A five-year strategic plan that outlines metrics and goals to guide Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) through fiscal years 2026-2030 was unanimously approved by the school board on Tuesday afternoon.
“What we are trying to offer is clarity and a clear target for what we are aiming at as a community, where our goals are and what we hope to accomplish,” MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor said during the Tuesday meeting in Rockville.
The plan includes goals such as ensuring MCPS has the best academic performance in Maryland and that high school students have a plan following graduation, and adds scorecards to measure progress in each of the four major goals.
Board member Karla Silvestre said the strategic plan was important to move the district forward — and that consistency was an important aspect of it.
“We know we have pockets of greatness all over this county. But something that we have always struggled with is: Are you a system of schools or a school system? And too often we’re a system of schools,” Silvestre said. “How are you rolling out implementation of all these things in a consistent manner, so that teachers and students and staff have a similar experience throughout the school system?”
The MCPS strategic plan guides the work of the school district and is renewed every five years. According to the strategic plan website, the fiscal year 2026-2030 strategic plan will focus on enhancing academics and operations, as well as “structural challenges, such as policies, staffing, and resource allocation.”
The three-phase development of the strategic plan began in August with a first phase that included focus groups of students, staff, community members and higher education partners and business partners. Phase one ended in September with a summary report of the focus group’s feedback on skills that students need upon graduation and on systemic issues facing the district.
Phase two ran from October to December and included an analysis of the root causes of the systemic issues and brainstorming sessions to address the causes. More than 180 community members came together in a November session to discuss themes raised during phase one, which included topics such as equity and inclusion challenges, student achievement and opportunity gaps, and teacher support, according to the strategic plan website.
The district presented a draft of its strategic plan framework in March at the end of its third development phase, which began in January.
On Tuesday, the board approved the goals, objectives and success metrics for the strategic plan. According to Taylor, district leadership and school board members on the Strategic Planning Committee will work over the summer to develop strategies and tactics to accomplish each goal.
The goals fall under four categories – academic excellence, future-ready graduates, positive, safe and effective environments and a high-quality, diverse workforce. Each goal also has several objectives, with smaller, more specific goals. Progress in meeting the all of the goals will be measured using the Maryland School Report Card, which measures school performance using a rating scale of one to five stars, alongside other metrics.
According to the Tuesday presentation the goals and some of the objectives include:
- Academic excellence – All students will demonstrate high levels of academic achievement and growth:
- MCPS will have the highest academic performance in Maryland, according to the Maryland School Report Card; and
- All students will demonstrate reading proficiency by the end of first grade.
- Future ready graduates – Ensure meaningful post-secondary outcomes for all students:
- All high school students will have plans after graduation to be employed, enlisted, and/or enrolled in a college or university; and
- All high school students will have at least one real world learning experience, through opportunities including internships.
- Positive, safe and effective – Ensure safe, welcoming and inclusive learning and work environments through positive climate and effective operations:
- All students and staff are physically, mentally and emotionally safe in their learning and work environments; and
- Reduce disproportionate suspension rates for Black and special education students.
- High-quality, diverse workforce – Support and invest in all staff:
- Provide competitive compensation, high-quality and affordable benefits, and wellness support to all staff; and
- Ensure all staff engage in inclusive, culturally responsive, and antiracist practices.
The board also approved several ways to measure the success of the strategic plan:
- At least 100% of MCPS schools earn four stars or higher on the Maryland State Report Card;
- The reduction of academic proficiency disparities by at least 50% on the Maryland School Report Card for students receiving free and reduced meals services, multilingual learners, special education students, Hispanic/Latino students, and Black/African American students; and
- An annual graduation rate of 95% in all demographic categories, by equipping students with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Board member Brenda Wolff, who leads the Strategic Planning Committee, noted during the Tuesday meeting the presentation didn’t include baseline numbers because the district is waiting for results from the 2025 state report card.
According to Taylor, the strategic plan will also include scorecards for each goal and metrics, which he said will help hold MCPS accountable.
“Our previous strategic plans had very fantastic goals,” Taylor said. “They were lofty. They pointed us in great directions but lacked this accountability metric and this ability for us to measure consistently.”
