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Board of Education Audit Committee to Hold Quarterly Meeting

The Audit Committee of the Board of Education will hold its quarterly meeting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. The meeting will take place in Board Room A at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Howard County Continues to Show Gains on MSA: African American, Hispanic Elementary Students Meet Local Standard in Reading

Superintendent Sydney Cousin announced today that Howard County schools continue to show gains on the Maryland State Assessments. In addition, he noted that Howard County's African American and Hispanic students have met local standards in reading across grade levels.

"It is important to note that not only do we expect our schools to meet state standards, but we also expect them to meet our local standards, which are more rigorous," explained Cousin. Howard County's target is for all schools to have at least 70 percent of their students scoring at proficient or above on both the math and reading assessments. The 70 percent standard also applies across grade levels and to all students groups.

Dr. Cousin noted that overall 88 percent of Howard County students performed at proficient or above in reading and 84 percent in math. ALL elementary schools exceeded the county standard of 70 percent in BOTH reading and mathematics. A total of 89 percent of all students in Grades 3 to 5 scored at proficient or above in reading. In math, 88 percent scored at proficient or above.

The percent of all HCPSS students in Grades 6 to 8 scoring at proficient or above in reading was 86 percent and for mathematics was 80 percent. The overall student performance in all middle schools exceeded the county standard of 70 percent in reading.

In mathematics, 13 of the county's 18 middle schools met the county standard. Five middle schools and the K-8 school did not meet the local standard, but all of these schools exceeded the state standard for mathematics. It should be noted that 4 of the 6 schools not meeting the 70 percent standard, made progress in mathematics this year.

Dr. Cousin said he was particularly pleased to see that both African American and Hispanic student performance in mathematics improved significantly and that at the elementary level both student groups met the local standard for mathematics this year. In Grades 3-5, the performance of African American students increased from 69 to 73 percent in mathematics. The percent of Hispanic students in Grades 3-5 scoring at proficient or above increased from 67 percent to 73 percent.

In Grades 6-8, the percent of African American students scoring at proficient or above in mathematics increased from 50 percent to 55 percent. At the middle school level, the performance of Hispanic students increased from 54 to 60 percent in mathematics.

Students receiving free or reduced meals (FARMS) also made progress this year. In Grades 3 to 5, the performance of students receiving FARMS increased from 67 percent to 68 percent at proficient or above in reading and from 61 percent to 64 percent in mathematics. In Grades 6 to 8, the performance of students receiving FARMS increased from 59 percent to 61 percent proficient or above in reading and from 39 percent to 44 percent in mathematics.

Dr. Cousin also noted that a number of Howard County schools are beginning to approach the No Child Left Behind goal of 100 percent of students achieving at proficient or above.

"It is truly commendable that seven of our elementary schools and one middle school show 95 percent or more of their students scoring at proficient or above in reading," he said. "We also have seven elementary schools with 95 percent or more of their students scoring proficient or above in mathematics."

“It is very hard work to maintain performance at such a high level year after year. These schools deserve to be recognized for their dedication to continued excellence,” Dr. Cousin remarked.

He indicated that he is very proud of the system’s 2006 MSA results and that the increases affirm that “what we are doing is working.”

Dr. Cousin attributed Howard County’s success to a number of system initiatives designed to support student achievement. He pointed to the recent addition of reading and math support teachers in schools; intensive professional development programs in mathematics and reading for elementary and middle school teachers; and the expansion of elementary tutoring programs, summer school programs and after-school programs. He also praised local school administrators for their strong instructional leadership.

To date, the Maryland State Department of Education has released MSA data for Grades 3-8 only. The Algebra and English 10 results for high schools will not be available until late summer and fall.

Boeing Company Awards $15,000 Grant to Cedar Lane School for State-of-the-art Professional Development

Cedar Lane School in Fulton has received a $15,000 grant from the Boeing Company for the 2006-2007 school year. The funds will allow 92 educators and related service providers to attend local and national conferences and workshops to gain state-of-the-art information on working with children with severe disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, various genetic and chromosomal disorders, mental illness, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, and neural tube defects.

This is the third year that Boeing Company has funded the grant, for a cumulative total of $45,000, according to Dr. Lois Pommer, the Cedar Lane Psychologist who wrote and submitted the grant. Pommer notes that the benefits of the grant extend well beyond the staff members who attend the conferences. When they return from conferences, the attendees present pertinent information to the rest of the Cedar Lane School staff in after-school and weekend sessions. Ultimately, it’s the students who benefit the most.

Past grants have funded staff attendance at events such as the World Congress on Disabilities, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children certification training, and Crisis Prevention Intervention instructor training.

Staff members have also attended workshops on Introduction to Cortical Visual Impairment, Development of Comprehensive Supports for Students with Autism, Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Community, IntelliSwitching, Sensory Processing Disorders, Introduction to the Verbal Behavioral Approach, Integrated Functional Assessment and Programming for Deaf-Blind Students, and Exploring Inclusion and Accessibility in Arts Education.

For additional information, contact Lois Pommer at 410-888-8800.

Board of Education to Hold Closed Meeting

The Howard County Board of Education will meet in closed session at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, 2006, at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Board of Education to Meet in Closed Session

The Board of Education will meet in closed session at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2006, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Board of Education to Hold Public Work Session and Regular Meeting

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a public work session and a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2006, in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. During the work session, which begins at 3 p.m., the discussion will focus on the expansion of the Board.

The afternoon session of the Board meeting, which begins at 4 p.m., and the evening session, beginning at 7:30 p.m., will start with a “Public Forum,” when members of the public may address the Board on any topic other than those for which a formal public hearing process exists. Advanced sign up is preferred. Contact the Executive Assistant to the Board to sign up.

For further information, contact the Executive Assistant to the Board at 410-313-7194 or the Public Information Office at 410-313-6682.

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.

School System Seeks Individual to Serve as Chairperson of Howard County School Health Council

The Howard County Public School System is seeking persons interested in serving as chairperson of the Howard County School Health Council. The Council provides leadership and advice to the Superintendent of Schools and the Health Officer in the development and promotion of comprehensive school health programs to enhance the academic achievement, health and well-being of all students. The executive committee meets four times a year and the full committee meets four times a year.

Local School Health Councils are mandated by Maryland State Education Bylaw. Membership is drawn from a broad segment of the community including health, business, clergy, volunteer organizations, parents and members from the school system and the health department.

Interested individuals should submit letters of interest to:

Donna Heller
Health Services Coordinator
HCPSS Applications and Research Lab
10920 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD 21042

Or

donna_heller@hcpss.org

Advisory Committee Seeks At-large Members

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Board of Education is seeking at-large members for the 2006-2007 school year. The CAC is a group of citizens and representatives from local PTA’s that serves in an advisory capacity to the elected school board. The CAC sponsors educational programming for members and provides them with the opportunity to study and have input into curriculum, education policy, redistricting and budget. The committee generally meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month in the Board Room at the Department of Education in Ellicott City. At-large members serve a two-year term. For more information, contact the Public Information Office at 410-313-6682.

Board of Education to Meet in Closed Session

The Board of Education will meet in closed session at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2006, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Board of Education to Meet in Closed Session

The Board of Education will meet in closed session at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, 2006, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Board of Education to Meet with County Council

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a quarterly meeting with the County Council at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 7, 2006, at the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City.

For additional information, contact the Executive Assistant to the Board at 410-313-7194.