June 282010 MCPS Strategic Plan Draft

DISCUSSION/ACTION
5.0
Office of the Superintendent of Schools
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Rockville, Maryland
June 28, 2010
MEMORANDUM
To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Jerry D. Weast, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Strategic Plan—Our Call To Action: Pursuit of Excellence
Executive Summary
The 2010 revisions of Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, the strategic plan for
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), reflect our constancy of purpose — to raise the bar
for student achievement and close the gap in student performance by race and ethnicity and among
students impacted by disabilities, English language proficiency, and poverty—and as such,
strategies and initiatives remain relatively unchanged (Attachment A). Additionally, as we find
ourselves in the most difficult economic climate of the past eleven years, this plan includes no new
initiatives. We are, however, committed to maintaining the systems, structures, and processes that
have contributed to the outstanding teaching and learning the district has experienced over the past
decade.
The Board of Education’s 2009 revisions to the core values and the addition of the Framework for
Equity and Excellence further strengthened our mission to provide a high-quality, world-class
education that ensures success for every student through excellence in teaching and learning. The
plan’s Guiding Tenets include the Board of Education’s goals and academic priorities; the vision,
mission, and core values of the school system; and the critical questions that guide our work. The
plan reinforces the reform initiatives that have been implemented since the Board of Education
adopted Our Call to Action in November 1999. The Seven Keys to College Readiness, a
trajectory of high standards, guides school staff and parents to ensure that all students achieve at
high levels.
The revisions of Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence reflect ongoing stakeholder
involvement and feedback during Fiscal Year 2010, as prescribed by Board of Education Policy
AEB, Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement. Final Board of Education action on the
FY 2011 Operating Budget also is incorporated into the revised plan. The Board of Education
Strategic Planning Committee met on April 28, 2010, and reviewed the recommended revisions
to Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence and recommended approval of the revised plan by
the full Board of Education.
Members of the Board of Education 2 June 28, 2010
Background
Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence describes the strategic course for the school system’s
overall operation, including the operating budget. It reflects a sophisticated planning and
accountability process that was recognized when MCPS won the United States Senate
Productivity and Maryland Quality Award in 2006 and three years ago when MCPS was a
finalist for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Additionally, through the Process
Improvement and Innovation in Education Project, administered by the Houston-based American
Productivity and Quality Center (APQC), MCPS has been cited as a benchmark district for
data-driven decision making, English for Speakers of Other Languages programs and services,
professional development, mathematics and science education, and support of professional
learning communities. Beginning in 2009, MCPS became one of nine hub districts for APQC’s
North Star, a pilot project that focuses on the use of process and performance management to
transform the entire Kindergarten through Grade 12 public education system in the United States.
The strategic plan lays the foundation to improve the instructional program and operational
effectiveness in each school and office. Annually, schools develop and implement school
improvement plans based on the district’s strategic plan, using the Baldrige-guided school
improvement planning process. Office and department strategic plans also are aligned with Our
Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence. This strategic planning process guides staff throughout the
school system in their work with schools, parents, and the community. The strategic plan also
addresses the requirements of the Maryland Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act and the
achievement goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence is the MCPS accountability document. Under each of
the five goals—ensure success for every student, provide an effective instructional program,
strengthen productive partnerships for education, create a positive work environment in a self-
renewing organization, and provide high-quality business services that are essential to the
educational success of students—there are related milestones and data points. Reports provided
throughout the year to the Board of Education and the public address these data points and the
progress that has been made. The strategic plan is the basis of the annual accountability report to
the community. The 2009 Annual Report on Our Call to Action, presented to the Board at its
meeting on December 8, 2009, analyzed the results toward achieving established targets for
students and the district. Individual schools monitor progress on achieving their targets with their
community superintendent and director of school performance.
Establishing Targets
In 2006, MCPS established academic targets. Targets define expectation for student attainment of
critical data points that lead to college and career readiness. The challenge was to establish realistic
targets that raise our expectations and standards for student achievement and reinforce our
commitment to closing the gap in student performance by race and ethnicity, as well as other
student demographic groups. Targets were established through 2010 by considering where MCPS
wanted to be in five years with regard to student achievement. The targets in the 2010 Our Call to
Action, have been reviewed, aligned with the Seven Keys to College Readiness, and extended
through 2015.
Alignment of the Budget and Strategic Planning Process
The Board of Education aligned the budget and strategic planning processes in February 2004 by
adopting a set of recommendations from the Board of Education’s Research and Evaluation
Committee to change the process for public involvement in the development of the MCPS
strategic plan and operating budget. The Board’s goals included encouraging greater public
involvement in long-range strategic issues and emphasizing public involvement in the
development phase of the strategic plan and the operating budget, instead of primarily in the
critique phase, following the superintendent of school’s presentation of the operating budget.
The most recent revision to Policy AEB, Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement,
adopted on May 12, 2009, further reinforces the Board’s commitment to ensuring that the budget
process and strategic planning process are aligned and that a broad range of stakeholders actively
participate in these processes. In addition, the policy identifies how the Board will regularly
review at its business meetings, “progress on the implementation of priorities, initiatives, and
strategies to determine progress toward milestones, discuss whether any new efforts are needed,
and to review major issues, including those that may have a budgetary impact for the next year.”
Stakeholder Involvement in the Strategic Planning Process
The Board of Education sponsored community forums on the strategic planning process on
September 17 and October 15, 2009, at Quince Orchard and John F. Kennedy high schools,
respectively, with approximately 140 individuals attending. Simultaneous translation equipment
was made available in Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and materials were
provided in these five languages in addition to English. A total of fifty-four individuals testified at
the forums and were each given three minutes to speak. This format was the result of feedback
received from the previous years’ community forums responding to the request that individuals
wanted an opportunity to provide testimony directly to members of the Board of Education. The
forums were cablecast on MCPS Channel 34 and Web cast on the MCPS website.
In addition to letters, e-mails, and phone calls, MCPS continues to receive feedback online and
through TIP (Tell It Please) postage-paid feedback cards, prepared in six languages, which were
disseminated at the forums and distributed to all schools, MCPS offices, parent and community
organizations, and the Board of Education office for use at various meetings. More than 20,000
cards have been disseminated. These postage-paid cards and the MCPS website allow
individuals to continue to provide feedback throughout the year in multiple languages. Those
providing input focused on the following question: During difficult economic times, what
priorities in the MCPS strategic plan should we focus on to improve achievement for all
students?
Responses were categorized into themes, which include early success, class-size reduction,
support programs, extended time, middle school magnet, high school reform, organization, safe
and secure schools, curriculum and instruction, technology, parent and community partnerships,
career development, and business services. This information, in turn, was used to inform the
subsequent budget and strategic plan.
Revisions to the 2010–2015 Strategic Plan
The 2010–2015 edition of Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence includes no new strategies or
initiatives, reflecting the challenging economic climate of Montgomery County and the nation. We
have been very thoughtful in maintaining the systems, structures, and processes that have
contributed to the outstanding teaching and learning the district has experienced over the past
decade. Although there are no major revisions this year, each goal contains some new language
that reflects our efforts to be more strategic in our thinking, planning, and implementation. These
changes will be highlighted during the presentation to the Board.
As we face these austere economic times and continue to evolve as a world-class school system,
we need to become even more strategic in planning for our students so they are prepared for
postsecondary education and the world of work. We will continue to strengthen the instructional
program for every student, providing staff members with the tools and work systems that are most
conducive to teaching and learning, engaging all stakeholders as true partners, and supporting the
entire organization with outstanding business processes.
Extension of Strategic Targets
In June 2009, when the Board of Education discussed revisions to the strategic plan, we
informed you that the targets would be extended beyond 2010, from 2011 to 2015. We also
indicated that the target review process would consider the alignment between the current
strategic targets and the Seven Keys to College Readiness. A target review process was
established in July 2009, and over the past school year, more than 150 school-based and central
office staff members worked in multistakeholder teams including principals, teachers, and
central office staff. Each team (1) reviewed appropriate existing targets; (2) determined if
revision to the target was required; (3) determined if any target could be eliminated; and/or (4)
determined if a new target was needed. Although there is not a one-to-one correspondence, the
strategic targets are well aligned with the Seven Keys to College Readiness, and I have full
confidence that they will guide us well as we continue to close the achievement gap and make
unprecedented academic progress.
Under the leadership of a Target Setting Steering Committee, including representatives from the
Office of Shared Accountability, the targets were reviewed, recommendations were made and
presented to the Executive Leadership Team, and the draft recommendations were vetted with
elementary, middle, and high school principals, and the Councils on Teaching and Learning.
Draft targets were presented to the Board of Education Strategic Planning Committee on
April 28, 2010, along with the strategic plan. The 2010–2015 strategic plan contains 19 targets,
seven of which are state targets. Three are national targets, and nine are local targets. Nested
within these targets are multiple data points that are used to monitor progress along the trajectory
of the Seven Keys to College Readiness.
Strategic Plans of Schools and Offices
MCPS has adopted the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence as its
model for continuous improvement. The criteria are designed to help organizations use an
integrated approach that results in delivery of ever-increasing value to students and stakeholders,
improvement of overall organizational effectiveness, and enhanced organizational and personal
learning.
All schools use the Baldrige-guided School Improvement Plan process and Baldrige criteria to
identify priority school improvement goals and performance measures aligned with Our Call to
Action: Pursuit of Excellence. Community superintendents and directors of school performance
are actively involved in supporting the schools throughout the process by consulting with school
teams and monitoring the plans quarterly. Office and department strategic plans are reviewed by
the chief operating officer or the deputy superintendent of schools to ensure alignment with the
district’s strategic plan.
Monitoring the Strategic Plan
Executive Leadership Team
Guided by the strategic plan, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) meets biweekly to review
outcome data, monitor performance, make recommendations and implement changes to
processes and structures that promote continuous improvement throughout the organization.
ELT plans for and organizes the implementation of the Board of Education’s goals, academic
priorities, and Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence strategies and initiatives. This ongoing
review and monitoring strengthens our ability to improve teaching and learning, raise student
achievement for all students, and close the achievement gap.
M-Stat
MCPS also has created the M-Stat process, which provides a framework for the systemic
monitoring of critical student performance data that enables MCPS schools and central office
leadership staff to drill down to root causes, focus on areas of need, develop action plans for
improvement, and document best practices for recognition and dissemination throughout the
system. Through the Baldrige practice of “plan, do, study, act,” key data points and processes
are examined throughout the school improvement planning cycle. The M-Stat process provides a
focused, intensive review of student performance data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and other
students groups. This year, we conducted several M-Stat meetings via webinars, which allowed
principals to remain in their buildings and provided a platform to include a greater number of
participants.
Public Reporting
MCPS has a system for publicly reporting student performance and other organizational data. A
schedule is maintained for the release of key data reports throughout the year that are posted on the
MCPS website. The website exists to inform the community about, and to engage them in, our
joint mission to provide a high-quality education to all children. The 2009 Annual Report and all
other data reports produced by the Office of Shared Accountability are posted on the MCPS
website.
Next Steps
The next step in the strategic planning process is to continue strengthening the monitoring and
evaluation of the data points and targets that have been established for the system and all schools
and to continuously improve the use of time and resources to achieve those targets. Community
superintendents, directors of school performance, and other central office staff work with
principals to develop and implement action plans that meet the unique needs of each school. At the
system level, ELT monitors the implementation of the data points and targets and determines
progress toward target attainment.
Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence—The Strategic Plan for Montgomery County Public
Schools is a “living” document. It continues to provide the basis for the leadership of our school
system to improve the work being done in MCPS on a daily basis. The plan guides staff
throughout the school system in their work with schools, parents, and the community. By
approving the revisions to Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, the Board of Education
continues our efforts to improve the instructional program in every school.
The following resolution is recommended for your consideration.
WHEREAS, The Board of Education aligned the budget and strategic planning process by
adopting a set of recommendations to increase public involvement in the development of the
Montgomery County Public Schools strategic plan and operating budget; and
WHEREAS, The revisions to Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence reflect input from the
public and continue our efforts to improve the instructional program in every school by focusing
on systemwide strategic goals, milestones, data points, and key performance targets for Goals 1
and 2 that reflect the priorities of the Board of Education; and
WHEREAS, Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence reflects a significant effort to identify and
establish realistic targets for Montgomery County Public Schools and each school that raise
expectations and standards for student achievement and reinforce the commitment to close the
gap in student performance by race and ethnicity, as well as other student groups; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Education remains committed to ensure that every child regardless of
race, ethnicity, gender, limited English proficiency, socioeconomic status, or disability succeeds
at high levels; and
WHEREAS, The Framework for Equity and Excellence describes expectations, cultural
competence, and positive relationships as critical conditions that support student success; now
therefore be it
Resolved, That the revisions to Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence be approved and the
updated strategic plan reflect the goals and academic priorities of the Board of Education and a
shared commitment to raise the bar for student achievement and close the gap in student
performance by race and ethnicity and among students impacted by disabilities, limited English
proficiency, and poverty.
Present at the table today for the discussion is Ms. Jody A. Leleck, chief academic officer, Office
of the Deputy Superintendent of Schools.
JDW:sjl
Attachment
Our Call to Action:
Pursuit of Excellence
The Strategic Plan for the

Montgomery County
Public Schools
Approved: June 2009
2009–2014
Contents 2010-2015
Joint Letter.........................................................................................................................
Guiding Tenets ..................................................................................................................
Framework on Equity and Excellence……………………………………………………
Performance Targets—2011–2010 2011–2015 ................................................................
Supplemental Plans............................................................................................................
Deployment of Guiding Tenets .........................................................................................
Overview ...........................................................................................................................
Bridge to Excellence inPublic Schools Act .....................................................................
Goal 1: Ensure Success for Every Student.........................................................................
Strategic Initiatives .......................................................................................................
Goal 2: Provide an Effective Instructional Program ..........................................................
Goal 3: Strengthen ProductivePartnerships for Education................................................
Goal 4: Create a Positive Work Environment in a
Self-renewing Organization ...........................................................................................
Goal 5: Provide High-quality BusinessServices that are Essential to
the Educational Success of Students..............................................................................
Strategies Implemented Since 1999...................................................................................
Organizational Culture of Respect………………………………………………………..
1
2
June 2010
Dear Staff, Parents, Students, and Members of the Community:
We are pleased to present to you this update on Montgomery County Public Schools’ strategic plan, Our Call to Action: Pursuit of
Excellence. Since this plan was established in 1999, the world has changed and Montgomery County has changed along with it.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) now serves a larger, more diverse student population. Demographic changes and the
economic troubles of the early 21st century have had a profound impact on our county and its citizens. Along the way, the national
and statewide priorities in education have continuedto shift amid a sea of rapid technological change.
Through these 11 years, Our Call to Action has provided a strong foundation for MCPS as we pursue our goal of providing a world-
class education to the school system’s 142,000 students. Also, our community’s values have not changed: The citizen of
Montgomery County still value quality, high standards, and accoun tability. These values undergird our strategic plan and drivethe
work of MCPS every day.
Each year, MCPS staff closely reviews data, practices and policies to make sure we are moving closer to the day when academic
success is not predictable by race, ethnicity , gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability. In this upda te we
continue to focus on the issue of equity, as it is so criticalto our ultimate goal of ensuring success for every student.We continue to
emphasize the Seven Keys to College Readiness, a trajectory of high standards that provides a clear pathway for school staff and parents
to ensure that all students are held to high expectations and can achieve at high levels.
In 2009, the Montgomery County Board of Education updated its core values to more completely articulate the Board’s commitment
to our students and our pledge “to do whatever it takes” to gua
rantee that every child receivesthe best possible preparation for college
and the world of work. We are committed to using all the talent, tools and resources at our disposal and will not tolerate excu
ses from
ourselves or others. We soundly reject the notion that externallabels should impact the qualityof education a student receives or the
level of expectations we have for him or her. Our core valuesreaffirm our obligation to see each child as a unique learner and to
embrace differentiated educational approaches that have been succes sful in helping our students make great strides in achievement.
We encourage you to review the details and goals of our strategic plan and take pride in the accomplishments of our children.heir T
progress received external affirmation in April when a distinguished panel ofeducation experts and leaders named Montgomery
County Public Schools a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Ed ucation, an honor that provides at least $250,000 in college
scholarships to graduates from our high schools. As one of just 22 school districts ever to be so honored, MCPS also is the st
firdistrict
in Maryland and the Washington area to be named a finalist. If MCPS is chosen as the prize winner, our 2011 graduates will receive
$1 million in college scholarships.
The credit for MCPS’ success rests in large measure on the commitment of our individual staff members—more than 22,000 of
them—to carry out the work of this plan each and every day. We ask a great deal of our employees in order to provide high-quali ty
instructional programs and support services to our students, andwe are proud of all that they have done to make MCPS a nationa l
model of excellence. We must also recognize the important role that parents, electedofficials, business, civic and community el aders
play in making our schools among the best in the nation.
While we have had much success, we must also acknowledge that th ere is work left to be done. Academic disparities remain and
students’ needs evolve and change. That is why we must remain steadfast and committed to Our Call to Action and the policies and
practices that will serve all of our students. Their future, and ours, depends on it.
Respectfully,
Patricia B. O’Neill Jerry D. Weast, Ed.D.

President, Board of Education Superintendent of Schools
3
Montgomery County Public Schools
GUIDING TENETS
CORE VALUES*
MCPS is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that every child, regardless ofrace, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language
proficiency, or disability,learns and succeeds.
Student outcomes shall not be predictable by race or ethnicity.
MCPS has high expectations for all students, believin g that all children can learn at high levels.
Every student is a unique learner and MCPS will tailor instruction to meet the learning needs of each student.
A comprehensive early years' program is critical for students toacquire the knowledge and skills to be successful in reading,writing, and
mathematics.
The pursuit of excellence for all students requires providing ourneediest students with the extra support necessary to attainrigorous targets.
MCPS demonstrates commitment tocontinuous improvement by reviewing, evaluatin g and improving our work and monitoring student
performance data.
MCPS is committed to a culture of respect that includes fair treatment, honesty, openness, and integrity.
* Revised June 2009
MISSION
To provide a high-quality, world-class education that ensuressuccess for every student through excellence inteaching and learning.
VISION
A high-quality education is thefundamental right of every child. All childrenwill receive the respect, encouragement, and opportunities they need to
build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be successful, contributing members of a global society.
SYSTEM GOALS
• Ensure success for every student

• Provide an effective instructional program
• Strengthen productive partn erships for education
• Create a positive work environment in a self-renewing organization
• Provide high-quality business services that are essential to the educational success of students
BOARD OF EDUCATION ACADEMIC PRIORITIES*
• Organize and optimize resources for improved academic results

• Align rigorous curriculum, delivery of instruction, and
assessment for continuous improvement of student achievement
• Develop, expand, and deliver literacy-based initiatives from prekindergarten through Grade 12
• Develop, pilot, and expand improvements in secondary content, instruction,and programs that support students’ active engagement in learning
• Use student, staff, school, and system performance data to monitor and improve student achievement
• Foster and sustain systems thatsupport and improve employee effectiveness, in partnership with MCPS employee organizations
• Strengthen family-school relationships and continue to expand civic, busine
ss, and community partnerships that support improv
ed student
achievement
*Revised July 17, 2007
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
• What do students need to know and be able to do?

• How will we know they have learned it?
• What will we do when they haven’t?
• What will we do when they already know it?
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Framework for Equity and Excellence
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to equity an d excellence for all students. Equity in our schools is defin
ed
as high expectations and access to meaningful and relevant learning for all students so that outcomes are not predictable by race,
ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency,or disability. Excellence is achieved through high standards th at ensure
that all students are college or career ready as high school graduates. In order to accomplish this, measurements are needed to monitor
system progress in promoting equity and excellence.
The Seven Keys to College Readiness establishes the trajectory that will ensure a clear path for student success and a guide for staff
and parents to ensure all students achieve atthese high levels. The goal of the Seven Keys is to set advanced rather than pro ficient
standards and to ensure that results are not predictable for any group. This raises the bar to high levels, with the expectati
on that many
of our students are going to far exceed this high bar – theintent is not to limit any student’s level of achievement.
MCPS has made great strides to provide rigorous and high quality education for every student through Our Call to Action: Pursuit of
Excellence. More students are learning to read at an earlier age, morestudents are taking rigorous and challenging courses, and more
students are being provided withopportunities to succeed at higherlevels than ever before. This is accomplished through the
implementation of strategies and initiatives in this strategic plan that promote equity and excellence by creating the organizational
culture, the conditions, and the support system s to ensure our students’ success. Manyof these initiatives are intended to strengthen
students’ abilities to problem solve, think critically, and expresstheir thoughts and inquiries. Other strategies have been mplemented
i
to create collaborative learning communities where each child’s individual learning needs are met. This strategic plan recognizes
there is more work to be done toeliminate the achievement gap and raise the academic achievement for all.
Fostering an organizational culture of high expectations for all students that is pervasive throughout MCPS requires the commit ment
of staff, parents, and community to equitable practices in classrooms and workplaces. Creating this culture also requires three critical
conditions to encourage, support, and nurture equity and exce llence—high expectations, positive relationships, and cultural
competence. To create and sustain these positive conditions, we ne ed to establish comprehensive support systems to help all st
udents,
staff, and parents learn and grow at thepersonal, professional, and institutional levels.
These efforts are supported by ongoing professional development and a system of monitoring and accountability. Growth and
transformation at the personal, professional, and institutional levels will not takeplace without ongoing,deliberate efforts to build the
capacity of staff, students, and parents through targeted professional development. In order to maintain focus and momentum this in
important work, measurements must be identified and employed to monitor system progress in promoting equity and excellence.
These support systems and conditions must be contained within,and supported by, all schools and classrooms, all MCPS workplaces,
and the communities that contain our schools and offices. This organizational culture also will serve to protect the ongoingorkw to
promote equity and excellence from external factors that could possibly disrupt the work or distract staff from their focus. ese
Th
external factors include political factors, legal considerations, and economic realities.
The next phase of our work in leading systemic change is the redoubling of our efforts to ensure equity and excellence for all students
so that academic success is not predictable by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability. These
efforts will address the challenging issues that limit studentsfrom excelling at the highest academic levels. We are committe d to the
fundamental belief that this is possible.
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Performance Targets—2011–2015
Key performance targets for data points in Goals One and Two raise expectations and standards for student and school performance and
reinforce a commitment to eliminating the gap in student performance by race and ethnicity and other student groups. Targets reflect the
requirements of national, state, and local accountability mandates and considers expectations about where MCPS wants to be in five years.
Performance Targets
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Grade 2 Reading—Percentage of students meeting or exceeding benchmark
81 85 89 93 97
Grade 5 Math 6 or Higher— Percentage of students successfully completing
TBD
ES MSA Reading— Percentage of students at or above proficient
85.9 90.6 95.3 100 100
ES MSA Mathematics— Percentage of students at or above proficient
84.5 89.7 94.8 100 100
Elementary School Suspension Rate— Percentage of students suspended at or below
1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
MS MSA Reading— Percentage of students at or above proficient
85.6 90.4 95.2 100 100
MS MSA Mathematics— Percentage of students at or above proficient
78.6 85.7 92.9 100 100
Grade 8 Algebra—Percentage of students successfully completing with C or higher
TBD
Middle School Suspension Rate— Percentage of students suspended at or below
6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
Middle School Ineligibility— Percentage of students ineligible at or below
10.8 8.9 7 5 5
Grade 11 Algebra 2— Percentages of students successfully completing with C or
higher TBD
High School MSA Reading— Percentage of students at or above proficient

79.5 86.3 93.2 100 100
High School MSA Math—Percentage of students at or above proficient
73.7 82.4 91.2 100 100
SAT/ACT Participation—Percentage of students participating
77 78 79 80 80
SAT/ACT Performance — Percentage of test takers scoring 1650 or above on SAT
62 68 74 80 80
combined score or 24 or above on ACT composite score
AP/IB Exam Performance—Percentage of graduating seniors earning 3 or higher on
69 73 77 80 80
AP exam or 4 or higher on IB exam
Graduation Rate*—Percentage of students graduating
96 TBD
High School Suspension Rate— Percentage of students suspended at or below
6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
High School Ineligibility—Percentage of students ineligible at or below 19.4 16.8 14.2 11.7
11.7
State Target
*Although graduation is a state target, the MCPS graduation target is higher than the state target.
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Performance Targets—2010–2014
Key performance targets for data points in Goals One and Two raise expectations and standards for student and school performance
and reinforce a commitment to eliminating th e gap in student performance by race andethnicity and other student groups. Targets
reflect the requirements of national, state, and local accountability mandates and considers expectations about where MCPS wants to
be in five years.
Performance Targets 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Kindergarten Reading—Percentage meeting benchmark To be
developed
Percentage of schools at or above target
Grade 2 Reading—Percentage meeting benchmark 75.8 79.4 82.9 86.5 90.0
Percentage of schools at or above target 68.0 76.0 84.0 92.0 100
Grade 2 Terra Nova—Percentage at or above 50th national percentile To be
developed
Percentage of schools at or above target
Grade 5 Math 6 or Higher—Percentage successfully completing 29.4 33.3 37.2 41.1 45.0
ES MSA Reading—Percentage at or above proficient 62.5 67.2 71.8 76.5 81.2
Percentage of schools at or above target 100 100 100 100 100
ES MSA Mathematics—Percentage at or above proficient 58.8 63.9 69.1 74.2 79.4
Elementary School Suspension Rate—Percentage suspended 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Percentage of schools at or below target 70.0 77.5 85.0 92.5 100
MS MSA Reading—Percentage at or above proficient 61.5 66.3 71.1 75.9 80.8
MS MSA Mathematics—Percentage at or above proficient 42.9 50.0 57.2 64.3 71.4
Grade 8 Algebra—Percentage successfully completing 54.6 61.0 67.3 73.7 80.0
Middle School—Algebra 1 High School Assessment percentage passing 100 100 100 100 100
Middle School Suspension Rate—Percentage suspended 7.4 7.2 7.0 6.7 6.5
Middle School Ineligibility— Percentage Ineligible 12.7 12.7
Percentage of schools at or below target
High School MSA Reading—Percentage at or above proficient 45.3 52.2 59.0 65.8 72.7
Percentage of schools at or above target 100 100
High School MSA Math—Percentage at or above proficient 29.8 38.6 47.3 56.1 64.9
Percentage of schools at or above target 100 100
Grade 9 Algebra—Percentage successfully completing 81.4 86.1 90.7 95.4 100
Grade 10 Geometry—Percentage successfully completing 76.6 82.4 88.3 94.1 100
Grade 10 PSAT—Percentage participating 91.2 92.5 93.7 95.0
Percentage of schools at or above target 60.0 66.7 83.3 100
SAT Performance—Combined critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores 1634 1638 1642 1646 1650
SAT/ACT—Percentage participating 77.2 77.9 78.6 79.3 80.0
Honors/AP/IB/College-Level Course Enrollment—Percentage enrolled in at least one 68.4 70.1 71.7 73.4 75.0
course
7
AP/IB Exam Participation—Percentage of graduating seniors who took at least one exam 56.1 59.6 63.0 66.5 70.0
while in high school
AP/IB Exam Performance—Percentage of graduating seniors earning 3 or higher on AP 42.2 52.4 56.6 60.8 65.0
exam or 4 or higher on IB exam
Graduation Rate—Percentage graduating 92.4 93.3 94.2 95.1 96.0
High School Suspension Rate—Percentage suspended 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
High School Ineligibility— Percentage Ineligible 22.0 22.0
Percentage of schools at or below target
Supplemental Plans
The systemwide strategic plan is supplementedby the plans and resources described in the—
• Fiscal Year 2010 2011Operating Budget
• Fiscal Year 2010 Educational Facilities Master Plan andthe Fiscal Year 2009–2014 Capital Improvements Program (As
amended.)
The systemwide strategic plan is further supplemented by the strategic plans for the—
• Office of the Deputy Superintendent of Schools

– Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs
– Office of Organizational Development
– Office of School Performance
– Office of Shared Accountability
– Office of Special Education and Student Services
• Office of the Chief Operating Officer

– Office of Human Resources and Development
– Office of the Chief Technology Officer
8
Deployment of Guiding Tenets
The Board of Education and senior leaders developed the MCPS guiding tenets—core values, vision, mission, goals, academic
priorities, and critical questions— collaboratively with stakeholde
rs. These guiding tenets were adopted by the Board and inclu
ded in
Our Call to Action.
Beginning in August 1999, Board members and senior leaders engaged in an extensive outreach with parent and community groups,
business partners, advisory groups, local governing entities, and the faith communities to solicit shared concerns and expectat ions. The
input received throughthese conversations was codified in the strategic plan. In addition to the guiding tenets, the plan includes the
key performance measures for the system.
The process used to develop the MCPS strategic plan and the methods used by Board members and senior leaders to deploy the visi on
and values have provided a clear picture tothe staff, community, and other stakeholders of student expectations, the accountability
system being used to monitor results and drive performance, and the strategies employed to achieve the goals.
Our Call to Action is the blueprint for improving the achievement of students at all levels of ability and performance while eliminating the
achievement gap among racial/ethnic and special population groups.In addition, the Board approves a master plan that is submitted to
the Maryland State Board of Education to meet the requirements of theNo Child Left Behind Act and the state’s Bridge to Excellence law.
Our Call to Action is the foundation of this master plan.
The Board has adopted a framework that aligns itspolicies with the vision and goals articulated inOur Call to Action. This framework
structures the relationship between Board policies and the strategic plan, linking vision and action. There are eight core governance
policies that express the vision, values, and goals of the Board and provide the philosophical foundation for the work directed by the
strategic plan. These core governance policies are directly supported by other Boardpolicies, and all of these policies are deployed
through a series of regulations that are approved by the superintendent of schools and implemented by senior leaders who ensure
compliance.
The superintendent’s bimonthly meetings with more than 500 leaders of the school system focus on the vision, core values, and
expectations for performance and results through the lens of le ading for equity so that student performance is not predictableby race.
The superintendent’s continuous focus on the vision and expectations in meetings with staff, parents, and community members has
been critical in the alignment of all the work of the school sy
stem. For the past three years, the Board has conducted forums,attended
by both community stakeholders and MCPS employees, to gather feedba ck on the strategic plan. This feedback has been used to make
improvements in the plan and to help align the operating budget with the plan.
The deployment process beginsunder the leadership of the community superint endents as each school annually develops and
implements a school improvement plan that is aligned with the Board’s strategic plan. Community superintendents meet monthlythwi
their 30–35 principals to deploy strategies to accomplish the system’s goals. Other senior leaders guide the development and
implementation of office and department strategic plans that also are aligned with Our Call to Action. This strategic planning process
guides the staff throughout the school system in their work withstudents, schools, parents, and the community.
The school-improvement process has been designed to reflect the components of the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance
Excellence. Schools are expected to implement the school-improvement planning model using the “look-fors” from the Framework
for Improving Teaching and Learningand Baldrige categories. The progress on school improvement plan goals is evaluated regularly
with all stakeholders.
How Board of Education Members and Senior Leaders Communicate and Deploy Organizational Vision and Values
Communicate Deploy Board and Senior Leaders’ Actions
Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Superintendent’s A&S meetings Communicate beliefs and expectations
Excellence Baldrige-guided School Improvement Model organization’s values
Bridge to Excellence Master Plan Plans Engage in organizational and personal
Board Academic Priorities Office/Department Strategic Plans learning
Board/Superintendent meetings Implementation of strategies/initiatives Empower staff to lead
with employee associations Framework for Improving Teaching and Model collaboration and shared
Board policies Learning decision making
MCPS regulations Baldrige Quality Academy Frequently monitor progress and share
Organizational Culture of My Job, Your Job, Our Job handbook best practices
Respect Baldrige Principal’s Handbook
Professional Growth Systems Professional Learning Communities
OSP Monitoring Calendar
M-Stat
9
OVERVIEW
Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS CHART
Designing and Implementing the Strategic Plan
The continued improvement of teachingand learning in MCPS is the focus ofthe school system’s strategic plan,Our Call to Action:
Pursuit of Excellence. This requires great coordination, collaboration, and alignment of activities among the community and
thousands of employees affecting tens of thousands of students.A coherent strategic plan that is implemented with fidelity wi ll help
to ensure that the bar is raised for every child and that the achievement gap by raceand ethnicity is closed. The current national
movement stressing the importance of higher education in a globaleconomy is reflected in the Seven Keys to College Readiness. This
pathway will give all of our students more options when they gr aduate from MCPS and a strong foundation for college and career
success. The update—addressing school years 2009 through 2014 2010 through 2015 —reflects a process that has evolved over the past
several years. Following the Board of Education’s revision of Policy AEB:Strategic Planning and Continuous Improvement in
November 2004, the process has benefited from greater communityinvolvement. Policy AEB was revised in May 2009, once again
articulating the Board’s commitment to aligning the budget processwith the strategic plan and including a broad range of stakeholders in
the strategic planning process. The primary strategies focus oninstructional planning, curriculum development, differentiatedinstruction,
and evidence of student learning. There also is a focus on mon itoring and accountability using milestones and data points thatidentify
clear targets for continuous improvement. The milestones and datapoints provide identifiable ways to measure the progress of he t school
system in such areas as minority student achievement, mi ddle school reform, high school reform, and special education.
The strategic plan highlights programs and initiatives that remain the oundation
f of the school system’s ongoing improvement efforts
since 1999. All initiatives are aligned with ongoing efforts, helping the schoolsystem maintain substantial consistency over time. Such
continuity has enabled teachers, principals, support staff, parents, employee associations, and community members to work on co mmon
goals for each community. The strength of the plan is the continued alignment of school system operations. The entire school system
revolves around this core focus, requiring greater coordinationamong everyone involved—working together on the appropriate pha ses
for each phase of implementation.
Among the most obvious outcomes of this improved planning are the significant gains in student achievement. There are other
examples as well such as the successfuldevelopment and funding of highly detailedand meticulous annual operating and capital
budgets, and the use of zero-based budgeting practices in the operating budgets for all departments. Improved planning also is
evident
in the successful ongoing development ofcurricula, assessments, professional development components, and technology.
The inherent value of the plan is its focus on excellence. Thisreflects the responsibility of the entire school system and allof its
stakeholders to ensure the success of eachand every student. Deliberate planning, el adership, and supervision are necessary toachieve
this consistently across 200 schools and withthe continuity necessary for seamless integration of instruction, programs, and services.
Success depends on continuous monitoring,assessment, feedback, and improvement.
The school system’s strategic plan is aligned with the MarylandBridge to Excellence Act and addresses all of the requirementsfor a
school district “master plan,” under the specifications of the Maryland State Department of Education. These requirements, in urn,
t are
responsive to and aligned with the achievement goals of the federalNo Child Left Behind Act. In MCPS, attention to these
requirements is enhanced by the school system’s planning pro cess that employs the “Plan, Do, Study, Act” cycle of continuous
improvement, based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.
The multilayered process of strategic planning in MCPS integrates built-in cycles of evaluation and refinement. The strategiclanning
p
components include the Board of Education’s goals and academic priorities and thealignment of these goals with milestones, data
points, and targets. For deployment of initiatives across the system, the planning process involves office- and department-leve
l
strategic plans, school improvement plans, and individual staff professional development plans (PDPs).
The school system is involvedin several national initiatives to improve strategic planning of school districts. One initiativeis the
Public Education Leadership Project, a joint program of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Educatio n.
This initiative prompted the research and publication of four Harvard case studies about the school system—Differentiated Treat ment in
Montgomery County Public Schools (2006) and two companion studi es, Race, Accountability, and the Achievement Gap (A) and (B)
(2006), all three focused exclusively on school system reform in
itiatives; and Wireless Generation (2006), which detailed the system’s
corporate partnership in hand-heldtechnology to improve data collection and analysisby teachers. In addition, MCPS was featured in a
November 2006 article in the Harvard Business Review, How to Manage Urban Schools.
Another national initiative is the Process Improvement and Innova
tion in Education project, administered by the Houston-based
American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC). This initiative’ s first three projects enabled school systems to compare how hey
t
assess student achievement, recruit and select teachers, and mana
ge their information technologysystems. MCPS is cited as a
benchmark district for ESOL, professional development,the execution and support ofprofessional learning communities, data-driven
decision making, and mathematics and science, and supportof professional learning communities.
10
Priorities of the Board of Education
The strength of the strategic plan is rooted in the academic priorities of the Board ofEducation, which have remained consistent over
the past eight years. Working closely with the superintendent of schools and senior staff, the Board has achieved widespread
community agreement in the direction of the school system and, consequently, its strategic plan. The academic priorities establ
ish the
basis for a congruent multiyear planning strategy that focuses on doing what is best for students, parents, and their schools.
The Board
of Education modified its priorities on July17, 2007. These priorities are as follows:
• Organize and optimize resources for improved academic results.
• Align rigorous curriculum, delivery of instruction, and assessment for continuous improvement of student achievement.
• Expand and deliver literacy-based initiatives from prekindergarten through Grade 12.
• Develop, pilot, and expand improvements in secondary content, instruction, and programs that support students’ active engagem
ent
in learning.
• Use student, staff, school, and system performance data to monitor and improve student achievement.
• Foster and sustain systems that support and improve employee effectiveness, in partnership with MCPS employee associations.
• Strengthen family-school relationships and continue to expand civic, business, and community partnerships that support improv
ed
student achievement.
The Board of Education has pursued these priorities with ahigh level of greater public involvement in the school system’s strategic
planning. Beginning in September 2004, the school system expanded the strategic planning processes through a series of communit y
forums that invited public input on the goals of the strategic plan. Citizens offered valuable insights about the operationsdangoals of
the school system. Stakeholder involvement helped improve the development of the operating budget recommendations submitted by
the superintendent in December 2008 and approved by the Board of Education in February 2009. The County Council ultimately
funded the Board’s recommended budget in May 2009.We also have used this same process for the development of the Fiscal Year
2011 budget, as well.
Building on a Record ofProgress Since 1999

In the years since the original in November 1999, MCPS has made excellent progress in its efforts to deliver a
rigorous, high-quality education to every student. Successful planning and implementation have helped pave the way. This progress
recently received external affirmation when a notable` panel of education experts and leaders named Montgomery County a finalis t for
the distinguished Broad Prize for Urban Education, an honor that provides at least $250,000 in college scholarships to graduate
s from our
high schools. MCPS is the first district in Maryland and the Washington-area to be named a finalist and is just one of 22 distr
icts to ever
be named a finalist for the honor.
Gains in Student Performance

The MCPS graduation rate of 83.1 ranks # 1 among the nation’s 50 largest schools districts according Education Weeks,
Diploma Counts 2010 Diploma Counts
MCPS is a finalist for the 2010 Broad Prize, the largest education prize in the country, for its success in raising student
achievement and closing the achievement gap. At least $250,000in scholarships will be awarded tograduates from the Class of
2011.
Seven MCPS high schools were listed in the top 100 ofNewsweek’s list of America’s Best High Schools, the most of any
district in the nation. All 25 MCPS high schools ranked in the top 3 percent of the nation.
Six MCPS high schools ranked among the top 110 in the nation by Newsweek magazine in 2009 for providing a rigorous and
challenging curriculum. All MCPS high schools are listed in the top .5
3 percent nationwide. (not released yet)
Three MCPS high schools awarded gold medal status—placing them among the top 100 high schools in the nation
—in a 2008
U.S. News & World Report ranking of America’s best high schools.
The average combined SAT score for the Class of 2009 was 1615, 118 and 106 points above national and state averages,
respectively, with a participation rate of 78.0 percent.
More students now taking the SAT and/or ACT. In 2009, 81.2 percent of the Class of 2009 took the SAT and/or ACT.
48.7 percent of the Class of 2009 scored a 3 or higher on at least one Advanced Placement (AP)exam, more than triple the
national average and double the Maryland average.
64.4 percent of the Class of 2009 took at least one AP exam during high school, more than double the national average of26.5
percent.
20.9 percent of African American students and35.1 percent of Hispanic students in the Class of 2009 scored a 3 or higher on at
least one AP exam, topping the national average of15.9 percent for all students.
11
African American students earned 1,369 scores of 3 or higher on AP exams in 2009, accounting for 37.9 percent and 3.1 percent,
respectively, of all AP exam scores of 3 or higher earned by African American public schools students in Maryland and the
nation.
Hispanic students in MCPS earned 1,542 scores of 3 or higher on AP exams in 2009, accounting for 56.8 percent and 1.1 percent,
respectively, of all AP exam scores of 3 or higher earned by Hispanic public school students in Maryland and the nation.
Record number of students,377, named National AP Scholars by The College Board in 2009.
91.1 percent of students in kindergarten in 2009 reading at or above benchmark by the end of the school year, compared with 39 percent
six years ago.while the benchmark was increased from Level 3 to Level 4 in 2009.
A record 5,441 fifth grade students took advanced math in 2009, compared with 196 studentseight years ago.
65.5 percent of Grade 8 students in 2009 successfully completed Algebra 1, compared with59.6 percent in 2008.
88.1 percent of elementary school students and78.2 percent of middle school students scored at proficient or above on
mathematics in the 2009 Maryland School Assessment.
92.3 percent of middle school students who took the Algebra High School Assessment (HSA) in 200
9 passed.
103 elementary and secondary schools won Maryland School Performance Recognition Program awards in 200 9. An additional
86 elementary and secondary schoolsreceived recognition based on overall achievement or for improvement within a
subgroup., based on MSA and HSA performance.
The Class of 2008 There were 71 included 61National Merit Scholars in the Class of 2009.
A record amount of scholarships—$185 million—was awarded to students in the Class of 2009. 3,251 students, nearly one third
of the class, were offered at least one scholarship.
In 2009, 17 semifinalists in the 68th Intel Science Talent Search; Montgomery Blair High School is second highest school in the
nation with 12 semifinalists. There were 15 MCPS semifinalists in the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search, tied with New York City for
the district with the most finalists.
33 National Blue Ribbon Schools MCPS has received 34 National Blue Ribbon School awards.
Highland Elementary School is one of 12 schools to receive the National Excellencein Urban Education Award from the National
Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). In addition to the NCUST award, Highland Elementary, aMaryland Blue Ribbon
School, is a candidate for a National Blue Ribbon School award.
Highland Elementary School received the National Excellence in Urban Education Award from the National Center for Urban School
Transformation and also was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2009.
MCPS leads the state with 528 educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Response to Changing Demographics

The significant academic progress of the schoolsystem coincides with thedeployment of more focused and better developed strategic
plans. Student achievement continues to increase through the implementation of challenging instructional programs for students of all
levels of ability and performance. However, differences in ach ievement persist when disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender,
socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability.This disparity formed the basis of the original reforms in 1999 and remains
the significant foundation of the strategic plan now under way
The racial and ethnic composition of the school system has made MCPS one of the most diverse school systems in the United State s.
MCPS is the largest, most diverse school district in Marylandand one the most racially and ethnically diverse school system
s in the
country It continues to be the largest, most diverse system in Maryland
—with students from 165 countries speaking 134 languages—and
became the . We remain the nation’s 16th largest school system this year, with over 142,000 students, and we anticipate our district will
continue to grow in the coming years. 140,000 students. Recent enrollment gains overall have beenmainly entirely among Hispanic,
Asian American, and African American students. Almost half of all English language learners in Maryland are enrolled in MCPS. oMre
than one fourthNearly 30 percent of MCPS of all students now receive federal meal assistance, the highest number ever,and nearly 40
percent and more than one thirdof students have received federal meal assistance at some point in their education in MCPS.
The greatest concentrationof racial and ethnic diversity and poverty is located in schools within the county’s most urbanized
areas—a
combination of communities from Takoma Park to Germantown that includes nearly half of all elementary schools. The communities
are home to the majority of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students enrolled in the system and the vast majority of students receiving
federal meal assistance and English language support.
Focus on High-quality Curriculum

At the core of the strategic plan is the provision of a high-quality curriculum. A key initiative is the alignment of the entir
e curriculum
from prekindergarten through Grade 12 in order to ensure that all students in every school receive the proper foundation and sequence
of essential skills and knowledge. All studentsare expected to be college and career ready, a process that begins in prekinder garten
12
and elementary schoolby with preparing students to achieve reading fluency by Grade 3; advancing through Math 6 or higher by
Grade 5; completing algebra or higher-level mathematics coursesby Grade 8; completing Algebra 2 by Grade 11; and enrolling in
Honors, Advanced Placement, IB; and college-level courses throughout high school.
These strategic plan initiatives have resulted in the alignm ent of the curriculum from prekindergarten through Grade 12, in order to
meeting or exceeding the expectations of the Maryland Core Learning Go als, the Maryland High School Assessments, and the
Maryland School Assessments. Our curriculum sets and setstudents on a path to succeed inAdvanced Placement programs and
International Baccalaureate programs and prepares them to demonstrate their college readiness onexams for college readiness,
including the SAT and ACT. These efforts are based on the need to address persistent problemsdisparities in student achievement,
which have decreased in recent years, but still exit in all areas. not withstanding the overall continued gains by the school system
.
Differences in student performance and course enrollment by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency , or
disability, along with high levels of remediation for students enrolling in community college, are key indicators that continued
improvement is necessary.
An important component of these efforts is the involvement and collaboration of teachers, principals, and other staff in therategic
st
planning process, especially in developing new program and budget initiatives, providing timely feedback during implementation,
engaging in ongoing problem solving, and involving staff in program implementation. This collaboration is formalized throughgh- hi
level teams involving the presidents and other leaders of employee associations working closely with the superintendent and exe cutive
staff members throughout the year.
Improving Employee Quality

Developing and implementing a strategic plan is entirely dependen t on the leadership, experience, and skills of the school syst
em’s
workforce. Targeted staff development and training, evaluation, leadership, and technology initiatives focus on ensuring that
employees have the knowledge, skills, strategies, and beliefs necessary to respond to the needsof a rapidly growing and highlydiverse
school system. This includes the ongoing implementation of standards-based professional development systems that are focused on
making sure that all staff members understand the essential roleof employee performance, attitudes, and expectations in the su ccess of
the school system.
Professional development is aligned closely with other improvemen ts in unifying school system support and leadership, curriculu
m
and instruction, assessment, and technology.—helping This helps to create an organizational cultureof respect that values what
individual staff members believe, know, and can do, and values the contributions of all employees in the support of improvedaching
te
and learning throughout the school system. Important components of these efforts include the following:
• Improving attitudes and beliefs about ar ce and removing institutional barriers.
• Establishing common expectations forstudent success and organizational reform.
• Strengthening teachers’ skills in differentiating instruction based on students’ needs.
• Strengthening the professionalgrowth system for all employees.
• Providing clear standards of evaluation.
• Encouraging peer assistance and review.
• Providing consulting teachers, principals, and support staff for novice and underperforming employees.
• Providing mentors for new teachers.
• Strengthening on-site staff development for all teachers.
These efforts reflect research-based understanding of how to improve teaching and learning by encouraging professional learning
communities, improving expectations, and monitoringdata for specific evidence of student progress.
Aligning the Budget with the Strategic Plan

The relationship of the five-year strategic plan to the annualoperating budget for MCPS was strengthened in 2004 with the expansion
of public involvement in the development of long-range planning issues.
Previously, public involvement occurred only after the budget was presented. The Board of Education changed the process by
instituting community forums to encourage gr eater participation by a broader range of stakeholders in identifying important strategic
planning issues. The Board revised the policy on long-range strategic planning for continuous improvement in May 2009. The revi sed
policy encourages greater stakeholder involvement and the use ofassessment criteria to evaluate key elements of the strategicplan.
The improved alignment of budget development with the school sy stem’s strategic planning process also strengthens the alignmentof
the budget with the state-mandated master plan for student achievement.
13
Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act
The Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act is based on a st

andards-based approach to public school financing that is consis
tent
with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Act requires the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to set
academic content and student achievement standards, ensure that schools and studentshave sufficient resources to meet those
standards, and hold schools and school systems accountable for student performance.
1. The plan must be aimed at helping allchildren meet state and local performance standards, improve student achievement, and close
academic gaps among students of differentracial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds;students with disabilities; and students who
are learning English.
2. The plan must be comprehensive and systemic. It must reach throughout the school system to all schools and address factorsentral
c
to improved teaching and learning such as teacher and principal recruitment and retention, professional development, use of bes
t
practices, and scientific research-based strategies.
3. The plan must address services to prekindergarten students, kindergarten students, gifted and talented students, and career
technology education students.
4. The plan must include specific benchmarks and timelines for improved student achievement and progress in implementing thean. pl
Focus Areas
a. Teacher and principal recruitment and retention
b. Educator readiness and professional development
c. Parent and community involvement
d. Integration of technology
e. Assistance to low-performing schools (local reconstitution eligible, Title I,Challenge, and locally identified alert or watch
schools)
f. Use of best practices and proven methods based on scientifically based research
Performance Goal 1
By 2013–2014 all students will reach high standards, at a minimum attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and
mathematics.
1. The percentage of students, in the aggregate and for each subgroup, who are at orabove the proficient level in reading/language
arts on the state’s assessment. (Note: these subgroups are thosefor which the ESEA requires state reporting, as identified insection
1111(h)(l)(C)(i).)
2. The percentage of students, in the aggregate and in each subgroup, who are at or above the proficient level in mathematicsnothe
state’s assessment. (Note: These subgroups are those for which the ESEA requires state reporting, as identified in section
1111(h)(l)(C)(i).)
Performance Goal 2
All limited English proficient students will become proficient inEnglish and reach high academic standards, at a minimum attaining
proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics.
1. The percentage of limited English proficient students, determined by cohort, who have attained English proficiency by theden of
the school year.
2. The percentage of limited English proficient students who are at or above the proficient level in reading/language arts on het state’s
assessment, as reported for performance indicator 1.1.
3. The percentage of limited English proficient students who are at or above the proficient level in mathematics on the state’s
assessment, as
reported for performance indicator 1.2.
Performance Goal 3
By 2005–2006, all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers.
1. The percentage of classes being taughtby “highly qualified” teachers (as the termis defined in section 9101(23) of the ESEA), in
14
the aggregate and in “high-poverty” schools (as the termis defined in section 1111(h)(l)(C)(viii) of the ESEA).
2. The percentage of teachers receiving “high-quality professional development, (as the term “professional development” is defined in
section 9101(34)).
3. The percentage of paraprofessionals (excluding those with sole duties as translators and parental involvement assistants) wh
o are
qualified. (See criteria in section 1119(c) and (d).)
Performance Goal 4
All students will be educated in learning environments that are safe, drug-free, and conducive to learning.
1. The number of persistently dangerous schools, as defined by the state.
Performance Goal 5
All students will graduate from high school.
1. The percentage of students who graduate fromhigh school each year with a regular diploma—
a. disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, migrant status, English proficiency, and status as economically
disadvantaged; and
b. calculated in the same manner as used in National Center for Education Statistics reports on Common Core of Data.
2. Performance indicator: The percentage of students who drop out of school—
a. disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status,language proficiency, or disability.; and
b. calculated in the same manner as used in National Centerfor Education Statistics reports on Common Core of Data.
15
GOAL 1: Ensure Success for Every Student
Board of Education Priorities:

• Align rigorous curriculum, delivery of instruction, and assessment for continuous improvement of student achievement
The following milestones and data points are aligned with the strategies and initiatives inOur Call to Action to provide rigorous
instruction and promote increased achievement for all students, while eliminating the achievement gap. To that end, MCPS is
committed to engaging all students in a rigorous academic program nd, a in particular, to ensuring that student achievement is ont
predictable by race. The district will implement the guidelinesestablished in the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act.Data will
be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomicstatus, language proficiency, or disability. AlthoughOur Call to Action
states that all students are expected to attain certain milest
ones, some students, due to their disabilities, will not achievethose
milestones and will follow alternative curricula.
Milestones: Data Points:
• All students will achieve or exceed proficiency standards o Maryland School Assessments (MSA)
in mathematics, reading, writing, science, and o High school final exams
government, and English language on local and state
assessments. (2/4/10 ELT JS) o High School Assessments (HSAs)
o English proficiency assessments for ESOL students
(Language Assessment System-Links)
• All students will successfully complete algebra by the o Algebra successful course completionwith a “C’ or
end of Grade 9 and geometry by the end of Grade 10. higher by the end of Grade 8
o
with a “C’ or higher.
o Geometry successful course completion by the end of
Grade 10 with a “C’ or higher.
All students will successfully complete Algebra 2 by o Algebra 2 successful course completion with a
the end of Grade 11. ( ELT, 11/5/09, JS) “C” or higher by the end of Grade 11
• All schools will increase participation and performance o SAT/ACT participation and performance
of all students taking the SAT/ACT. o PSAT participation
• All schools will eliminate the disproportionate o Suspension data

suspension rate of African American and Hispanic
students, and students receiving special education
services.
• o Student, parents, staff, survey results
• All schools will meet or exceed the state’s graduation o Graduation rates by school
requirements. o High School Assessments
o Dropout rate (Moved from Goal 2 ELT 11/19/09 JS)
o Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities (Moved
from Goal 2 ELT 4/22/10 JS)
• All graduates will be prepared for postsecondary o University System of Maryland requirements
education and employment. o Completion of Career and Technology Education
program
16
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Ensure Success for Every Student
Monitoring Student Performance

The mission of Montgomery CountyPublic Schools (MCPS) is to provide a high-quality, world-class education that ensures success
for every student through excellence in teaching and learning. Critical to achieving the mission is the systematic and systemic
monitoring of student performance of everystudent in every school so that student achievement is not predictable by race. Classroom
teachers, principals, and senior leaders monitor student performance bydisaggregating data by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic
status, language proficiency, or disability.
Disaggregating the data ensures that every student’s needs are considered when making instructional decisions. Schools and classroom
teachers use a variety of tools and strategiesto monitor student performance. Atthe system level, cross-functional teams study
student performance by drilling down to root causes and then developing action plans and making recommendations for improvement .
M-Stat and Achievement Steering Committees are strategies used by senior leaders and school staff working in collaboration to nsure
e
success for every student.
M-Stat
The M-Stat process provides a framework for the systematic and systemicmonitoring of critical student achievement and performa nce
data that enables the district and school leadership teams todrill down to root causes, focuson areas of need, develop actions plans for
improvement, and document best practices for recognition and dissemination throughout the system. Through the Baldrige practice of
“plan, do, study, act,” key data points and processes are examined throughout the school improvement planning cycle. The M-Stat
process provides a focused, intensive review by school and ce ntral office leaders and executivestaff members of school-level student
performance data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioe conomic status, language proficiency, or disability status. Th
e
M-Stat process has led to the identification of exemplary teachers as well as successful school and classroom practices that are
featured on the MCPS website and in theBulletin, using video clips and other resources related to the data points.
Achievement Steering Committees

Achievement Steering Committees(ASCs) provide focused support to address performance concerns with the Maryland School
Assessment (MSA) and High School Assessment(HSA). ASCs are a collaborative effort between various MCPS offices and selected
school staff. Utilizing in-depth examination of student data, ASCswork to improve instructional practices in order to increasestudent
performance and exit Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) “school improvement” status. Strategies recommended by an
ASC may include structured school walk-throughs, instructional look-fors, and/or instructional program reviews.
Aligned Efforts to Support Success in Higher-level Mathematics

Preparing students for success in higher-level mathematics begins with a high-quality curriculum that reaches beyond the Maryland
Voluntary State Curriculum, and continues with the elementary school Accelerated Pathwaysin Mathematics. Through the pathways,
school staff and parents see how acceleration, beginning in kindergarten, can prepare students for advanced mathematics in
elementary, middle, and high school. Several supports are in place to ensure that teachers and administrators have the knowledge of
content and effective instructional practices necessary toensure student success inhigher-level mathematics.
• Mathematics content coaches in many Title I and other focus elementary schools
• Mathematics content specialists in middle schools involved in middle school reform
• Algebra lead teachers in selected high schools and feeder middle schools
• Professional development, including course-specific classes as well as credit-bearing courses
• Lenses on Learning 1 and 2 courses for elementary principals
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K–12 Mathematics Work Group
The K–12 Mathematics Work Group was convened in January 2009 to explore the complex issues surrounding mathematics teaching
and learning and to develop recommendations to improve student achievement in mathematics. A diverse group of more than 40
stakeholders are participating in this initiative.
The work group is employing a research-based approach to their task and has formed the following research groups: Written
Curriculum, Implemented Curriculum, Assessment, Teacher Preparation and Development, and Mathematics Targets and
Accelerations. During the course of this work, the federal government released the Common Core Standards. Subsequently,
the Maryland State Department of Educ ation reviewed the alignment between the Common Core Standards and the
Maryland State Curriculum. Members of th e K-12 Mathematics Work Group and other central office and school-based staff
conducted an alignment between the Common Core Standards an d the MCPS mathematics curricu lum. This alignment is
critical to the final recommendations of the work group.
Algebra 2 by Grade 11
Students who complete Algebra 2 by the end of Grade 11 with a “C”or higher are more than twice as likely to graduate from college
than are students with less mathematical preparation and are generally less likely to have to take remedial math ematics courses in
college. In an effort to ensure thatall graduates are college ready, MCPS hasinitiated a multiyear research study on the preparation for
students to take and be successful in Algebra 2 by Grade 11 and convened an Algebra 2 M-S TAT project team. The research is
designed to examine mathematics course-taking patterns, successin these courses, and the demographic characteristics of students
enrolled in Algebra 2 in 2008–2009, as well as previous cohorts of students. Based on this information, the M-S TAT team will
identify schools that are having success with students of all racial/ethnic groups in Algebra 2 performance, determine the most
effective course sequencing for Algebra 2 success, develop standard articulation pathways for students who needsupport in order to
be successful in Algebra 2, identify exemplaryAlgebra 2 teachers, and disseminate effective instructional practices.
Middle School Reform

The Middle School Reform initiative provides a rigorous instructional program that is focused onthe skills needed to be successful in
the 21st century and prepares students for high school, college, and the world of work. Such an instructional program includes access
to technology and support with developing skills that enable students to work in teams, solve complex problems, interpret infor mation,
communicate effectively, connect learningacross disciplines, think critically, and apply knowledge to real-life situations. These
innovative student-centered classroom environments use interactive technology to deliver curriculum and instruction and assess
understanding. The interactive technology tools engage students in their own learning and activate problem-solving and critical
thinking skills that better prepare students for success in the Information Age.
Components of Middle School Reform includebuilding leadership capacity that promotesshared ownership for student and staff
success through: providing professional development on instructional strategies to meet the unique and diverse needs of the adolescent
learner and to ensure all students have access toa rigorous instructional program; participating in the Professional Learning
Communities Institute; developing staff cont ent knowledge and teaching expertise withinstructional leaders such as content
specialists in the core academic areas, team leaders, and a literacy coach; providing a rigorousand accelerated curriculum by offering
new and rigorous elective and core courses; engaging adolescent learners in effective and differentiated instruction using indi
vidual
student data, innovative technology, and motivational strategies;improving organizational structures that promote effective sc hedules
for students and time for teachers to work collaboratively; and establishing strong parent and community engagement through
effective communication, involvement in the school improvement process, parent workshops, and study circles.
st
All middle schools have received resources as a part ofthe Middle School Reform initiative that include 21 Century Classroom
technology, revised formative and unit assessments, funding for after-school and summer programs, workshops for parents, staffing to
support inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom, professional development on the adolescent
learner
and rigorous instruction, as well as other supports to enhance the communication between the schools and parents.
Building on the success of the Middle Schoo l Magnet Consortium (MSMC), and guidedby the Middle School Reform Report
recommendations, rigorous instructional offerings in science, world studies, and English are offered in all middle schools.MCPS.
will implement new rigorous, instructional program offerings to all middle schools. Over the nextfive years, selected schools will
choose from more than 25 new courses, field tested in the MSMC or the firs t phase of middle schools engaged in the reform. These
new program Course offerings incorporate rigorouscourse work, including seven high school credit courses, engaging content, and
innovative units of instruction. These courses support the MCPScommitment to provide all students with access to enriched,
accelerated, and compacted courses at the middle school level inorder to create opportunities for students to realize their fu
ll potential
as learners.
The expansion of subsequent phases of the Middle School Reforminitiative to all middle schools was originally scheduled for
completion in FY 2010. Due to current budgetary constraints, the full implementation has been delayed.
Program Expansion for All Middle Schools (OCIP)
Building on the success of the Middle Schoo
l Magnet Consortium (MSMC), and guidedby the Middle School Reform Report
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recommendations, MCPS will phase in new rigorous, instructional program offerings to all middle schools. Over the next five years,
selected schools will choose from more than 25 new courses, field tested in the MSMC or the first phase of middle schools engaged in
the reform. These new program offerings incorporate rigorous course work, includingseven high school credit courses, engaging
content, and innovative units of instruction.Schools also will offer advanced courses in science, world studies, and English.Several
of the program components are multiyear offerings with course pathways that run Grade 6 through Grade 8, such as Information and
Communication Technology6, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design,Applied Robotics Engineering, and Introduction to Engineering
Design.
Middle School Accelerated and Enriched Instruction (AEI) Math Content Specialist
As a part of Middle School Reform, the AEI math content specia list position was created to coach, model effective instructional
practices, and build the content knowledge and skills of mathema tics teachers. As the leader of the local school mathematics
department, the AEI math content specialist monitors and interprets assessment data to promote individual student achievement. In
addition, the AEI math content specialist serves as anadvocate for student access toand successful completion inadvanced
mathematics courses and develops a process to nurture and mentor underachieving or traditionally underserved students. The AEI
math content specialist collaborates with school staff to increas
e student participation, particularly African American and Hispanic
students, in accelerated and enriched courses, and provides instructional, professional, and parental support for improvement of student
achievement in these courses, and monitors and reports quarterly on student access and progress in accelerated courses.
Middle School Accelerated and Enriched Instruction (AEI) Literacy Coach
The AEI literacy coach creates a process for nurturing/mentoringunderachieving and/or traditionally underserved students enrol led in
accelerated courses. The AEI literacy coachsupports critical thinking, reading, writing, and viewing across the content areasby working
directly with teachers, serving as a memberof the school leadership team, and communicating with parents. As an instructional leader,
the AEI literacy coach develops the school’s literacy plan, incl
uding benchmarks and a reporting schedule. The AEI literacy coach also
collaborates with school staff to increasestudent participation, particularly AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students, in accelerated and
enriched courses, andprovides instructional, professional, and parental supportfor student achievement in these courses, and monitors
and reports quarterly on student access and progress in accelerated courses.
Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC)

MSMC comprises three schools—Argyle Magnet Middle School fo r Information Technology, A. Mario Loiederman Magnet Middle
School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Parkland Magnet Middle School for Aerospace Technology. Benefiting from
improvement efforts originally developed under a three-year federal grant, all MSMC students have access to the whole-school
magnet programs, featuring an accelerated corecurriculum, specialized courses, extended learning opportunities, a highly effective
instructional program, and collaborative school partnerships with parents and the community. Each school has a unique, thematic ,
instructional focus. The specific magnet themes identified for th
is initiative offer highly unique academic choices of specialinterest to
young adolescents.
Extended-day and Extended-year Programs (Middle School)
The middle school extended learning opportunities (ELO) include both extended-day and extended-year offerings in all 38 middle
schools. Traditionally, the program provides additional reading andmathematics instruction to students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 who need
support to achieve MCPS curriculum objectives and meet the profic iency standards on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA). In
addition, the extended-year program offers courses to assist students with the successful completion of advanced-level mathematics
courses by previewing or reviewing course content to nurture nad support student enrollment and successful completion of advanc ed-
level mathematics courses. Schools also are able to create othercourse offerings to meet the diverse needs of their students.
High School Plus
High School Plus (HS+) is a program that helps to prepare students for the High School Assessments and provides them with the
opportunity to regain lost course credit that was formerly relegated to evening high school classes
. Over a three-year transitional
period, the HS+ program has replaced evening high school. The HS+ program provides three options: repeater sections in the day
school’s master schedule, full-semester courses, and credit-recovery classes offered by extending the school day. For FY 201 1, the
HS+ program is offered to all Grades 9-12 high schoolstudents. Through flexible scheduling and targeted offerings, students are able
to receive the additional academic support they need at their home schools. , eliminating the need for separate evening high school
programs.
eLearning—Online Courses for High School Students

The goal of the eLearning program is to provideHigh-quality online courses provideMCPS students with the opportunity to enhance their
educational experience through high-quality online courses. Online course offerings include MCPS-developed courses and MCPS-
approved online courses made available through the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Maryland Virtual School (MVS).
19
Additional courses are being developed by MSDE related to the High School Assessments. This high-quality online content will be
available to MCPS students as an enhancement
Students may currently may take the MCPS-developed Comprehensive Health online course (.5 credit) or the Foundations of
Technology online course (1.0 credits). These courses satisfy graduation requirements for health and technology education,
respectively, and are available as summer options.Students also may take an online Personal Finance elective course (.5 credit). All
MCPS online courses require a limited number of face-to-face sessions.
MCPS students also have the opportunity to select frommay enroll in any of the 18 MSDE-approved Advanced Placement online
courses offered in cooperation with the Maryland Virtual School. All online course options require a limited number of face-to-face
sessions, allowing MCPS to provide the best of online and face
-to-face teaching and learning.
Signature Programs
Twenty-three high schools have developed and implemented signature programsand/or academy programs. Some high schools have
implemented whole-school programs, while other schools have im plemented smaller learning communities. The implementation of
signature programs supports the process of raising achievement byempowering allowing individual school communities to examine
the academic needs of their students, with the goal of developinghigh interest and rigorousprograms that enhance the learning
process for all.
SAT/ACT Intervention Plan

The district has provided a variety of SAT/ACT preparation programs during and beyond the school day, including the College Test
Prep Materials Guide for the revised College Test Prep course designed to prepare students for success on theSAT/ACT preparation
course offered through MCPS. MCPS has purchased offers the Triumph College Admissions Program for use by all MCPS high
school students free of charge. for the 2009–2010 school year. MCPS held a PSAT-SAT-ACT-ACCUPLACER Summit in July
2009, and presented an SAT/ACT Action Plan that can be customized to meet the needs of individual schools. High schools use the
guidelines and suggestions provided in the SAT/ACT Action Plan to design and implement interventions that are most likely to
improve the SAT/ACT preparation for students in their schools, and to develo p their outreach efforts toparents, staff members, and
students. As more MCPS students opt to take the ACT, some schoolsare using Explorer as a preassessment for Grade 9 students.
MCPS has developed systemwide protocols and Web-based tools to monitor SAT/ACT participation and performance. These tools
allow school staff to quickly identify which students have completed the course work needed toprepare them for success on these
various exams, individual students’ levels of performance in those courses, and students’ prior PSAT/SAT/ACT performance levels .
The district plans to modify existing toolsto better monitor ACT participation and performance.
(Include SAT Summit, ACCUPLACERpilot 12/10/09) to Carol Blum 4/15
ACCUPLACER
The ACCUPLACER is a national, computer-adaptive placement test developed by the College Board. TheACCUPLACER measures
academic skills in the areas of math (arithmetic, elementary algebra, and college-level math) and English (sentence skills, reading
comprehension, and writing). TheACCUPLACER is used by some community colleges, four-year universities, technical schools, and
high schools to assist in course placementand/or in assessing the college readiness of students. During the 2009–2010 school year,
in partnership with Montgomery College, a High SchoolACCUPLACER Pilot (HSAP) project was conducted in six schools. The pilot
involved training MCPS staff to administer theACCUPLACER on the high school campus. Additional high schools will be added to
the HSAP project during the 2010–2011 school year.
Minority Student Achievement Initiatives
• Education That Is Multicultural—This is a continuous, integrated, multidisciplinary process for educating all students aboutdiversity
and commonality. Factors of diversity include race, ethnicity, region, religion, gender,language, socioeconomic status, age, and
individuals with disabilities. Supported by curriculum, instruc
tional resources, and professional development, Education ThatsI
Multicultural enables students to demonstrate knowledge, understa nding, appreciation, and respect for individuals who representthe
many groups in our community. Research and best practices are used to design diversity training and the systematic infusion of
equitable practices and content into curriculum, instruction, in
structional resources, and professional development. These practices
promote high expectations for students as a foundation to excellence in teaching and learning. Multicultural education also
communicates the belief that every student must have equal opportunities to achieve his or her full potential.
• Kennedy Cluster Project—The goal of the Kennedy Cluster Projectis to create an educational service model for African American
students to break down institutional discrimination, reduce educational and social disparities, and identify the types of county
services that can be mobilized to address issues associated with poverty and its impact on school performance. As a componentf o
this project, MCPS conducts research to identify the factors an
d activities within the school system that may impact the
20
achievement of individual students and the overall achievement gap. This project builds on research from other jurisdictionsdan
academic institutions to solvethe persistent achievement gap. These findingswill identify key elementsfor further reforms and
improvements and appropriate interventions to reduce the achievement gap and improve student outcomes. The progress of this
project will be documented through formal reports so that its ou
tcomes can be replicated districtwide and shared with other
jurisdictions facing similar issues.
• Minority Achievement Recognition Initiative—This initiative is systematic

a process of collecting and disseminating informati
on
regarding targeted community awards and scholarships to maximize postsecondary options. In particular, MCPS has formed
partnerships with several historically black colleges. These co
lleges provide unique admissions and scholarship events for MCPS
students.
• The Deputy Superintendent of School’s Minority Achievement Advisory Council (DMAAC)—This advisory council provides a
forum for ongoing two-way communication between MCPS leadership and a broad spectrum of community leaders who are
committed to increasing minority achievement in MCPS. Stakeholdersserve as liaisons to their communities on issues of critical
relevance to minority achievement, and provide advice and counsel to the deputy superintendent of schools, resulting
in a DMAAC
Report and presentation to the Board of Education on recommendations regarding family engagement, clarity of communication,
and promoting fairness. A steering committee developed an action plan to comprehensively respond to the DMAAC findings and
recommendations. constructive and productive partnership for the success of all MCPS students.
Services for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Students
• Curriculum and Instruction—To meet federally-mandated AnnualMeasurable Achievement Objectives,pre-K–12 MCPS ESOL
curricula have been written to align with thecontent standards in the newly adoptedMaryland English language proficiency state
curriculum. ESOL curriculum resources have been implemented for beginning, intermediate, and advanced ESOL students in
Grades pre-K–5, as well as intermediate and advanced ESOL students in Grades 6–12. For beginning level ESOL students at the
secondary level, MCPS has implemented theMilestones program to accelerate the developmentof academic English. Additionally,
MCPS has written and implemented a newcomer English languagedevelopment curriculum for ESOL students who are newly
arrived to the United States
Professional Development—The ESOL for Leaders course provides professional development for school leaders tobuild their
capacity to support and monitor effective school-based ESOL instructio nal programs that comply with local, state, and federal
mandates. Ongoing professional development for ESOL teachers on ESOL curriculumand program implementation continues to
be provided on a regular basis. To build the capacity of high school content teach
ers to meet the language and content needs of
ESOL students,MCPS has partnered with the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) to offer a new professional
development program, Secondary Teacher Education and Professional Training (STEP T) for English language learners (ELL).
STEP T for ELL is a research-based, federally- funded professional development program that will provide high school teachers
with critical knowledge and skills to effectively engage ESOL students in the content areas of mathematics, science, and social
studies. Plans also are underway to buildthe capacity of middle school content teachers to meet the language and content nee ds of
ESOL students by piloting the use of the research-based Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) professional
development model in select middle schools.
Students Engaged in Pathways to Achievement (SEPA)—SEPA is a career-readiness program focused on building entry-level job
skills for Spanish-speaking high school ESOL students ages 18–21 who have experienced interrupted or limited formal education
and are unable to complete MCPS graduation requirements before they turn age 21.An innovative curriculum includes career-
based English language development instruction, literacyand mathematics instruction, as well assupport for acculturation and
family reunification. A family involvement component focuseson the uniqueissues facing these students and their families.
Outreach efforts include collaboration and partnerships with comm
unity agencies and organizationsto build a safety net around
families with students enrolled in the SEPA program.
• Language Assistance Services Unit—Translation and interpretation services are provided in multiple languages using various
media to address the need to communicate essential information to our rapidly growing, linguistically diverse community.
Information is communicated to parents and community members about curriculum, educational programs and services,
assessment, and instruction with the same level ofquality that is afforded English-speaking community members. A new
translation management system will be fully implemented across the district to facilitate translations for central office and schools
by creating a Web-based bank of commonly translated documents that can be used by requestors to self-generate translations.
• Test of English for Speakers of Foreign Languages (TOEFL)—The TOEFL assessment is a college entrance requirement for
students whose native language is not English. In Montgomery County, there are approximately 300 ESOL students qualified to
take the TOEFL exam. MCPS will continue to serve as a test center for TOEFL and will offer this assessment routinely to all
qualified MCPS studentsat select high schools.The school system will assume the registration fee for any student meeting income
criteria.
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Removing Barriers to Learning—Student Services and Mental Health
• School-based problem-solving teams, including CollaborativeProblem Solving (CPS) teams and Educational Management Teams
(EMT), are being implemented in every school. These teams focus on earlyintervention by providing instructional, social, and
behavioral interventions to better meet the needs of students inthe regular classroom setting and to ensure school success. nI
addition, many schools are implementing Positive Behavioral Interv entions and Supports (PBIS). School staff use office discipline
referral and suspension data to monitor implementation, identify areas of concern, and develop prevention and intervention
strategies to address each identified areaof need.
• The truancy and dropout prevention initiative includes the Interagency Truancy Review Board. This interagency board provides
students, their families, and school staff with focused strategies to reduce individual cases of habitual truancy. The boardvelops
de
an action plan for the student, family, and school that the pupil personnel worker and other school staff monitor for complianc
e or
refer the case to the State’s Attorney’s Office for possible court action. Beginning in FY 2010, the Department of Student Services
is partnering with the University of Baltimore School of Law to bring the Truancy Court Program to two middle schools. Truancy
Court is a voluntary ten-week intervention for students who have high numbers of unexcused absences.
• The Department of Student Services iscollaborating with the Montgomery CountyCollaboration Council toprovide access for
students with intense needs to available community services through the wraparound processes. Students can be referred for thes
e
services through school- and system-level problem-solving teams, and the Truancy Review Board.
Elementary School Leadership
The elementary school assistant principalis an essential leadership position in today’s high-stakes testing environment. Succe ssful
schools have strong principals at the helm who are able to focu s on their role as instructional leaders. Assistant principals afford
principals the ability to concentrate on instructional leadership and play a vital part in maintaining school safety and continuity when
the principal is away from the building. All but 20 elementa ry schools will have assistant principals in FY 2011.
Safe and Secure Schools

MCPS continues to ensure a safe and secure educational envi
ronment through ongoing security initiatives. These include the
following:
• Closed-circuit television in high schools and middle schools en
hance the monitoring capability of school staff and help to en
sure
the safety of all students.
• An Incident Reporting System provides for consistent and timely reporting of serious incidents in schools.
• A Memorandum of Understanding among MCPS, Montgomery County Police Department, and Montgomery County State’s
Attorney’s Office ensures consistent reporting of serious incidents to the police.
• School Safety and Security at a Glanceis a n annual school safety report was is published annually for the first time in 2008–2009.
This report provides systemwide and individual school data on serious incidents and suspensions. on a yearly basis . It provides
greater transparency and accountability for incidents that impact schoolsafety and results in greater improvement in identifying and
remedying issues related to school safety.
In addition, MCPS has developed a comprehensive crisis responsemanual for staff use when responding to emergencies. The manual
addresses the safety and emotional well-being of students
. A Safe Schools Action Plan has been developed to ensure safe and
welcoming learning environments that are free of harassment and bullying. Training materials for reporting child abuse and negl
ect
and suicide-risk guidelines have been developed and disseminated to school-based staff.
The Montgomery County Police Department and MCPS have collaboratively developed and implemented an Educational Facilities
Officer (EFO) program. The purpose of the program is to maintain and enhance a safe and secure learning environment for student
s,
staff, and the school community. EFOs are responsible for improving coordination and communication in an emergency, disaster,
crisis, or dangerous situation, with theoverall goal of maintaining and enhancing a safe and secure learning environment.
Graduation Rate Project Teams
The United States Department of Education issued new regulations in November 2008 regarding the consistent calculation of
graduation rates under the No Child Left Behind Act. The intent of the regulations is to lalow for accurate comparisons of graduation
rate data. The Maryland State Department of Education must revise the graduation rate formula in order to comply with these new
federal regulations. Graduation rate is used as an indicator todetermine Adequate Yearly Progress at the high school level. Two
project teams will bringhave brought stakeholders together to proactively respond to the regulatory changes through the development
of consistent communication plans, data gathering and reporting systems, analysis of existing local and national dropout preven tion
programs, and programmatic recommendationsfor all schools to ensure that the established targets are achieved.
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Ineligibility
During the 2007–2008 school year, a project team was created toreview the issue of disproportionate ineligibility, particularl y for
African American and Hispanic students and create targets to measure school and system performance. During the 2008–2009 school
year, an M-Stat team, with representatives from middle and high schools, developed the process for the application of the targe ts.
This group determined that the targets would be applied using data on the percentage of students who are chronically ineligible for
(ineligible for three or four marking periods in one academic year)
. During 2009–2010, school and system data will be reportedwas
collected, analyzed, and reportedon these targets. The M-Stat group will identify and sharehas identified best practices that have
been found to lower ineligibility ratesand has invited school administrators to share their practices with their colleagues.[Moved
from Goal 2 to align with graduation 4/22/10 ELT. ]
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GOAL 2: Provide an Effective
Instructional Program
Board of Education Academic Priorities:

• Align rigorous curriculum, delivery of instruction, and assessment for continuous improvement of student achievement
• Expand and deliver literacy-based initiatives from prekindergarten through Grade 12 to support student achievement
• Develop, pilot, and expand improvements in secondary cont
ent, instruction, and programsthat support students’ active
engagement in learning
The following milestones and data points are aligned with the strategies and initiatives inOur Call to Action to provide rigorous
instruction and promote increased achievement for all students while eliminating theachievement gap. To that end, MCPS is
committed to engaging all students in a rigorous academic program nd, a in particular, to ensuring that student achievement is ont
predictable by race. The district will implement the guidelinesestablished in the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act.Data will
be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomicstatus, language proficiency, or disability. AlthoughOur Call to Action
states that all students are expected to attain certain milest
ones, some students, due to their disabilities, will not achievethese
milestones and will follow alternative curricula.
• All students will acquire theessential skills and knowledge o Enrollment in pre-K
to meet or exceed standardsin reading and mathematics by o TerraNova 2 in Grade 2
the end of Grade 2.
o Montgomery County Public School Assessment
Program–Primary Reading) MCPSAP PR (pre-K–2)
o Math Unit Assessments (Grade 2)
• All schools will increase enrollment and performance of all o Gifted and Talented screening (Grade 2)
students in gifted, Honors, Advanced Placement, o Advanced Math in Grade 5 Proficiency
International Baccalaureate, and other college-level
courses, with a focus on improving enrollment and o Honors/Advanced Placement, International
performance of African American and Hispanic students. Baccalaureate, and other college-level courses
enrollment
o AP/IB Tests—Participation and Performance
• MCPS will eliminate the disproportionate representation of o Students receiving special education services
African American and Hispanic students in special
education.
• All schools will provide students with disabilities access to o Special education students receiving services in
the general education environment, to the maximum extent general education
appropriate.
• All schools will achieve or exceed local and state standards o Attendance by school
for attendance. o Dropout rate (Move to Goal 1–ELT 11/19/09 JS)
o Ineligibility for extracurricular activities, by school
(Move to Goal 1–ELT 11/19/09 JS)
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Provide an Effective Instructional Program
Monitoring the Instructional Program
Montgomery County Public Schools utilizes a range of assessmentsto measure and monitor student achievement, including all face ts
of the assessment program mandated by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to comply with the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB). These mandated assessments include the Maryland Sc hool Assessment, Alternate Maryland School Assessment,
and Language Assessment Scales-Links, an English-language proficiency test. Additionally, MSDE requires students to take the High
School Assessment (HSA) in order to fulfill graduation requirements. MCPS requiresstudents to take a standardized test,TerraNova
2nd Edition, in Grade 2and the MCPS Assessment Program–Primary Reading(MCPSAP–PR), a pre-K through Grade 2 locally
developed test. (DLT-2/29/10-JS) MCPS also supports the administration of national assessments such as the PSAT (given to all
Grade 10 MCPS students) and the National Assessment of EducationalProgress (administered to a sample of students as part of the
NCLB mandate).
The Office of Shared Accountability (OSA) conducts research to understand factors that influence student outcomes and perceptio ns
of school quality. Extensive research reports on standardized te
sts are produced, which support data-driven decision making, school
improvement, and academic achievement. Additionally, OSA designs and conducts comprehensive evaluations of selected MCPS
programs, policies, and initiatives to provide evaluative information on processes and outcomes through implementation and outc ome
studies.
Online Curriculum
In spring 2001, MCPS embarked on a monumental effort to revise the curriculum in reading, English/language arts, mathematics,
science, and social studies. Development continues in social studies, elementary science,foreign language, and ESOL, art, music,
health education,physical education,and moving-image education.
Currently, instructional guides have been completed in mathematics, pre-K through precalculus; reading/language arts, pre-K–5;
English/reading, Grades 6–10; science, Grades 4–8 and five high school courses; social studies, Grades 1–8 and two high school
courses; health education, Grades 6–8 and one high school course; art, Grades1–3, Grade 6, and one high school course; choraland
general music, Grades 1 and 2, and one high school course; instrumental music, Grades –5;
4 ESOL, five levels at elementary, middle,
and high school; and Fundamental Life Skills.
In the 2008–2009 school year, all availablecurrent MCPS curriculum resources documents were housed archived centrally in an the Online
Curriculum Archive. The archive allows immediate, searchable access through the Internet to new or revised MCPS curriculum documents
previously available only on paper.
A new online learning communitywas will be introduced in 2009–2010 to develop and disseminateprovide curriculum, instructional
resources, and professional development in a collaborative environment. Integrated curriculum for English 11, Advanced Science 7,
and Kindergarten was will be the first areas developed and disseminated electronically in this environment introduced and made
available electronically onmyMCPS. In 2010–2011, integrated Grade 1 curriculum and secondary courses will be added to this online
learning community. The online learning communitywill provide user-collaboration features, which include the ability to participate
in community forums for questions and answers,post and provide feedback on posted instructional resources, create self-selected
planning groups, and receive curriculum and professional development announcements.
The online learning community willprovides teachers with the resources to apply the principles of Universal Design for Learning to
embed flexible materials, techniques, and strategies into instruction and assessment, so that all students can access contentnda
demonstrate learning. Providing curricular and instructionalresources electronically will facilitate offering multiple methodsfor
engaging students, presenting content, and assessing learning.
Standards-based Grading and Reporting System

Implementation of Board of Education Policy IKA:Grading and Reporting, is being phased in over a multiyear period. During the
2007–2008 school year, implementation of the policy in elementaryand secondary schools brought greater consistency to evaluating
and communicating students’ academic performance across schools and classrooms. Procedures were developed to bring more
consistency in secondary schools to the application of the On
line Achievement and Reporting System (OARS). During the 2008–2009
school year, an electronicstandards-based grade book was implemented as the elementary version of OARS in a limited number of
schools for Grades 1–3. These schools will expand their use of the electronic standards
-based grade book to Grades 4–5 in 2009–2010.
The use of the electronic standards-based grade book was expanded to Grades 4–5 in these schools in 2009-2010. Feedback from
implementation schools continues to be used to refine procedures and practices.
Changing the grading and reporting philosophy, procedures, and practices is highly complex and requires systematic collaboratio
n and
25
communication across offices, schools, and parent/community groups. Implementation of this policy aligns with the system’s refo
rm
efforts to improve teaching and learning in all schools for all students.
Online Achievement and Reporting System

The Online Achievement and Reporting System (OARS) comprises an electronic grade book and an integrated classroom-to-home
communication system. OARS enhances communication with parents and students about student progress and is aligned with the
implementation of the grading and reporting policy. For teachers and administrators, OARS saves time by seamlessly producing
student progress reports, interim reports, and report cards.
In Grades 1–5, OARS comprises an electronic standards-basedgrade book linked to a standards-based report card. OARS will be
implemented continue implementationin Grades 1–5 in 25 elementary schools during 2009–2010 2010-2011 and will be phased into
additional schools and grade levels in subsequent years.
In Grades 6–12, OARS comprises an electronic grade book and integrated classroom-to-home communication system. These systemsear
fully operational in all secondary schools.
Delivery of Services for Special Education Students

Implementation of Services—OSESS has implemented a staffing plan and management system for special education services.
Hours-based Staffing––This model provides special education staffing based on the cumulative hours of special education
instructional services recommended in all students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each school rather than on an
individual child count. The hours-based staffing model allows students with disabilities access to a continuum of services,
including consultation, resource, cotaught classes, and self-contained classes.
•
• Hours-based Staffing––This model provides specialeducation staffing based on the cumulative hours of special education
instructional services recommended in all students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for each school rather than on an
individual child count. The hours-based staffing model allows students with disabilities access to a continuum of services,
including consultation, resource, cotaught classes, and self
-contained classes.
• Learning and Academic Disabilities (LAD)––Services for LADstudents are available in selected elementary schools,and all
middle and high schools countywide.and in all secondary comprehensive schools countywide . At the elementary level, these
schools provide services to students requiring access to a self-contained setting, whenappropriate. Increasingly, elementary schools
responsible for providing LAD services ensure students withdisabilities obtain access to the general education environment, tothe
maximum extent appropriate. At the secondary level, these services include access toconsultation, resource, co-taught, or self-
contained classes.
• Online IEP System—MCPS implemented an Online IEP system developed the online Administrative Student Information
System/Special Services (O/SS) Individualized Education Program (IEP) application, an which allows for the integratedion of a Web
based special education management system that and addresses the systemic goal of using technology to support the learning
process. The Online IEP system O/SS is designed to facilitates the management of special education by enabling administrators to
monitor the special education process in their buildings and ensuring that timely action is taken at critical points in each student’s
program. The system also is designed to streamline special education paperwork by giving staff members remote, flexible, and
secure access to required documents.
• Disproportionality— Several work groups have beenare examining the disproportionate identification, placement,and disciplinary
removal of African American and Hispanicspecial education students with disabilities in MCPS. One work group, the
Disproportionality Steering Committee, has completed a report oftheir findings and recommendations. This report offered
compelling data and suggested definite action steps for MCPS inits efforts to address the issue of disproportionality. The M-
Stat
Suspension Team has been examining the disproportionate suspension of students with disabilities as well as the overall suspension
rates.
In order to eliminate the disproportionate identification ofstudents for special education based upon race and ethnicity,four two
reports have been are issued. These reports supply information to community superintendents and administrators to aid in adjusting
practices, policies, and procedures. The Students Newly Identified for Special Education Services Report is distributed to all
principals and community superintendents on a quarterly basis.The Least Restrictive Environment Report identifies by level and by
school, the percentage of students who are educated in the general education environment. The Home School Report informs
26
central office and school-based staff about special education students receiving services in and out of their home school geographic
area and how each school is impacted by special education programs. The Special Education Identification Report, distributed
annually, shows the overall percentage of newly identified studen ts within each racial/ethnic group by school level and individ
ual
school, and whether or not these percentages are disproportionate for that school year.
• Early Intervention Services—MCPS is taking a multifaceted approach to the challenge of educating a diverse population and
addressing the disproportionate identification of students for special education programming, based on race and ethnicity. The
following comprehensive, coordinated, early-intervention services are being provided to those students at risk for special educ
ation
identification and in need ofadditional academic and behavioral support to succeed in general education: Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports,Collaborative Problem Solving, Measures of Academic Progress in Reading (MAP–R), Read 180, a
second grade reading, tutoring program, the Summer Adventures in Learning for Title I schools , Middle School Extended-Year day
Programs, 15 Reading Recovery teachers for Grade 1, and an early intervention behavioral specialist toensure that students with
behavioral needs have resources and services.and pre-K services designed to build foundational skills for future school success.
Suspension––As a result of state-mandated Corrective Action due to the di sproportionate suspension rate and the failure to meet
procedural requirements for students with disabilities,MCPS has completed year two of a state-mandated Corrective Action Plan
due to the disproportionate suspension rate and the procedural requirements for students with disabilities. The Corrective Action
Plan focused on revising procedures and practices to ensure that students with disabilities are afforded their procedural safeguards
and rights when they are suspended from school. the Office of Special Education and Student Services (OSESS) coordinated
systemwide professionaldevelopment, conducted extensive record reviews, and engaged in ongoing, intensive monitoring to
ensure that proper procedures were being followed. The OSESS development and implementation of a systemwide monitoring
tool assisted in achieving the compliance required to be releas
ed from Corrective Action. A suspension work group led by the
Office of School Performance culminated in two systemwide M-STAT meetingswhere overall suspensions were reviewed and
alternative practices to suspensions were generated. Following the M-STAT meetings, rates of suspensions decreased
significantly, including the suspension of students with disabilities.
• Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)—Strategies are being implemented to ensure thatstudents with disabilities, as a subgroup, make
academic progress to enable all schools to makeachieve AYP. The expansion, implementation, and monitoring of reading and
mathematics interventions in schools have contributed to the improved performance outcomes of students with disabilities. The
increase in the percentage of students with disabilities receivingaccess to the curriculum in the general education environmen
t also
has contributed to the improved performance outcomes of students with disabilities.
Middle School Reading Initiatives—Research-based reading interventio
ns have been implemented in schools at risk of failing to
meet AYP due to the special education subgroup.
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)—More inclusive opportun ities are being supported through the expansion of preschool
collaboration classes, the provision of job-embedded professional development, additional staffing for LRE at the secondary level,
and the use of countywide itinerantLRE resource teachers who provide job-embedded professional development to school-based
staff to support students with disabilities in the general education environment.
• Professional Development—Professional development activities arebeing implemented that focuson co-teaching, differentiation,
Universal Design for Learning, accessibilitytraining, positive behavior interventions, test-taking strategies, and providing
accommodations.
Continuum of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction

MCPS is committed to promoting rigorous performance standards and providing instructional programs that encourage all students to
achieve at their highest level. A continuum of programs and services begins at pre-Kand continues through Grade 12, with an
emphasis on talent development. At all levels, students may acceler ate learning and participate inadvanced-level course work at their
local schools. Instruction is differentiated to provide all students, including students in traditionally underserved groups,
ppropriate
a
pacing and levels of support necessary for advanced-level learning. Students also may attend specialprograms such as centers for the
highly gifted, magnet programs, or specialized programs, based on student interest and talent.
Global Screening Project Team—Elimination of the long-standing disproportionateidentification of African American and Hispanic
students through the global screening process is a strategic initiative of MCPS.This multi-stakeholder project team will make
recommendations that should occur for all students prior to and as a result of the Global Screening process to address equityn access
i
to rigor; high expectations; successful completion of rigorous instructional programs; parent communication; and barriers to
instructional opportunities. A specific emphasis will include theequitable provision of servicesfor African American and Hispanic
students. Development of enhanced technology will streamline the glob al screening process, course placement decision making, and
the articulation process. The result will be a student instruct
ional program planning and implementation (SIPPI) process whichwill be
composed of the following steps:
Gathering data that best inform school staff members about the whole child—Performance data, verbal and nonverbal
cognitive assessment results, and parent and staffsurvey responses will be gathered for review.
27
Reviewing the data and making instructional decisions—School committees will meet, review the data, and make and record
data-based instructional recommendations, including appropriate acceleration and enrichment or intervention, and will identify
GT students.
Making articulation decisions—School administrators will better tailor instructional schedules, ensuring that every child is
appropriately placed.
Communicating decisions—Decisions about placement and articulation will be communicated through family reports and
reports to next grade-level teachers prior to the beginning of th
e school year. This communication will allow parents to become
more engaged in student instructional programming and will llow a the receiving grade-level team to plan with committee
recommendations in mind.
Monitoring implementation—Use of technological resources to gather dataand record decisions about instructional placement
and school schedules will allow for monitoring of implementa tion of recommended services and verification that students are
receiving the appropriate level of instruction.
Honors/Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate and Advanced-level Courses

Success in rigorous course work throughout all grade levels remains the best preparation for continued individual success in th
e
postsecondary world of college and the workplace. MCPS remains committed to providing each student with the most rigorous
educational experience necessary to fulfill his or her academic interest and potential.
A major system initiative, incorporating the work of many MCPS fofices and stakeholders, established the expectation that stude nts
will participate in a rigorous curriculumat all grade levels, in preparation for participation in Honors, Advanced Placement,
International Baccalaureate, and other college-level course work in high school. A cross-functional M-Stat team is working to ensure
students’ access to and successfulexperiences performance in rigorous courses. Immediate and long-range targets and goals have been
set for student participation and performance in rigorous course work systemwide.
Business Partnerships and Training
MCPS business partners serve on advisory boards for each of the 11 MCPS career clusters, provide student internships and
scholarships, and interact with students during field experiences events and mock interviews. Working with local industry or
government professionals, students gain first-hand experience in acareers of interest to them their choice. This combination of
classroom and work site learning provides a dynamic orientation to the business world, career and postsecondary educational
planning, and career preparation. At the annual professional-style conference, students attend sessions of interest and interact with
business partners.
Saturday School Program

The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. Saturday School provides additional support for struggling students and
acceleration for students seeking greater challenges, using lessons aligned to the MCPScurriculum. Volunteers and part-time staff
members hold Saturday classes at 12 sites throughout the countyand offer mentoring and instruction in reading, language arts,and
mathematics for students in Grades 1–12. A pilot program, “Young Scholars,” for accelerated Grade 3 students in the Kennedy
cluster provides enrichment in math and science to nurture interests and build skills and knowledge.
Ineligibility (Move to Goal 1 to align with Graduation)

During the 2007–2008 school year, a project team was created toreview the issue of disproportionate ineligibility, particularl y for
African American and Hispanic students and create targets to measure school and system performance. During the 2008–2009 school
year, an M-Stat team, with representatives from middle and high schools, developed the process for the application of the targe ts.
This group determined that the targets would be applied using data on the percentage of students who are chronically ineligible for
(ineligible for three or four marking periods in one academic year)
. During 2009–2010, school and system data will be reportedwas
collected, analyzed, and reportedon these targets. The M-Stat group will identify and sharehas identified best practices that have
been found to lower ineligibility ratesand has invited school administrators to share their practices with their colleagues.
Higher Education Partnerships for Students
Higher education partnerships increase college awareness, access and readiness, and ensure that MCPS graduates have the knowledge
and skills necessary for postsecondary success. MCPS has formeda pre-K through 20 Council in partnership with Montgomery
College (MC) and the University Systemof Maryland. The Council is comprised ofrepresentatives from each of the three
institutions. The focus of the partnership involves developing seamless and systemic processes to ensure that all students—
prekindergarten through graduate school—are prepared for college, careers, and beyond.
Targeted partnerships with MC offer college programs to all MCPS high school students. Through the College Institute program I), (C
high-achieving high school students earn college credits on a high school campus during the school day. Through the CI program, MC
professors teach college courses to qualified juniors and/or seniors. Gaithersburg,John F. Kennedy, Seneca Valley, and ThomasS.
Wootton high schools participate in the CI program. Through a partnership between the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), MC, and
MCPS, MC professors instruct College Institute students from T homas S. Wootton High School in the new state-of-the-art facilityat
USG.
28
Early Placement programs extend the existinghigh school curriculum, offering opportunities for college-ready high school seniors to
earn transferable college credits. All qualified MCPS students have the opportunity toparticipate in MC’s early placement program by
taking college courses offered on the high school campus or at one of the three MC campuses. The MC partnership also provided
Clarksburg Quince Orchard High School students with a “virtual” Early Placement program experience by allowing participating
student to earn college credit by accessing MC’s online course curriculum. Dual Enrollment partnerships with University of
Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), MC and the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) offer college courses to students at
Wheaton, Walter Johnson, Walt Whitman, and Northwood high schools.
The MCPS/MC Gateway to College program offers an alternativeto the traditional high school program for youth at risk of dropp ing
out of high school.Students in this program, who are at risk of dropping out of high school, are able to earn a high school diploma
and credits towards an Associate’s degree.Through a new partnership between the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), MC, and
MCPS, MC Professors instruct College Institute students fromThomas S. Wootton High School in the new state-of-the-art facility at
USG. Dual Enrollment partnerships with the University of Maryland Baltimore County(UMBC), MC, and the University of Maryland
College Park (UMCP) offer college courses to students atWheaton, Walter Johnson, Walt Whitman, and Northwood high schools.
The National Labor College offers college courses to identified students on the campus of Thomas Edison High School of
Technology.
Innovative Technology
An essential tool in supporting teaching and learningand operational effectiveness, technology solutions focus on facilitating
“anywhere, anytime” access to timely information, instructional models and best practices, and professional development offerings to
meet the needs of a large and changing teachingforce. Technology also is being used toevaluate the effectiveness of staff
development in changing behaviors and practices and developing professional capacity. Technology solutions such as save timerfo
teachers and other staff members and provide data ot target and differentiate professional development. In MCPS, technology also
supports accountability by providing resources that quickly help diagnose both what a student knows and needs and facilitates imely
t
access to useful information for the supervision of staff and schools.
st
The MCPS strategic technology plan, Educational Technology for 21 Century Learning, describes the ways MCPS will address the
challenges inherent in the rapidly changing field of technology and how our school system will meet the technology-related need s of
its students, educators, and stakeholders. This plan contains four goals that guide the school system’s technology-related deci
sions,
priorities, and resource allocations.
Goal 1: Students will use technology to become actively engaged in learning.
Goal 2: School staff will address the digital divide through equitable access to technology.
Goal 3: Staff will improve technology skills through professional development.
Goal 4: Staff will use technology to improve productivity and results.
An essential component in transforming teaching and learning, the integration of content, pedagogy, and innovative technology n pre-
i
K to grade 12 classrooms provides equitable access, opportunity, and support to engagea diverse range of learners. In MCPS,
technology facilitates interactive classrooms that nurture critically explorative adult and student learners,supports inquiry-based
practices and the use of formative assessment as learning, andimproves access to learning for all students. Innovative technol ogy
solutions such as 21st Century interactive classrooms andmyMCPS integrate Web 2.0 capabilities to save time for teachers and other
staff and provide data to target and differentiate professional development.
Technology Data-driven Decision Making

Achievement Center that is part ofmyMCPS is a customized, Web-based suite of resources that organizes data from multiple sources
to allow school and central office staff to monitor student performanc
e and make data-driven decisions toimprove teaching and
learning. The center enables ubiquitous access tosystem-, school-, class- and student-level data. The Achievement Center includes
data on student formative and summative assessments, marks, grade point average (GPA), ineligibility, schedules, enrollment, and
more. Reporting is available for both currentand longitudinal studentdata.
To support the successful implementation ofmyMCPS, the planned change management strategy will include comprehensive
communication, professional development,and support that will facilitate job-embedded authentic participation with themyMCPS
portal. The implementation will be monitored for effective use ofthe technology solution tool itself and for changes to instru
ctional
practices.
29
GOAL 3: Strengthen Productive
Partnerships for Education
Board of Education Academic Priority:

• Strengthen family-school relationships and continue to expand civic, business, and community partnerships that support improv
ed
student achievement
The Board of Education is responsible for enhancing two-way communication between the Board and diverse segments of the
community and promoting greater public engagement between the Board and its stakeholders. Montgomery County Public Schools
will implement the guidelines established in theBridge to Excellence in Public Schools Actand relevant policies and regulations on
parent, student, and community involvement: Policy ABC and Regulation ABC-RA, Parental Involvement, Policy ABA, and
Regulation ABA-RA, Community Involvement, Policy BMA, Board of Education Advisory Committees, Regulation CEA-RA,
Establishing Systemwide Committees, Regulation CEB-RA, Role and Membership of the Council on Instruction, Policy JFA and
Regulation JFA-RA, Student Rights and Responsibilities, and Policy AEB, Strategic Planning for Continuous Improvement.
• The district and localschools communicate with o Parent Satisfaction Survey biannual results
parents regularly about MCPS’ educational program o Attendance at and evaluation of systemwide parent
and students’ academic progress. workshops and meetings
o Results from feedback cards and online surveys
o Edline activation
• The district has processes in place for stakeholder o Participation in Board of Education and systemwide
input in systemwide policy development, strategic meetings, hearings, and community forums
planning, budget development, and implementation o Representation on Board of Education and systemwide
of district initiatives. work groups and advisory committees
o Results from feedback cards and online surveys
• All schools are welcoming to our diverse student and o Parent and Student Satisfaction Survey biannual results
parent communities and provide varied opportunities o Parent participation on School Improvement Teams
for engaging parents as partners.
o Volunteer data
• The district and local schools collaborate with county o District and local school partnership data
agencies and parent, student, civic, business, and
community organizations to support student success.
30
Strengthen Productive
Partnerships for Education
MCPS is committed to supporting a strong and active parent commun ity and ensuring that familyengagement efforts reflect the
diversity of local school communities. Theschool system strives to foster broad-based community involvement by constituents with a
vested interest in the education of children. The Board of Ed
ucation meets regularly with parent, student, community, business,and
civic groups. In order to strengthen productive partnerships for education, the school system must employ effective two-way
communication in a variety of languages using multiple forms of media and person-to-person interaction at all levels. The distr ict and
local schools strive to create environments ofequity and excellencewhere students, parents, and community members feel welcome
and respected and where their ideasand perspectives are valued in decision-making processes.
Building School Capacity
To build the capacity of schools in the area of family engagement, parent outreach stafffrom the Department of Family and
Community Partnerships(DFCP) and the Division of Title I Programs model strategies and techniquesthat reflect the framework for
equity and excellencethat enhance school-based family outreach efforts. Strategies include home visits, school improvement focus
groups, and creative multilingual family outreach practices. School-based staff learn best practices in family engagement through the
Professional Learning Communities Institute (PLCI) regular updates inThe Bulletin and workshops led by DFCP. In addition to
PLCI, administrators receive information and training through ongoing professionaldevelopment provided by the Office of
Organizational Development, M-STAT, Administrative and Supervisory meetings, as well as the MCPS Principal’s Toolkit, a
compilation of best practices from MCPS schools, practical strategies for making schools welcoming to all parents, and tips for
effectively involving parents on School Improvement Teams. The toolkit also includes presentation plans for parent workshops,
materials and resources on a variety of topics, a bibliography,and links to family engagement resources on the Web.
Parent Academy
The purpose of the Parent Academy is to empower parents as advocates and effective partners intheir children’s education. Parents
have the opportunity to attend free workshops in different langua ges during the school year in locations throughout the county.The
sessions have been developed after extensive parental input and are designed to help parents understand the school system and ow h to
access system and community resources. Evaluation and feedback results are used to refine presentations and materials. Workshops
also provide strategies for parents in advocating for their children and becoming involved in their local schools and at thestrict
di level.
The Parent Academy is a collaboration among parent organizations, county agencies, and business and community organizations.
Parent Outreach Staff Training Program
Central office and school-based parent outreach staff work with parents on a daily basis and provide them with key information about
the school system and strategies for helping their children succeed . It is important that these parent outreach staff members are
culturally competentand have the most current and accurate information about academic programs, graduation requirements, and
school and community resources. A comprehensive training program for parent outreach staffhas been is underway and still
expanding. The Office of Communications and Family Outreach organizes and facilitates a systemwide parent involvement cross-
functional team consisting of representatives from several MCPS offices/departments that provide parent outreach support. This team
collaborates at the district level on parentoutreach programs, training and servicesso they are aligned to system goals. A systemwide
collaboration website that is designed to share training plans,community contacts, and best practices has been created. In addition, all
MCPS parent outreach staff members have access tothe Principals' Parent Involvement Toolkit.
Will be implemented throughout the year and staff will receives multimedia materials (including copies of the MCPS -produced
program Our Schools Today) in different languages. These materialsare can be used by outreach staff in their daily work and in
meetings and workshops toensure that all parents receive correct and consistent information.
Parent Guide to Montgomery County Public Schools

Parent Guide to Montgomery County Public Sc hools and a companion DVD in six languages will bewas developed based on feedback
from parents throughout the school system. The parent section of the MCPS website also will behas been updated to complement the
publication and to make it easier for parents to find informationon the Web. Workshops on topics covered in the Parent Guide lso
a are
offered as part of the Parent Academy and are conducted in multiple languages.
Current systemwide news and information are shared regularly with parents using a variety of media and in multiple languages. These
include print and online newsletters in six languages; Parent Co
nnection and Quick Notes; the MCPS website that includes five
foreign language mini sites; and television programs and videosin multiple languages, including Our Schools Today, Education
Matters, Take 10, and Diez Minutos.
31
Ask MCPS
Several Ask MCPS events for families are held in locations throughout the county to share information and resources with parents
about the school system and to support learning at home. These eventsare provided will be held in the mornings, evenings, and on the
weekends, at malls, public libraries, schools, and other community locations.Drop-In Coffees are held throughout the year to provide
parents the opportunity to stop by and have their questions answered and connect with school and community resources . Parents and
community members also can have their questions in English and Spanish answered by calling the Ask MCPS Call Center weekdays
from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]
The annual Back-to-School Fair, held on the Saturday before thefirst day of school, is open to all students and their families
. This
large-scale, Ask MCPS event provides families with a one-stop opportunity tolearn about the school system, get questions answered,
pick up free school supplies, and enjoy live entertainment and fa
mily fun activities. The fair is a systemwide event with collaborative
support from county government agencies, nonprofit organizations and donations from businesses.
.
Parent Advisory Council

A Parent Advisory Council to the Officeof Communications and Family Outreach willadvises the school system on ways to improve
two-way communication and parent engagement efforts and also provides feedback on materials developed by MCPS to ensure that
they are “parent-friendly” and written clearly. Parent organizations are represented on the advisory council as well as parents serving
in an individual capacity who reflect the diversity of our student population. The Parent Advisory Council developed and conduc ted
training on parent advocacy through the Parent Academy and willcontinue to create resources and materials for the developmentof a
parent advocacy curriculum.
Communication about Grades

All secondary schools use Edline, which allows parents and students to review grades regularly on a password-protected website.
Student grades are published to Edline automatically on a nightly basis, Sunday through Thursday. Teachers have the option toostp
class materials, assignments, due dates, course expectations,and Web links for their classes. Central services staff supportsschools in
their efforts to ensure that all parents activate their Edline accounts and use them regularly.
Parents of high school students receive a report that lets th
em monitor their children’s progress toward fulfilling graduation
requirements. The StudentGrades and Graduation Credit Reportaccompanies the first and thirdmarking period report cards and
includes course grades, the number of credits earned and the number needed to graduate, the status of High School Assessments,and
the number of service-learning hours earned and needed to graduate.
Creating an Inviting School Environment

The Office of Communications and Family Outreach (OCFO) isworking closely with the Office of Human Resources and
Development to train principals and principal interns about the importance of creating a welcoming environment for parents and
families where equity and excellence are promoted. A major focus is building trusting relationships through visionary leadershi
p, high
expectations, positive relationships, and cultural competence. Each year, OCFO staff meets with all of the elementary and secondary
assistant principals during their professional development trainingseminars. During the spring principal intern seminar, OCFO
assembles a panel of Parent Advisory Council members to answer questions and share perspectives about the importance of a
welcoming environment. In addition, OCFO staff meets with schoolleadership teams and staff to share customer service tips, best
practices and strategies.
Language Assistance Services

The district and local schools have dramatically increased the number of translated materials made available to parents and interpretation
services for individual and group meetings. During the 2009–2010 school year, the school system will moved to aWeb-based system to
more effectively and efficiently provide translation nd
a interpretation services for schools and families.
Student Emerging Leaders Program

In collaboration with the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education, MCPS provides an opportunity for more than 100
MCPS juniors to participate in the Congressional Black Caucus an d Congressional Hispanic Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.
Students also complete and present a project on a topic discussed by legislators and meet with their local congressional
representatives.
Ruth Rales Comcast Kids Reading Network
The Ruth Rales Comcast Kids Reading Network is a partnershipwith the RFI Foundation, Comcast Cable Inc., and the Montgomery
County Department of Health and Human Services developedsix years ago to improve the readingskills of at-risk students. More
32
than 600 700 community volunteers tutor more than800 700 Grade 2 students in reading for 30weeks. This reading initiative will
continue to be implemented in 6668 elementary schools that have the highest levels of student poverty and English language learners.
Study Circles
Study Circles is a six-week dialogue program that engages small groups of diverse parents, staff, and students to develop personal and
group actions that address racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement and parent involvement. The Office of Communicatio ns
and Family Outreach and trained facilitators support the Study Circles and the implementation of the action steps.
Conquista Tus Sueños (Realize Your Dreams)

This program conducted inSpanish is designed to empower Latino parents byteaching them strategies to improve communication,
strengthen family relationships, understand the school system, and advocate for their children’s school success. The Department
of
Family and Community Partnerships conducts the six -week program in collaboration with the local school.
Partners for Success
The Department of Family and Community Partnerships collaborates with the Office of Special Education and Student Services to
coordinate family support services for students with disabilities as part of an IDEAState Discretionary Outreach grant. Parent
outreach staff work with parents and schoolstaff to promote and encourage parents asfull partners in the special education process by
providing resources and information; facilitating workshops for pa rents to support learning at home and parent advocacy; providing
parents support at EMT, IEP and other school meetings; and connecting families to community resources.
Individual Family Support
Parent outreach staff offer parents support in advocating for their child and working with school staff to resolve issues thataffect
student achievement. Parents are provided support from the Department of Family and Community Partnerships, Division of
ESOL/Bilingual Programs, Department of Student Services, and the Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services. Parents
receive help with understanding the instructional program, the special education process, and support at a conference or school
meeting to discuss issues affecting their child.
The Board of Education Ombudsman also is available to assist parents, residents, and students who have issues, complaints,
information or suggestions. The Ombudsman is considered an independent or neutral party who seeks to resolve school-related
problems as quickly and efficiently as possible, especially for those for which a formal resolution process does not exist. Although the
Ombudsman is available to answer questions regarding formal appeals, the Ombudsman does not generally intervene in such cases.
33
GOAL 4: Create a Positive Work Environment in a Self-renewing Organization
• Foster and sustain systems that support and improve employee effectiveness, in partnership with MCPS employee associations
• All employees will be provided with high-quality o Teacher Professional Growth System data
professional developmentopportunities to promote o Administrative and Supervisory Professional Growth
individual and organizational effectiveness. System data
o Supporting Services Professional Growth System data
o Staff who receive high-quality professional
development
• Systems are in place to recruit, support, and retain highly o Diversity in workforce
qualified and diverse professional and support personnel. o Highly qualified teachers
o Highly qualified paraeducators
• All offices and departments have strategic plans that are o Office and department strategic plans
aligned with Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence
• All schools develop school improvement plans that address o School improvement plans
the needs of all No Child Left Behind subgroups using the
Baldrige-guided School Improvement Planning Process.
• The work environment promotes employee well-being, o Staff survey data on school environment
satisfaction, and positive morale. o Staff survey data on office environment
• MCPS recognizes staff efforts and achievement in pursuit o Employee recognition data
of system goals and related priorities.
34
Creating a Positive Work Environmentin a Self-renewing Organization
Leading for Equity
Montgomery County Public Schools is committed to improving academic achievementfor all students while simultaneously
eliminating the achievement gap by raceracial disparities in student achievement.MCPS aspires to be a school system where student
achievement is no longer predictable by ar ce. In order to achieve this mission, MCPSis committed to building the capacity of lal staff
to promote equity for all studentsprovide an equitable and excellent education for all students.
MCPS works to build the capacity of school and office leaders by providing ongoing professional development for principals and
central office directors. Since 2005, bimonthly Superintendent’s Administrative and Supervisory (A&S) meetings have been focuse d
on issues surrounding race and itsimpact on teaching and learning and the workenvironment. In addition,the former Office of
Organizational Development (OOD) has devoted monthly staff meetings to equity training forover the past four five years. As a
result, all OOD training staff, including consulting teachers, staff development specialists, consulting principals, professional growth
consultants, staff development content specialists, tech nology consultants, StudyingSkillful Teaching staff,instructional specialists,
secretaries, and fiscal assistants have received extensive training in leading courageous conversations about race participated in
courageous conversations about race and examined the impact ofcritical race theory in education.These efforts, in turn, support
schools and offices as they build their capacity to address issues of race, equity, and school/office improvement.
In 2009–2010MCPS will continue to provide focusedsupport for equitable practices in all schools and offices. the full
implementation of the Framework for Equity and Excellence, a systemic framework for promoting equity and addressing race, which
was adopted by the Montgomery County Board of Education in June 2009. MCPS will continue to develop clear expectations for
implementation, explanations of available supports, and guidelines for monitoring progress.
Professional Growth Systems for Teachers, Administrators, and Support Professionals

Professional Growth System for Teachers
Montgomery County Public Schools collaborated with employee asso ciations to transform schools into professional learning
communities through the implementation of aprofessional growth system(PGS) for teachers. Through the Teacher PGS, MCPS
provides an environment in which teachers are afforded time,support, and opportunities for continuous growth and improvement.
The central components of the PGS for teachers are as follows:
• A common language and framework for teaching gained through the courses Studying Skillful Teaching and Observing and
Analyzing Teaching.
• A standards-based evaluation plan for teachers that provides feedback, holistic rating, and an analysis of student results.his
T plan
is based on the six performance standards based on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
• A focus on continuous improvement of professional skills thro
ugh job-embedded professional development supported by a staff
development teacher in each school.
• A continuous examination of and reflection on personal professional growth through individual professional development plans.
• A Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program, including a PARpanel and consulting teacher support for teachers new to teaching
and for experienced teachersperforming below standard.
• Staff development time provided bysubstitute teachers to support job-embedded professional development.
An onboarding course is being developed for all new employees to educate those who are joining the organization about the schoo
l
system’s history, culture, and expectations for allemployees related to achieving excellence and equity.
The PAR program provides job-embedded support and guidance to teachers to ensure that they meet standards of performance.
Intensive, individualized instructional sasistance is provided for all novice teachers and those experienced teachers who are uj dged to
be rated as “below standard” in through their evaluation and a formal review process. The support is provided by a cadre of
consulting teachers, selected fortheir teaching skill and their ability to work well as change agents with other teachers. ThePAR
panel—composed of eight teachers and eight principals—governsthe PAR program. The PAR panel selects the consulting teachers,
oversees the support provided to classroomclient teachers, and makes the recommendationsregarding employment status for those
served by the program.
In addition to the PAR program, teachers newto MCPS are part of the New Teacher Induction (NTI) program. The NTI program is a
nationally recognized induction progam that includes the New Educator Orientation, mentor support, Maryland State Department of
Education courses for new teachers and mentors, and quarterly workshops on topics ranging from differentiating instruction to
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preparing for parent conferences. The primary goal of the NTI Program is to support and retain novice and experienced new-to-
MCPS educators through a comprehensive induction system that improves instructional practice .
Professional Growth System for Administrators and Supervisors
The Administrative and Supervisory Professional Growth System (A&SPGS) establishes the framework that describes the skills and
knowledge that administrators and supervisors need to build lear
ning communities that produce higher student achievement. In 008-
2
2009, employees from the Montgomery County Business and Operations Administrators were included in the A&S PGS. The A&S
PGS includes a standards-based evaluation system similar to the Teacher PGS. It alsoincludes a comprehensive system for attracting,
recruiting, mentoring, developing, evaluating, and recognizing administrators.
An important objective for MCPS is to have highly effective admi nistrators in every position. To this end, consulting principal
s
provide intensive support to novice principals, principals new to MCPS, principals who change levels, principal interns, and
underperforming principals. The focus of the work of the consulting principals is to ensure that their clients meet the six dership
lea
standards that are aligned with national standards for principals.
The Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) panel of community superintende nts and principals oversees this peer assistance. If, after
intensive support, a client is not meeting the leadership standards, the PAR panel makes a recommendation to the superintendent of
schools regarding possible reassignment or dismissal. PAR panelsfor assistant principals, assistant school administrators, andschool-
based coordinators and a PAR panel for central servicesand business and operations administrators and supervisors also have been
implemented.
An initiative iscurrently being implemented to provide enhanced professional development for central services administratorsand
veteran assistant principals , with a focus on the skills of leadership, supervision, and management.A Web-based tool to assist
administrators with improved effectiveness and efficiency for writing observations and evaluations has now been
implemented.
An onboarding course is being developed for all new employees to educate those who are joining the organization about the schoo
l
system’s history, culture, and expectations for allemployees related to achieving excellence and equity.
Professional Growth System for Supporting Services
The Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS) is based on the premise that an effective learning community for
students and adults requires highly skilled supporting servicesstaff working to support the achievement of all students. The
Supporting Services Professional Growth System is a collaborative process that promotes workforce excellence by applying a core
competency model in order to encourage personal and systemic growth in performance through continuous improvement. The central
components of the system include the following:
• A competency-based evaluation planfor all supporting services staff.
• A focus on training and development programs aligned with the competencies.
• A Peer Assistance and Review program for supporting services staff not meeting competency.
A mentoring program that prepares supporting servicesstaff for new career opportunities or advancement.
• Career pathways opportunities.
An onboarding course is being developed for all new employees, including supporting services, to educate those who are joining
the organization about the school system’s history, culture, and expectations for all employees related to achieving excellence
and
equity
These components are built on seven core competencies—commi tment to students, knowledge of the job, professionalism,
interpersonal skills, communication, organization, and problem solving.
The Supporting Services Training and Development program provides professional development experiences for supporting services
staff, based on the seven core competencies. The Supporting Services Training and Development program contributes to the success
of all children by providing high-quality training and development opportunities to ensure that all supporting services staff rae able to
achieve excellence in their roles within the system.The Supporting Services Training and Development program offers courses in
organizational development, supervisory training, career planning, and diversity studies. New training has been developed in th e area
of school finances and has been made available to all school fi
nancial agents, as well as all school administrators. School Fin ance
training is being converted to online modules in order to deliver just-in-time training to school financial agents and activiti
es sponsors.
On-line training modules for MCPS timekeepers are being developed to ensure the submission of accurate and timely payroll
information systemwide.
The Supporting Services Mentoring Program has been established toprovides additional support to professional development
resources for supporting services staff. The program provideshighly skilled, trainedmentors to both new employees and existing staff
to help them excel in their role, directthem to training and on-the-job work experiences, and prepare them for career development
opportunities. This program began July 1, 2008, with an initialcadre of 35 mentors comprising both support professionals and
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administrators and supervisors.
The Career Lattice for Teachers

The Career Lattice has been developed toexpand professional opportunities for teachers’ career planning. A multi-stakeholder team
designed a process that recognizes outstanding teaching and compen sates teachers for taking on more responsibility to increasestudent
achievement and eliminate the achievement gap. The Career Latti ce framework includes definitions of leadership responsibilities ;
processes for application, identification, and evaluation of teac
her leaders; and a compensation structure that is aligned withleadership
responsibilities.
During the 2007–2008 school year, the Career Lattice joint panel worked on developing the lead teacher application and selectio n
process, including planning for the transition of teachers currently in identified roles. In addition,the panel is continuingto identify
the process for applying for project-based leadership opportunities. The application proc ess is being used in the spring of 2008–2009
to fill some of the current leadershipvacancies with lead teachers for the 2009–2010 school year. The school system will be applying
for the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant to support the implementation of the Career Lattice.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Career Pathways Program
The Career Pathways Program supports SEIU members to identify career goals and provide training and direction to attain those
goals. The Career Pathways program was designed in collaboration with SEIU Local 500 and will create opportunities for staff from
the Office of Human Resources to take the lead in working withemployees to improve their knowledge and skills in content areasthat
will support employees to reach their career goals. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the Office of Organizational
Development (OOD) will collaborate with SEIU Local 500 to implement the Career Pathways Program. Staff from OHR will meet
with employees, assess their career goalsand provide guidance about how to attain those goals. OOD will expand current training
and develop new training that provide employees the knowledge and skillsto be successful and attaintheir career goals. The design
of this program was completed in 2010, and implementation will begin in 2010–2011.
Equity Training and Development

Dramatic Significant changes in the school system’s demographics and persistent disparities in student achievement-based on
race/ethnicity, require changes in educationalbeliefs and practices. The Equity Training and Development Team works with school
and office staff to recognize institutional barriersto student success and to replace them with equitable practices that will eliminate
disparities in achievementbuild the capacity of leaders to eliminate racialdisparities in student achievement.and In order To build the
capacity of staff members to effectively address inequities inschools requires that all staff:the educational needs of ever-increasing
racial/ethnic diversity in schools, as well as benefit from that diversity
—
• staff must develop an enhanced self-awareness of their own racial and cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors as they
impact teaching and learning;
• educators must acquire knowledge of the histories,cultures, and perspectives of thediverse racial/ethnic, cultural, and language
groups in their schools; and
• educators must develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to establish culturally reflective learning environments that
address the individual diverse needs of all student subgroups identified by the
No Child Left Behind Act. establish learning
environments that are conscious of race and culture toensure implementation of culturally responsive instruction.
Professional Learning Communities Institute
The Professional Learning Communities Institute (PLCI) is an innovat ive MCPS initiative designed to build the capacity of schoo
l leadership
teams in selected elementary and middle schools by providing them with ongoing two years of professional development and support. The
mission of the PLCI is to help leadership teams improve student achievement and eliminate the achievement gaps in schools by establishing a
professional learning community (PLC). Schools work to develop a PLC characterized by a focus on student learning, high-perform ing
collaborative teams, effective use of student data, targeted interventions, effective parent outreach, and a commitment to cont
inuous
improvement.
In PLCI-structured professional development sessions, case studie s of effective organizations, including three MCPS elementaryschools
(Broad Acres, Ronald McNair, and Viers Mill), are discussed asa springboard to engage school teams in reflection and self-assessment.
Teams study the beliefs, practices, strategies, processes, and tools that these effective organizations used to increase and stain
su student
achievement, while simultaneously eliminating theachievement gaps between groups of students. Teams use the knowledge gained from the
case study reviews and discussions to refine andalign their own school improvement plans. In 2009-2010 2010—2011, a total of 20 schools
will participate in PLCI, including 10 middle schools and 10 elementary schools elementary, middle, and potentially high schools. In 2008–
2009 2009-2010, a total of 25 21 schools participated in PLCI, including 1510 middle schools and 1011 elementary schools.
School Leadership Teams Institute

The School Leadership Teams Institute offers school leadership teams the opportunity to participate in high-quality professiona
l
37
development on effective team collaboration and empowerment. Each workshop is designed so that leadership teams have time to
apply the new strategies, skills, and processes to their specific,real-time needs and interests. Institute workshops build thecapacity of
the leadership team, and thereby contribute to improved school performance and student achievement.In each workshop, teams are
encouraged to examine their current practice in relationship tothe research and literature on effective school leadership teams and to
identify goals and action plans to increase their knowledge, skill,and practice in the identified areas. Staff development sp ecialists
provide schools with follow-up support, as requested by the sch ool, following its leadership team’s participation in the worksh
op.
These workshops include the following:
• Shared Leadership: A Team Examination of Collaboration and Empowerment
• Effective School Leadership Teams
• Facilitation of Effective Meetings
• Skillful Team Collaboration
National Board Certification

The Office of Organizational Development (OOD) created the National Board Certification and Development Program as a way to
recruit more teachers for this rigorous professional growth endeavor and toprovide ongoing support and development for teachers, to
show that they meet the high,rigorous standards of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This program
enhances the professional analysis, reflection, and professionaldevelopment of the candidate, as well as increases the likelih
ood that
candidates achieve certificationduring a three-year cycle. The National Board instructional specialist also coordinates support such as
peer coaching using the NBPTS Take One as professional development trainingto improve teaching and learning and
recruitment/information sessions.
Professional Development Online

Professional Development Online (PDO) is a Web-based system formaintaining, tracking, monitoring, and reporting professional
development information for all MCPS staff. All MCPS staff have access to PDO through a secure login password. PDO empowers
staff with information and tools to managetheir own professional growth. Through the use of PDO, principals, teachers, support
professionals, and central office staff canreview professional development opportunities, register for workshops and classes,and keep
track of the training they have received.MCPS will continue the development of PDO tomeet the needs of staff and support system
goals.
Employee Association Partnerships

MCPS has been working with employee associations—the Montgomery County Education Association, SEIU Local 500, and the
Montgomery County Association of Administrative and SupervisoryPersonnel—to create new organizational structures and processes
that strengthen their relationships. These employee associations have been working together to solve problems, address common
issues, and identify opportunities for improvement, using interest-based strategies. Each employee association has created a joint
committee with MCPS to promote collaboration in developing, implementing, and evaluating solutions, utilizing the core principl es of
continuous improvement. These committees are developing effective alternativesto traditional labor-management processes of
grievances and negotiations. Interest-based bargaining has been used during negotiations with all three employee associations, and the
parties have used these interest-based problem-solving strategies to develop collaborative solutions to problems or issues outs
ide of
the negotiations process.
Higher Education Partnerships

The Higher Education Partnership Program is a learning community that fosters collaboration between institutions of higher educ ation and
MCPS to develop staff in critical need areas.MCPS works with local colleges and universities to expandthe teacher and administrator
candidate pools to include applicants representing critical fields and diversity. The Higher Education Partnership Program provides
partnerships in teacher preparation, career enhancement, teacher and leadershipdevelopment, and instruction. The teacher preparation
programs are designed for candidates who are interested in pursuing a teaching degree and/or teacher certification. The career
enhancement programs are for MCPS professional staff members who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in reading, middle
school mathematics, library media science, or instructionalechnology.
t The leadership development programs are designed for MCPS
staff members who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree orcertification in Administration and Supervision or a doctoraldegree
in Educational Leadership and Policy. Many of these pr ograms provide financial incentives to attain teachercertification. Extensive
MCPS field experiences, supplemental training, and increased supervisory support by universities and MCPS coaches are
characteristic of all programs. There is ongoing assessment of the needs of the school system so new partnerships can be developed to
meet our staffing needs. For example, there is a critical need for specialeducation teachers to have an expertise in workingwith
students who demonstrate Autism. A partnership is being developed so current MCPSspecial education teachers can participatein
additional coursework to obtain this expertise. The EducationPartnership Program has positively impacted the recruitment and hiring
of staff in critical need areas and increased the diversity of the candidate pool. Providing partnership programs and professio nal
development opportunities for staff increases retention and builds the capacity of MCPS staff.
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Recruiting and Retaining Highly Qualified Staff
MCPS has implemented a plan to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and paraeducators to meet the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) highly qualified (HQ) requirements. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) developed strategies to support increasing the
percentage of core academic subject (CAS)classes taught by highly qualified teachers.OHR staff continues to review records of
teachers who are teaching core academic subject(s), as well as any new employees,in relation to the CAS courses they are teaching
and the credentials they hold. MCPS aggressively recruits paraeducators who meet federal NCLB guidelines. MCPS continues to
ensure that all paraeducators in Title I schools are HQ; however;all MCPS paraeducators are encouraged to meet HQ standards. As
the highly qualified status of teachers andparaeducators is determined, OHR staff ismaintaining this information in the Human
Resources Information System. Principals use this information to ensure that a highly qualified teacher is teaching core academic
subjects. OHR staff also provides this information to individual teachers through the Professional Development Online (PDO) system,
where teachers can access details on their certification withvalidity dates, certification areas, and HQ status. OHR’s reportsfor
principals are updated weekly with the certification and highly qualified status of each teacherand paraeducator.
Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce
MCPS is committed to a diverse workforce and actively recruits mi nority candidates. OHR staff recruits at job fairs and job expos that
target minority populations, including Historically Black College
s and Universities. Advertising efforts focus on attracting Asian,
Hispanic, and African American candidates though publications that market a diverse workforce. In collaboration with schools dan
MCPS offices, OHR staff encourages minority MCPS students to co nsider teaching as a career. The Office of Human Resources
Subcommittee of the LatinoEducation Coalition’s GaithersburgHigh School Cluster “Grow YourOwn” Teacher Project for K–12
specifically encourages recruitment of Latino students. “Grow Your Own” recruitment eff orts include working to attract diverse
candidates into the teaching profession and providing pathways for“career changers” and current supporting services employees to
earn teacher certification though OHR university partnerships withJohns Hopkins University, TheGeorge Washington University,
Montgomery College, and the University of Maryland.The Asian American Education Association encourages Asian American
MCPS students to pursue a degree in education, providing multip le annual scholarships towardsthis objective. Recruitment and
retention efforts by the supporting services team include outreachto the Asian, Hispanic, and African American employees and
candidates through leadership roles on employee organizations, Asian and Hispanic Leadership Committee, participating on
workgroups and committees for retention and career development, and through active participation in the English Workplace
initiative. With the implementation of the new employment website, MCPS Careers, special efforts have been made for staff to visit
and assist minority support servicesemployees with use of the new applicant systemas well as to create resumes in preparation for
promotional opportunities.
Technology Enhancements in th e Office of Human Resources

In November 2009, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the Office of Chief Technology Office r (OCTO) are working to
provide implemented MCPS Careers, a new Web-based applicant tracking system (ATS), designed to more effectively assess,
acquire, and align the MCPS workforce. The new system aims toimprove in the quality and efficiency of the hiring process for all
applicants and hiring managers. leading to more efficient hiringand an increase in workforce productivity. The implementation of
a centralized Web-based system has significantly increased the nu mber of applicants for positions and allows OHR staff and hiring
managers to have immediate online access to candidate information.By combining best practices, technology and content, the ATS
MCPS Careers will empowers human resources staff and hiring managers to attract talented applicants and employees, andto
assign the right people to the right position jobat the right time to enhance organizational performance. The interactivity of the
Wweb-based system will increases collaboration among all stakeholders in the hiring process by including hiring managers,
staffers, recruiters, management, employees and candidates. It willprovide The new system streamlines and simplifies the hiring
process, provides visibility and equitableaccess to position vacancies to outside applicants and current employees who are seeking
new positions, and increases communication to applicantswho can monitor their application status online.consistent processes
throughout the organization which will increase workforce effectiveness.
OHR and OCTO, in collaboration with the Employee and Retiree Service Center (ERSC), also are working to provide a new
Human Resources Online (HRO) system that will integrate with the ATSMCPS Careers system to automate and streamline the
processing of employee transactions and decrease the time needed to complete the hiring of new employees and the transfer of
current employee data into the Human Resources Information System(HRIS). Future phases of the HRO initiative also will allow
for automated notification and monitoring of employee evaluations for all employee groups and will empower current employees
through “employee self-service.”
During FY 2009, tThe Department of Recruitment and Staffing began providesing MCPS applicants with the opportunity to
interview via SKYPE webcam. This additionalresource is a quick and convenient way for applicants who live a significant
distance from MCPS to interview for positions and provides a cost saving to MCPS as the need for recruitment trips has been
reduced.
39
Asian and Hispanic Leadership Development
The Asian and Hispanic Leadership Development Project team, one of the Office of the Deputy Superintendent of Schools’ strategi
c
initiatives cross-functional project teams,developed a system of support for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Asian and
Hispanic staff members.
In spring 2009 and 2010, representatives from several MCPS offices and the employee associations shared information with attendees
on job qualifications, career opportunities, and best practices for career advancement at the annual Career Advancement Informa
tion
and Networking Opportunity Session. Participant response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Nearly 200 school-based and central services staff membersparticipated in the event. Participant response to the event was
overwhelming with 100 percent of attendees indicating that the informal format and networking opportunities met their expectati
ons
and requesting this become an annual event.
Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence

MCPS has adopted the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence as the model for continuous improvement for all
offices and schools. Leadership teams from all schools have beentrained in the Baldrige-guided School Improvement process.
Baldrige-guided School Improvement Process
The school improvement process has been designed to reflect the co mponents of the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance E xcellence.
The goal of this initiative is to identify the elements of school improvement and organizational development that must be suppo
rted in every
school in order to promote high levels of student achievement. Schools are expected to implement the school improvement plannin g model
using the performance targets, and the Baldrige categories. In order for this revisedschool improvement process to be successful, the entire
staff and representatives from all stakeholder groups must be engaged in the process. The progress on school improvement plan ogals will be
evaluated regularly with all stakeholders.
Organizational Culture of Respect
The Board of Education and senior leadership, including the th ree employee associations, chief operating officer, the deputy
superintendent of schools, and the chief school performance officer , met on a regular basis and adopted an agreement that is aimed at
creating an organizational culture of respectin MCPS to ensure success for every student. This compact represents a description of the
culture the parties believe should exist throughout MCPS. The par ties are committed to making this culture a reality by building strong
relationships and working together collaboratively. It requires th e partners to act with self-control and to show concern for tohers at all
times. Staff will model how they expect all members of the community to interact. The compact reflects the values and the behav iors that
are expected of all individuals in interactions with students,fellow staff, parents, and others who are involved in the schoolsystem. The
culture of respect is built upon the premisethat all employees contribute to a successful learningenvironment. The tenets ofthis
document are utilized throughout the system.
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GOAL 5: Provide High-quality Business Services that are Essential to the Educational Success of Students
Board of Education Academic Priorities:

• Foster and sustain systems that support and improve employee effectiveness in partnership with MCPS employee organizations.
MCPS will provide the highest-quality products, resources, and business services that are essential to the educational success of
students through staff committed to excellence and continuous improvement.
• All business services will meet or exceed customers’ o Customer Results

needs, requirements, and reasonable expectations.
• Systems are in place to recruit, support, and retain highly o Human Resources Results
effective business services personnel.
• All business functions plan, develop, secure, and o Financial Results

effectively manage fiscal resources in compliance with
internal and external accountability requirements to
support the education of students.
• All business functions effectively and efficiently deliver o Organizational Results

the highest-quality products, resources, and business
services essential to the educational success of students.
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Provide High-quality Business Services that areEssential to the Educational Success of Students
PROCESS DESIGN /IMPROVEMENTS PROCESS CHART
Successfully managing and operating a school system of 200 schools, over140,000 students, and more than21,000
employees requires a comprehensive infrastructure of supporting business services. These services are provided by
employees who work behind the scenes to ensure that teachers , students, and principals have the resources, materials,
services, and facilities they need for successful instruction.
Family of Measures
The business and financial operations of the school sy stem are utilizing the Baldrige National Quality Program
criteria to focus on business results to effectively measure and manage organizational performance. A family of
measures currently encompasses fourmajor categories of business results—Customer Results, Financial Results,
Human Resource Results, and Organizational Results. Taken together, these diverse performance measurements
help to drive business decisions, process improvements, and other organizational initiatives that make MCPS
business and financial operations more productive, efficient, and effective in meeting customer needs and
expectations.
Customer Results
The Baldrige criteria suggest that the quality of products orservices provided by an organization should be driven or
dictated by the customer. The business and financial operations are focused on satisfying their customers—students,
teachers, administrators, parents, and staff—and have developed surveys and feedback systems designed to measure
and gather data on customer satisfaction, and to develop strategies to satisfy customer needs.
Customer Delight is the motto of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The Customer Delight program has
focused for several years on improving service and interacting with a broad customer base by raising expectations
improving interactions with internal and external customers. In 2007–2008, the department initiated a new element
of Customer Delight. In an eff ort to anticipate customer needs, be proactive in their work habits, and manage with
future outcomes in mind, DOT staff has adopted a Delight thru Foresight approach to various aspects of business
operations. This includes anticipating outcomes of actions bystaff, anticipating customer needs, and being proactive
in approaching issues and solving problems. In 2008–2009, DOT initiated an Expedite for Delight element of the
plan. This element focuses on the customers’ need for timely service and responses to inquiries.Because complaints
about staff interactions and service delivery have decreased, how the buses are actually driven is now a leading
complaint category. To address thiscustomer identified area of need, DriveRight to Delight was added as a focus
area for the 2009 – 2010 school year.
Use of Focus Groups to Determine Customer Requirements

The Department of Materials Management and the Division of Food and Nutrition Services have established the
Customer Feedback Focus Group program to provide a forum for school staff and parents to give opinions on
products, services, and best practices. Customer focus groups are designed to continually listen and learn, with the
aim of offering relevant products and services, understanding emerging customer requirements and expectations,
and keeping pace with educational changes and ways of doing business. Causes of complaints are determined by
using root cause analysis to effectively improve products and service processes, with the help of focus groups.
Use of Web-based Satisfaction Survey

Through the use of a Web-based survey system, the Department of Facilities Management (DFM) requests that all
42
principals rate DFM services and provide feedback onfacility issues. As school principals are the primary
representative of the school, they are well positioned to rateDFM services and provide valuable customer feedback.
Survey responses and statistical results are compiled and analyzed by directors and supervisors within a week of the
completion of the survey. This surveyprocess has provided each principal with a means to regularly communicate
with DFM managers, who review the feedback for patterns, trends, and follow-up issues.
Instructional Technology System Specialist (ITSS) Job Banding
Job banding was first developed for ITSS by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer in collaboration with SEIU
Local 500 through a joint labor management work group. Job banding is an approach to career advancement that
combined several related positions into one “job band” nd a created established criteria for how ITSS can move from
one level to the next within this job band. The resultis a job classification that provides MCPS employees with
improved career pathways and provides ITSS with opportunities for self-directed career advancement. Management
viewed job banding as a way to improve staff retention byproviding more staff with the opportunity to advance into
jobs that were hard to fill due to job market competition. It also is an excellent strategy for employee recruitment
because candidates can see a clear plan for career growth.
The Department of Management, Budget, and Planning

The Department of Management, Budget,and Planning (DMBP)has worked to improve customer service by enhancing
the understandability and transparency of budget documents.Initially for the FY 2010 Recommended Operating
Budget, DMBP issued a Budget in Brief document that combined previous documents on budget changes in a user-
friendly, concise publication. This document has met withapproval from parents and other stakeholders. DMBP
increased the availability of budget documents on the MCPS website, including the ability to answer citizen questions
through the website.
DMBP staff also worked the Board of Education members to change the approach to Board budget work sessions to
focus on the Board’s academic priorities. This increasedpublic interest and understanding of the Board’s budget
decisions by demonstrating the alignment of the operating budget with Board and public priorities.
Focus on School Meals

School breakfast and lunchmeals must meet the nutritional requirementsestablished by the United States Department
of Agriculture. There are nutrition standards in place for all foods and beverages sold to students during the
instructional day. The Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) is continually revising the student menu to
meet student needs and expectations and to provide them witha well-balanced, nutritious mealat an affordable price.
DFNS staff have changed the format ofThe elementary school menuhas been redesigned to provide general more
information about to parents and adults on the school meal program as well as generalnutrition and food safetyto
parents and students. The menu is publishedin English and Spanish every two monthsand goes home with every
elementary school student.A “Customer Service Comment Card” is provided on the menu,for customer feedback. is
included so that parents can send in their comments.and a member of the DFNS supervisory staff personally contacts
the individual that returns the card for direct feedback. Card Those that give contact information are personally
contacted by a member of the supervisory staff to receive direct comments and nformation.DFNS
i staff conduct
sessions on nutiriton and wellness for students, employee s, the MCPS Parent Academy, and many PTA groups. have
taught two sessions on nutrition and wellness for th e Parent Academy and many PTA groups. person
Long-range Planning
The Division of Long-range Planning(DLRP) promotes feedback on school enrollment projections from principals
and builds in a midyear forecast revision and later adjustments, as needed.These processes help to refine the
forecast and ensure adequate staffing. In addition, DLRP coordinates the timing of school forecasting with the
placement of relocatable classrooms to ensure schools have adequate classrooms at the start of each school
year. The DLRP staff conducts numerous community in volvement processes to ensure stakeholder input to
facility planning decisions. Staff also collects feedback from parent organization members, and the general public,
at all community planning meetings.DLRP continuously updates planning materials through postings on the
division website, including the provision of school assignment information and school boundary maps
available online. DLRP also has successfully migrated most of its planning data to a new database
application that provides more security and easier access to planning information and reports.
43
Financial Results
Purchasing Card Program
The MCPS Purchasing Card Program was established to streamline the process for making low-dollar purchases that
are necessary for MCPS operations. It was designed to save MCPS time and moneyin processing orders. It helps
schools and offices obtain small-dollar items in a more efficient and cost-effective manner while giving management
a method to limit items purchased.Switching from a paper purchase order process to a purchasing card transaction
reduces the per-transaction cost by 80 percent. In addition to streamlining procurement, it also provides an avenue
for schools to make emergency purchases in case the county experiences a pandemic or national emergency and an
immediate need must be met.
Cooperative Purchasing
The cooperative purchasing program was established to provide an avenue for reducing costs through economies of
scale created by volume buying. The program also fosters better value since it reduces the administrative costs of
purchasing. MCPS is currently working with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Baltimore
Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee, and the Interagency Procurement Coordinating Committee in
Montgomery County to promote efficient and effective practi ces across agencies and departments. This collaboration
has reduced costs in the purchasing ofhealth care benefits, life insurance, unleaded gasoline, office paper, electricity,
and natural gas and has providedsources of supply for critical alternative fuel items such asbiodiesel. In addition, these
relationships provide MCPS staff with training opportunities in the areas of contracting, negotiations, insurance, and
other specialized procurement functions. Working with ourpurchasing committees, wecontinue to reach out to
minority, female, and disabled vendors to ensure that procurement opportunities are equitably distributed.
Partnerships with Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Employee Associations
MCPS implemented partnerships with each of the employee unionsassociations and the Montgomery County
Council of PTAs to develop the Recommended OperatingBudget. The employee association and PTA leaders are
involved in every stage of the development of the budget. Their participation has resulted in improved
understanding of how to make needed budget reductions while minimizing the harmful impact on the classroom.
Human Resource Results

MCPS is committed to ensure that a high-quality employee is in every position in the organization. Structures and
processes in place to attract, recruit, hire, mentor, develop, evaluate, recognize, and retain high-
performing employees. The quality of an organization’s products and services hinges significantly on the quality,
attitude, performance, and job satisfaction of its workforce.A cross- functional selection work group is working to
identify those characteristics through arevamping of the selection process protocol. The goal is to modify the
interview processes for all employees to ensure that the people MCPS hires have a strong commitment to do
whatever it takes so all students will learn at high levels.Performance measures are being developed and
implemented to monitor employee attendance, training, development, and satisfaction. The Supporting Services
Professional Growth System (SSPGS) is a key tool in developing an ever-improving and more effective workforce.
Human Capital Management
In partnership with the Office of Human Resources and the Employee andRetireement Services Center, the Office
of the Chief Technology Officer is eading
l the development and deployment of state-of-the-art technologies to
strengthen the district’s human capital and talent management programs. TheFall 2009 implementation of the e-
Recruitment application, MCPS Careers has provided managers with greater access to applicant information. The
Web-based system increases collaboration among all stakeholders in the hiring process by including hiring
managers, staffers, recruiters, management, employees and candidates. The new system streamlines and
simplifies the hiring process, provides visibility and equitable access to position vacancies to outside applicants
and current employees who are seeking new positions,and increases communication to applicants who can
monitor their application status online.
and The custom-designed Human Resources Online systemshas begun to streamline and accelerate the hiring,
process and efficiently management of staff support and retention processes in its early phases of implementation.
Leveraging the increased efficiencies ofthese systems, principals and nonschool-based hiring managers will be able
to reduce the time needed to fill positions andhave greater access to applicant information.
44
MCPS Apprenticeship Program
MCPS, in partnership with SEIU Local 500, has engaged in an apprenticeship program to develop mechanical
systems technicians with skills to support the work of the Division of Maintenance. The MCPS Apprenticeship
Program will provide the opportunity to develop employeesin certain skilled trades so they can be ready to fill
vacancies as they become available.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) worked in consultation with stakeholders (including employee organization
leadership) to establish a new supervisory position which, when fully implemented, will improve the ratio of
supervisors to employees from 1:80 to 1:20. Extensive training, modeled after that provided to the professional growth
consultants, is being provided to allnew managers. A multiyear phase in planwas initiated in 2005–2006 and is two
thirds completed. These improvements support SSPGS goals and DOT’s Customer Delight program by increasing
communication with schools and providing employees with better access to supervisors. Extremely positive feedback
has been expressed by employees andcustomers where the plan has been implemented.To complete implementation
during the fiscally challenging 2009-2010 school year, the ratio of supervisor to employee was temporarily changed
from 1:20 to 1:25. A change back to 1:20 is anticipated when fiscal conditions improve.
Team Building and Effective Communication

An ongoing priority of the Division of Food and Nu rtrition Services is fostering team building, effective
communications, and improving interpersonal skills among a very diverse workforce. Data points include human
resource results (retention, turnover, satisfaction, andabsenteeism) and organizational results (productivity). The
division provides daily communications to the school-based managers, professional development for supporting
services staff, and diversity training and development.
Leadership Development
In FY 2003, the Division of Maintenance developed and implemented a 12-hour leadership training program for
incumbent supervisors and managers. The basic course,taught annually, provides entry-level instruction in
leadership principles, team building, organizational management, and career development for new supervisors and
other interested employees. An advanced course was added for 2007 and 2008, providing expanded training for
supervisors and managers. In 2009, an intermediate leadership course was added that provides expanded training
for employees who have completed the basic course, but who are not yet supervisors. The advanced course is
currently a series of discussions that focus on enhanc
ing leaders’ thinking, planning, and management skills.
Organizational Results
This category of business results is the most diverse ofall because it requires each business unit to measure and
evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations unique to its part of the organization. Measures may
examine such things as responsiveness to customer requestsfor support, efficiencies with which customer orders are
processed or delivered, or the effective use of available time by employees.
To analyze and improve processes in the Division of SchoolPlant Operations two projects have been completed using
Value Stream Mapping and Six Sigma techniques. These projects have identified opportunities to reduce waste,
improve timeliness and servicequality in equipment repair, and delivery of air filters.It is anticipated that over
$60,000 of expenditures will be avoided once the action plans for these projects are fully deployed.
The Division of School Plant Operations maintains systems toregularly monitor the performance of key processes and
identify opportunities to initiate improvement projects.To improve reporting, training, and reconciliation of costs
associated with community use of school facilities, a pro
cess management and improvement project is in progress.
Implementation of recommendations from this te am is expected to reduce costs for MCPS.
Benchmarking for Continuous Improvement

MCPS continues to work with the American Productivityand Quality Center (APQC) in Houston, Texas, in a
nationwide initiative to develop benchmarks for educa tional organizations. APQC is a 31-year-old nonprofit
organization that has done extensive work with leading businesses throughout the world to help improve procedures
by comparing the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes with other organizations. Their interest is in helping
45
educational organizations do the same by demonstratinghow a comparative database can be developed; thereby
enabling districts to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of their processeswith other districts and identify gaps
for improvement. APQC has recognizedMCPS as a best practices partner in professional development, mathematics
and science, English language learners, and data-driven decision making.
Process Management for Continuous Improvement
APQC has identified nine school districts from across the United States to lead a nationwide process management
initiative entitled North Star, which focuses on process management and improvement (PMI).This initiative will
assist school systems in becoming more process centered,which means having school districts focus on the design,
implementation, evaluation, and refinement of their key workprocesses. As one of the nine districts, MCPS will be
working with other school districts to implement process management in their school systems.All offices,
departments, and divisions in MCPS have identified their key processes and have developed process maps that
indicate each process step. In addition,a process organization tool, Inputs, Guides, Outputs, and Enablers (IGOE),
is being used for all key processes to identify the interrel
ationships and interdependencies of all key processes across
MCPS. In-process measures and outcome measures also have been identified for each process to determine their
effectiveness and efficiency.
Business Partnerships to Improve Processes (Moved to back of book with Goal 5.)
MCPS has initiated process improvement strategies through the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for
Education (MCBRE). Staff from United HealthCare trained 25 staff members (representing all offices) in the
methodologies of Six Sigma. These methodologies will enab le MCPS to establish a systematic evaluation and
refinement of key processes. In addition, a team of facilitators from Lockheed Martin’s LM21 program trained the
Office of the Chief Operating Officer leadershipon the benefits of eliminating waste from MCPS business processes
using the Lockheed Martin Value Stream Mapping (VSM) process. The VSM technique isa tool used to identify
and eliminate waste in manufacturing andbusiness processes. Lockheed Martinalso trained two MCPS staff as part
of its Lean/Six Sigma “Greenbelt” training program. The training has enabled the MCPS staff to facilitate VSM
process improvement events with several departments and divisions.
Environmental Stewardship—Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Sustainability Programs

The Department of Facilities Management (DFM) promotesenvironmental stewardship and manages various energy
and environmental programs. The Energy and Utilities Unit(EUU) develops the annual Resource Conservation Plan
that documents the energy conservationstrategies, efforts, and progress. Theconservation plan includes three major
strategic initiatives—behavioral energy-savingsand recycling programs for all schools (SERT), energy education
initiatives for secondary schools (Green Schools),energy efficiency retrofit projects for existing facilities,and new
construction green building initiatives.
School Energy and Recycling Team (SERT)—MCPS recognizes that significant energy savings can be achieved
when school-based staff and students engage in responsible energy behavior. The SERT program educates and
supports the efforts of school-based teams in all schools to reduce energy consumption and increase recycling.
Following industry best practices, energy facilitators and support staff visit each school multiple times over the
school year to collect dataon energy that is beingidentify energy wasted and facilitate changes in behavior to
promote a culture of conservation. SERT provides resources to educate staff and students on the efforts of their
behavior and its impact on energy use. Activities and co ntests are provided to encourage energy-conservation
behavior. School-based teams also are involved in the installation of energy-efficient technologies that promote
resource conservation. Finally, energy performance is tracked and data are provided to schools so that improvements
in energy efficiency can berecognized and rewarded.
SERT members also promote and assist schools with theirrecycling program. Similar to the school-based energy
program, the SERT program provides support to school-basedteams in the form of training, educational materials,
and recycling performance reports. They also partnerwith the Environmental Services Unit of the Division of
Maintenance who is manages the recycling infrastructure and hauling contractor.
United States Green Building Council (USGBC)/Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)—MCPS
has long pursued high-energy-efficiency and sensitive environm
ental design practices in new construction as a strategic
goal. Over the past fourseven years, MCPS has played a leading role inpromoting LEED at both county and state
levels. Great Seneca Creek Elementary School, which opened in fall 2006, was the first LEED-certified public school
in Maryland, and the first such public building in Montgomery County. The facility received a Gold-level certification
in LEED rating through United StatesGreen Building Council (USGBC). Since then, Francis Scott Key Middle
46
School modernization project, completed in August of 2009,also received Gold-level certification and Cashell and
William B. Gibbs elementary schools are anticipated to receive Gold-level certifications. Inaddition, 18 other major
capital projects are currently registered for LEED certification with USGBC. In collaboration with USGBC, MCPS
contributed to the development of the “LEED for Schools”criteria, a LEED system designed for rating schools. MCPS
continues to incorporate best practices for high performance, sustainability, and innovations. To ensure successful
implementation, MCPS provides necessary training and resources to the facility design team and tests new technologies
through various green pilot projects to ensure applicability in the school environment.
In compliance with the Montgomery County Green Building Bill 17-06, MCPS is committed to achieving a minimum
of Silver-level certification in the LEEDrating system for all new and modernization projects. Compliance with these
regulations will promote environmental stewardship while providing green learning environments for students and
staff.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program
MCPS established the Environmental Safety and Indoor AirQuality (ES/IAQ) program in FY 2000, to ensure safe and
healthful learning environments in schools. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning equipment operates properly and to develop building preventive maintenance programs to ensure the
equipment continues to operate at peak performance until itreaches obsolescence and isreplaced. The ES/IAQ program
has continued to receive nationwide attention through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2005 and 2006, the
agency conducted live press conferences from MCPS school site s to publicize its “Tools for Schools” program in action.
Since 2006, the ES/IAQ Program has been recognized nationally for its leadership in establishing a proactive IAQ
assessment program for relocatable classrooms. Additionally, in support of Green Building/LEED initiatives, the
ES/IAQ staff assists in evaluating and selecting environmentally-friendly products for use in the school system.
Security
MCPS has implementedcurrently is in the third year ofa six-year program to include state-of-the-art surveillance
systems at all middle and high schools and visitor management/access control systems at all schools. The
surveillance systems are network-based multi-pixel, digitalcameras whose recordings can be viewed and reviewed
at multiple locations within the individual school and atremote locations by authorized staff. When necessary, the
recordings can be shared with local public safety agencies. The visitor management system is a software program
that facilitates screening of visitors before they are admitted to the school. Visitor names are compared to databases
that have been downloaded from student information files and the Maryland sex offender registry. The access
control systems, consisting of an exterior camera, intercom, and strike/release locking system on the door, will allow
elementary schools to lockexterior doors during the instructional day and admit visitors after they have been
identified.
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Strategies Implemented Since 1999
The implementation of strategies outlined in the originalOur Call to Action began shortly after the Board of Education
adopted the strategic plan in November 1999. At that time, the superintendent of schools made a strategic decision to
focus the reform initiatives in elementary schools, more specifically at the kindergarten level. Over the past nine
years,
the reforms have been expanded to other grades in theelementary schools as well as to middle and high schools.
Targeted initiatives were implemented to improve student ac hievement at all levels and to close the achievement gap
between African American and Hispanic students and their Wh ite and Asian American peers. These initiatives also are
designed to improve achievement of ESOL students, student s with disabilities, and students impacted by poverty.
This section of the strategic plan highlights some of the critical strategies and initiatives that have been implemented
over the past nine ten years as part of these reform efforts.
GOAL 1: Ensure Success for Every Student
Early Success Performance Plan

The Early Success Performance Plan is a pre-K–Grade 2 fully-aligned system of comprehensive supports for
children in the early grades, designed to “raise the bar” for all students and provide them withthe necessary skills
and knowledge to be successful inspeaking, reading, writing, and mathematics by Grade 3.The plan provides a
four-year sequence or pathway for all children and focuses on addressing the opportunity gap facing our most highly
impacted children.The plan is built around the following five guiding principles of comprehensive school reform:
• Focused and challenging curriculum for reading, writing, and mathematics
• Ongoing assessment of student progress
• Expanded instructional time
• Intensive, targeted, and sustained professional development for teachers
Prekindergarten Programs
The MCPS prekindergarten programs provide a high-quality, literacy-based instructional program , including art,
music, and physical education,to an increasing number of income-eligible and at-risk 4-year-old children . Programs
also offer health, dental, and access to other support services in order to help meet families’ needs
. In FY 2009, full-
day Head Start programs were funded in 13 classes in 10 Title I schools for children living at or below the federal
poverty level. In 2009–2010, a total of 21 full-day Head Start classes were provided in 18 Title I schools . The
Office of Shared Accountability has published preliminary res earch citing greater achievement benefits for students
in the full-day classes, as well as the cost effectiveness of the additional investment in extending these classes to
full-day programs.
Full-Day Kindergarten
The Early Success Performance Plan includescomprehensive supports for youngchildren in the early grades,
including full-day kindergarten classes at all elementary schools.The Bridge to Excellence in Public SchoolsAct of
2002 requirement of providing full-day kindergartenin all elementary schools was met in FY 2007, one full school
year prior to the mandate.
Reading Interventions in Elementary and Middle Schools
Reading interventions are provided to students who need extra reading instruction in order to achieve at or above
grade-level proficiency in reading. Interventions are inaddition to and aligned with the student’s core reading
instruction. Research-based interventions are carefully selected and matched with the student’s identified area of
need. Teachers receive professional development inon the use of intervention materials, and instructional
strategies, and monitoring ofstudent progress.
Support for the Most Highly Impacted Schools
A comprehensive model for funding, staffing, and programming was implemented in the most highly impacted
48
elementary schools in the county. These schools include federally funded Title I schools and locally funded high-
need schools. A continuous review of the model is in place to maximize the use of resources, as well as to develop
and implement plans to meet the requirements for schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring.
Elementary Schools Extended Time
Title I schools offer extended-day supports for students, based on achievement data. Using research-based activities, each
Title I school designs before-school and/or after-school programs.
Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) is a four-hour academic program
for kindergarten through Grade 5 studentsoffered daily for four weeks in July in Title I schools. Students receive
free transportation to and from school, breakfast, and lunch. The pro gram is offered to all students in kindergarten
through Grade 5 in Title I schools.The academic program goals are to accelerate learning through lessons in
reading, writing, and mathematics that preview concepts andskills to be taught in the grade students will enter in the
fall, strengthen basic skills, alleviate the loss of academic skills that many students experience over the summer
break, and provide continuing English language instruction for ESOL students.
Class-size Reduction
Elementary Schools
In FY 2001, the Board of Education began an initiative to reduce class size in elementary schools that includes the
following:
• Full-day kindergarten with an average class size of 17:118 in the most highly impacted schools.
• First and second grade classes in theseschools with an average class size of 17:118.
• Reduced maximum class guidelines in all elementary schools from 28 to 26
27 students in Grades 1–3 and from
30 to 28 29 students in Grades 4 and 5.
Middle and High Schools
To address oversized classes at middle and high schools, the Board of Education took the following steps:
• Funded 38 positions in middle schools to support math ematics instruction and increase enrollment in Grade 8
Algebra, as well as 22 positions in high schools to support mathematics instruction
.
• Approved positions for the five high schools in the Downcounty Consortium to provide an average class size of
22 23 for academic classes in Grade 9.
• Provided 25 teachers for the high school level to support special education students who are included in general
education classrooms.
Support for Special Education Students

Expansion of Reading and Mathematics Interventions—Evidence Research-based reading and mathematics
interventions have been expanded to selected elementary, middle, and high schools. The Office of Special Education
and Student Services purchased mathematics interventions for all middle schools countywide and for high schools
serving large numbers of students with disabilities. Eleven high schoolsalso received mathematics interventions to
support the instructional needs of students with disabilities.Reading interventions were strategically purchased for
middle schools that did not make Annual Yearly Progress.schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels
that serve students with intellectual disabilities; OSE
SS purchased additional mathematics interventions for all
middle schools, as well as high schools serving large numbers of students with disabilities, including former
learning center students.
Educational and Assistive Technology—Educational and assistive technology play an important role in helping
students with disabilities access a rigorousinstructional program. The High Incidence Assistive Technology (HIAT)
team provides technology training, online materials, guides, resource links, and examples of universal design
instruction that allow the MCPS curriculum to beaccessible to all students. Licenses for Kurzweil,an advanced
screen reader software technological voice-input system, were purchased for elementary, middle, and high schools.
Interdisciplinary Augmentative Communication Technology Team—The Interdisciplinary Augmentative
Communication Technology (InterACT) team provides consultative assistive technology support to teams working
49
with students who have severe communication and/or physical disabilities.This multi-disciplinary team has
expertise in special education,speech-language pathology, and occupational and physical therapy. The team
InterACT assesses students who may require assistive technology equipment and provides consultation to the
teachers of identified students
Prekindergarten Services—Young children with disabilities who receive specialeducation services are part of the
systemwide Early Success Performance Plan. Special educators are included in all staff development activities to
ensure implementation of the prekindergarten curriculum.To the extent possible, services for prekindergarten
students with disabilities are co-located in elementary schoo
ls with MCPS prekindergarten or Head Start classes.
This provides inclusive opportunities and allows students withdisabilities to access a regular general early child
educational setting.
Itinerant Resource Teachers (IRT)—Demonstrating the MCPS commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE),
in 2005–2006, the budget supportedsupports six eight IRTs. to the special education central office staff.The IRTs
provide professional development for school-based staff tosupport students with disabilities in Kindergarten–Grade 12
in the general education environment.
Support for ESOL Students

To ensure that ESOL students continue to acquire the academic language and skills needed to achieve at the highest
levels, the following essential program components are provided to ESOL students and their families.
• • Curriculum and Instruction—Pre-K–12 ESOL curricula have been written to align with the new Maryland
ESOL Content Standards. Currently, MCPS has ESOL curriculum resources that are aligned for beginning,
intermediate, and advanced ESOL students in grades pre-K–Grade 5, and intermediate andadvanced ESOL
students in middle and high schools. Additionally, an MCPS curriculum guide has been written to meet the
needs of newcomer ESOL students. [Moved to front section] Moved to front per 2/4/10 ELT JS
ESOL Transition Program—The ESOL Transition Program is a three-pronged approach to supporting recently
exited ESOL students who no longer receive ESOL services. The goals of the program are to support these
students by monitoring them in their non-ESOL classes, providing professional development to content teachers
and administrators on effective engagement of English language learners,and collaborating with ESOL teachers
to accelerate academic English language development. This program presently is available at the two high
schools with the largest population of ESOL students, Montgomery Blair and Gaithersburg.
• Honors and Advanced Placement— Honors and Advanced Placement—ESOL students at the highest level
English language proficiency and those who have exite d the ESOL program within the past two years are
encouraged to enroll in highly able, Honors, and Advanced Placement classes. The ESOL transition teachers at
two high schools provide directsupport to recently exited ESOL studentsto bolster their success in these courses.
• Professional Development—The ESOL for Leaders course provides six hours of professional development for
school leaders to support and monitor effective school-based ESOL programs that comply with local, state, and
federal mandates. Ongoing professional development is provided for ESOL teachers on ESOL curriculum and
program implementation. Additionally, professional development is provided to help non-ESOL teachers meet
the language and academic content needs of ESOL students in all content areas. Moved to front per 2/4/10 ELT
JS
• Bilingual Support Programs for ESOL Students and Families—The ESOL Parent Outreach and Counseling teams
provide bilingual multicultural parent support and counseling services to ESOL students and their families to
facilitate their adjustment to a new academic, social, andcultural environment. These services help to minimize
linguistic and cultural barriers to academic achievement. To assist ESOL students and families in minimizing the
linguistic and cultural barriers to academic achievement, the ESOL parent outreach and counseling teams provide
bilingual, multicultural parentsupport and student counseling services tofacilitate adjustment to a new academic,
social, and cultural environment.
• Language Assistance Services Unit—Translation and interpretation services are provided in multiple languages
using various media to address the need to communicate essential information to our rapidly growing,
linguistically diverse community. Information is communicated to parents and community members about
curriculum, educational programs and services, assessment, and instruction with the same level of quality that is
afforded English-speaking community members. A Web-based request system has been implemented to manage
50
translation requests. Workflows havebeen integrated with those of theOffice of Communications and Family
Outreach to ensure smooth, systemwide communications ofimportant information, including emergency
messages. Work has started on a Web-based system for interpretation requests, to improve transparency and
responsiveness to the needs of schools communicating with individual parents about their children.
Moved from
Goal 1 per 2/4/10 ELT JS
High School Consortia
Three high schools—James Hubert Blake, Paint Branch,and Springbrook—are affiliated in a consortium to serve
the interests of all students living in the northeast area ofthe county. Students and their parents participate in the
student assignment process known as “Preferred Choice,” the “Choice Process,” in which each student ranks his/her
preference for a high school from among the three choices. Each campus offers a comprehensive high school
curriculum, as well as a distinctive signature program. Signature programs focus on fields of high interest to students
of diverse abilities and achievement levels and incorporate these signature themes throughout the instructional
program.
The Downcounty Consortium (DCC) consists of five high schools—Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, John F.
Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton—and students engage in a choice processparticipate in the student assignment
process known as the “Choice Process” byranking their preferences among the five schools. DCC high schools have
focused their efforts on building smaller learning communi ties within the high schools that serve a very diverse
student population residing in the Wheaton/Silver Spring area. Unique ninth grade programs are designed to meet
the academic needs of enteringfreshman while simultaneouslyexploring their interests and talents, andconnecting
these students with the adults in their school. Followingthe ninth grade program, students in the DCC move into
another form of a smaller learning communitycalled an academy. Academy programs are a series of courses
focused on topics of high interest to students. Students choose one of the themed academies and focus on the
application of school-based learning to higher education and the workforce.
Smaller Learning Communities
The Board of Education approved a six-year Career and Technology Education strategic plan for systematically
ensuring the availability of smaller learning communities for all students in MCPS. Many high schools have
developed and implemented smaller learning communities toprovide students with rigorous and relevant programs
and to create a more personalized learning environment for students. MCPS high schools are implementing smaller
learning communities through innovative theme-based signature programs, career academies, and career pathway
programs. James Hubert Blake and Paint Branch high schools are in thefifth year of a five-year have completed the
five-year USDE Smaller Learning Community grant.Their high school leadership teamshave planned are planning
and implemented implementing rigorous smaller learning communities using research -based national models, such
as National Academy Foundation programs and Advanced Engineering —Project Lead The Way. These programs
provide students with authentic internship experien
ces, college credit, and scholarship opportunities.
High School Pilot Course Development
School-based staff has the opportunity to propose, plan, and implement noncore courses to strengthen local course
offerings and provide support for smaller learning communities, signature programs, and academies. After a
rigorous review by the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs, and approval by the Board of Education,
new courses are piloted by the school that develops the course materials. The pilot process requires submission of
materials, including a course outline, syllabus, sample le
ssons, assessment measures, and course evaluation. At the
end of the pilot period, the course may be submitted to the Board of Education for final approval.
Safe and Secure Schools

MCPS continues to ensure a safe and secure educational environment through ongoing security initiatives. These
include the following:
• A systemwide emergency/crisis response plan.
• Individualized emergency/crisis plans at all schools andfacilities to include parent/child reunification procedures.
• Security personnel in all middle and high schools.
• Emergency preparedness and fire evacuation drills.
• Established emergency communication procedures at all schools.
51
• Specialized training for school administrators and on-site emergency teams to manage an emergency or crisis
situation.
• Security assessments of schools.
• Development of School Safety and Security at a Glance,an annual report on the status of safety and security in
our schools.
GOAL 2: Provide an Effective Instructional Program
Councils on Teaching and Learning

Councils on Teaching and Learning were designed toprovide regular, two-way communication between teachers
and central office on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. This unique partnership
with the Montgomery County Educatio n Association (MCEA) provides for teacher-level representatives at
elementary and secondary levels. These councils have provided important feedback from teachers on the
implementation of initiatives, and they have served a key role in ensuring that accurateand timely information is
provided to teachers.
Reading Specialists/AEI Literacy Coach/Literacy Coaches
Elementary School Reading Specialist.Every elementary school has a reading specialist whose role is to increase
the teacher’s content knowledge and instructional of strategies for teachers of reading and language arts. Reading
specialists provide leadership and expertise in their fieldrelated to all aspects of teaching reading and writing and
deliver job-embedded staff development on reading,writing, and assessments.
The Middle School Reading Specialist provides leadership for schoolwide reading programs and reading instruction
in all content areas and grade levels in non-Phase I, and II, schools. . They also provide staff development on
reading instruction and assessments. In addition, the middle school reading specialist and is involved in developing a
school improvement plan for reading. In Phase I and IIschools, the AEI literacy coach, facilitates the development
of the schoolwide literacy planand supports critical thinking, reading, writing, and viewing across the content areas
by providing job-embedded professional development to all staff . The AEI literacy coach creates a process for
nurturing/mentoring underachieving and/or traditionally underserved students enrolled in accelerated courses.
High School Literacy Coach.High school literacy coaches are involved in developing a long-term literacy plan and
facilitating a school literacy team. In addition, literacy coaches lead the analysis of all data related to student
literacy; model literacy strategies in content-area classrooms; meet regularly with teachers and/or departments to
review data, guide planning, and ensure that literacy strategies are used effectively in classroom instruction; and
coordinate reading and other literacy-related interventions. (The high school literacy coach initiative was
implemented during FY 07, FY 08, and FY 09; eliminated for FY 10 due to budget reductions.)
Elementary Mathematics Content Coach. an d AEI Mathematics Content Specialist

Elementary mathematics content coaches are in many Title I schools and in high-needs elementary schools to
increase the content knowledge and instructional strategiesof teachers of mathematics. As part of middle school
reform, AEI mathematics content specialists have been allocated to selected middle schools. The elementary
mathematics content coach and AEI mathematics content specialist provides direct classroom support to teachers
and paraprofessionals to effectively implement the mathematics curriculum and assessments; builds the content
knowledge and teaching expertise of teachers of mathematics; and as an instructional leader, facilitates the analysis
of mathematics assessment data to ensure that all students are appropriately challenged and school improvement
goals are achieved.
Gifted and Talented Services

MCPS is committed to promoting rigorous performance standards and providing instructional programs that
encourage all students to achieve attheir highest level. A continuum ofaccelerated and enriched programs and
services begins at pre-K and continues through Grade 12, with an emphasis on talent development. At all levels,
students may accelerate learning and participate in advanced-level course work at their local schools. Instruction is
differentiated to provide all students, including students in traditionally underserved groups, appropriate pacing and
levels of support necessary for advanced-level learning. Students may also attend special programs such as centers
52
for the highly gifted, magnet programs, or specialized programs, based on student interest and talent.
Revised Curriculum—The curriculum revision and the subsequent development ofMCPS instructional guides and
curriculum resources in bothreading/language arts and mathematics provide preassessments and programming
recommendations that give students access to acceleratedand enriched instruction,including above-grade-level
instruction, as needed.The William and Mary Reading Language Artsprogram (Grades 2–8) and the Junior Great
Books program (K–Grade 8) are required components of the reading/language arts program for highly able students
and students with potential or motivation to accept more challenging instruction.
Magnet Programs and Centers for the Highly Gifted—For students working at the very highest levels of attainment,
full-time programming such as the Primary Gifted and Talented Magnet Program is available for Grades 1 and 2.
Seven Center Programs for the Highly Gifted serve students in Grades 4 and 5, and both middle and high school
magnet programs are available in mathematics, science, computer science, and humanities. Students identified as
gifted and talented and learning disabled (GT/LD) are supported through several GT/LD center programs in Grades
2–8.
The Program of Assessment, Diagnosis, and Instruction (PADI), offered in 16 elementary schools beginning in
kindergarten, focuses on identifying potential giftedness in students whose strengths may be masked by language,
experience, or culture. Professional development for classroom staff focuses on developing and refining students’ critical
and creative thinking skills and supporting their achievement in challenging instruction.
Gifted and Talented Support Positions — Each Title I schoolhas the opportunity to designate a .5 Title I GT teacher.If
allocated, staff in this position work toensure that students, including students in traditionally underserved groups,
receive differentiated instruction to us pport their emerging strengths. They also provide training to parents and staff
focused on building knowledge, skills, and expectations thatenable all students to reach their maximum potential. For
those school that do not choose to allocatea this position, the .services providedby the .5 GT teacher are incorporated
into other positions. In all middle schools not identifie d as middle school reform schools, a .4 Acceleration and
Enrichment Support Teacher (AEIST) is allocated to perform many of the same functions as the Title I .5 GT teacher
in an effort to encourage all students to achieve at their highest level.
The .5 gifted and talented (GT) position for Title I elementary schools and the .4acceleration and enrichment support
teacher in non- reform middle schools support implementation of—In each of the Title I schools, a .5 position provides
instructional programs and servicesthat encourage all students to achieve at their highest level. Ti
tle 1 GT teachers
These staff ensure that students, including students in traditionally unders
erved groups, receive differentiated
instruction to support their emerging strengths. Theyalso provide training to parents and staff focused onbuilding
knowledge, skills, and expectations that enable all students to reach their maximum potential. Each Title I school
decides how to use their allocation and determines whether ornot to designate a .5 Title I GT teacher. Title I GT
teacher services are incorporated into other positions for schools that do not designate a specific position for these
purposes.
K–12 Articulation for International Baccalaureate (IB) Program— MCPS currently has six eight authorized IB
diploma programs (Grades 11–12), eight Middle Years programs (Grades 6–10), and one Primary Years program
(pre-K–Grade 5). Two additional IB diploma programs are currently in development.The results of this effort will
yield insights into how to build capacity in students over time to improve their achievement.
Fine Arts Education

The MCPS fine arts curriculum affords students the opportun ity to grow aesthetically, culturally, and intellectually.
The fine arts develop skills that prepare students for college and career, such as collaboration, creative problem
solving, and critical thinking. The finearts require a highly qualified teacherfor each core area (visual arts, music,
dance, and theatre). Instruction is aligned and integrated with the The MCPS Fine Arts Curriculum Frameworks
(approved by the Board of Education in 2006), fine arts curriculum align with the Maryland Voluntary State
Curriculum content standardsin the following areas:
• Perceiving and Responding: Aesthetics
• Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts
• Creative Expression and Production
• Aesthetics and Criticism
53
Career and Technology Education Programs
MCPS schools implement rigorous and relevant career and technology education programs. Opportunities are provided for
all students to select career pathways of interest and to engage in theacademic and workplace experiences that will
prepare them for college and career. State-established measures of student achievement include performance on the high
school assessments as well as earningindustry certifications.
Middle School Career and Technology Programs—Middle schools provide inquiry-based courses in computer
science, family and consumer sciences, and technology education.
Project Lead the Way—Project Lead The Way, Inc., (PLTW) partners with public schools, organizations in the
private sector, and higher education institutions to intro
duce high school students to engineering. This program
allows high school students to determineexplore if biomedical sciences or engineering. is a career they wish to
pursue. PLTW is available in the Downcounty Consortium and at six additional high schools and one ddle
mi school.
The complete PLTW pathway is available at seven high schools. Introductory courses are offered at 15
additional high schools and two middle schools.
National Academy Foundation—The National Academy Foundation (NAF) academies prepare students for careers
in finance, hospitality and tourism, and information tech
nology. Required college course work is combined with
authentic paid workplace experiences to help students de
velop critical thinking and problem-solving skills required
in postsecondary education and careers. Fifteen NAF pathway programs are available in 14 high schools . and
additional NAF programs are being explored.
GOAL 3: Strengthen Productive Partnerships for Education
Montgomery County Business Ro undtable for Education

The Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education provides support to the school system through a
variety of programs and initiatives that are targeted to students, staff, and improving the business operations of the
school system. Examples of programsfor students include Achievement Counts that links hundreds of business
people with Grade 9 students, student conferences center ed on cutting-edge technologies, and emerging leaders
programs that give students opportunities to participate in the Congressional Black and Hispanic legislative
caucuses.
Volunteer and Mentoring Programs

MCPS works collaboratively with businesses, government agencies, and other organizations to coordinate the
recruitment, placement, and training of volunteers who work in schools. Schools identify volunteer coordinators
who participate in systemwide training to support volunteer programs and data collection.
Mentoring programs in 80 schools provide direct support to students. Volunteer mentors are recruited to work with
students in kindergarten through Grade 12 and provide guidance, literacy, mathematics, science, and other support
focused on improving student achievement.
The Connection Resource Bank matches volunteers with schools who are looking for speakers to share their
expertise with students in classrooms. These specializedvolunteers participate in career and science fairs and
provide opportunities for shadow experiences and teacher training.
GOAL 4: Create a Positive Work Environment in a Self-renewing Organization
Framework for Improving Teaching and Learning

The Framework for Improving Teaching and Learning is a major initiative to develop a research-based tool for
continuous improvement of the teaching andlearning process. The Framework is beingused by schools to deepen
their understanding of the followingsix elements of improving teaching and learning: curriculum, instruction,
evidence of student learning, planning, expectations, and building a professional learning community. This
framework is the structure for the development ofall staff development activities. The framework provides a set of
key “look-fors” that guide continuous improvement ofthe teaching and learning process in all schools.
Curriculum Training and Development

To support implementation of curriculum and new initiatives to improveteaching and learning, professional
development is provided to staff at all levels in the system. As new or revised curriculum, assessment, and grading
54
and reporting tools are implemented professional developm ent is provided to improve teaching and learning. The
focus of the training and development is on increasing teachers’instructional staff’s knowledge of the content and/or
effective practices related to curriculum, instruction,assessment, and standards-based teaching and learning.
Emphasis is placed on providingstrategies to work with English language learners, students with disabilities, and
highly able and/or motivated students. Professional development to support implementation of the curriculum and
standards-based teaching and learningoccurs in the following formats:
• Required training for teachers that is centrally delivered
• Ongoing follow-up professional development and support at the local school
• School-based professional development
• Voluntary seminars and workshopsfor all instructional staff including support professionals
The centrally delivered training is designed to provide the essential skills,resources, and practices necessary to
implement the curriculum, assess students, and evaluate students using standards-based grading and reporting tools.
Follow-up support and training is provided by teacher eaders,
l including staff development teachers at the local
school. School-based professional development is provided by central services staff and is targeted to support the
specific needs of the staff with respect to planning for and implementing initiatives. The seminars provide an in-
depth study of key curriculum elements, assessmen ts, and standards-based teaching and learning.
Studying Skillful Teaching and Ob serving and Analyzing Teaching

The Skillful Teaching and Leading course workis a central component of the Professional Growth System (PGS)
for teachers. It provides participants with a common language and framework to study expert instruction and student
achievement. research-based skills and instructional strategies that will lead to increased student achievement and
support efforts to eliminate theachievement gap. These courses,based on the work of Research for Better Teaching,
Inc., are an essential component for nurturing a professional learning community in the school district and for
building a common understanding and language about teaching and learning.Studying Skillful Teaching 1 examines
the knowledge base of teachingand the belief that intelligence is not fixed, but that through effective effort,
intelligence can develop. i.n such a way as to cultivate collegialityand experimentation among participants.
Successful completion of Studying Skillful Teaching 1includes mastery lesson planning, an expectation case study
and personal investigation.is required for staff development teachers andcentral services instructional specialists
and for all teachers hired after July 1, 2005. Studying Skillful Teaching 2is action research reflecting on the
obstacles to student learning and matching instructional strategies to student needs. builds on the foundations and
conversations initiated in the first course. Successful completion of Studying Skillful Teaching 2includes data
collection, analysis of results, and adaptation of instruction to improve student learning.is required for staff
development teachers. Studying Skillful Teacher for paraeducators af cilitates the paraeducator’s contribution to the
school’s professional learning community and maximizes student learning.
Principals, assistant principals, assistant school administrators, resource teachers, interdisciplinary resource
teachers, and other staff involved in teacherobservations and/or evaluations take Observing and Analyzing
Teaching courses. Observing and Analyzing Teaching 1 examines the knowledge base of teaching,analysis of
teaching, and quality feedback as a means to strengthenexpert instruction and student achievement. Observing
and Analyzing Teaching 2 has a strong leadership componentwith three strands: expert instruction, professional
learning communities, and instructional leadership. Particip ants learn how to provide quality feedback to teachers
to improve teaching and student achievement. Successfulcompletion of both courses includes the skill of writing
observations, evaluations, and improvement plans.introduces participants to the teacher evaluation standards,and
develops skills in writing and presenting the evaluation results. Observing and Analyzing Teaching 2 delves
deeper into the knowledge, skills, and confidence need ed to confront and address mediocre and ineffective
teaching.
Staff Development Teacher
A staff development teacher (SDT) is allocated to each school in order providehigh quality job-embedded
professional development to instructional staff in each building. It is the job of the staff development teacher, in
collaboration with the administration, instructional leadership team, and/or School Improvement Team, to align the
professional development needed by instructional staff with the goals and actions within the school’s School
Improvement Plan (SIP). That professional developmentincludes, but is not limited to providing/facilitating: (1)
training; (2) focused and guided planning sessions relatedto curriculum, instruction, and assessment based on the
55
MCPS curriculum; (3) focused and guided reflection on school and student data; (4) peer visits with reflection; (4)
school walk-throughs; (5) the analysis of teacher learning data from professional development opportunities, etc.
The staff development teacher is a non-evaluative teacher leader whose purpose is to support the development of
each and every teacher as they strive for excellence in th e performance standards of the PGS, and to support the
goals, objectives, and initiatives of MCPS. SDTs participate in training and development to build their knowledge
and skills related to facilitation as well as topics related to the MCPS strategic plan.
Staff Development Teachers in Every School

Staff development teachers are working inevery school to support teachers asthey increase their knowledge, skills,
and capacity to implement new strategies for teaching and learning. Thestaff development teacher improves student
achievement by—
• working with the school’s instructional staff to keep teachers informed and focused on effective teaching skills
and practices and other effortsto improve student achievement;
• providing a consistent focus on curriculum implementation and instructional strategies;
• promoting high expectations for all students;
• supporting the staff in using data to examine current practice and improve instructional practices;
• establishing a collegial culture in support of high-quality teaching;
• helping teachers create individualprofessional development plans thatlink improved teaching to improved
student learning;
• engaging in extensive training and development programs for their own professional growt
h and development;
and
• providing consistent and pervasive messages within andamong schools at every levelrelated to MCPS priorities,
goals, and initiatives (i.e., race and equity, grading and reporting)
Staff development teachers are essential to thefuture growth of the professional development process and to the goal
of creating a professional learning community in each school.
New Teacher Induction to Support Novice and New-to-MCPS Teachers

The New Teacher Induction Program is a comprehensive program designed to provide support and professional
development for novice and new-to-MCPS teachers in order toincrease their skill levels and retention rates. The
induction and mentoring program includes the following:
• A weeklong four –to-five day summer orientation.
• A midyear one-day orientation for educators hired after the summer orientation.
• One-on-one mentoring at the localschool for experienced teachers who arenew to MCPS, novice teachers hired
from MCPS partnership programs, and novice teachers hired to teachin the same school where they student
taught.
• Ongoing training and development modules that focus on the development ofteachers in the areas of curriculum,
instruction, assessment, and monitoring student achievement.
• Intensive research-based training to ensure high-quality local school mentoring.
• Sharing best practices in induction and networking at local, state, and national forums.
GOAL 5: Provide High-quality Business Services that are Essential to the Educational Success of Students
Customer Delight in the Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation (DOT) infuses their Customer Delight theme and program into all areas of the
department for both internal and external customers. This continuous improvement strategy is designed to make
DOT increasingly customer focused.
Zero-based Budgeting
56
Zero-based budgeting is a process used annually to systematically review the base budget. The goal is to align all
operating budget expenditures with the academic priorities and strategic initiatives of the strategic plan.
Public Outreach in Budget Process
The development and review of the budget increasingly involves a diversity of stakeholders. Employee
organizations play an intimate role in the development of the operating budget, working closely with the
superintendent of schools to develop the recommended operating budget. Extensive community outreach involves
many community stakeholders, including those for whom English is a second language. Through use of television,
the MCPS website, and feedback cards provided to all schools and in MCPS publications, more members of the
community can offer their ideas for system priorities, better understand the strategic plan, and contribute to system
improvements. All major budget publications are posted on the MCPS website. The budget publications include
improved information on how to understand the budget,and the website allows for an interactive two-way
communication process.
Grants
To enrich services to students and launch innovative programs and ideasand reduce without increasing the financial
burden on local taxpayers, MCPS seeks grants from a wide range of public and private donors. Also, theMCPS
grants staff collaborates with otherpublic agencies, businesses, and nonprofit and community-based organizations to
develop and implement grant-funded programs.MCPS identifies eligible partners to deliver services that align with
the district’s strategic plan. To respond to current trends in grant making, MCPShas will developed procedures that
more closely align withthe an increasing number of automated grant submission systems. MCPS also will improve
the management and oversight of grants awarded directlyto schools. Finally, to position schools for greater success
at securing outside support in an increasingly competitive environment, MCPS will offer more advanced levels of
training in grant seeking and fundraisingto schools.
Entrepreneurial Activities
The Entrepreneurial Activities Fund provides a venue forMCPS activities to market goods or services produced by
MCPS to generate revenue. Activities included in this und
f include the Taylor Science Materials Center, Supply
Warehouse, Printing and Graphics Services, Student Online Learning, and entrepreneurial activity development.
Real Estate Management Fund

The Real Estate Management Team el ases unused classroom and other space inschool buildings to private child
care programs that support the educational success of students. The team also leases unused school facilities to
approved educational service providers to generate revenue to support leasing expenditures for administrative or
support space that is not available in MCPS-owned facilities.The Real Estate Management Team also manages
the leasing of cellular telecommunication towers on school property. Revenues from the leased towers are
shared among the host school, neighboring schools, and the enterprise fund.
Systematic Team Cleaning

Systematic Team Cleaning (STC) is a value-added approach to cleaning that maximizes the quality, quantity, and
consistency of building services. STC also minimizes wasted time, motion, and steps and reduces errors as well as
equipment and energy costs. This approach systematizes the application of personnel, tasks, frequency, time, and
space to get the most out of the cleaning process. STCsupports the commitment tocreate a positive facility
environment that is conducive to learning because it is a holistic rather than component approach to cleaning that
results in high-quality services for all customers.
Healthy, High Performance Cleaning (HHPC)

Green cleaning is cleaning that focuses on occupant hea
lth and environmental impact in addition to appearance.
Green cleaning minimizes the impactof the cleaning process on occupant health and the indoor and outdoor
environment. This is accomplished by using low VOC (volatile organic compounds) cleaning products and
environmentally conscientious cleaning and grounds care methods that prevent harmful contaminants from being
released into the atmosphere and/or grounds. However, it is not just about cleaning chemicals, but includes concerns
about paper, product packaging, waste reduction, equipment performance, and energy conservation.
Copy-Plus
57
Copy-Plus is a document preparationand delivery service for teachers. provided to all school-based staff to reduce
the time spent making photocopies. Its purpose is to reduce the time required by school staff to prepare instructional
documents. A systematic process has been developed that ensures thedaily pick-up of work orders from the schools
and return delivery of finished documentsmaterials within one week 48 hours. Work orders also are submitted
electronically via e-mail and the MCPS Website. The Department of Materials Management andthe Department of
Multimedia Services Editorial, Graphics & Publishing Serviceshave studied the data trends and determined that, for
every 2,500 3,000 pages produced by the Copy-Plus program, one hour of school-based staff time is saved. This
year this service will provide120 55 million copiespages of instructional support materials, returning 48,000 20,000
hours to teachers. Annual data collected since the launch of theCopy-Plus initiative shows a significant decrease in
the number copies produced by copiers in the schools.
TeamWorks School Copier Service Program

TeamWorks school copier repair was launched to provide more responsive repair service and effective maintenance
of school-based copy machines while reducing the overall cost of document preparation. By providing quicker
response and increased preventative maintenance, TeamWorks service provides schools with high quality copies,
reducing the copier service impact on instruction. In the first half-year of program implementation, repair
technicians completed an average of 2.1service calls per copier each month, withthe majority of these service calls
completed within 24 hours. Copiers are on a 3-year replacement schedule, with one-third being replaced each year.
By initiating this new program, direct savings of more than $800,000 have been identified for the first year of
operations, with additional savings forecasted in the years to come.
Playground Equipment Repla cement/Enhancement Program

The Safety Management Services Unit, Department of Facilities Management, has implemented a program to
accelerate the replacement of outdated and aging playground equipment at elementary schools using noncounty
funding sources. This program uses standard criteria to assess existing playground equipment at all elementary
schools in order to prioritize systemwide needs. In addition, partnerships with school community groups are then
developed to qualify the replacement of playground equipment under the federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond
(QZAB) program.
Business Partnerships to Improve Processes

MCPS has initiated process improvement strategies through the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for
Education (MCBRE). Staff from United HealthCare trained 25 staff members (representing all offices) in the
methodologies of Six Sigma. These methodologies will enable MCPS to establish a systematic evaluation and
refinement of key processes. In addition, a team of facilitators from Lockheed Martin’s LM21 program trained the
Office of the Chief Operating Officer leadership on the benefits of eliminating waste from MCPS business processes
using the Lockheed Martin Value Stream Mapping (VSM) process. The VSM technique isa tool used to identify
and eliminate waste in manufacturing andbusiness processes. Lockheed Martinalso trained two MCPS staff as part
of its Lean/Six Sigma “Greenbelt” training program. The training has enabled the MCPS staff to facilitate VSM
process improvement events with several departments and divisions.(Moved from Goal 5-3-10)
58
Terms and Definitions
Term Definition Source

®
ACT® The ACT test assesses high school students' general ACT® Website
educational development and their ability to complete
college-level work. The multiple-choice tests cover four
skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science, that
results in a composite score with a range of 1 to 36.
The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in

planning and writing a short essay.
Adequate Yearly Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is the gain that schools, school Schools at a Glance
Progress/System systems, and states must make each year in accordance with the
Improvement federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). To make
Status AYP, schools and school systems in Maryland must meet the
Annual Measurable Objective (AMO), or target, for all students
and all student subgroups for each of the following measures:
Maryland School Assessment (MSA) mathematics participation,
MSA mathematics proficiency, MSA reading participation,
MSA reading proficiency, graduation rate (high school only),
and attendance (elementary and middle school only). MSAs
administered in Grades 3–8, and high school (Algebra and
English High School Assessment exams) are used for AYP.
AYP subgroups include each racial/ethnic group, students
receiving special education services, students receiving Free and
Reduced-price Meals System services, and students receiving
English for Speakers of Other Language services.
Advanced Advanced Placement (AP) tests are part of a College Board Schools at a Glance
Placement Tests program available to high school students. Scores on these tests Special Ed at a Glance
(AP Tests) can be used by students to earn credit or advanced standing in
college. Usually a minimum score of3 is needed to achieve this
goal.
Algebra The Algebra completion rate is the percentage of students Schools at a Glance
Completion Rate successfully completing Algebra 1 or a higher-level Special Ed at a Glance
mathematics course by the end of Grade 8 for middle schools
and by the end of Grade 9 for high schools.
Alternate The Alternate Maryland School Assessment (ALT-MSA) is the Special Ed at a Glance
Maryland School Maryland assessment in which students with disabilities
Assessment participate if through the IEP process it has been determined
(ALT-MSA) they cannot participate in the Maryland School Assessment
(MSA) even with accommodations. The ALT-MSA assesses
and reports student mastery of individually selected indicators
and objectives from the reading, mathematics, and science
content standards or appropriate access skills.
Attendance Rate The attendance rate is calculated by dividing the aggregate Schools at a Glance
number of students in attendance by the aggregate number of Special Ed at a Glance
students in membership from the first day of school to March
15. The attendance rate is reported for the previous school year.
Dropout Rate The dropout rate is the number of dropouts divided by the total Schools at a Glance
number of students in Grades 9–12 served by the school. A Special Ed at a Glance
dropout is any student who leaves school for any reason, except
death, before graduation or completion of a Maryland approved
educational program and is not known to have enrolled in
another school or Maryland approved educational program.
ESOL The percentage of students participating in English for Speakers Schools at a Glance
of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, as of October 31, 2009, Special Ed at a Glance
compared with the official enrollment as of September 30, 2009.
This percentage may differ from the ESOL percentage reported
in the requested FY 2011 Capital Budget, due to different "as
of" reporting dates.
Equity High expectations and access to meaningful and relevant Our Call to Action 2009
learning for all students so that outcomes are not predictable by
race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language
proficiency, or disability.
Excellence Excellence is achieved through high standards that ensure that Our Call to Action 2009
all students are college or career ready as high school graduates.
FARMS The percentage of students receiving FARMS services as of Schools at a Glance

October 31, 2009, compared with the official enrollment as of Special Ed at a Glance
September 30, 2009. This percentage may differ from the
FARMS percentage reported in the requested FY 2011 Capital
Budget due to "as of" reporting dates.
Geometry The Geometry completion rate is the percentage of students Schools at a Glance
Completion Rate successfully completing Geometry or a higher-level Special Ed at a Glance
mathematics course by the end of Grades 9 and 10 for high
schools.
Graduation Rate The percentage of students who received a Maryland high Schools at a Glance
school diploma during the reported school year. This is an Special Ed at a Glance
estimated cohort rate. It is calculated by dividing the number of
high school graduates by the sum of the dropouts for Grade 9
through 12, respectively, in consecutive years, plus the number
of high school graduates.
Highly Qualified “Highly qualified” is a specific term defined by the No Child Schools at a Glance
Teachers Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The law outlines a list of
minimum requirements both in content knowledge and teaching
skills to meet the “highly qualified” status. The law requires
teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and full state certification
and to demonstrate content knowledge in the subjects they teach.
Under NCLB, states decide what is necessary for certification
and for determining subject-matter competency. Rules
surrounding the requirements for highly qualified teachers
continue to be developed and refined.
Honors/AP/IB/ Honors/Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Schools at a Glance
College-Level (IB), and college-level courses provide rigorous and challenging Special Ed at a Glance
Enrollment studies for students who are capable of or motivated to pursue
rigorous and challenging instruction. These courses are detailed
in the MCPS High School Course Bulletin. The Honors/AP/IB,
and college-level enrollment rate is the number of students
enrolled in at least one Honors/AP/IB, or college-level course,
divided by the total number of students.
Ineligibility Secondary students must maintain a marking period IQD-RA, Academic

average of 2.0 or higher and fail no more than one course Eligibility for High School
per marking period in order to be eligible to participate in Students Who Participate
specific extracurricular activities, including interscholastic in Extracurricular Activities
athletics, school student government offices, class offices,
and designated activities listed as nonathletic and athletic
stipends.
The ineligibility rate is the percentage of middle or high

school students who are who are not eligible for designated
extracurricular activities three or four marking periods in a
school year.
Language Language Assessment System Links (LAS-Links), is the Annual Report

Assessment state-mandated assessment for English language
System-Links proficiency. LAS-Links assesses English language
(LAS-Links) proficiency skills of students enrolled in the English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program from
kindergarten to Grade 12. The assessment is composed of
four subtests—listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Least Restrictive Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) refers to the mandate in Schools at a Glance
Environment the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), Special Ed at a Glance
(LRE) which states that children with disabilities are to be educated to
the maximum extent appropriatewith nondisabled peers. MCPS
reports LRE settings based on the percent of time a student is
educated inside the general education setting.
LRE A = Inside General Education Settings 80% or More.
LRE C = Inside General Education Settings Less Than 40%.
Limited English Limited English Proficient (LEP), as defined by AYP percent Schools at a Glance
Proficient (LEP) proficiency, includes both Redesignated English Language
Learners (RELL) who exited ESOL within the previous two
years and current ESOL students. LEP participation rate only
includes ESOL students. 2009 RELL students include those
who exited ESOL after June 1, 2007.
Maryland High The Maryland High School Assessments are end-of-course tests Schools at a Glance
School that students take as they complete the appropriate high school Special Ed at a Glance
Assessment level course. All students, including middle school students
taking high school level courses, must take the High School
Assessment after they complete the appropriate course. These
courses currently include Algebra/Data Analysis, Biology,
English, and Government.
Maryland School The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) measures student Schools at a Glance
Assessment achievement in reading, mathematics, and science. Schools at a
Glance reports Grades 3–8 reading and mathematics
performance and High School Assessment results in English 10
and Algebra for high school students. Percentage proficient
includes students at or above the proficient level (proficient +
advanced).
SAT The SAT is a college entrance exam accepted by several Schools at a Glance
hundred colleges across the United States as part of the Special Ed at a Glance
admissions process. The possible scores on the Critical Reading,
Mathematics, and Writing sections range from 200–800, with a
total possible score of 2400.
SPED Special education (SPED) means specially designed Schools at a Glance

instruction and related services, at no cost to the parents, to Special Ed at a Glance
meet the unique needs of a child with a disability,
including: (1) instruction conducted in the classroom, in
the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other
settings; and (2) instruction in physical education.
Suspension Rate The unduplicated count of the number of students suspended Schools at a Glance
divided by the June 30 total enrollment. Special Ed at a Glance
TerraNova The TerraNova Second Edition (TN/2) is a nationally normed Schools at a Glance
Comprehensive assessment administered to MCPS Grade 2 students in the Special Ed at a Glance
Tests of Basic spring. The TN/2 assesses skills in reading, language,
Skills Second mathematics, language mechanics, and mathematics
Edition computation.
University MSDE calculates the percent of students meeting the University Schools at a Glance
System of System of Maryland entrance requirements. Requirements for
Maryland admission to the University Systemof Maryland are set by the
Entrance Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland and, at
Requirements a minimum, include a cumulative grade point equivalent to a C
or better, accumulated course credits in English (4 credits),
Social Studies (3 credits), biological and physical sciences (3
credits), mathematics (3 credits), language or advanced
technology (2 credits), and a high school diploma.

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DISCUSSION/ACTION

June 28, 2010

To: Members of the Board of Education

From: Jerry D. Weast, Superintendent of Schools

Subject: Strategic Plan—Our Call To Action: Pursuit of Excellence

Alignment of the Budget and Strategic Planning Process

Stakeholder Involvement in the Strategic Planning Process

Revisions to the 2010–2015 Strategic Plan

Extension of Strategic Targets

Strategic Plans of Schools and Offices

Monitoring the Strategic Plan

Executive Leadership Team

The following resolution is recommended for your consideration.

The Strategic Plan for the

Dear Staff, Parents, Students, and Members of the Community:

Patricia B. O’Neill Jerry D. Weast, Ed.D.

* Revised June 2009

• Ensure success for every student

BOARD OF EDUCATION ACADEMIC PRIORITIES*

• Organize and optimize resources for improved academic results

• What do students need to know and be able to do?

High School MSA Reading— Percentage of students at or above proficient

Performance Targets 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

• Office of the Deputy Superintendent of Schools

• Office of the Chief Operating Officer

Communicate Deploy Board and Senior Leaders’ Actions

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS CHART

Designing and Implementing the Strategic Plan

Building on a Record ofProgress Since 1999

Gains in Student Performance

Response to Changing Demographics

Focus on High-quality Curriculum

Improving Employee Quality

Aligning the Budget with the Strategic Plan

The Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act is based on a st

Board of Education Priorities:

• All schools will eliminate the disproportionate o Suspension data

• o Student, parents, staff, survey results

Ensure Success for Every Student

Monitoring Student Performance

Achievement Steering Committees

Aligned Efforts to Support Success in Higher-level Mathematics

Middle School Reform

Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC)

High School Plus

eLearning—Online Courses for High School Students

SAT/ACT Intervention Plan

Minority Student Achievement Initiatives

• Minority Achievement Recognition Initiative—This initiative is systematic

Safe and Secure Schools

Graduation Rate Project Teams

Board of Education Academic Priorities:

Provide an Effective Instructional Program

Monitoring the Instructional Program

Standards-based Grading and Reporting System

Online Achievement and Reporting System

Delivery of Services for Special Education Students

Continuum of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction

Honors/Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate and Advanced-level Courses

Saturday School Program

Ineligibility (Move to Goal 1 to align with Graduation)

Technology Data-driven Decision Making

Partnerships for Education