What Are Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) Schools

Overview

Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools receive targeted State and local support to strengthen instruction, leadership, and student outcomes.

🏫 Lowest-performing Title I schools statewide
👩🏽‍🏫 Title I schools with a persistently low-performing student group
🎓 High schools where one-third or more of students do not graduate on time

Purpose: To close opportunity gaps and ensure every Maryland student has access to equitable, high-quality learning.

How CSI Schools Are Identified

CSI schools are identified every three years using data from Maryland’s Accountability System, developed through statewide collaboration under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

A school may be identified if it is:

CSI Lowest-Performing School – In the bottom 5% of Title I schools statewide.
CSI Low-Performing Student Group School – A Title I school where a student group performs as low as the lowest 5% for two consecutive cycles.
CSI Low Graduation Rate School – A high school where 33% or more of students do not graduate within four years.

🕓 Example: 2022–2023 designations were based on 2021–2022 school year data.

What Support CSI Schools Receive

Each CSI school partners with State and local education agencies to design and implement an improvement plan that is:

🔎 Data-driven – Root cause analysis identifies specific challenges.
🧩 Collaborative – Built with input from educators, families, and the community.
📈 Monitored and approved annually by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
💰 Funded through annual grants to support evidence-based strategies and professional learning.

Goal: Sustainable improvement that accelerates student achievement and promotes equity across all schools.

Exiting Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) Status

When Can CSI Schools Exit?

Schools identified as CSI schools in the 2022–2023 school year will be eligible to exit their designation in the 2026–2027 school year.

Exit Criteria

To exit CSI status, schools must show sustained improvement and meet specific performance targets set by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

🏫 CSI Lowest-Performing Schools – Must meet performance targets for two consecutive years and no longer be in the lowest-performing 5% of Title I schools statewide.
👩🏽‍🏫 CSI Low-Performing Student Group Schools – Exit when the identified student group is no longer performing as low as the State’s CSI Lowest-Performing schools.
🎓 CSI Low Graduation Rate Schools – Exit when more than two-thirds of students graduate on time (within four years).

Goal: To recognize and celebrate schools that achieve sustained, data-driven improvement and ensure lasting success for all students.

Commitment to Equity and Excellence🏆

The Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation works closely with CSI schools to empower educators, inspire innovation, and ensure every learner thrives.