Organization of the Draft Strategic Plan
The plan begins with a clear vision for the future of MCPS. It is then structured around five key priorities that must be established to achieve this vision within five years. Each priority is broken down into four sections:
Why is this Priority Area important? – Explains the significance of the priority.
Goals – Defines how success will be measured.
High-Yield Strategies and Actions – Outlines the key steps needed to achieve the goals.
Rationale – Why these strategies were included. (References)
Accountability Metrics and Milestones – (Will be added soon)
All students will graduate with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to thrive in a constantly changing world. This includes:
A solid academic foundation and strong critical thinking abilities.
Resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning.
Skills for effective communication and collaboration to build meaningful relationships.
Positive community impact and readiness for success in careers and life, no matter how society or the job market evolves.
We will know that we are successful when:
At least 90% of MCPS schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland State Report Card.
Reduce proficiency disparities by at least 50% on the Maryland School Report Card for students identified as Economically Disadvantaged, Multilingual Learners, students receiving Special Education services, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African American students.
MCPS annually graduates 95% of Grade 12 students in all racial/ethnic and service groups equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Priority Areas
Transform Structures for Equity and Student Success
During Phase 2 of the Strategic Plan development, 180 diverse stakeholders worked together to analyze root causes, propose approaches to address system barriers and propose accountability measures. Their analysis is detailed in this Phase 2 Report.
One key finding highlights the issue of misaligned structures and practices. “Traditional school structures and practices were stated as often failing to meet the diverse needs of all students. Curriculum design, instructional approaches, and scheduling frequently prioritize efficiency over equity, leaving many students unsupported or excluded. Programs intended to promote equity may lack effective implementation or fail to address root causes, leading to mistrust or stigmatization.” Similar themes were also identified in the MCPS Antiracist System Audit and the Center for Applied Linguistics Commission Report.
Goals:
By 2030, ensure that 90% of students in all racial/ethnic and service groups are engaged in at least one advanced college and career readiness program, ensuring equitable access to rigorous and relevant educational opportunities (i.e., AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/CTE).
By 2030, at least 90% of students in all racial/ethnic and service groups will report feeling safe and have a sense of belonging.
By 2030, at least 80% of staff across all racial/ethnic groups feel safe, valued, and included.
By 2030, hate bias and bullying incidents will decrease by 50%.
By 2030, eliminate the disproportionality of suspensions for Black or African American students and students receiving special education services through culturally responsive interventions, restorative practices, and systemic accountability measures.
By 2030, ensure a 90% staff retention rate by racial/ethnic groups for all associations.
By 2030, increase the percentage of staff recruited and hired from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups by 50%.
MCPS has long implemented a range of initiatives aimed at closing opportunity gaps. This strategy builds on that work by strengthening monitoring structures, improving coordination of supports, and scaling high-impact practices across all schools. Including targeted interventions, co-teaching models, multilingual education refinement, and enrichment for highly able students is grounded in research showing that such supports improve outcomes for historically underserved groups (CAST, 2018; Gay, 2018; Friend & Cook, 2016). Project-based learning expands engagement and real-world application, supporting deeper learning for all students (Zhang & Ma, 2023).
Form district-wide committees to monitor the progress and success of African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Multilingual Learners, and students receiving Special Education services.
Evaluate and enhance support structures to ensure students in all racial/ethnic and service groups meet college and career readiness standards.
Implement evidence-based interventions for all students needing literacy and math support.
Increase enrichment opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students
Increase academic acceleration opportunities for students identified as highly able.
Evaluate and refine current multilingual education models to promote English proficiency and home language development without restricting access to core content and advanced college and career opportunities.
Implement inclusive teaching practices and co-teaching models for students receiving special education services to provide access to rigorous grade-level instruction with necessary accommodations.
Expand opportunities for project-based and real-world learning experiences PreK-12.
Why this strategy was selected:
Research supports that when students feel safe and valued, academic performance improves, and incidents decline (Hammond, 2015; CASEL, 2023). MCPS has invested in building inclusive school climates and implementing restorative practices. However, feedback from audits and stakeholders indicates that implementation is inconsistent. This strategy enhances current efforts by strengthening student-adult relationships, well-being teams, and behavioral supports. Additionally, facilities and technology upgrades should be ensured for physical safety. Evaluating serious incident processes and improving alternative programs ensures equitable and restorative disciplinary responses.
Create opportunities for all students to develop meaningful relationships with staff.
Implement and sustain highly effective student well-being teams at all schools.
Evaluate and improve the current serious incident reporting process.
Implement technology security enhancements in all facilities.
Evaluate and improve alternative programs focusing on social-emotional learning, behavioral interventions, and academic support.
Conduct a comprehensive assessment of facilities and implement a replacement and improvement cycle that ensures facilities are safe and operational.
MCPS has existing college and career readiness initiatives that support students in advanced coursework and postsecondary planning, however, gaps still persist in the level of access and participation among racial/ethnic and service groups. This strategy enhances and expands these efforts by ensuring that every student starting in middle school has a post-secondary plan. Additionally, a program distribution analysis will ensure equitable distribution of programming across the district. Research shows that structured and personalized postsecondary planning—combined with equitable access to rigorous pathways—leads to higher postsecondary enrollment and success (Kemple, 2008; Advance CTE, 2021). Strengthening partnerships with colleges, businesses, and workforce programs increases access to meaningful, real-world experiences that support future readiness and motivation.
Implement structured, individualized, postsecondary planning for every student, beginning in middle school, with personalized guidance for college, career, and technical education pathways.
Evaluate and realign programs to ensure equitable distribution and access to advanced college, career, and community readiness pathways.
Improve and design support structures to ensure all students successfully participate and complete at least one college and career-ready pathway.
Expand partnerships with local colleges, workforce programs, and businesses to increase access to work-based learning, internships, and apprenticeship programs.
Traditional school schedules often reinforce inequities by limiting access to interventions, enrichment, and planning time for teachers. Offering flexible, student-centered, and virtual pathways ensures more personalized learning experiences that better prepare students for postsecondary success in a rapidly changing world. This strategy reflects stakeholder input from the Phase 2 report, which identified rigid time structures as barriers to equity. Research supports alternative scheduling models as effective tools for improving student outcomes and teacher collaboration (Levenson & James, 2023).
Examine and evaluate alternative scheduling and instructional models to better support student learning, well-being, and teacher collaboration.
Redesign time structures to provide equitable access to academic interventions, enrichment, and social-emotional learning without pulling students from core instruction.
Incentivize schools to test flexible scheduling, student-centered learning models, and increased teacher planning time, using data to inform district-wide expansion.
Increase opportunities for students to take advanced courses through virtual platforms and non-traditional pathways.
Research supports that diverse and inclusive workforces improve organizational performance and help meet the needs of diverse student populations (Loeb et al., 2012; Grissom et al., 2021). The MCPS workforce does not currently represent the demographics of our student population across all association groups. This strategy deepens current efforts by implementing equity-focused protocols, revising compensation structures, analyzing and revising our professional growth system, and enhancing onboarding and leadership development.
Conduct a comprehensive review of recruitment, selection, and hiring practices and develop improved and standardized equity-focused recruitment and hiring protocols.
Develop a comprehensive data-driven approach to strengthen the entire employee life cycle for all employee groups, including recruitment, onboarding, development, and offboarding.
Differentiate compensation models and revise job descriptions to recognize diverse experiences, industry-recognized credentials, performance, and skill development.
Analyze the Professional Growth System to inform improvements of the structures, processes, and implementation.
Develop tools, structures, and professional learning to ensure all leaders have the skills to foster safe and inclusive work environments.
Research consistently shows that students with engaged families, regardless of income or background, are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, attend school regularly, have better social skills, and graduate.
In MCPS, however, surveys consistently find that communication and family engagement practices are not working for many of our current families. Too many families say they do not have the information they need to support their children’s education, and staff are not getting the diverse community input they need to make effective decisions at the district and school levels.
Goals:
By 2030, all school and district communications will be clear, culturally responsive, and easily understood. Success will be measured by at least 95% of families across all student groups reporting that school and district information is accessible, and at least 75% reporting that they understand the information shared.
By 2030, all district and school decision-making processes requiring stakeholder engagement will reflect the demographics of all student groups, with at least 90% of participants reporting high levels of engagement.
By 2030, at least 90% of families across all racial/ethnic groups will report their schools' environment is welcoming and supportive.
By 2030, 90% of families across all racial/ethnic groups will report receiving clear, timely, and useful academic progress updates about their child.
MCPS already shares a wide range of information with families across multiple platforms. However, families have consistently reported that communication can be unclear, overly technical, or inaccessible due to language or format. This strategy enhances current efforts by applying plain-language guidelines and establishing clearer expectations for communication quality. It aligns with national best practices and ensures communication is culturally responsive and easy to understand across all student groups (Hererra, 2020).
Develop a plain-language communication rubric to ensure all information is culturally responsive, clear, concise, and jargon-free.
Audit and revise current district materials using the new guidelines.
Create sample flyers, letters, and other family-focused communications to help departments and schools share clear and effective messages with families.
Conduct annual family engagement surveys to track improvements in communication.
A critical component of ensuring we are meeting the needs of our diverse community is understanding the experiences and perspectives of our community. MCPS has long encouraged stakeholder engagement through advisory groups and committees, however, we have not always had representation that reflects the demographics of our of student population. This strategy strengthens and refines existing engagement efforts to ensure they are inclusive and representative of the district’s full diversity. It is aligned with Policy ABA and builds on structures already in place. By developing targeted outreach and partnering with trusted community organizations, MCPS can increase engagement from historically underrepresented groups and ensure that all families have a voice in shaping district and school decisions (U.S. DOE, 2013).
Establish guidelines and a toolkit that ensure all advisory groups, decision-making bodies, and school improvement processes reflect the demographic composition of MCPS students and families in alignment with the Community Engagement policy ABA.
Create targeted and culturally responsive outreach plans to recruit families and community members from historically underrepresented groups.
Establish and implement a School Improvement Plan process that ensures engagement from the school community, reflects the diversity of their student populations, and communicates the plan and progress to the community.
Partner with community organizations, faith-based groups, and civic organizations to increase participation from underrepresented families.
MCPS currently offers family workshops, parent academies, and multilingual resources. However, these supports are not always coordinated or equitably accessible. This strategy builds on what already exists by improving alignment, enhancing relevance, and ensuring that all families can understand how to support their child’s academic progress and well-being. Research shows that student outcomes improve significantly when families are equipped with culturally responsive, multilingual resources and advocacy skills (Henderson et al., 2007; Weiss et al., 2009).
Improve district coordination to create targeted, culturally responsive, and multilingual resources and workshops on topics such as:
Navigating the school district
Graduation requirements and college & career pathways
Monitoring student academic progress and accessing interventions
Understanding and advocating in IEP and 504 processes
English language development and bilingual education support
Effective learning-at-home strategies
Advocacy skills to empower families in decision-making processes
Develop consistent, district-wide processes to share academic progress in a clear, accessible manner, to ensure all families receive timely and meaningful updates on their child’s education.
Research indicates that teachers have the most significant impact on student success among in-school factors. Therefore, to ensure we unleash the potential of every student, educators must have the resources and support to deliver standards-aligned, culturally responsive instruction and differentiate for diverse learners, including Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) and students receiving Special Education services.
The Phase 2 Report identified inadequate professional development as an important barrier to meeting our vision. “The inconsistency and inequity in professional development (PD) opportunities across schools and departments contribute to gaps in instructional effectiveness. Many educators lack training in culturally responsive practices, inclusive teaching methods, and strategies to support multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and other historically marginalized groups. A lack of coordination and alignment in PD design leads to fragmented implementation and limited impact, while systemic constraints like time, budget, and reliance on external consultants hinder equitable access to effective PD.”
Goals:
By 2030, 100% of PreK-12 educators will have access to and utilize culturally responsive instructional materials aligned to MSDE standards.
By 2030, all educators will participate in professional learning focused on inclusive, culturally responsive, and antiracist instructional practices, with 90% demonstrating successful implementation of learning based on evaluation rubrics.
Research indicates that students engage more deeply when the curriculum reflects their identities and lived experiences (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2022). Additionally, real-world and project-based learning fosters deeper understanding and helps students connect academic content to future goals (Zhang & Ma, 2023). MCPS has made significant investments in standards-aligned and culturally responsive curriculum materials. This strategy builds on that foundation by enhancing materials to better reflect the lived experiences of all student groups and ensuring full alignment with MSDE standards and assessments.
Evaluate and enhance all curriculum and materials to ensure the lived experiences of all student racial and service groups are positively represented.
Evaluate and enhance all curricula to ensure the inclusion of real-world and project-based learning experiences.
Create and embed instructional materials that promote language acquisition across all content areas.
Ensure the alignment of all instructional materials and curricula to assessments.
Time is one of the most critical barriers to effective professional learning. Educators need dedicated time for collaboration, reflection, and skill-building. Embedding professional development within the school day—rather than treating it as an add-on—leads to stronger implementation and sustained growth (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Learning Forward, 2022). Equitable access to collaboration time also supports teacher well-being and instructional coherence.
Evaluate current time structures around planning and professional learning in elementary, middle, and high school to inform changes.
Ensure all educators and paraeducators who support instruction have the time to participate in curriculum-based professional learning, collaborative planning, and implementation feedback.
Differentiated, curriculum-based professional learning improves both teacher practice and student outcomes (Ingersoll & Strong, 2015; Gay, 2018). Embedding culturally responsive and inclusive practices throughout all professional learning builds educator capacity to meet the needs of diverse learners. MCPS offers a range of professional learning opportunities, but the quality, accessibility, and accountability measures vary. This strategy enhances ongoing learning by differentiating content based on role, experience, and instructional focus and creating appropriate evaluation metrics to measure impact.
Develop, implement, and monitor the effective implementation of curriculum-based professional learning aligned to grade-level standards that strengthen educators’ abilities to differentiate instruction and create inclusive, student-centered learning environments.
Ensure professional learning is differentiated to meet the varied needs of educators based on role, experience, and areas of instructional focus.
Embed culturally responsive teaching principles across all professional learning to ensure educators affirm students’ identities, experiences, and linguistic assets.
Provide targeted professional learning on effective instructional strategies for multilingual learners, students receiving special education services, and historically marginalized student groups.
Research shows that new teachers who receive strong early-career support are more effective and more likely to remain in the profession (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). Onboarding and teacher leadership pathways are in place but need refinement to address today’s instructional realities. This strategy enhances support with targeted coaching on inclusive, culturally responsive practices and expands structured career development, including National Board Certification.
Evaluate and improve onboarding programs to provide intensive early-career support focused on:
Culturally responsive teaching practices aligned to the curriculum.
Safe, welcoming, and engaging learning environments.
Differentiated instruction for multilingual learners, students receiving special education services, and historically marginalized student groups.
Create a teacher career ladder to support teacher professional growth, leadership, and National Board Certification attainment.
MCPS already collaborates with several higher education institutions. This strategy deepens those partnerships to ensure pre-service coursework reflects the instructional needs of MCPS classrooms—including inclusive practices, culturally responsive instruction, and language acquisition. Embedding these practices in pre-service preparation improves readiness and long-term success.
Collaborate with local colleges/universities and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to align teacher education programs with the skills required for effective, culturally responsive teaching in MCPS schools.
Advocate for coursework that includes evidence-based strategies for supporting multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and historically underserved student populations.
Research shows that having a strong school leader substantially contributes to student achievement, reduced absenteeism, and teacher retention. In 2025, principals face growing responsibilities and challenges, and almost half of all MCPS principals have less than five years of experience. MCPS must ensure they have the necessary skills to:
Equip students from all backgrounds with essential knowledge and future-ready skills.
Identify and support culturally responsive instruction aligned to MSDE standards.
Effectively manage current and emerging challenges.
Goals:
By 2030, all leaders will participate in professional learning focused on inclusive, culturally responsive, and antiracist instruction and leadership practices, with 90% demonstrating successful implementation of learning based on evaluation rubrics.
By 2030, increase the percentage of school administrators hired and retained from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups by 50%.
MCPS has leadership development programs in place. This strategy builds on existing efforts by aligning leadership development with equity-centered and instructional leadership best practices to best support the needs of leaders, students, and the community today. The goal is to expand the leadership development program to support the development of all leadership roles within the system.
Evaluate, analyze, and refine the current leadership development program to ensure it provides growth opportunities to support all leadership roles in the systems and aligns with equity-centered, data-informed, and instructional leadership best practices.
Expand multi-year onboarding support for new principals and administrators with structured coaching and peer mentorship programs.
MCPS provides professional learning for school leaders, but leaders report the need for more differentiated, role-specific, and equity-focused development. This strategy enhances existing offerings by requiring all leaders to engage in sustained, standards-aligned, and inclusive professional learning. It reflects best practices in principal development, focusing on instructional leadership, coaching, equity, and community engagement (Khalifa et al., 2016; Edition, 2013). Differentiated learning ensures all leaders are prepared for their unique challenges and responsibilities.
Require all leaders to participate in ongoing inclusive, culturally responsive, and antiracist leadership professional learning, focusing on:
Observing, coaching, and evaluating educators.
Strengthening teaching to be more inclusive, culturally responsive, and standards-aligned.
Data-informed decision-making that drives office and school improvement.
Recognizing and disrupting inequitable systems and addressing opportunity gaps.
Building inclusive, safe, and welcoming learning and work environments.
Improving communication and engagement with all families and the community.
Navigating complex challenges.
Ensure professional learning is differentiated to meet the varied needs of leaders based on role, experience, and areas of focus.
MCPS has made progress in recruiting and developing school leaders, but gaps remain—especially in recruiting leaders from underrepresented groups. This strategy strengthens and expands leadership pipelines by refining recruitment practices and deepening partnerships with organizations focused on leadership development for educators of color. Research supports that intentional, equity-focused recruitment and leadership development increase diversity and long-term retention in leadership roles (Grissom et al., 2021).
Analyze and evaluate the current recruitment processes and structures to inform future development needs.
Expand and refine targeted leadership recruitment programs to ensure a diverse pool of high-potential educators are identified and supported in becoming future administrators.
Expand partnerships with local and national administrator organizations that serve and support African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American leadership development.
The Antiracist System Audit completed in 2022 found that while MCPS has many good policies and practices, “The implementation of policies and application of best practices differs greatly from school to school, suggesting that the system is currently fragmented.” Research underscores the importance of central office support for instructional excellence and equity in schools. MCPS Central Services must have the structures, alignment, and professional development necessary to effectively implement district-wide initiatives and ensure strong support and oversight that drive student achievement.
Goals:
By 2030, 90% of school leaders will report receiving timely and responsive support through the cross-functional team process.
By 2030, 100% of central services staff and 100% of school-based administrative teams will be trained and implement evidence-based project management.
By 2030, process inefficiencies in central services will be reduced by 50% through streamlined workflows and evidence-based project management.
MCPS central office underwent a reorganization in the 2024-2025 school year to improve efficiency and support to schools. This strategy enhances and formalizes existing efforts by creating well-trained, cross-functional teams grounded in school data and focused on collaborative problem-solving. Research emphasizes that central office transformation is essential for scaling equity and instructional improvement (Honig, 2023). Strengthening professional learning for principal supervisors and central leaders ensures they have the knowledge and skills necessary to support school leaders, teachers, and staff.
Create, train, and implement central office cross-functional teams to provide targeted and differentiated support to schools that will include:
Analyzing school and district-level data by racial and service groups to inform school improvement.
Sharing best practices and problem-solving school-level challenges.
Ensuring alignment between district initiatives and school needs.
Providing professional learning to support school improvement.
Establish a comprehensive professional learning program to equip principal supervisors and district leaders with the knowledge and skills to support schools effectively. This may include:
Observing, coaching, and evaluating principals.
Strengthening teaching to be more inclusive, culturally responsive, and standards-aligned.
Data-informed decision-making that drives school improvement.
Recognizing and disrupting inequitable systems and addressing opportunity gaps.
Building inclusive, safe, and welcoming learning and work environments.
Improving communication and engagement with all families and the community.
Navigating complex challenges.
Ensure professional learning is differentiated to meet the varied needs of district leaders based on role, experience, and areas of focus.
Central Services staff already manage complex systems and high volumes of operational work. However, internal reviews indicate variation in contract management, project implementation, and cross-department collaboration. This strategy builds on existing structures by implementing research-based frameworks and process documentation to reduce inefficiencies and increase service quality. Implementing project management systems and continuous improvement practices is widely supported as a way to boost district performance and coherence (Ikemoto et al., 2009).
Establish, train, and implement standardized contract-related processes across all departments that support procurement policies, contract-related processes, best practices, and technology solutions.
Evaluate and document all standard operational processes.
Establish, train, and implement a research-based project management framework and tools across all offices and schools.
Enhance collaboration and improve communication with Montgomery County public agencies.
Equitable funding models are a key component of state and national education equity frameworks (Baker et al., 2014; Maryland State Department of Education, 2020). MCPS already directs additional resources to schools with greater needs, but more work is needed to ensure resource allocation is transparent, responsive, and data-driven. This strategy enhances current funding practices by more precisely aligning them to student needs, staff capacity, and school improvement priorities.
Analyze current funding structures and reallocate resources based on student needs to ensure equity.
Examine the allocation of human capital to ensure targeted staff placement in schools that match the community’s unique needs.
Ensure high-need schools receive additional support for intervention programming and extended learning opportunities.