Nov. 10, 2005
(#2005-54)School Officials Pleased With 76.7% Reading Pass
Rate; Data Shows All High Schools Make AYP in Reading
Superintendent Sydney Cousin says he is pleased with the
school system’s 76.7 percent pass rate on English II High School
Assessment (HSA), which was released by the Maryland State
Department of Education today and adds that he anticipates an
even higher pass rate next year, when students must pass the
test to graduate.
“I’m confident that the instructional approaches we’ve
initiated in our high schools, such as the co-teaching model, as
well the great work being done in all grades, will ensure
students are thoroughly prepared for the high school
assessments. Our focus on meeting the individual needs of
students is improving academic achievement across the system,”
says Cousin.
Of the 3,756 Howard County students who took the English II
assessment, 40.5 percent scored at the advanced level and 36.2
percent scored at the proficient level. This exceeds the state
standard of 40 percent but falls short of the Howard school
system’s target to have 95 percent of all students pass the HSA
on the first attempt.
English II is a new state test administered for the first
time in May 2005. It serves as both the reading accountability
measure for high schools and as an individual student graduation
requirement.
With both the geometry and English II results available, MSDE
also released preliminary Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status
for high schools in mathematics and reading. All schools met AYP
for reading. Two Howard County schools did not meet AYP
requirements. Cedar Lane Special Center did not meet AYP for
attendance and Hammond High School did not meet AYP for special
education students in mathematics. School officials are checking
data to determine if there is basis for appeal.
Overall, Howard County achieved the following pass rates on
the 2005 High School Assessments:
|
HSA |
Students |
Pass Rate |
|
Algebra* |
4393 |
74.3% |
|
Biology |
3800 |
76.7% |
|
English |
3742 |
76.7% |
| Government |
3801 |
82.1% |
*Includes middle schools students who took Algebra in
2004-05.
Nov. 9, 2005
(#2005-53)Kindergartners Share Meals with Magnificent Men
The Cradlerock School, 6700 Cradlerock Way in Columbia, and
the Judy Center located in the school are partnering to host the
Second Annual Meals with Magnificent Men event on Thursday, Nov.
17, 2005 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Dads, step-dads, uncles,
brothers, grandfathers, and significant males in the lives of
the school's kindergarten children will be attending a
Thanksgiving lunch with the kindergartners to promote the
participation of men in the education of their children.
Children have made specials gifts for the men in their lives
and the male participants will read to the children in their
classrooms following the lunch. Male staff members from the
Howard County Department of Education and administrators from
the Cradlerock School will be available in the event that a
significant male for a particular child cannot attend.
The Judy Center, a birth through age five early intervention
program of the Howard County Public School System, will provide
lunch free of charge to men who attend. For further information,
please contact Anne Yenchko, Director of the Judy Center at
410-381-9024.
Nov. 9, 2005
(#2005-52)Board of Education to Meet in Closed Session
The Board of Education of Howard County will meet in closed
session at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005, at the
Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.
Nov. 7, 2005
(#2005-51)School System Receives Grant for Emergency Operations
Planning
The Howard County Public School System was recently awarded
an Emergency Response and Crisis Management grant in the sum of
$393,000 from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe
and Drug-Free Schools Emergency Response and Crisis Management
Program. This grant funding will support three enhancements to
the school system’s emergency operations planning and response
process.
The funding will allow the school system to:
- Review school and system emergency operating plans for
alignment with the Howard County Emergency Operations Plan
and for compliance with National Incident Management System
requirements
- Provide emergency operations training to system leaders,
school faculties, and support facility staff members.
- Enhance current emergency communications and outreach
plans.
The grant project will be managed and implemented Ronald
Miller, Manager for the Office of Safety, Environment, and Risk
Management for the Howard County Public School System.
Nov. 7, 2005
(#2005-50)Howard County School System Selects Pepco Energy
Systems for Energy Conservation, Modernization Initiative
Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc.
(NYSE: POM) and a leader in energy savings performance
contracting, has been chosen to provide a comprehensive energy
efficiency and guaranteed savings program for the Howard County
(Maryland) Public School System.
The program calls for Pepco Energy Services to initially
implement energy conservation measures at Phelps Luck
Elementary, Patuxent Valley Middle and Hammond High schools and
conduct energy feasibility studies at ten other Howard County
schools.
As part of the performance contract, Pepco Energy Services
will install a new chiller, cooling tower and pumps at Hammond
High School, expand the existing energy management control
system, and provide high-efficiency lighting in the three
schools. Construction is underway and is expected to be
completed by early 2006.
“Pepco Energy Services looks forward to providing the Howard
County Public School System with significant energy savings as a
result of the energy conservation measures we will implement,”
said David Weiss, President of the Performance Management Group
of Pepco Energy Services.
“As a public agency, the school system is committed to
implementing efficiencies and exploring innovative ways to
finance projects. This contract with Pepco Energy Services will
allow us to conserve energy and fund capital improvements with
the resulting savings,” commented Thomas Kierzkowski, Director
of Facilities for the Howard County Public School System.
Since 1995, Pepco Energy Services has developed, implemented
and financed over $500 million of energy savings performance
contracts for more than 200 customers, including the single
largest energy savings performance contract ever awarded by the
Federal Government—a project for the Military District of
Washington which includes Fort Meade, Maryland that will produce
over $200 million of guaranteed energy savings.
Accredited by the National Association of Energy Service
Companies (NAESCO), Pepco Energy Services has also completed
energy savings performance contracts for many federal and state
government agencies. Most recently, it has completed projects at
the Thomas B. Finan Hospital Center in Cumberland, Maryland for
the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and at K-12
school districts in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West
Virginia.
Nov. 7, 2005
(#2005-49)Board of Education to Hold Two Public Work Sessions
on Attendance Area Adjustments
The Howard County Board of Education will hold two public
work sessions on the proposed attendance area adjustments for
the 2006/2007 school year. The work sessions will begin at 7
p.m. on Tuesday, November 15 and Thursday, November 17 in the
Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in
Ellicott City. The public is encouraged to attend and will have
an opportunity to leave written comments.
Individuals who would like to request a sign language
interpreter for any meeting of the Board of Education may
contact Colleen Rice, Interpreter Scheduler, at 410-313-7046. A
two week advanced notice is preferred.
For more information, contact the Executive Assistant to the
Board at 410-313-7194.
