Ms. Regina Teat (Director of Leadership & School Improvement) reported that the final DCPS plan for implementing the Maryland Blueprint for Education must be submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) by March 15. In developing the plan, DCPS held 13 community meetings throughout the County, as well as similar meetings with DCPS high school students, DCPS leadership and assistant principals, and members of the DCPS Equity and Secondary Education Task Forces. DCPS also reviewed responses to an online survey. Ms. Teat summarized the DCPS Plan for each Blueprint Pillar (Early Childhood Education; High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders; College & Career Readiness; Resources to Ensure Success of All Students; Governance & Accountability) and noted that MSDE has provided preliminary feedback on the plan. Final feedback from MSDE is expected before the end of the school year.
Dr. Jodi Colman (Director of Curriculum & Assessment) presented an update on the DCPS Ongoing Instructional Plan. The Supervisor of Mathematics and a group of math coaches have reviewed the grade level reports from MSDE and identified grade-level priorities for ongoing instruction to build skills from now to the end of the school year and thereafter. They have developed strategies for infusing math into daily operations and building momentum with students, as well as targeted professional development for teachers. Dr. Coleman noted that the MDreportcard.org website went live today (March 9th) to provide a report card and star rating for each school.
Mr. Kirk Howie (Director of Student Services) presented three approaches (and projected costs) for developing an Alternative Education Program within DCPSs. “Option A” would maintain the current secondary school model at the New Directions Learning Academy (NDLA), along with the Therapeutic Support (intervention) Program (TSP) provided by a contracted vendor at the elementary schools identified under Maryland’s Concentration of Poverty (COP) program. “Option B” would create a regional TSP Program and an NDLA elementary school program accessible to all district schools. “Option C” would create an in-school Tier 1 alternative intervention program at COP schools, a Tier-2 NDLA elementary school program accessible to all schools (Tier 2), and an external Tier-3 program for students requiring intensive intervention. With recent funding cuts, Options A and B are no longer feasible. Extended discussion took place regarding the pros and cons of an elementary Tier-2 NDLA program. It was proposed that DCPS might start with an elementary Tier-1 plan and examine data to decide what additional programs may be needed in the future. The need for additional teacher training and professional development for classroom management was also emphasized. The Board requested that Mr. Howie rework “Option C“ to focus on the elementary in-school model and report behavior issues and suspension data for each school from this year and last year.
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