Maryland’s graduation requirements span every content area: ELA, Mathematics (including Algebra I and Geometry), Science (with lab/inquiry including Biology), Social Studies (US History, Government, World History), Physical Education, Health, Fine Arts, Technology Education, and World Language. The breadth gives every student space to develop the seven durable skills behind every Portrait of a Graduate attribute — the self-directed-learner attribute and the collaborative-communicator attribute alike. Per the Blueprint, students take the English 10 and Algebra I MCAP to be deemed College and Career Ready.

On March 25, 2025, the Maryland State Board of Education unanimously adopted an updated CCR standard described by Board leadership as the first of its kind in the country. The multiple-measures standard allows students to demonstrate readiness through MCAP performance (Level 3 or 4 on English 10 and Algebra I), through a 3.0 GPA combined with an Algebra I C grade or proficient MCAP score, or through alternative measures including 11th/12th grade GPA or Silver+ on the ACT WorkKeys NCRC. The goal: all students meet the standard by end of 10th grade. Every Portrait of a Graduate self-directed-learner attribute and every durable skill behind sustained academic progress — critical thinking, executive function, self-direction — is in the engine room of CCR readiness.

Maryland’s K-16 Career Development Framework provides a structured, developmental approach for teaching students about the world of work. Its six career-development standards — Self Awareness, Career Awareness, Career Exploration, Career Preparation, Job Seeking and Advancement, and Career Satisfaction and Transition — are designed to equip students with the durable skills and employability skills necessary for successful transitions across grade bands. Every standard maps directly to a Portrait of a Graduate attribute: Self Awareness anchors the self-directed learner; Career Preparation anchors the innovator; Career Satisfaction and Transition anchors the engaged citizen.

Once a student meets Maryland’s CCR standard, they enter a Post-CCR Pathway that builds on their strengths and allows in-depth specialization or earning a recognized credential. Maryland’s Post-CCR pathways are the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, Dual Enrollment / Early College, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Per Blueprint statute, community colleges enroll CCR-met students directly into credit-bearing courses with no remediation. Every Post-CCR pathway lives or dies on the seven durable skills behind it — with creativity, executive function, and self-direction doing the heaviest lifting across every Portrait of a Graduate attribute.

Maryland’s Programs of Study are approved under federal Perkins V. MSDE publishes the CTE Programs of Study and Content Standards (the “Blue Book”). Maryland’s Work-Based Learning policies define the state framework for high-quality WBL programs across local school systems. The Blueprint’s CTE pillar set ambitious goals: 60,000 apprenticeships within seven years and 45% of high school students completing a high-school-level apprenticeship program by 2030-31. Every component lives on the seven durable skills behind it — from the self-directed-learner attribute powering concentrator persistence to the collaborative-communicator attribute powering work-based-learning supervisor feedback.

In March 2025, the State Board of Education unanimously adopted Maryland’s first comprehensive PreK-12 Mathematics Policy. Aligned with the Blueprint, the policy requires 60 minutes of math daily / 300 minutes per week at every grade level. Maryland is the first state to collapse Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II into two integrated courses. Structured acceleration is required for every middle school statewide, with timely interventions for students who need support. The policy is grounded in the durable skills behind mathematical thinking — critical thinking, executive function, and self-direction — and reinforces the self-directed-learner attribute across every Portrait of a Graduate.

Maryland recognizes eight official student leadership and career organizations through MSDE’s policies: DECA, Educators Rising, FBLA-PBL, FCCLA, FFA, HOSA, SkillsUSA, and TSA. Maryland’s 8-organization roster is distinctive: it includes Educators Rising (relatively rare among states) and does not include Business Professionals of America. Approximately 10,000 Maryland students and teachers participate in these organizations each year. Leadership, collaboration, and communication are the durable skills behind every one — making them the most direct path to building Portrait of a Graduate collaborative-communicator and engaged-citizen attributes.