Board of Education Discusses Home and Hospital Teaching; Takes Action on Policies and Sets Nonresident Tuition Fees

July 1, 2014

The Montgomery County Board of Education met on Monday, June 30, 2014, at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Among other items, the Board discussed the MCPS Home and Hospital Teaching program, set nonresident tuition rates for FY 2015, and took action on two policies. 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.

Home and Hospital Teaching
The Board of Education received an update and held a discussion on MCPS’ Home and Hospital Teaching (HHT) services. HHT serves more than 800 students per year who, for medical or mental health reasons, are not able to attend a traditional school. The current model for delivering HHT services has been in place for decades and is in need of updating to reflect to most current instructional practices. A team from the Office of Special Education and Student Services was convened in 2013 to create of vision for the future work of the HHT unit. The team has proposed that, effective July 1, 2014, the name of the unit be changed to Interim Instructional Services (IIS), which more accurately reflects the spectrum of students receiving these services. The new IIS model will match the needs of the students with a variety of instructional delivery methods such as face-to-face instruction, online instruction, and blended learning opportunities. There are three critical instructional components of the redesigned IIS:

· Personalized Learning Plans: personalized instruction will include instructional strategies, such as online and blended learning opportunities and project- and community-based learning that creates a flexible structure that allows students to progress as they demonstrate mastery of academic content.
· Instructional Options: there will be a full array of instructional options available to meet the needs of students receiving IIS services. These options will be included online, in blended-learning environments, and other technology-supported delivery options.
· Social Emotional Learning: A multiyear plan has been developed that focuses on building social emotional learning supports that are incorporated into students’ daily lessons to prepare them for the transition back to a traditional school building or the transition to college and career.

An emphasis in the 2014-2015 academic year will be the strengthening of relationships with schools and the streamlining of the application process in which all applications for IIS are initiated by the home school. Professional development for staff will focus on lesson planning and mastery objectives, curriculum, and the use of technology in education.

Read the memo

Tuition for Nonresident Students
The Board approved tuition rates for nonresident students for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. Rate calculation is based on the approved operating budget, cost of debt services, and current revenue funding for the capital budget. The rates for FY 2015 are as follows: $14,481 for elementary students (including kindergarten), an increase of $143; and $14,200 for secondary students, which is an increase of $40.

See the Board item

Policy BLB, Rules of Procedure in Appeals and Hearings
The Board of Education approved changes to Policy BLB, Rules of Procedure in Appeals and Hearings. On April 29, 2014, the Board tentatively approved these changes and sent the revised policy out for public comment. This policy provides Rules of Procedure that govern all appeals to the Board and all hearings before the Board requested by persons who are adversely affected by a recommendation or final decision of the superintendent of schools. This policy does not apply to decisions that are specifically required by statute or bylaws of the Maryland State Board of Education or Board policies/Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) regulations, such as those applicable to special education. The policy was updated in order to comply with the new Maryland State Department of Education’s regulations regarding student discipline, which must be implemented by the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

See the revised policy

Technical Changes to Policy JFA, Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Board approved technical changes to Policy JFA, Students Rights and Responsibilities. On May 20, 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 technical changes to the policy to align policy language with new state regulations. The changes comply with the spirit of the state regulations by removing references to “zero tolerance” items, as well as to update the office responsible for the policy.

See the changes in the Policy

Administrative Appointments

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments:

Cheryl L. Smith, currently principal, Strathmore Elementary School, as director, Family and Community Engagement

Simone A. Geness, currently assistant principal, Silver Spring International Middle School, as supervisor, Transition Services Unit, Office of Special Education and Student Services

Katie C. Rossini, currently assistant principal, John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents, as coordinator, Student Leadership Unit, Department of Student Services

Damon A. Monteleone, currently assistant principal, Paint Branch High School, as principal, Richard Montgomery High School

Joel L. Beidleman, currently principal intern, Roberto W. Clemente Middle School, as principal, William H. Farquhar Middle School

Everett M. Davis, currently principal intern, Redland Middle School, as principal, Redland Middle School

Kathryn D. Bradley, currently principal intern, Fallsmead Elementary School, as principal, Bannockburn Elementary School

Mary Jo Powell, currently principal intern, Fox Chapel Elementary School, as principal, Brown Station Elementary School

Resolutions: The Board approved the following resolutions:

-A resolution recognizing the recipients of the 2014 Association of Vietnamese Americans academic awards and scholarships

Future Meetings

The Board will gather on Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at 7 p.m. for the swearing in of Dahlia Huh as the next Student Member of the Board of Education. The Board’s next regular business meeting will be held on July 15, with public items scheduled to begin at 10 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.

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