Board of Education Elects Officers; Hears Presentation on Proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Operating Budget, Makes Committee Appointments, and Discusses Seven Keys Data

December 12, 2012

The Montgomery County Board of Education met on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Among other items, the Board elected its officers and made committee appointments; heard a presentation from Superintendent Starr on his Fiscal Year (FY 2014) Operating Budget recommendation; and received an overview of data aligned to the Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness.

Election of Board of Education Officers, Committee Appointments
The Board selected Christopher Barclay as President and Philip Kauffman as Vice President for the next year. Mr. Barclay, who was elected to a second four-year term this past November, previously served as President in 2010-2011; as well as Vice President in 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. Mr. Kauffman, who has been on the Board since 2008, was also recently elected to a second four-year term. Both officers were selected unanimously for their positions by their Board colleagues. Read the Press Release

The Board also appointed members to its committees. Membership of the committees is listed below:

· Fiscal Management: Philip Kauffman (chair), Michael Durso, and Christopher Barclay
· Strategic Planning: Michael Durso (chair), Shirley Brandman, and Patricia O’Neill
· Policy: Patricia O’Neill (chair), Shirley Brandman, John Mannes, and Rebecca Smondrowski
· Communications and Public Engagement: Judith Docca (chair), Christopher Barclay, and Rebecca Smondrowski
· Special Populations: Shirley Brandman (chair), Judith Docca, and Philip Kauffman

Proposed Fiscal Year 2014 Operating Budget

The Board received a presentation from Superintendent Joshua P. Starr on his recommended Fiscal Year 2014 Operating Budget. Dr. Starr is proposing a $2.217 billion budget for FY 2014, which is a $48.95 million increase over FY 2013—about 2.3 percent. The superintendent’s budget is $10 million—less than half of one percent—above the funding floor mandated by state law. Dr. Starr’s recommendation calls for the addition of more than 275 positions for growth, as well as making investments in key strategic areas, including middle schools, math instruction and professional development. The budget recommendation was developed in partnership with MCPS’ three employee associations—the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP), and SEIU Local 500—as well as the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA). The Board of Education will hold public hearings on the budget on Thursday, January 10, and Thursday, January 17. The Board will then hold work sessions on the budget on Tuesday, January 22, and Thursday, January 24, before approving a final budget request on Tuesday, February 12. The budget will then be submitted to the Montgomery County Executive and County Council for consideration. For more information, visit the FY 2014 Budget Web site. For more information on how to participate in the Board’ public hearings, visit the Board of Education website.

Update on Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness 2012 Data Points

The Board of Education received an update and engaged in a conversation on the 2012 data points along the Seven Keys to College and Career Readiness. These data points support the five goals of Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, the current strategic plan for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The Seven Keys are a pathway that identifies benchmarks for evaluating whether students are on the trajectory for college and career readiness. Students who meet most or all of the Seven Keys are demonstrating readiness for postsecondary education and the work place. The Seven Keys are: Advanced reading in Grades K-2; Advanced reading MSA in Grades 3-8; Advanced math in Grade 5; Algebra 1 by Grade 8 with a “C” or higher; Algebra 2 by Grade 11 with a “C” or higher; Score of at least 3 on an AP exam or at least 4 on an IB exam; and Score of 1650 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT. MCPS has seen steady increases in the number of students achieving advanced proficiency in both elementary and middle school reading since 2008. Elementary school students meeting the advanced proficiency rose from 40.5 percent in 2008 to 44.1 percent in 2012 while the advanced proficiency rate for middle school students increased from 53.4 percent in 2008 to 55.9 percent in 2012. Successful completion (measured by students receiving a grade of “C” or better) of Algebra 1 by Grade 8 for MCPS students has increased from 56.8 percent in 2008 to 62.1 percent in 2012. The percentage of students receiving a 3 or higher on an AP exam or 4 or higher on an IB exam has increased from 47.4 percent in 2008 to 53.4 percent in 2012. MCPS graduates meeting the benchmark of 1650 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT has increased from 37.6 percent in 2008 to 51.9 percent in 2012.

With the anticipated revision to the MCPS Strategic Plan, Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, changes in the accountability measures, and the rollout of the Common Core State Standards, some of the reported data points will change in the future. See the Board report and Seven Keys data.

Calendar for the Election of the Student Member of the Board
The Board of Education approved the calendar of major events for the election of the 36th student member of the Board of Education as proposed by the Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils. See the calendar of major events for the election.

Administrative Appointments

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments:

- Cara D. Grant, currently acting supervisor, PreK-12 Health and Physical Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, as supervisor, PreK-12 Health and Physical Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Other Action: The Board also took action on several items, including:
- Awarded contracts for the Garrett Park Elementary School modernization
- Approved contracts for Interactive Classroom Technology Systems

Resolutions: The Board unanimously approved the following:

- A resolution declaring December 3-7,2012, as National Inclusive Schools Week

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. Christopher Barclay, president; Mr. Philip Kauffman, vice president. Members: Dr. Judy Docca, Mr. Michael Durso, Mr. Phil Kauffman, Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. John Mannes, student member. Dr. Joshua P. Starr, superintendent and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617.

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