Executive Summary

Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) shows strong Blueprint implementation overall, with one pillar rated Exceeds, three rated Meets, and one rated Approaching. The standout is Pillar 2, where National Board Certification achievements grew from 7 in 2021-2022 to 157 in 2025-2026, teacher vacancies fell from 217 in 2022-2023 to 25.2, and the minimum teacher salary of $61,703 exceeds the $60,000 requirement.^[1] The district's Career Ladder was approved by the AIB with no revisions in September 2025, and Level 4 Lead Teachers are already working in 11 elementary schools.^[2]

Governance and student-support infrastructure are also on track. The AIB approved all seven components of the 2024 Blueprint Implementation Plan on January 30, 2025, and AACPS engaged more than 900 community members across 16 listening tour stops.^[1] Community schools grew from 12 to 38, with 3-8 ELA proficiency in those schools rising to 33.5% and math to 16.1%, while districtwide chronic absenteeism fell from 24.2% to 19.9%.^[1] In College and Career Readiness, 3rd grade ELA proficiency rose from 50.1% to 55.9% since 2021-2022, though grades 3-8 math proficiency (31.8%) and 5th grade math proficiency (29.4%) both slipped slightly from the prior year.^[1]

Early Childhood Education is the clearest area for attention. Total Pre-K enrollment fell to 1,998 in 2025-2026 from 2,499 the year before, private-provider enrollment for 4-year-olds dropped to 18 from 86, and kindergarten readiness stands at 44%.^[1] The district has built meaningful infrastructure, including full-day conversion of Pre-K classes and a centralized enrollment portal, but seat capacity, facility costs, and provider participation remain constraints.^[3]