Local Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated Strategic Plan

Authorization

The 2019 Local ESSA Consolidated Strategic Plan is authorized by the following:

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Section 5-401, Comprehensive Master Plans, Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland; and
Chapter 702 of the Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

Background

In 2002, the Maryland General Assembly enacted the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act. This legislation provides a powerful framework for all 24 local school systems to increase student achievement for all students and to close the achievement gap. The Bridge to Excellence legislation significantly increased State Aid to public education and required each local school system to develop a comprehensive master plan, to be updated annually. In 2019, the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education updated current education funding formulas and made policy recommendations in the areas applicable to local school systems including early childhood education, high-quality teachers and leaders, college and career readiness pathways, including career and technical education, and more resources to ensure all students are successful

In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was reauthorized. This Act provides a long-term, stable federal policy that provides additional flexibility and encourages states, local school systems, and schools to innovate while maintaining accountability for results. The ESSA in conjunction with the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act in accordance with the Annotated Code of Maryland §5-401, Annotated Code of Maryland §7-203.3, requires local school systems to develop and submit a Local ESSA Consolidated Strategic Plan to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for review by October 15^th each year.

In 2019, local school systems transitioned from the Bridge to Excellence Master Plan to the new Local ESSA Consolidated Strategic Plan (LEC Strategic Plan) for accountability, reporting, and school improvement. PGCPS is required to submit a plan to improve outcomes for all students. The plan includes goals, objectives, and strategies to promote academic excellence among all students to address areas of focus based on the analysis of state standardized data. Reported strategies are identified to address disparities in achievement for students requiring special education services, as defined in §5-209 of the Education Article, and students with limited English proficiency, as defined in §5-208 of the Education Article. Additionally, the Plan includes detailed summaries of the alignment between PGCPS' current year approved budget and the prior year actual budget. Proposed grant applications for federal and state funding programs are presented in Part II of the LEC Strategic Plan.