The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. During the meeting, the Board discussed and made amendments to Superintendent Jack Smith’s amended Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Operating Budget recommendation; approved the FY 2019 summer school fees; adopted positions on legislation; approved the appointment of the district committee on assessments; and held a discussion on evidence of learning.

The agenda for the meeting, with links to related materials, can be viewed on the Board of Education website.
 

Fiscal Year 2019 Operating Budget Recommendation – Tentative Adoption

The Board received a presentation from MCPS staff and discussed amendments to Superintendent Jack Smith’s amended Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Operating Budget recommendation. The final adoption of the operating budget will occur during the Board’s February 26, 2018, business meeting.

On January 10 and January 16, 2018, the Board held public hearings on the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2019 Operating Budget. In addition, on January 18 and 25, 2018, the Board held work sessions on the budget. Dr. Smith submitted an amended recommended FY 2019 Operating Budget totaling $2,591,840,746 for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). This is an increase of $72,560,725, or 2.9 percent, compared to the current FY 2018 budget. The FY 2019 tax-supported budget (excluding grants and enterprise funds) is $2,442,768,253, an increase of $71,926,511 or 3.0 percent compared to the current FY 2018 tax-supported budget. The amended budget of $2,591,840,746 is an increase of $5,256,376 compared to the $2,586,584,370 that was recommended to the Board on December 19, 2017.

The Board approved the following additional amendments to the budget:

• Reduce the number of positions moved from the Special Education department to the Office of School Support and Improvement by three, and covert those three positions back to supervisory positions within the Special Education department.

  Cost: $71,256

• Restore the position that supported the Linkages to Learning program to a fulltime management position.

  Cost: $124,220

• Add 1 consulting teacher FTE

  Cost: $126,355

• Restore the .5 FTE Content Specialist position for theater, dance, and art programs to a 1.0 FTE.

  Cost: $78,134

Read the memorandum to the Board

District Committee on Assessments

The Board of Education received an update and approved the appointment of the members of the new district committee on assessments.

In spring 2017, the Maryland General Assembly passed the More Learning, Less Testing Act of 2017, setting a limit on the amount of time that may be devoted to locally mandated assessment. The legislation compels school districts to ensure that all locally- mandated assessments are clear in their purpose, time limited, worth taking, high quality, and tied to improved student learning.

The new requirements of the legislation also will work to bring about the following:

• Stronger collaboration between the Board, district and school staff, community members, and employee associations regarding assessments;

• Clarity about the purpose of each mandated assessment;

• Transparency about the time required for federal, state, and locally mandated assessments that students take each year; and

• Limits to 2.2 percent (or 2.3 percent in Grade 8) the total time spent on standardized testing each school year

In addition to time limits on the amount of mandated assessment, the 2017 legislation also includes the requirement that each Local Education Agency collaborate with the exclusive employee representative for teachers and confer regarding the following:
 

• A rubric for evaluating local assessments;

• The time required to administer each local assessment; and

• The purpose of each local assessment.

The legislation also requires the formation of a district assessment committee, to include administrators, parents/guardians, and teachers, to advise and make recommendations in the following areas:

• The time required to administer each assessment;

• The duplicativeness of assessments;

• The purpose of assessments;

• The value of feedback provided to educators; and

• The timeline of results.

The committee is scheduled to begin meeting in March and will conclude its work in May.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Evidence of Learning: Transition and Completion Student Performance Data

The Board received an update and held a discussion on mid-year transition student performance data. The Board received and discussed transition performance data for students currently in Grades 3, 6, and 9.

As a mid-year view of how well the district’s students transitioned from Grades 2, 5, and 8 as measured by the EOL framework, this transition data reveals students’ progress and it also provides a timely opportunity for schools to continue to answer the questions: Are students learning enough? If not, why not? What are we going to do about it? Schools, with central office support, must reflect on practices, determine what is working, and more importantly, change what is not working, so that students are ready for their next transition by the end of the year. Additionally, the Board was provided with the completion performance data for the Class of 2017, including the official graduation and Maryland College and Career Readiness performance data.

MCPS will continue to examine the performance of its students in ways that recognize how certain factors (e.g., mobility, attendance, limited English proficiency, special education, Free and Reduced-price Meals System status) create conditions potentially impacting learning. It is imperative that the district continues to apply methods of analyzing data that will raise awareness about how certain factors affect achievement for some of our most vulnerable students and more importantly, what more can be done to erase the negative impacts of these conditions while students are in school.

Read the Memorandum.

Fiscal Year 2019 Summer School Fees

The Board approved summer school fees for the coming summer, keeping the fees at the same level for FY 2018. The Summer School Revenue-based Program fees remain at $300 for high school core courses, including online courses. Reduced fees will remain at $85 or $120, depending on family income.

MCPS will provide summer school program for intervention, enrichment and acceleration through high school regional centers and local school programs.

Read the Board Memorandum

Recommended Positions on Items of Legislation

The Board discussed proposed legislation that could impact MCPS, as well as the recommended positions, and whether the bills are consistent with the Board’s legislative platform, adopted by the Board on October 23, 2017.  

Read the recommended Board positions and the attachment. (NOTE: Actual Board votes on these legislative bills may differ from staff recommendations.)  

Administrative Appointments

The Board approved the following administrative appointments:

Diane D. Morris, Area Associate Superintendent, Office of School Support and Improvement

Cheryl L. Smith, Area Associate Superintendent, Office of School Support and Improvement

Darryl L. Williams, Area Associate Superintendent, Office of School Support and Improvement

Adrienne L. Karamihas, Director, Division of Capital Planning
 

Recognitions

The Board approved the following resolutions:

• A resolution recognizing February 2018, as Career and Technology Education Month; and

• A resolution recognizing February 2018 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Future Meetings

The Board will hold its next regular business meeting on Monday, February 26, 2018, including final action on the recommended Fiscal Year 2019 Operating Budget and a facilities and boundaries presentation with a preliminary work session. Please check the Board of Education website and meeting calendar for further information. 

About the Board of Education
The Montgomery County Board of Education is the official educational policymaking body in the county. The Board is responsible for the direction and operation of the public school system. The Board consists of seven county residents elected by voters for a four-year term and a student elected by secondary school students for a one-year term. Board members are elected countywide but run at-large or from the Board district in which they reside.

Montgomery County Board of Education: Mr. Michael Durso, president; Mrs. Shebra Evans, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Dr. Judith Docca, Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, Ms. Jill Ortman-Fouse, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. Matthew Post, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 240-740-3030.