It is hard to overestimate the significance of the master planning process. The process is one of the most salient strategies that the Maryland State Department of Education utilizes for improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Until recently, many local school systems (LSSs) treated planning as a local endeavor that merely acknowledged federal and State expectations. Now, however, nearly every LSS must understand the importance of the master planning process and how it can create alignment of federal, State, and local expectations and sustainable advantages. This report summarizes the strategic significance of the master planning process. This report shows how this year's master plan review process reveals the way LSSs operate internally, and may alter the relationships between LSSs and the State Department. This report outlines nine sections (introduction, background, review process, finance section, performance results, annual review results, goal progress, how LSSs use data to drive instruction, conclusion) to help stakeholders assess the impact that the master planning process is having in public schools. Attachments include: (1) Core Academic Subject Classes Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers; and (2) Budget Summaries by Local School System. (Contains 3 footnotes.)