ANSWER:

In February 2004, the Year Round School Schedule Project Team was formed and charged with considering alternative school year schedule options for some schools. The essential work of the team was to identify an instructional model that would support and lead to improved teaching and learning and enhanced outcomes for students. Specifically, the work of the project team included:

• A review of current research
• Benchmarking with school districts similar to MCPS that had implemented alternative instructional models
• Consideration of the capacity of an alternative school-year schedule to provide more instructional time for students and/or to more effectively utilize instructional time
• A review of how a modified calendar would impact eligibility criteria for Title I schools
• An analysis of the impact of a year-round school schedule on various operations such as transportation, building usage, and staffing
• The development of an implementation plan to include a timeline, budget, communications plan, and evaluation component
• Identification of critical issues
• Providing a summary recommendation

Based on a review of research, the team concluded that there was substantial evidence to warrant a recommendation for a gradual implementation of a modified school calendar in some elementary schools with the greatest needs. On March 24, 2005, executive leadership recommended that the planning process begin for the implementation of a modified calendar in some MCPS schools for the 2007-2008 school year.

In early October, 2006, the team considered four calendar options: six weeks with six-hour Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO); an intersession model; adding 25 minutes per day; and extending the school year by 10 days. In November, 2006, the work of the committee was put on hold due to budgetary issues.