What We Do

World Class Grads-Maryland, Inc. is a non-profit organization, a pro-active analyst and a  catalyst for the long-term success of the Kirwan Commission’s “call to action.” We analyze, publicize and project student, job and career data; link with others working with these and related areas; and meet with public officials to promote the successful implementation of the Blueprint transformation of education in Maryland. More information is available here.

Statewide Focus

WCG-MD will operate throughout Maryland, in all 24 school systems. We are based in Annapolis, the seat of our state government, and 30 minutes from Baltimore, the seat of the state education system offices.

To be effective, WCG-MD operates with a systems lens to help all parts of the educational enterprise understand how they impact the Blueprint’s stated goal of having all students being college and career ready by the end of the 10th grade, with the last two years of high school to begin higher education or apprenticeships leading to employment in 21st Century jobs.

Partnerships

WCG-MD will function with an extensive system of partnerships to ensure the entire state is covered by teams paying attention to the key indicators of success, including community understanding and culture. In this way, we serve as a trusted partner to the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and other organizations, both public and private, that have an interest in the success of the Blueprint and the social and economic growth of the State of Maryland. 

Research and Intellectual Property 

Our research arm exists to understand how existing research results apply to Maryland schools, and to address problems found during Blueprint implementation. Studies of many aspects of the Blueprint will be necessary to ensure the program is on track. Some aspects of the Blueprint are new to the United States and may have not been previously addressed by the research community. WCG-MD will do research and analysis and collaborate with researchers in other institutions to find the best routes to the results to which the Blueprint aspires.

Policy Development

Our first job is to understand the policies related to the Blueprint so we can share that information with the public. 

Because of our extensive network, our findings will have local and/or statewide focus. Policy implications will become apparent as information flows from our partners and from research. As we learn about the implementation of the Blueprint, we may find that there are educational problems that require additional policies for correction. We will endeavor to develop proposed policies from research results produced by WCG-MD and others, and share that information with legislators and implementors, including MSDE and the AIB. 

Information

WCG-MD provides information to the public, public officials, and those implementing the Blueprint. Our purpose is to ensure that correct and accurate knowledge is available to all who are interested, so all citizens and organizations can play a positive role in improving Maryland education, enabling the state to compete on the world stage.

Presentations

WCG-MD supports the full implementation of the Blueprint by presenting information about it to legislators, implementors, activists, and the public in general. Widespread knowledge about its direction, needs, and actions to improve results, will be important for all to know.

Periodically, WCG-MD will provide webinars to inform the public of areas we all need to be concerned about, or areas that have had remarkable success that we all should celebrate.

Resources

WCG-MD will provide on this site a list of relevant publications, and links to those that are available on-line. This page is currently under development.

Communications (In development)

To engage the public, WCG-MD will establish Social Media accounts and post relevant content on a regular basis. Return to this page periodically to participate in this aspect of WCG-MD as it develops.