Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Strategic Plan 2024-2029

Priorities

Achieving Academic Excellence - Ensuring that all students are exposed to high academic expectations, rigorous curriculum, and an engaging learning environment to meet individual needs and continue to grow.

Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness - Ensuring that all AACPS students are prepared to grow and prosper as they move through the system and successfully transition from the school system to adulthood.

Investing in our Staff - Ensuring a diverse and highly effective staff at all levels and positions.

Supporting the Whole Child - Ensuring the social, emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral health and well-being of all students.

Building and Sustaining Our Future - Ensuring the safety, security, and upkeep of all district facilities and the efficient and equitable management/allocation of district resources.

Vision

Anne Arundel County Public Schools is a school community where everyone can belong, grow, and succeed.

Mission

AACPS harnesses the strengths of its diverse community and builds on a robust academic foundation to foster safe, joyful learning environments where students explore opportunities, discover their passions, and develop their skills.

Core Beliefs

In order to ensure that we are creating an environment built on the promise of academic excellence and social-emotional growth, we must take action through the following core beliefs:

Belonging

We believe that genuine connections and relationships are the foundation of a successful community. We are committed to nurturing strong bonds between students, staff, families, and community members so everyone feels connected, supported, and valued.

Equity

We believe that the promise of public education is for every child to succeed in school and life. We are committed to maximizing every student’s academic growth and social-emotional well being by providing access to rigorous learning, differentiated resources, and eliminating obstacles to accessing educational opportunities and academic success.

Innovation

We believe in transforming education through a culture of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. We are committed to supporting tech-infused, joyful classrooms and schools where students are challenged to think critically and solve problems by educators who are empowered to design engaging learning experiences.

Integrity

We believe honesty, transparency, and accountability promote trust and mutual respect. We are committed to open communication between administration, staff, students, and families, inviting feedback, and creating a sense of shared responsibility for student academic success and personal growth.

Safety

We believe that every individual needs to have physical, social-emotional and mental safety and security as a foundation in our community. We are committed to fostering a culture of learning and well-being where individuals have access to resources and support that enable them to belong, grow, and succeed.

Portrait of a Graduate

Future-Ready

I set ambitious goals, create and implement flexible plans, and use my knowledge and skills to live independently, learning, growing, and thriving in an ever-changing world.

Effective Collaborator

I form meaningful relationships, skillfully communicate, and work with diverse groups of people to achieve common goals.

Critical Thinker

I analyze and evaluate information, resources, perspectives, and experiences to weigh opinions, formulate well-reasoned conclusions, solve problems, and navigate challenges.

Curious Learner

I ask questions, explore ideas, and embrace new opportunities so I can understand the world and build a better future for myself and my community.

Empathetic Community Member

I demonstrate sensitivity, concern, understanding, and respect for the experiences and feelings of others to better the community.

a photo of graduates throwing their cap into the air

For any school system to fully deliver the promise of education to its students and community, its work must be built on a foundation of trust, transparency, and shared purpose. This Strategic Plan reflects those values. Though it is our Board of Education that is charged with adoption of this plan and it is our staff that is charged with implementation, this is not our plan. This is a community plan centered on fostering an environment where every student feels a sense of belonging, empowered to grow academically and socially, and ultimately equipped to succeed in whatever path they choose.

Mark T. Bedell, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

For more information about the development of this plan, click here.

For a printable version of the plan, click here.

To see the plan booklet, click here.