Learning Forward was awarded a System of Professional Learning Grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. The $1.9 million competitive grant supports professional learning for teams from 24 districts, with the goal of improving all teachers’ capacity to positively impact pre-K-12 student outcomes.

Learning Forward is leading development of the new professional learning system, aligned with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, an initiative to elevate the teaching profession through strategies that are rooted in evidence of positive impact on learners, including those who have been historically underserved.

The initiative 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.

Frederick Brown, Learning Forward president and CEO, said “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.”

 The project involves aligning Maryland’s systemwide professional learning and includes the design of learning modules with content focused on 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 using 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.
• Implement high-quality instructional materials at the classroom level.