Dallas, Texas- Learning Forward has been awarded a System of Professional Learning Grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. The $1.9 million competitive grant invests in professional learning by training teams from each of the 24 districts in the state to provide all teachers with the skills needed to grow their capacity to positively impact PreK-12 student outcomes. Learning Forward is leading development of the new professional learning system aligned with Blueprint for Maryland’s Future’s vision for elevating the teaching profession through strategies that are rooted in evidence of positive impact on learners, including those who have been historically underserved. The grant period is June 24, 2024 – June 30, 2025.
“We are honored that our proposal for the System of Professional Learning grant was chosen by the Maryland State Department of Education,” said Frederick Brown, Learning Forward president and CEO. “The work funded through this grant will help Maryland advance critical aspects of its Blueprint plan to invest meaningfully in teachers’ capacity and career paths. We applaud Maryland for elevating the critical role of high-quality professional learning in high-performing schools and for making an investment at the system level,” Brown said.
The project involves aligning Maryland’s system-wide professional learning and includes the design of learning modules with content focused in eight areas. They are:
- Lead and mentor teams of professionals to promote professional learning among colleagues
- Collaborate with colleagues to improve student performance
- Design and support collaborative professional learning for teachers pursuing National Board Certification
- Provide advanced training on the science of learning specific to individual disciplines
- Provide instruction and school-based services utilizing racial equity and cultural competency principles and best-practices
- Select and implement evidence-based instructional practices for students with disabilities and multilingual learners
- Implement restorative practices and trauma-informed responses; and
- Implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) at the classroom level
Learning Forward has connected with colleagues at University of Maryland’s Education Innovation and Improvement Center who will support the content of the learning modules for the district teams under the state professional learning grant.
According to Paul Fleming, Learning Forward’s Chief Learning Officer, developing, supporting, and retaining effective teachers and leaders with evidence-based practices is an impactful investment in both educator and student success. “Maryland’s system-wide approach to empowering educators to be proficient learning leaders for others will accelerate impact and expand career opportunities for them to stay in education and thrive,” he said.
Through its System of Professional Learning Grant, Maryland State Department of Education is investing $1.9 million to facilitate state-of-the-art teacher learning at the system level
Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is the state’s comprehensive plan for preK-12 public education that draws from best practices of the world’s highest-performing school systems for student achievement. It is organized around five pillars: early childhood education; high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders; college and career readiness; more resources to ensure that all students are successful; and; governance.
Learning Forward is a professional membership association committed to all aspects of advancing high-quality professional learning in public education systems worldwide. It partners with states, provinces, and districts to develop and implement professional learning strategies grounded in Standards for Professional Learning in high-impact programs such as instructional coaching, leadership growth and development, new-teacher mentoring, and high-performing learning teams. Through these partnerships, Learning Forward has a consistent track record of improving outcomes for educators and students alike by building the capacity and improving the coherence of districts’ professional learning systems.
Media Contact: Gail Paul (513) 379-8153
