in becoming Nationally Board Certified and maintaining the certification

GCPS Pillar 2 Presentation Video - January 23, 2023

GCPS Pillar 2 Presentation Slideshow - January 23, 2023

GCPS Pillar 2 Presentation Survey

Pillar 2 Lead

Dr. Jane Wildesen
Director of Human Resources
301.334.8903

Goals

1. To ensure every student meets the College and Career Readiness standards before the end of 10th grade and no later than the time the student graduates from high school
   • Implement Pre-K to 12th-grade curriculum for students to be college- and career-ready (CCR) by the end of 10th grade.
   • Develop an aligned instructional system with resources and supports necessary to keep students on track to be CCR.
   • Provide students with resources necessary to achieve reading proficiency by the end of 3rd grade.
   • Establish pathways for CCR and non-CCR students in 11th and 12th grades.

2. Offer robust CTE programs that allow students to earn an industry-recognized credential or complete a registered apprenticeship program with the goal of 45 percent of graduates meeting this standard by 2030-31

Current and Future Committee Work

Strategic Planning

• Establish and plan the implementation of 11th- and 12th-grade support pathways for students who do not meet CCR requirements
• Establish and implement the 9th-grade tracker system to identify students in need of additional support and intervention to meet CCR standards
• Design the individualized plans required for students who have not achieved CCR by the end of 10th grade
• Align current CTE programming with the new state-wide framework that will be provided by the state CTE Committee
• Create and adopt the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship program

Analysis & Exploration

• Analyze current practices and ensure high-quality instructional materials are aligned with CCR standards
• Explore potential new technical education programs
• Explore the development and implementation of the role of an Apprenticeship Coordinator

Added Supports

• Upgrade support pathways to ensure students are supported to successfully meet CCR requirements at the end of 10th grade
• Expand AP opportunities to include the AP Capstone Diploma Program

Collaboration

• Collaborate with Garrett College to establish initial Associate’s Degree pathways in the areas of Business and Science & Math allowing students to earn an Associate’s degree simultaneously with a high school diploma
• Collaborate with Western Maryland Consortium Workforce Development Board and Garrett College to establish a Career Counseling Agreement to provide high-quality individualized career counseling in middle and high schools

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-ELA Presentation Video - February 13, 2023

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-ELA Presentation Slideshow - February 13, 2023

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-ELA Presentation Survey

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-Math Presentation Video

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-Math Presentation Slideshow

GCPS Pillar 3: College and Career Ready-Math Presentation Survey

Pillar 3 leads

Mr. Paul Edwards
Director of Secondary Education
301.334.8933
Dr. Y. Michelle Harman
Assistant Principal, Northern Garrett High School
301.334.8900 ext. 2202

Goals:

• Improve the education of students receiving English learner services
• Improve education for students with disabilities
• Provide support for students attending schools with a high concentration of students from low-income families
• Implement concentration of poverty grants to create community schools and improve wrap-around services
• Enhance student health services
• Provide technical assistance for behavioral health needs

Current and Future Committee Work:

Strategic Planning

• Provide increased activities for English learner families to support students
• Enhance specific strategies for long-term English learners, particularly at the secondary level
• Enhance the current Child Find referral
• Enhance awareness of the Child Find process throughout the community
• Implement Specially Designed Instruction fidelity checks
• Identify and prepare for future community concentration of poverty schools
• Implement school-based health centers (SBHCs)
• Implement a behavioral health screener with corresponding services
• Enhance family engagement for students needing behavioral health services

Collaboration

• Design school-based schedules to increase collaboration between general education and special education teachers
• Complete school-level needs assessments in partnership with local entities/agencies for future community concentration of poverty schools
• Collaborate with community resources to allow all students to have access to health services
• Collaborate with the local health department, department of social services and other local entities that provide behavioral health services, including a community supports partnership, to ensure that a student referred for behavioral health services obtains the necessary services in a timely manner

Analysis & Exploration

• Explore ways to initiate the responsibilities of a family coordinator for English learner families
• Increase methods to identify students from low-income households as a proxy for students who need more resources to be successful
• Explore ways to initiate the responsibilities of behavioral health coordinator(s)

Added Supports

• Expand extended learning opportunities in the area of language acquisition to ensure academic success
• Expand high-quality tutoring for students with disabilities during the school day

Staff Development

• Provide staff with targeted professional development on co-teaching to meet the needs of diverse learners in the inclusion setting

GCPS Pillar 4: More Resources to Ensure All Students Succeed - Presentation Video - February 27, 2023
GCPS Pillar 4: More Resources to Ensure All Students Succeed - Presentation Slideshow - February 27, 2023
GCPS Pillar 4: More Resources to Ensure All Students Succeed - Presentation Survey

GCPS Pillar 4: More Resources to Ensure All Students Succeed - Board Presentation Slideshow - March 14, 2023

Pillar 4 Leads

Dr. Chelsie Manges
Director of Special Education
301.334.7657
Mr. John Hummel
Director of Student Services
301.334.8938

Pillar Five: Governance and Accountability

Goals:

• Provide a rigorous and transparent accountability process specific to the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Legislation
• Establish the Accountability and Implementation Board to ensure the implementation of the Blueprint as intended along with the achievement of expected outcomes (AIB Website)
• Coordinate the development, implementation, and monitoring of the local school system’s Blueprint Implementation Plans
• Create state-wide Expert Review Teams to visit schools and make recommendations for improving student achievement
• Ensure systems and structures are established to demonstrate that at least 75% of per-student funding follows students to their school

Current and Future Committee Work

Strategic Planning

• Develop Blueprint project planning structures and establish GCPS steering committees for each pillar composed of a diverse group of stakeholders
• Monitor and support steering committee work through the development of the Executive Blueprint Committee
• Create and submit school-level budgets, school-level expenditures mid-year, and final end-of-year school-level expenditures

Analysis & Research

• Establish a strong working knowledge of the state-wide Expert Review Team process
• Research and analyze best practices specific to implementing student-weighted funding practices

Collaboration

• Design opportunities for stakeholder engagement specific to the GCPS Blueprint Implementation Plan, including public information sessions

Reporting

• Complete and submit all required reports associated with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Legislation
• Organize and complete the initial submission of the GCPS Blueprint Implementation Plan by March 15, 2023

GCPS Pillar 5 Presentation Video - January 30, 2023

GCPS Pillar 5 Presentation Slideshow - January 30, 2023

GCPS Pillar 5 Presentation Survey

Pillar 5 Lead

Mrs. Alison Sweitzer
Director of Finance
301.334.8067

The following are public information sessions that are being presented to the Board by the GCPS Pillar Lead(s) at its monthly meeting.  Links to Board meeting live-stream presentations and supporting documentation surrounding the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and GCPS implementation may be found below.

Presentation to Garrett County Commissioners

The following presentation was presented to the Board of Commissioners Garrett County at the April 3, 2023, meeting. The presentation contains elements of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, as well as the Superintendent's requested budget for FY2023-24.

Presentation to the Board of Commissioners Garrett County  - Slideshow

March Board Meeting

This agenda item was postponed during the March 14, 2023, Board meeting due to the length of time other agenda items had taken and the inclement weather. Below is the presentation slideshow and video that was recorded and released after the meeting. The presentation provides an update on BMF as it pertains to GCPS at this time.

GCPS Pillar 4: Objective 4 Presentation Slideshow
GCPS Pillar 4: Objective 4 Presentation Video

February Board Meeting

GCPS Pillars 2, 3 & 4 Presentation Slideshow to the Board
GCPS Pillars 2, 3 & 4 Presentation Video

January Board Meeting

GCPS Pillars 1 & 5 Presentation Slideshow to the Board
GCPS Pillars 1 & 5 Presentation Video

Community Feedback Meeting

A Blueprint Community Feedback Meeting was held on March 1, 2023, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Garrett College, GIEC Building, in Room 111. The presentation slideshow information pertaining to the meeting may be downloaded for review.