The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Monday, February 24, 2020, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. During the meeting, the Board received a presentation and held a discussion on the Equity and Achievement Framework, and discussed items of legislation.

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

Equity and Achievement Framework

The Board received an update and held a discussion on the district’s All In: Equity and Achievement Framework, which focuses on success for all students. The Framework has multiple components including Evidence of Learning (EOL) performance data, the Equity Accountability Model (EAM), and Equitable Access to Resources. Staff provided the Board with an overview of the 2019?2020 EOL transition performance data and discussed the connections among EOL, school improvement planning, and EAM and how central services staff uses this information to provide coordinated services and supports to schools and to help improve student academic and social emotional well-being.

The Framework reflects the ongoing work of the district to identify multiple measures of student success (EOL), refine the School Improvement Plan (SIP) so that it focuses on students who are not meeting the multiple measures and ensure continued progress for those who are, and develop a model to assess the impact of schools on student success. In May and June 2019, the Board of Education received updates on the work of Education Research Strategies (ERS), focused on the progress and performance of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students, which included information about how students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 transitioned to intermediate, middle, and high school, based on EOL data. To build a deeper understanding of equity in MCPS, ERS representatives also shared information about equitable practices using the lens of Dimensions of Equity, which includes: School Funding, Teaching Quality, Empowering, Rigorous Content, Instructional Time and Attention, Diverse and Inclusive Schools, and Whole Child Approach. All the Dimensions of Equity work together to shape the student experience in schools. The final report in October 2019 explored how MCPS allocates and uses resources to promote equity and excellence for all students.

Utilizing a multifaceted strategy, MCPS is maintaining its commitment to All Means All. Through the Framework, the district continues to ask, “Are we making a positive impact on student performance and experiences?” The interrelatedness of EOL, SIP, EAM allow for strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring of student success at the district and school level. During the presentation, central services and school staff highlighted district data and processes. Staff also shared the success story of Fox Chapel Elementary School, and how the intentional use of the Framework resulted in an increase in literacy transition data for African American, non-Free and Reduced-price Meals System (non-FARMS) students from 57 percent meeting external measures in 2018?2019 to 76 percent meeting external transition data at the end of Quarter 1 in 2019?2020.

Read the Memorandum to the Board
 

Watch the Fox Chapel Video

Positions on Education 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.

Read the Recommended Board Positions (NOTE: Actual Board  decisions on these legislative bills may differ from staff recommendations)

Positions on Educational Legislation

The Board discussed legislation that will be considered by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2020 Maryland legislative session.

Recommended positions

Facilities/Construction

The Board formally accepted the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Addition Project

Read the resolution.
 

Recognition

The Board approved the following resolution:

A resolution recognizing March 2020, as Women’s History Month;

Future Meetings

The Board of Education will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and Capital Budget on March 5. The Board will hold its next regular business meeting Tuesday, March 10, 2020.  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: Mrs. Shebra L. Evans, president; Ms. Brenda Wolff, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Dr. Judith Docca, Ms. Karla Silvestre, Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. Nathaniel Tinbite, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 240-740-3030.