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Board of Education Discusses Comprehensive Health Education; Takes Action on Policies and Discusses Elementary School Milestones

May 14, 2014
The Montgomery County Board of Education met on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Among other items, the Board discussed revisions to the Secondary Comprehensive Health Education Curriculum Framework, took tentative action on Policy DNA, discussed elementary school milestones aligned to the Strategic Planning Framework, and made several appointments. The agenda for the meeting, with links to related materials, can be viewed on the Board of Education website. You can also watch the video of the meeting by clicking here.


Secondary Comprehensive Health Education Curriculum Framework
The Board of Education heard a presentation and held a discussion on revisions to the MCPS Secondary Comprehensive Health Education (CHE) Curriculum Framework. The Board then voted unanimously to make the Framework available to the community for appropriate feedback before final adoption on June 17, 2014. The framework establishes curriculum requirements for the courses that students take in middle school and high school. MCPS conducted a comprehensive review of the Secondary CHE Curriculum in 2013. Throughout the curriculum review process, MCPS solicited feedback from stakeholders including health educators, MCPS leadership, students, community members, the Curriculum Advisory Committee, and others. The revised CHE Curriculum Framework is aligned with state and national standards and is consistent with the values outlined in the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework. Based on feedback from community members, educators, and students, many of the repetitive topics of the curriculum will be streamlined so teachers can spend more time on fewer topics at each grade level. For instance, the Family Life portions of Grade 6 will be removed because the content repeats what is taught in Grade 5. Also, sexual orientation lessons will be moved from grade 8 to grade 7 to balance content and respond to national data. MCPS Teachers will receive professional development this summer on the updated Framework.  In the 2014-2015 school year, the district will implement the shift away from scripted lessons on sexual orientation.  In the 2015-2016 school year, updated courses in Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be rolled out.  The updated high school course will begin in the 2016-2017 school year.  Public input will be gathered for 30 days and the Board is expected to approve a final secondary framework on June 17, 2014.

Click here for more information on how to give feedback.

Read the memo


Policy DNA, Disposition of Board of Education Property (Tentative Action)
The Board tentatively approved changes to Policy DNA, Disposition of Board of Education Property, which provides for the disposal of Board property. The updated policy includes changes to the purpose and additional language about authorization, fair market value, preapproval for modifications, right of reclamation, and preferred use of property. Policy DNA will now be distributed for public comment and will be considered for final approval at a future meeting.

See the changes in the policy

Nonsubstantive Changes to Policies EIA, Self-Insurance, and GEC, Appointment of Supporting Services Personnel
The Board approved nonsubstantive changes to Policy EIA, Self-Insurance, and Policy GEC, Appointment of Supporting Services Personnel.  On February 18, 2014, in accordance with the Board of Education’s policy review process, MCPS staff recommended, and the Board’s Policy Management Committee agreed to recommend, nonsubstantive changes to the policies to align with current practice, reflect provisions of new laws, and to update directory information.  (The recommendation of the Policy Management Committee was amended to not make any changes to Policy GIH, Funding Other Post-employment Benefits, at this time.)

See the changes in the Policy
 
Elementary School Milestones
The Board received an update and held a discussion on elementary school milestones that are a part of the district’s Strategic Planning Framework—Building Our Future Together: Students, Staff and Community. The Framework incorporates three competencies that students need for success in the 21st century—academic excellence, creative problem solving, and social emotional learning—as well as a continued commitment to operational excellence. Data will be monitored at five important milestones in a student’s educational journey, including two in elementary school. The Grade 3 and Grade 5 milestones provide a snapshot of how MCPS elementary school students are progressing and the status of the district’s efforts to close the achievement gap. The milestones highlight the importance of reading and mathematics at the proficient and advanced levels as well as the hope, engagement and well-being of all students. Performance targets are being set for these milestones and their corresponding data indicators to guide schools and departments in developing action plans to improve student achievement.

Read the Board memo

Administrative Appointments

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments:

Stephen C. Whiting, currently director, Middle School Level-alike Team, Office of School Support and Improvement, as principal, Clarksburg High School

Kimberly N. Hayden Williams, currently acting principal, Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School, as principal, Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School

Sherilyn R. Moses, currently acting principal, Ronald McNair Elementary School, as principal, Ronald McNair Elementary School

Kim M. Redgrave, currently acting coordinator, Stephen Knolls School, as principal Stephen Knolls School

Other Action: The Board also took action on several items, including: 


-Appointed an architectural firm for the Broad Acres ES addition project feasibility study
-Appointed an architectural firm for the Burning Tree ES addition project feasibility study
-Appointed an architectural firm for the South Lake ES addition project feasibility study

Resolutions: The Board approved the following resolutions:

-A resolution recognizing May 5-9, 2014, as School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week
-A resolution recognizing the recipients of the 2014 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People scholarship awards
-A resolution declaring May 12 – 16, 2014, as Pupil Personnel Worker Week in Montgomery County Public Schools
 
Future Meetings

The Board’s Policy Management Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 20 at 2:30 p.m. The Strategic Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. The Board’s next regular business meeting will be held on June 3, with public items scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.  Please check the Board of Education 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. Philip Kauffman, president; Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, vice president. Members: Mr. Christopher Barclay, Ms. Shirley Brandman, Dr. Judy Docca, Mr. Michael Durso, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Mr. Justin Kim, student member. Dr. Joshua P. Starr, superintendent and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617.


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