MSDE conducted 11 regional Educator Effectiveness Academies during the summer 2011, and 10 additional academies during the summer of 2012. The focus of the 2011 academies was the development of a working knowledge of the Maryland Common Core State Curriculum (MD CCSC) for teachers and principals of every school across the state, in the areas of Reading/English Language Arts, Mathematics, and STEM. The 2012 academies focused on the instructional shifts in the implementation of the MD CCSC and delved deeper into educational practice in the classroom.

The innovative professional development of the Educator Effectiveness Academies will continue into the summer of 2013. Follow up sessions, which started during the fall of 2011 will continue into the spring of 2014 in order to deepen and strengthen the teaching practices from the academies.

The 2012 Educator Effectiveness Academies provided professional development activities that allowed STEM participants to develop knowledge of the Maryland STEM Standards of Practice, Frameworks and Instructional Guides for elementary, middle, and high school educators. STEM participants received information and training on the use of STEM unit components and resources. STEM participants along with their school team created a school plan that will guide school staff in delivering content and the curriculum toolkit.