The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking adults to serve on the Board of Education Special Education Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee. This new ad hoc advisory committee will reconstitute the existing Continuous Improvement Team (CIT) to provide guidance to the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools in three specific areas:

(1) continued identification of measurable indicators, desired outcomes, and key performance benchmarks of special education program equity and effectiveness;
(2) development of guidelines for the dissemination of these identified measures countywide and their fusion in all school improvement plans; and
(3) identification and fostering of the use of best practices throughout the Department of Special Education.

Appointments are for the life of the ad hoc committee, anticipated to extend to no later than June 30, 2006. Members serve without compensation. Although the newly formed advisory committee will set its own calendar of meetings, the meetings of the predecessor CIT typically have been held in late afternoon on the third Wednesday of each month.

The committee will be composed of 20 to 25 members, to include at least six parents of students receiving special education services, four Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) school-based staff, four MCPS central office administrators, four community representatives, and one technical liaison from higher education. The Board of Education makes every effort to appoint advisory committees in which the membership is balanced by geographic area, race, ethnicity, gender, and range of viewpoints. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply.

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 8, 2004, for appointments anticipated to be made at the Board meeting on April 15, 2004. Current members of the CIT are encouraged to apply.

To obtain a committee application, contact Becky Gibson by telephone at 301-279-3301 or e-mail her at Becky_Gibson@fc.mcps.k12.md.us. Application forms also may be completed by accessing them at www.mcps.k12.md.us/boe. Completed applications should be returned to George Margolies, staff director, Montgomery County Board of Education, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 123, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

For additional information about the workings of this committee, please contact Brian Bartels, director of special education and staff liaison to the Advisory Committee, at 301-279-3135.