Title 6. Teachers and Other Personnel — Subtitle 11. Academic Excellence Program

Is a licensed educator;

Develops and facilitates professional learning opportunities for educators and administrators in the State; and

Assists administrators in implementing evidence–based instructional practices.

Is a licensed educator;

Provides coaching to teachers and other education professionals to improve instruction; and

Helps educators integrate evidence–based practices into their pedagogy.

Providing direct coaching support to teachers and administrators;

Ensuring that the coaching support is consistently conducted in a manner that research has shown is likely to result in positive student outcomes; and

Delivering targeted professional learning opportunities for educators and administrators to implement evidence–based instructional practices.

Under the Program, instructional coaches and coordinators of professional learning shall provide educators in selected schools with:

Under the Program, regional program managers shall oversee and coordinate the activity of instructional coaches and coordinators of professional learning in a designated region to ensure that local needs are considered and met.

Using accountability data, the Department, in collaboration with participating local school systems, shall identify the schools that are most in need of support from the Program.

The Department shall prioritize selecting schools with:

Within a selected school, administrators shall work with the Department to identify the teachers and other educators who will benefit most from the professional development opportunities provided by instructional coaches.

During fiscal years 2026 and 2027, the Program shall focus on early literacy instruction and support of elementary school educators.

In subsequent fiscal years, the Program shall expand its focus to incorporate other academic topics and grade levels, with particular attention paid to foundational mathematics instruction.

The Department shall develop criteria for the selection of instructional coaches.

At a minimum the selection criteria shall include:

A regional program manager, in coordination with a participating county board, shall use the Department’s criteria to select instructional coaches.

The Department shall establish a training plan for instructional coaches that provides each instructional coach with the tools to support educators using research–based strategies tailored to the needs of each educator and the educator’s students.

Each instructional coach shall be trained using the Department’s training plan.

Lead to long–term instructional improvement;

Assist an educator in creating a pedagogy that is individually tailored to meet the needs of each student, regardless of the student’s linguistic status, disability status, or background; and

Close student achievement gaps.

Under the Program, the Department shall employ regional program managers to oversee the work of instructional coaches.

Each regional program manager shall ensure that instructional coaches are meeting local educator and student needs and working in alignment with State priorities, including the principles for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

Regional program managers shall support instructional coaches by providing:

Beginning in fiscal year 2028, the Department shall employ coordinators of professional learning through the Program.

A coordinator of professional learning shall:

There is an Academic Excellence Fund.

The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to address critical academic needs in schools, particularly those identified as low–performing.

The Department shall administer the Fund.

The Fund may be used only for grants to county boards, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or other entities for the following purposes:

Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.

The total amount of money disbursed from the Fund, disaggregated by county; and

The total number of schools served by the Fund.