Maryland is one of six states selected by the National Alliance of Business (NAB) as a pilot site for the Baldrige in Education (BiE-IN) quality management initiative. Montgomery, Wicomico, Howard, Carroll, and Baltimore counties will be the first five districts in Maryland to participate in BiE-IN, allowing the school systems to gain expertise in Baldrige strategic planning and quality management principals.

A leadership team will work to design and implement the statewide strategy using Baldrige quality principles to improve student and system performance. The team will include the state superintendent of schools, the University of Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity, and representatives from the Association of Boards of Education, State Teachers Association, Business Roundtable, Congress of Parents and Teachers, and Secondary Principals Association.

The Baldrige process, named for Reagan administration Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, is a systematic plan used by many top businesses and corporations to set organizational goals and measure progress.

In 1992, Baldrige was introduced to a small number of local school systems as a way to boost school performance. BiE-IN marks the first time that Baldrige quality management criteria will be applied to public education on a statewide basis.

Montgomery County Public Schools was one of the participants in the BiE IN application process and will be an active participant in planning and implementing the initiative.

Other states selected for BiE-IN (Indiana, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas, and Ohio) will work collaboratively with Maryland during the two-year planning phase. Coordination will also be provided by the NAB and the Houston, Texas-based American Productivity and Quality Center.