State releases Maryland School Assessment (MSA) data

Elementary and middle school students at Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) continue to work toward 2014 goals on the reading and mathematics Maryland School Assessment (MSA). In elementary schools, 86.5 percent of students scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA and 84.1 percent on the mathematics test. In middle schools, 82.8 percent scored proficient or advanced on the reading MSA and 79.5 percent on the mathematics test.

 

"Thanks to the hard work of our outstanding staff and students, Charles County is making progress, especially in the areas of special education and free and reduced meals (FARMS) subgroups," said Superintendent of Schools James E. Richmond. "We still have a lot of work to do, and the improvement targets continue to get harder to meet as schools reach the 80 and 90 percent levels."

 

The MSA reading composite score at the elementary level has risen 22 percentage points since 2003, when the tests first started. Elementary mathematics proficiency has increased by 19.9 points. Middle school reading proficiency has increased 16.6 percentage points since 2003, while middle school math proficiency has risen 33.4 points.

 

The MSA scores were released as part of the Maryland 2011 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report, which uses the assessment data to determine if schools have met federal testing targets. The tests are required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that charts the progress of the overall student population in the grades tested as well as for students receiving special services and by racial subgroups. Scores are reported for a total of 12 tests, six reading and six math, taken in March by students in grades three through eight. Scores are expressed as the percentage of students who scored at or above the proficiency levels, which were set in 2003. The annual measurable objective (AMO) is the yearly benchmark established by the state for school systems to meet their goals by 2014. If one subgroup in a school does not meet the goal, the entire school does not make AYP.

 

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS

 

• Overall, 13 of Charles County Public Schools 29 elementary and middle schools met all testing targets and made AYP.
• Schools that did not meet every one of the overall or subgroup targets in mathematics or reading for two or more consecutive years are identified for School Improvement. Schools exit School Improvement if they meet every one of the area and subgroup targets for two consecutive years. Four of 29 CCPS schools have been identified as schools in improvement.
• In CCPS schools, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School, which is a Title I school, entered school in improvement status and is required to offer school choice to parents. Letters to all Barnhart parents will be sent by July 6 outlining their options for the next school year. Only Title I schools in school improvement are required to offer school choice. There are no CCPS schools in the "priority" stage, which is the most severe level of School Improvement. For more information about Maryland's AYP process, visit http://mdk12.org/assessments/ayp/index.html.
• The targets that all students and subgroups had to meet went up this year, causing more CCPS schools to miss making AYP. Five of the schools that did not make AYP missed making it in only one subgroup.

"Schools face much greater challenges with meeting AYP as targets grow higher. Schools that did not meet AYP are not failing schools, but simply have areas where the teachers, staff and students must put more of a focused effort," said Richmond. "We will work closely and collaboratively with these schools to address these areas in the coming year."

MSA PERFORMANCE

 

Students in the special education subgroup also made significant gains. Highlights include:

• Grade 4 special education reading went from 57.6 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 70.3 percent in 2011.
• Grade 4 special education math went from 59.1 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 65.2 percent in 2011.
• Grade 6 special education reading went from 53.1 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 61.4 percent in 2011
• Grade 6 special education math went from 44.1 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 58.8 percent in 2011.
• Grade 8 special education reading went from 43.9 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 57.4 percent in 2011.
• Grade 8 special education math went from 29.5 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 43.2 percent in 2011.

Students in the free and reduced meals (FARMS) subgroup also made significant gains. Highlights include:

• Grade 4 FARMS reading went from 76.2 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 81.2 percent in 2011.
• Grade 6 FARMS math went from 68 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 74.1 percent in 2011.
• Grade 7 FARMS math went from 54.2 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 68.1 percent in 2011.
• Grade 8 FARMS reading went from 66.4 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 71.9 percent in 2011.
• Grade 8 FARMS math went from 50.4 percent in 2010 proficient and advanced to 60.2 percent in 2011.

State, system and local school data are now available on the Maryland State Department of Education's report card, www.mdreportcard.org. Charles County Public Schools results can also be found at http://www2.ccboe.com/msa/msa.cfm.

In the coming months, the Maryland State Department of Education will release algebra and English II data, High School Assessments, system AYP, attendance and graduation numbers.

 

Notes from the Board of Education Work Sesson, 6/27/11

The Board Work Session on Monday, June 27th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session

• Executive session is closed as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act of the State Government Article to discuss personnel matters, specifically the Superintendent's recommendations on certificated positions.

Call to order - 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum

• No one present

FY 2012 Budget Amendment - F.B. Gwynn Educational Center

• Richmond - spoke regarding transfer of $1.3M transfer from fund balance to renovations at the Gwynn Center. Needs additional funds to complete the renovation properly.
• Balides - explained financial aspect
• Bowie - what if we approve & commissioners deny?
• Richmond - can't imagine them doing so, but we will continue to strive to make the changes
• Cook - pool? Fully operational

Motion to accept Budget Amendment by Abell; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous (Pedersen absent)

Personnel

Motion to accept Personnell by Cook; Second by Lukas

Yes = Unanimous (Pedersen absent)

Wise - August 22, will be a work session for the Board of Education to discuss vision and goals
Lukas - Any rescheduling of the meeting with the commissioners
Wise - Not at this time.

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board Work Session, 06/27/11

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, June 27, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/. The agenda is as follows:
Call to order - 6 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance
Public Forum

Work session

• FY 2012 Budget Amendment - F.B. Gwynn Educational Center

Executive session
Executive session is closed as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act of the State Government Article to discuss personnel matters, specifically the Superintendent's recommendations on certificated positions.

Supreme Court backs Miranda warning when questioning juveniles

Los Angeles Times
David G. Savage, Washington Bureau
June 16, 201

The Supreme Court expanded the rights of juveniles Thursday, deciding by a 5-4 vote that police officers who remove a student from a class to question him about a crime usually must warn him of his right to remain silent.

"It is beyond dispute that children will often feel bound to submit to police questioning when an adult in the same circumstance would feel free to leave," wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the court.

The decision does not set a strict rule for all cases involving young people, but instead says their age calls for giving them special protection...

...Sotomayor said age is a crucial factor, and it suggests the student would feel he is in the control of the police. Officers and judges "simply need the common sense to know that a 7-year-old is not a 13-year old and neither is an adult," she wrote. "To hold, as the state requests, that a child's age is never relevant to whether a suspect has been taken into custody — and thus to ignore the very real differences between children and adults — would be to deny children the full scope of the procedural safeguards that Miranda guarantees to adults."

Read more HERE.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 6/14/11

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 14th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session - 12 p.m.

Call to order - 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance - Maurice J. McDonough High School's JROTC unit

Swearing-in of new Student Board member - Taylor Brooks, Westlake High School

Contract signing

Motion to accept EACC contract by Abell; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous

Motion to accept AFSME contract by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous

Superintendent's update - Read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Wise - Graduations went well. Poor behavior by attendees in audience has to be stopped.
• Pedersen - Thank you to...Reading Partners Luncheon, Adult Independence Graduations, Title 1 Picnic, Juvenile Drug Court

Education Association of Charles County update - Read Report (Crab Feast 10/7)

Risk assessment and internal audit plan - PLEASE Read through report for good information

Student Board Member update - Read report

Deputy Superintendent Update -

• Graduations - statistics already reported in Supt. Report. 67% attended Project Graduation.
• Regency Stadium incident - Thursday, June 9th approx. 1,000 students attended baseball game from the tri-county area. Heat related issues & medical problems caused the event to be cancelled early and approx. 80 students were treated and sent to hospitals. CCPS immediately sent buses to transport students. Reviewing the entire incident with all involved (stadium, EMS, etc) to gain perspective and conclusions.
• Abell- Relay public concerns as well as my own to be considered during this review process, including being told that water was not available to students who did not have money to purchase it prior to awareness of medical issues. Why did we not cancel the event since we were aware of the temperatures and alerts at least 3-days prior? Reported, students were complaining of heat related issues prior to EMS being called, but they were instructed to sit down and behave. Wants the completed review/conclusion made available to the public.
• Cunningham - Same trip occurred the day before for other students without incident. Students arrived about 10:30...EMS called at noon.
• Cook - Her child was there and stated that water was offered to the students prior to the illnesses.
• Richmond - Cancel future trips of this nature and make an evening event. Takes full responsibility.
• Abell - Thank you to all responders in the tri-county area.

CIP update - See report

• Gwynn Center Renovations - reviewing all programs contained therein to modify/upgrade renovations ongoing as needed.
• Navy Housing Site - will soon be ours. Asbestos review needed. We will be responsible for tear down of existing structures. Will help aid LaPlata High School flow of traffic during renovations.

Lifelong Learning Center - See report (power point presentation to be added to Board Docs for pubic)

New Office 2010 textbooks - See report; to be placed at several high schools for public review

New policy 5118 elementary and secondary: gang activity - see new policy

Unfinished business - none

New business - none

Future agenda items - Student transfers review added to August meeting

Recognition - 4:15 p.m.

• Ruth Ann Hall awards
• Outstanding vice principal award
• Outstanding support staff awards
• Resolution - Charles County Teacher of the Year - Stephanie Fara Harris-Walent, language arts teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School
• Employees retirement resolution

Public Forum - 6 p.m.

• Ryan Shauf - follow-up on his wife's statements from last month regarding bullying at their children's schools. Please continue to work with schools and staff because not all issues are being addressed properly.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the Minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous

• Personnel

Motion to accept personnel by Pedersen; Second by Cook

Yes = Unanimous

• Handwriting

Motion to accept the handwriting curriculum by Wade; Second by Cook

Yes = Unanimous

• Educational Facilities Master Plan

Motion to accept the Educational Facilities Master Plan by Cook; Second by Lukas

Yes = Unanimous

• FY 2011 inter category budget change

Motion to accept the FY 2011 inter category budget change by Pedersen; Second by Cook

Yes = Unanimous

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 6/14/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, June 14, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:15 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available on the Charles County Public Schools Web site at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.
Executive session - 12 p.m.
Call to order - 1 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance - Maurice J. McDonough High School's JROTC unit

Swearing-in of new Student Board member
Contract signing


Superintendent's update


Reports of officers/boards/committees


Correspondence/Board member updates


Education Association of Charles County update


Risk assessment and internal audit plan


Student Board Member update


Graduation update


CIP update


Lifelong Learning Center and new Office 2010 textbooks


New policy 5118 elementary and secondary: gang activity


Unfinished business
New business


Future agenda items


Recognition - 4:15 p.m.


Ruth Ann Hall awards


Outstanding vice principal award


Outstanding support staff awards


Resolution - Charles County Teacher of the Year - Stephanie Fara Harris-Walent, language arts teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School


Employees retirement resolution


Public Forum - 6 p.m.


Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• Handwriting changes
• Educational facilities master plan
• FY 2011 intercategory budget change

Adjournment

Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: Are We Creating an Education Nightmare?

Patricia Deubel
thejournal.com
June 8, 2011

We seem to be setting ourselves up for disaster education. Efforts are underway not only to adopt value-added models to rate the effectiveness of individual teachers, but to use these models to identify those at the very bottom who might later lose their positions and those at the very top who might then be eligible for merit pay. Yet in all the policy discussions and public commentary, there's been little focus on learners and on how, precisely, we define the qualities of a good teacher.

The movement to revise methods for teacher evaluation to include such models came about in an effort to undermine current evaluation systems that tend to rate most teachers as satisfactory (Hull, 2011).

Educators are concerned because their evaluations will be tied to results of their students’ standardized testing, which are used in value-added calculations, while other factors, such as experience and training, are diminished. There's concern that the increase in testing that will be required to use those models to rate all teachers might come at the expense of learners, taking the joy out of learning and making it boring, as President Obama pointed out ("Remarks," 2011). And there's concern about our lack of agreement on what it means to be an effective educator.

The need for highly effective teachers is a given. But when, as part of the discussion, I heard policy makers and business leaders proclaim that experience and advanced degrees do not necessarily matter in teaching (Strauss, 2010), I took a look at my own career--which began about four decades ago--and concluded that I do not agree. Questions came to mind regarding the nature of teaching and to what degree value-added models could really help school districts identify teacher effectiveness to merit changing existing compensation systems that have traditionally been based on experience and degrees.

Read more HERE.

Md. teacher evaluation redesign bogs down

Michael Alison Chandler
The Washington Post
June 4, 2011

Last summer, Maryland won a $250 million federal grant with a promise to build a model to evaluate teachers and principals that would be “transparent and fair” and tie their success for the first time to student test scores and learning.

Now, the state that prides itself on cutting-edge practices and top-in-the-nation schools is struggling — along with every state or school system that has ever tried — to come up with a reliable formula for improving the teacher workforce and rooting out the lowest performers.

Bogged down by political infighting, large gaps in technical know-how and regulatory hurdles, Maryland recently applied for a year’s extension to fully execute the evaluation system it has yet to develop.

“We knew this was going to be very difficult,” said state Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick, who is requesting that the evaluations not carry consequences for teachers and principals until 2013-14, so schools will have more time to train and experiment. “If it rolls out too soon, it won’t be done well, and there will be reactions from teachers that this is a half-baked idea.”

Read more HERE.

Dozens of Md. children treated after heat exposure

Darci Marchese contributed to this report.
WTOP.com
June 9, 2011

WALDORF, Md. - Several dozen elementary and middle school students in southern Maryland have been taken to hospitals after they reported feeling ill because of the heat.

William Stephens, director of emergency services for Charles County, says the students were overcome by heat Thursday morning while attending an event at a semi-pro baseball stadium.

The students were on a field trip at the Regency Stadium in Waldorf, Md. for a "baseball and education day," said Keith Lupton, stadium general manager.

County spokeswoman Crystal Hunt says a total of 72 children were taken to area hospitals and 10 were treated at the scene. All of the students have since been released, Hunt says.

Stephens says he can't remember an event of a similar magnitude in his 25 years on the job.

Former Charles County school employee pleads guilty

Barnes-Thomas admits to purchasing electronics through Title I funds

SoMdNews.com
Tuesday, June 7, 2001
Gretchen Phillips, Staff Writer

The former Charles County public school employee who was charged for illegally using thousands of federal education funds to purchase electronics for her personal use pleaded guilty in federal court today.

Rhayda Barnes-Thomas, 41, of Accokeek pleaded guilty to theft involving a federal government program, in connection with a scheme to use federal funds received by Charles County Public Schools to purchase technology items such as iPods, computers and televisions for herself, friends and family, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

According to the release, Barnes-Thomas admitted to stealing more than $5,000 worth of property purchased using federal funds between 2009 and January 2011.

Read more HERE.

Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 5/23/11

The Board Meeting on Monday, May 23rd will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Call to order - 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum- None

Discussion on FY 2012 budget

• Pedersen - Maryland Council of Education Effectiveness; new education evaluation
• Lukas - CIP approval & discussion
• Cook - Thanks you to Balides
• WEdnesday at 7:30 County budget meeting and forum

Report Handwriting - see report

FY 2011 intercategory budget change - see report

• Lukas - dollar threshold for approval?

Action items

• FY 2012 budget

Motion to accept 2012 Budget by Pedersen; Second by Cook

Yes = Unanimous (Bowie absent)

• Out-of-county tuition fees

Motion to accept out-of-county tuition fees by Cook; Second by Pedersen

Yes = Unanimous (Bowie absent)

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Work Session, 5/23/11

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, May 23, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/. The agenda is as follows:

Call to order - 6 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum


Work session

• Discussion on FY 2012 budget

Report items

• Handwriting
• FY 2011 intercategory budget change

Action items

• FY 2012 budget
• Out-of-county tuition fees

Adjournment

Notes from Board of Education Meeting 5/10/11

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 10th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, Henry E. Lackey High School's JROTC unit

Recognition of student liaisons

Superintendent's update  - See report

Correspondence/Board Member updates

• Pedersen - Employee Breakfast
• Wise - Ethics Panel Letter stating they found no violations or concerns

Education Association of Charles County update  - Read report

Student Board Member update - read report

Discipline update  - read report

• Suspension to the Superintendent happens within 7-10 days and is recorded.
• Abell - students possibly staying in school until appeal process plays through and then serving the suspension
• Wise - do we move students to another school like Fairfax county does.  No.
• Pedersen - bullying, student victims are still in the same school with the suspect.  Victims are offered counseling and in extreme cases could ask for a school transfer.
• Abell - Can the suspect be moved to another school or is it always the victim?
• Dr. Vaira - Yes as of 2010 Safe School Act
• Abell - Zero tolerance or gray areas?
• Cunningham - Everything goes through a hearring officer.  Disciplines are based on individual infractions.
• Bowie - Parents resource; website and principal
• Pedersen - Zero tolerance does come up on our web-site as being in the middle school handbooks.  Suggestions for possibly changing the terminology from "Zero Tolerance"
• Cunningham - Will be reviewing all of them prior to next year.
• Abell - Serious offenders, ankle bracelets; how to alleviate fear of students and parents
• Dr. Vaira - offenses that occur in the community, we can not discipline in the school and therefore they cannot be moved
• Abell - Report available for parents of infractions by school similar to Montgomery County
• Cunningham - haven't currently but suspension report by school is available on web-site
• Lukas - can we have 'ankle bracelets' sent to another school
• Dr. Vaira - on a case by case basis dependent on infraction
• Pedersen - visible presence of ankle bracelets used as bullying
• Benson - Electronic monitoring students can only go back and forth to school & will go to Cheltenham immediately for any infractions; they get better grades & attendance & have better attitudes

CIP update - see report

Educational facilities master plan - see report

Handwriting - see report

• suggests replacing D'Nealian method with Handwriting Without Tears (yay! no more monkey tails)
• Cook - parents question why students need to know cursive; correlation to academic achievement
• Bowie - website on handwriting techniques and materials for parents - Yes
• Lukas - 10 - 30% of students struggle with handwriting.  Script? Cursive? in general?; General: why did we use D'Nealian to start with?  Best program at the time.  Disparity on how cursive is taught from one school to another.
• Abell - Questions have already been answered; thankful to see monkey tails gone

FY 2012 budget - read report

Out-of-county tuition fees - read report

New policy 5118 Elementary and Secondary: gang activity - see report

Unfinished business  - none

New business - none

Future agenda items - none

Presentation of Alan Shepard Award to Superintendent Richmond

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Ashley Eastburn, T. C. Martin Elementary; Katelyn Kluh, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary; Leilani Mason, Mary B. Neal Elementary; Teghan Simonton, Matthew Henson Middle School; Crystal Simmons,Mattawoman Middle School; Aaron Kauffman,North Point High School
• Employees - Shirley Foster, language arts teacher, Matthew Henson Middle School; Jaime Wright, physical education teacher, Indian Head Elementary School; Christine Krebeck, science teacher, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School; Jennifer DeAtley, reading resource teacher, Mary B. Neal Elementary School; Timothy Cerutti, mathematics teacher, North Point High School; Margaret Woodley, media specialist, Mattawoman Middle School; Earl Harrod, building service assistant manager, T.C. Martin Elementary School; Kathryn Stapelson, gifted education teacher, William A. Diggs Elementary School; Maryann Bourassa, gifted education resource teacher, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building

Public Forum 6 p.m.

• Amber Schauf - Parent.  Children have been victims of bullying both verbally and physically by students and staff.  Incidents have been reported to teachers, principals, youth officers, central office, superintendent, etc.  For ten years now they have suffered verbal, physical, sexual abuse/harassment, threats of violence including explosives and guns.  Someone do something.
• Robin Tyler - Program on Bullying and the impact to the community.  Next one is May 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Israel Total Life Ministry in Waldorf.  (Live Taping) robintylerfoundation.org

Action items

• Minutes
Motion to accept Minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous

• Personnel
Motion to accept Personnel by Pedersen; Second by Wade
Yes = Unanimous

• 2012-2013 calendar
Motion to accept 2012-2013 Calendar by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Unanimous

Public hearing on FY 2012 budget  - no one signed up

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting; 5/10/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, May 10, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and student and staff recognition starts at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12 and is rebroadcast throughout the week. The meeting is also streamed live on the Charles County Public Schools Web site. Visit http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/ to watch the meeting.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, Henry E. Lackey High School's JROTC unit
Recognition of student liaisons

Superintendent's update
Correspondence/Board Member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student Board Member update

Discipline update

CIP update

Educational facilities master plan

Handwriting

FY 2012 budget

Out-of-county tuition fees

New policy 5118 Elementary and Secondary: gang activity

Unfinished business
New business

Future agenda items

Presentation of Alan Shepard Award to Superintendent Richmond

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• 2012-2013 calendar

Public hearing on FY 2012 budget

Adjournment

Impact of recession: New schools too costly for some counties

Charles and Wicomico counties turn down state construction money

By Julie Bykowicz, The Baltimore Sun

11:40 p.m. EDT, May 4, 2011

As the state Board of Public Works approved $264 million for school construction Wednesday, two counties asked to delay new buildings because they aren't certain they can come up with the money to finish or operate them — an unprecedented sign, officials said, of the continuing financial challenges confronting local governments.

"We've never dealt with anything like this before, where we've come to this sort of crisis point," David G. Lever, director of the state's Public School Construction Program, said of the requests by Charles and Wicomico counties. "It's a real bellwether of the economy."

State Comptroller Peter Franchot said such "uncharted waters" should be a "blinking red light" for state officials. Franchot sits on the three-member Board of Public Works with Gov. Martin O'Malley and Treasurer Nancy Kopp.

"This could just be the tip of the iceberg," he said, questioning whether other counties also might struggle to support new or enlarged schools given the toll the economy has taken on local property and income tax revenues. "In these tough times, perhaps we should reassess these shiny new schools that we're building."

READ MORE HERE

School braces for failure

If Barnhart misses AYP again, sanctions follow

Maryland Independent
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
By Gretchen Phillips, Staff Writer

School staff began warning parents Monday at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School of choices parents have in the event it does not meet state and federal goals on this year's Maryland School Assessments.

Parents may be able to opt to send their child to another school in the district, though Barnhart staff did their best to convince parents that Barnhart is "awesome."

The MSA is a test given to students in grades 3 through 8 in math and reading to satisfy requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Students and school systems strive to achieve set standards on the state tests in order to test proficient or better; the percentages of students in each grade who must test at the proficient level to meet the standards for each school rise each year.

Read more HERE.

Penalties for drug offenses weigh heavily on students

Washington Post

April 30, 2011

Donna St. George

As many high school seniors thrill over their college admission offers, Nick Hanna wonders about the effect of his mistakes in Fairfax County. Four Virginia colleges have turned him down, and two have placed him on wait lists.

What exactly will follow his June graduation, Nick doesn’t know. “Everything has changed,” he said.

It has been nearly a year since Nick, then 17, was disciplined after a search of his backpack at Langley High School produced a small device used to smoke marijuana. That alone would have meant a suspension, but when the device tested positive for residue, school officials imposed a second offense that was more serious: drug possession.

Marijuana use is common among high-schoolers across the country, and in Fairfax more than 38 percent of 12th-graders admit to having tried it, according to a county survey.

Read more HERE.

State board considers changing school discipline rules

A suspended student could not be kept out of school during an appeal of the disciplinary action

By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun

7:16 p.m. EDT, April 26, 2011

In an attempt to tighten state regulations governing school discipline, the state school board will gather reaction on a proposal to limit the time a suspended student can be kept out of school during the appeal of a serious disciplinary action.

The board said Tuesday it wants to implement a regulation that would require a school system to bring a student back to school the day after the suspension is over. In some school systems, a student can be kept out of school for weeks or months while an appeal is heard, a practice the state board wants to stop. Under the proposal, if a student is suspended for 10 days and appealed the suspension, the student would have to return to school on the 11th day.

The board began discussion of the issue after a Fairfax County, Va., student, who had been out of school for several months following a suspension, committed suicide. Family members have suggested that the suspension contributed to the student's suicide.

State education administrators said they have almost no statistics on how often students are out of school for long periods after disciplinary actions, but the board said it wanted districts to be required to collect such data.

The proposal also would require the school systems to complete an investigation and the superintendent to make a ruling on the disciplinary action within the first 10 days that the student is out of school.

Most systems require a superintendent's approval if a student is going to be suspended for more than 10 days.

The school board is seeking reaction on the proposal from the school districts and the public in the next month.

Board of Education hosts joint meeting with Commissioners

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a joint strategic planning meeting with the Charles County Commissioners at 12 p.m., Wednesday, May 4, in the Boardroom at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata.

The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/.


I. Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m.

II. Call to Order – 12 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Strategic Planning Work Session

• Overview of county public schools in general, with emphasis on special assets or areas of importance for individual schools. (It would be nice to hear about what is noteworthy about our current schools and student populations.)
• Budget, Maintenance of Effort discussion
• Information on programs that support low income students (Title I and Judy Centers)
• After school programs - homework and tutoring programs
• Parent Outreach - various initiatives that BOE has to communicate with and involve parents.
• Security and overall safety of our schools.
• State Quality Indicators - how we rank.
• Communications Protocol - Board President to Board President; staff-to-staff.
• Two meetings per year - next meeting will be hosted by Commissioners.

IV. Adjournment

Regional Conference Focuses on Food Security

By Marty Madden
The Baynet
4/21/11

Southern Maryland community leaders and volunteers gathered Wednesday, April 20 at the Calvert County Fairgrounds for the region's third annual Hunger Conference.

Over 80 people attended the five-and-a-half hour event presented by the Southern Maryland Food Bank. Several of the conference's speakers indicated the eradication of hunger was a security issue.

"Food security is having access to enough food for an active, healthy life," said Cassandra Kaiser, a nutrition associate with Maryland Hunger Solutions. At particular risk are people who do not live in proximity to a grocery store and children from low-income families. While there are government-supported nutrition programs designed to aid the latter group, several speakers indicated they are not being embraced by the entire community.

Maryland Hunger Solutions' Director Cathy A. Demeroto noted Calvert and Charles counties "rank at the bottom in participation of the school breakfast program."

Read more HERE.