The Maryland State Board of Education will meet at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, July 25, at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), 200 W. Baltimore Street in the 7th-floor State Board Room.
During the meeting, the Maryland State Board of Education will welcome five new board members. The new members of the board are Dr. Monica Goldson, Samir Paul, Esq., Nicholas Greer, Dr. Irma Johnson, and Abisola Ayoola, who were appointed by Governor Wes Moore and will be sworn in at the start of the meeting.
The agenda will include a deep dive into the proposed prekindergarten sliding scale cost model which is expected to be implemented in fiscal year 2025. Under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, MSDE is charged with establishing and expanding access to affordable, high-quality prekindergarten programming opportunities for three and four-year-old children. Supporting Priority 1 of the Maryland State Board of Education and MSDE’s recently adopted Strategic Plan, the proposed sliding scale model will provide a more nuanced, equitable approach to fee subsidizations to prekindergarten programs for families with an annual income that is 300% above the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) but not more than 600% above the FPL. By expanding access to more Maryland families, the proposed sliding scale model will be a critical component in ensuring all Maryland students are prepared socially, emotionally, and academically for success in kindergarten.
In addition, MSDE will continue its Blueprint Deep Dive series with an update on College and Career Readiness (CCR) by presenting the findings from an interim qualitative study. The study is designed to explore a clear definition and standards for CCR, as required by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, to ensure students are supported and prepared to graduate college, and career ready. Priority 4 of the Strategic Plan envisions that all Maryland students graduate from high school with an individualized plan to succeed in college, career, and life. This study will help MSDE continue to develop and implement strong, evidence-based strategies to ensure student success in the classroom and beyond.
The State Board welcomes public comment during Board meetings, which can be provided both in-person and virtually according to guidelines for participation. Registration is limited to 10 individuals and is first come, first served. Once the 10-person maximum is reached, additional individuals may be placed on a waiting list.
Registration for public comment opens the week prior to the Board meeting date and ends at 3 p.m. on Monday, July 20. Interested individuals can register by completing this online form.
Confirmed registrants for public comment will be notified. Comments are limited to three minutes per speaker and monitored by staff.
The complete agenda and live stream are available at this link. The meeting will also be available via YouTube live stream at: https://youtube.com/live/aZH52PAu4Es.
