Board of Education Meeting: January 12, 2010

Watch Meeting by Agenda Item

• Click on agenda item
• Click on "Watch Now" button to view video of that item (Internet Explorer only)
• Summary will appear if available
• To hide summary, click agenda item again

Full Agenda (PDF)

Approval of the Agenda; African American History Month

African American History Month: The Board approved a resolution declaring the month of February 2010 as African American History Month, noting that African Americans have contributed significantly through distinguished leadership in many fields, including the sciences, medicine, education, law, government, religion, the arts, and the humanities.

The Board and superintendent of schools encourage staff, students, parents, and the community to actively honor the contributions of African Americans in the county, state, and nation and enhance awareness of the impact of attitudes and expectations on the achievement of African American students.

Public Comments

Board/Superintendent Comments

Deputy's Minority Achievement Advisory Council Report

The Board of Education discussed the Deputy’s Minority Achievement Advisory Council report, Closing the Gap: Recommendations for Improving Minority Student Achievement in Montgomery County Public Schools.

The report recommends an organizational focus on customer service and two-way communication, where MCPS is fully engaged in conversation and partnership with students, parents/guardians, and community members. In developing the report, council members met with Department of Family and Community Partnerships (DFCP) staff to assess how to enhance and align their endeavors with work currently under way in DFCP. The report recommends three focus areas:

• Engagement, to implement a systematic, shared-responsibility approach to effective family engagement.
• Clarity, to engage in conversation with all stakeholders aimed toward mutual understanding of a clear roadmap to success.
• Fairness, to increase existing efforts to decrease the disproportionately high suspension rates for minority students.

The report offers specific recommendations that include staff development, welcoming and engaging families and communities, further supporting students’ efforts to prepare for college and the workforce, and improving efforts to reduce suspensions.

Read the report

Consent Items

Human Resources

The Board approved the following administrative appointment:

• Laura Newton, currently director of Guidance and College and Career Services at T.C. Williams High School (Alexandria, Virginia), as supervisor, School Counseling Services Unit

Monthly Financial Report

Presentation Plans

The Board approved preliminary architectural schematic design reports for the Gaithersburg High School modernization project and the Ridgeview Middle School improvements project.

Update on High School Plus

The Board discussed an update on High School Plus (HS+), a program created three years ago for struggling students to be successful and engage in rigorous academics. HS+ allows high school students to earn required graduation credits at their respective home schools.

A three-tiered approach enables students to access courses through repeater sections offered during the school day; students also may enroll in full-semester courses and credit-recovery classes offered as components of the extended-day program.

Through HS+, about 1,500 student grades were reported in the first semester and about 2,000 grades reported in the second semester of both FY 2008 and FY 2009. During this school year, a pilot program—Online Pathway to Graduation Program—is enabling current and former MCPS high school students who need three credits or fewer for graduation to take online courses.

Update on Integrated Kindergarten Curriculum

The Board received an update on the new Integrated Kindergarten Curriculum, designed to provide teachers with a single-source online instructional guide. The new integrated model, which builds on the existing curriculum, shows connections among all subjects and provides teachers with instructional strategies and resources for all content areas.

The new model, now on a SharePoint site available to all elementary school staff, is being used voluntarily this school year by about 90 schools. The Integrated Kindergarten Curriculum will be moved into the new MCPS online learning community for full implementation in the 2010–2011 school year, enabling teachers to share lessons and resources as well as rate and comment on all resources.

Feedback collected this school year will be used to help develop integrated curricula for Grades 1–5.

Tentative Action, Policy ABC, Parental Involvement

The Board gave tentative approval to revised Policy ABC, Parental Involvement. The policy sets forth guidelines for encouraging parent and family involvement in the school community to support children’s education, healthy development, and well-being. The revised policy aligns with research-based national standards for family–school partnerships. The policy will now be sent out for public comment before the Board takes final action. Information will published soon on the policy website.

Board of Education Items

The Board voted to convene a special work session in the summer of 2010 to begin the process of addressing the following:

• a comprehensive review of the FACT assessment tool;
• plans to reassess remaining schools for modernization;
• the optimal proposed schedule for modernizing schools, including the adequacy of our holding facilities;
• consideration of any changes to the Capital Improvements Priorities list;
• and alternatives to MCPS’ current contracting methods that might shorten and accelerate the pace of already planned projects, including alternative financing methods for school construction.

Items of Information

• Board Meetings & Calendar
• Board Members
• Public Participation