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Chesapeake Progress

Student

Recent progress increase.
Outlook onCourse.

Continually increase students’ age-appropriate understanding of the watershed through participation in teacher-supported meaningful watershed educational experiences and rigorous, inquiry-based instruction, with a target of at least one meaningful watershed educational experience in elementary, middle and high school depending on available resources.

Progress

Recent Progress: Increase

In 2024, 302 local education agencies (LEAs)—44% of the total, representing 74% of the total K-12 student body population—were represented in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s fifth Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT). This Chesapeake Bay Program survey, which also measures the degree of environmental literacy preparedness, provides new data on the extent of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) among schools:

  • Elementary School Level: 31% of reporting LEAs provide system-wide MWEEs to at least one grade level, 39% provide some MWEEs to at least one grade level and 30% have no MWEEs available.
  • Middle School Level: 33% provide system-wide MWEEs to at least one grade level, 41% provide some MWEEs and 26% have no MWEEs available.
  • High School Level: 30% provide system-wide MWEEs in at least one required course, 44% provide some MWEEs in at least one required course and 26% have no MWEEs available.

At all grade levels, the trend in 2024 reflects an increase in system-wide availability of MWEEs and a decrease in districts with no availability, rebounding after the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Outlook: On Course

The Student Outcome is on course. The trend in the data from 2022 to 2024 shows an increase in the availability of MWEEs in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the region. When looking at the data from districts that reported in both 2022 and 2024, system-wide MWEE availability increased 9.6% at the elementary level while districts with no MWEEs decreased 9.6%. At the middle school level, system-wide availability also increased 9.7%, while districts with no MWEEs dropped 8.2%. For high school students, the increase in system-wide MWEE availability was 12.6%, while no availability decreased 9.4%. These trends illustrate the continual growth in MWEE availability and engagement at all three grade levels described in this outcome.

The jurisdiction with the largest percentage of reporting LEAs with system-wide MWEE availability is Maryland, followed by Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. However, low response rates in Pennsylvania and West Virginia limit the generalizability of state patterns. For more details on jurisdiction-specific preparedness, the full 2024 ELIT survey results are available for download.

The long-term trend in overall MWEE availability levels over the last four cycles of data gathering showed a substantial decrease in the aftermath of COVID-19, but rebounding in 2024. Over the past five years, reporting LEAs with some form of MWEE availability at the elementary level increased 7% from 63% to 70%. At the middle school level, those with MWEE availability rose just 2%, from 72% to 74%. LEAs with any MWEE availability at the high school level actually fell 1%, from 75% to 74%, impacted by the largest fall in 2022 to 70%.

For a learning experience to qualify as a MWEE, it must meet four criteria:

  • Students must identify and investigate an environmental question, problem or issue.
  • Students must participate in one or more outdoor field experiences that allow them to collect the data needed to answer their research questions and inform their actions.
  • Students must take action to address environmental issues at the personal or societal level.
  • Students must analyze, evaluate and communicate their conclusions.

Local education agencies and state departments of education play critical roles in supporting, developing and implementing in-school environmental literacy programs. The Chesapeake Bay Program's Education Workgroup connects natural resource agencies, nongovernmental organizations, businesses, colleges, and scientific and professional experts to help education agencies develop and deliver programs that impact environmental instruction in the classroom and the field. A concerted effort toward environmental literacy and education will form the foundation of an informed and active population that can understand and respond to complex environmental problems.

Learn About Factors Influencing Progress

Management Strategy

To achieve this outcome, Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to:

  • Increasing professional development opportunities for pre-service teachers, teachers and non-formal educators to support the development and implementation of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs).
  • Increasing the visibility and adoption of MWEEs as a best practice in education.

Monitoring and assessing progress toward the outcome will occur through the Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT).

As part of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s partnership-wide implementation of adaptive management, progress toward this outcome was reviewed and discussed by the Management Board in March of 2024. 

Download Management Strategy (.pdf)

Logic & Action Plan

Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to taking a series of specific actions that will support the management approaches listed above.

Ongoing

  • Developing and implementing state-specific outreach strategies to disseminate the MWEE Guide, MWEE Facilitators’ Guide and other resources, including an increased focus on Bay Backpack as a place to access resources.
  • Providing training to increase the number of trained MWEE facilitators, including modeling how to ensure that MWEEs are multidisciplinary and culturally and locally relevant.
  • Providing professional development for school and school district administrators focused on the MWEE as an educational best practice and building their capacity as MWEE Ambassadors.
  • Maintaining awards programs to sustain the visibility of and excitement around environmental education.
  • Increasing the number of standards-aligned professional development opportunities to support the development and implementation of MWEEs.

Recently Completed

2023

  • Improved the ability of state and regional networks to efficiently and effectively disseminate information about environmental literacy programs and practices.
  • Developed a community of practice that provides opportunities for practitioners to network and share best practices, marketing strategies and resources for effective professional development and student MWEEs.

2022

2021

  • Expanded the online MWEE training hub on Bay Backpack to include resources and regional and state-specific training modules.

Learn About Logic & Action Plan

Participating Partners

The Fostering Stewardship Goal Implementation Team leads the effort to achieve this outcome.

Participating partners include:

  • State of Delaware
  • State of Maryland
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Commonwealth of Virginia
  • District of Columbia
  • Chesapeake Bay Commission
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • National Park Service
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Delaware Association for Environmental Education
  • Maryland Association for Environmental Education
  • Pennsylvania Association for Environmental Education
  • Virginia Association for Environmental Education
  • Cacapon Institute
  • Chesapeake Bay Foundation
  • Experience Learning
  • Stroud Water Research Center