Anne Arundel launches in-district training pathway for conditional teachers, targeting secondary special education

Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) will launch Maryland’s first MSDE‑approved in‑district training licensure pathway this fall, the school system told the Professional Standards board. The pathway is designed for conditionally licensed teachers and will begin by prioritizing secondary special education positions.

AACPS presented the program’s design and implementation plan. The pathway requires four core elements: (1) demonstration of content knowledge, (2) completion of an intensive Maryland induction program with on-site supervision and coaching, (3) completion of an MSDE‑approved sequence of pedagogical coursework, and (4) passing the state reading instruction requirement where applicable. Completion culminates in formal attestation by district leaders that a candidate is prepared for professional licensure.

Zipporah Miller, director for organizational learning at Anne Arundel County Public Schools, described the district’s decision to focus on secondary special education because conditional teacher concentrations and student need were highest in that area. Miller said AACPS already had a mandatory three‑year induction program and a cadre of trained mentors (called RightStart advisers) and built the in‑district proposal around existing supports. “We already had a very robust 3‑year induction program,” Miller said; the district adapted and documented those practices to meet MSDE’s approval criteria.

MSDE’s program-approval manager described the review process: LEAs must submit a full program plan by February 1 of the school year before implementation; MSDE convenes experts to review the proposal, returns written feedback, and requires revisions until approval criteria are met. Approved programs are subject to monitoring that includes site visits, surveys, data collection and multi‑year retention tracking for program participants.

AACPS described operational details intended to reduce barriers for conditional teachers: the district negotiated direct billing with Anne Arundel Community College so candidates would not have to pay course tuition up front; coursework was pared to a smaller set of required modules that map to on‑the‑job coaching and mentoring; and a multi‑tiered mentoring structure pairs RightStart advisers, content department chairs, central office specialists and induction coaches with each candidate. Miller said the district has made the coursework mandatory for participating candidates, embedded formative checkpoints throughout each year, and planned attestation at each year’s end rather than waiting until program completion.

Miller acknowledged the work was resource‑intensive. The district organized a cross‑functional team and met weekly between September and February to produce the February 1 submission; MSDE returned feedback and the district revised its plan before approval in May. She urged other LEAs considering the pathway to bring MSDE in early and to be prepared for an intensive development timeline. “We were going all the way,” Miller said of the district’s decision to pursue approval.

MSDE staff encouraged other districts to examine existing local capacity and to contact MSDE early in the planning process. Staff emphasized the pathway is a multi‑year effort and recommended that LEAs budget adequate time — one MSDE presenter suggested beginning work at least one year ahead of a February 1 submission to allow for iteration and monitoring.

AACPS said it has held information sessions and is currently reviewing transcripts and applications from potentially eligible candidates; anticipated candidate numbers were not finalized at the meeting. The district said it expects to continue monitoring and to report outcomes to MSDE as required.

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