Drew Fagan in Maryland Tesol Quarterly

"To date, this is the most comprehensive set of recommendations for ML success proposed by the Maryland State Department of Education in its history, and it has led to multiple entities taking up the reins to effect change across the state. For example, the Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE), developed in 2023 and directed by both the University of Maryland, College Park, and Morgan State University, is the lead innovator in equitable access to literacy for all Maryland students. This includes ensuring that evidence-based practices are created that address literacy in a culturally responsive manner to meet the needs of MLs in every school system. This work also addresses the criticisms of the Science of Reading (SoR) head-on, focusing on how educators can make use of SoR in more culturally and linguistically equitable ways. Simultaneously, more work is being done in the field of dual language education. As more dual language programs grow per Blueprint recommendations, more opportunities are being provided to give in-service teachers professional development (PD) that will hone their already existing skills to work in these evolving programs, as evidenced by the first-ever Dual Language Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program developed by the University of Maryland, College Park, and already being used for PD in Montgomery County Public Schools."