MSDE outlines 2024 regulatory priorities: statutory alignment, literacy terminology, administrator licensure and disciplinary-process work

Kelly, an MSDE staff member, walked the board through MSDE’s next steps for regulation work in 2024 and identified four immediate priorities: statutory alignment with the 2023 Educator Shortage Reduction Act, standardization of literacy terminology across regulations, development of administrator-licensure requirements via a stakeholder workgroup, and further clarification of disciplinary-action processes.

On statutory alignment, Kelly said Maryland must update regulatory definitions (for example, "partner school" and "alternative teacher preparation program") to reflect recent law changes that expand where practica can occur and who may run alternative preparation programs. “The new definition opens it up to where the county board is not necessarily required,” Kelly said, describing how institutions of higher education or nonprofits could run alternative programs without a county-board partner.

MSDE will also develop standards to recognize prior learning for early childhood practicum requirements so experienced pre-K providers do not need to repeat identical practicum experiences. Kelly said the department will work with educator-preparation partners to establish standardized criteria to evaluate prior learning and award credit where appropriate.

Kelly described a separate statutory assignment requiring MSDE, with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, to set recruitment and retention goals for teacher-preparation programs and to create action plans for programs that fail to meet those goals. MSDE also must add training and skills for virtual instruction into educator-preparation requirements.

On literacy, MSDE said it will standardize language so references to evidence-based or science-aligned reading instruction are consistent across chapters and will consider including leadership-preparation language to support teacher implementation. The department has sought input from groups including the Reading League of Maryland and said it has hired additional literacy expertise to begin in January.

Kelly invited board members and stakeholder groups (the transcript names MSEA and the Maryland Association of Boards of Education) to participate in a post-holiday administrator licensure workgroup; multiple board members volunteered to serve or expressed interest.

Finally, MSDE said disciplinary processes will receive additional attention: the department plans to clarify language around denial/suspension of certificates, to consider codifying a definition of "misconduct," and to align processes with state government article 10-226 where public-safety-based suspension is appropriate.

What the board will see next
Kelly said MSDE can bring draft regulatory language on statutory alignment and disciplinary actions to the board in January for discussion and asked members whether they wanted to participate in workgroups or receive the survey results MSDE sent to deans and directors.