The seven-member Accountability and Implementation Board said the review program should resume in fiscal 2030, with funding included. Board government-relations representative Joy Schaefer said staff will assess and redesign the program during the pause.

The teams have visited nearly 300 schools since the 2021-22 school year, primarily observing math and literacy instruction. Visits are already on hold this fiscal year and had been scheduled to restart in fiscal 2028 under a proposal from the Maryland State Department of Education. The department has said the brief visits provide only a limited view of schools’ strengths and needs and have had limited effect on student outcomes.

The board also recommended that lawmakers fund the state’s teacher-development program. During this year’s 90-day legislative session, the General Assembly approved $14.2 million to hire more than 60 literacy and math teachers for the current school year.

Some board members questioned whether coaching and school visits could continue together. Justin Robinson, a board member and Prince George’s County middle school math teacher, said coaching was a worthwhile investment, but argued that reviews can help schools learn from one another and identify potential partners with similar student populations.

Board Chair Isiah “Ike” Leggett said the pause would give officials time to improve the review program.

The recommendation is one part of a broader set of possible changes to the Blueprint, Maryland’s multiyear education reform law. The board considered a list of proposals last month that included expanding college- and career-readiness classes, studying whether to raise the state’s base per-pupil funding, and easing certification rules for private providers whose educators teach prekindergarten.

Any changes would require approval from the General Assembly, which is scheduled to begin its 2027 session Jan. 13. The scope of possible action remains uncertain: Maryland faces a projected $3 billion budget gap for the coming fiscal year, with about $1.8 billion tied to Blueprint education costs, according to the Maryland Association of Counties. The projected shortfall for fiscal 2028 would coincide with the first year Blueprint costs are expected to exceed dedicated revenues.

Leggett said the board could offer additional recommendations after three reports due later this year: a state education department study on special education funding by Dec. 15, and reports on teacher diversity and compensatory education due by Dec. 31.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 19 and will be held virtually.