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We're proud to share that over this past year, the Maryland State Leadership Team (SLT) acknowledged and supported the elevation of strategies to address equity and anti-racism in early childhood classrooms. Workgroups were formed to update the SLT Vision and Mission, develop an Equity Statement with action items, and revise training content and materials.

 

The Mission, Vision, and Equity Statement for Maryland’s Pyramid Model SLT updated and ratified by all parties in April of 2021.

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Where We Are Headed

The Vision of the Maryland Pyramid Model State Leadership Team (SLT) is for families in partnership with the early childhood workforce to have the ability to nurture and support infants' and young children’s social emotional development and well-being within their family, culture, and community to foster lifelong success through the integration of the SEFEL Pyramid Model with other related promotion, prevention, intervention, and treatment efforts in the state. 

What We Do Now

The Mission of the Maryland Pyramid Model State Leadership Team (SLT) is to develop, evaluate, and sustain a statewide collaborative effort, guided by national models, that supports the local implementation of the Pyramid Model framework, with fidelity, within a variety of early childhood programs and settings across communities within the state. 

Equity Statement

In recognition of the historical, systemic and current racial inequities that exist throughout all levels and layers of our society, we acknowledge that our youngest citizens are too often exposed and harmed.  We know this delivers a lasting impact on their social and academic trajectories, the most detrimental of which are higher rates of suspension and expulsion among young black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) before they enter kindergarten, which begins the preschool to prison pipeline.  We believe that practices that promote social and emotional awareness and skills in both children and adults, like the Pyramid Model, can serve to significantly correct and address these realities.  Recognizing this, the Maryland Pyramid Model SLT commits to implementing the Pyramid Model through a culturally responsive and anti-racist lens.  In an effort to move this work forward, we are currently focusing on the following action items, and articulate them here to hold ourselves accountable:

  • Implementation of a subcommittee dedicated to elevating equity that meets regularly and supports activities of the full SLT, with specific review of goals and accomplishments during the annual review of the Benchmark of Quality (BOQ).

  • Ongoing review and adaptation of training and coaching curriculum to increase the equity lens within Maryland Pyramid Model efforts.

  • Adding diversity, equity and inclusion measures into the BOQ fidelity items.

  • Ongoing intention of adding and elevating the voices and perspectives of BIPOC partners involved in Pyramid Model efforts across the state. 

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