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June 2007 News Releases

June 29, 2007 (#2006-186)

Harbor Hospital Partnership to Offer Real World Experience in Health Care Careers

A new partnership with Harbor Hospital will give Howard County high school students hands-on exposure to the rewards and demands of careers in health care and the business of running a medical facility, while gaining a deeper understanding of the valuable role a hospital can serve in the community. The partnership will be formalized on Thursday, July 5, with an official signing at the Waterside Restaurant in the Sheraton Columbia Hotel.

Under the terms of the partnership, Harbor Hospital and the Howard County Public School System will match interested, qualified students with internship opportunities at the hospital in a variety of medical and business disciplines. Hospital staff will also offer to oversee students’ independent research projects in subjects such as radiology, nursing, and wellness, or in the business of medicine, such as marketing, public relations, or finance.

In addition, the hospital will work with schools to promote health and life care services in Howard County through special events such as health fairs and sports safety seminars.

At 8:30 a.m., Jean Bunker, Assistant Vice President, and Christie Zimmerman, Community Relations Associate at Harbor Hospital, Medstar Health will join Ellen Flynn Giles, Howard County Board of Education member, Michelle Bagley, Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher at Centennial High School, and Mary Schiller, Manager, Partnerships Office to sign the partnership agreement.

Harbor Hospital (www.harborhospital.org), a MedStar Health facility, is committed to excellence in patient care. Overlooking the scenic Patapsco River, Harbor Hospital offers leading-edge technology~and world-class physicians in a smaller, more personal community environment.

The Howard County Public School System’s Partnerships Office unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses, and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

June 27, 2007 (#2006-185)

Reservoir High Student Earns a Perfect SAT Score

Howard County school officials learned last week that Reservoir High School student Russell Huang scored a perfect 2400 on the 2007 SAT.  Huang will be a senior at Reservoir this fall.

 "This is a remarkable accomplishment," says Reservoir Principal Adrian Kaufman. "We are very proud of Russell."

In 2006, a total of 2720 Howard County students took the SAT, earning an average composite score of 1636. The 2007 SAT scores for the county will be available in late August.

June 25, 2007 (#2006-184)

Time and Location Change for Board of Education Audit Committee Quarterly Meeting

The time and location of the previously announced quarterly meeting of the Board of Education's Audit Committee have been changed. The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, in Board Room A at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 25, 2007 (#2006-183)

School Board Enhances Public Access with Electronic Meeting Agenda

The Board of Education of Howard County is using the Internet to enhance governance and communication with the public through the use of BoardDocs, an initiative that provides for the electronic distribution of documents related to Board of Education meetings. This replaces the old method of hard copy distribution. By making use of the Internet, documents associated with Board meetings will be distributed more quickly and efficiently. Now documents for Thursday Board of Education meetings will be posted publicly at noon on the Tuesday preceding the meeting.

Electronic distribution will not only save time and resources but will also provide unprecedented public access to the information that board members use to make decisions. Through the Howard County Public School System web site, the public can view the agenda and the supporting documents associated with the meeting. This will allow interested parties to review and/or print the information prior to the meeting. After the meeting, individuals can review the agenda items and see the action taken by the Board, including the complete voting record. In addition, all documents associated with the meeting are automatically archived and can be accessed by meeting date or by using the comprehensive search feature.

The new eGovernance system will allow documents to be published to the on-line agenda as they become available, extending the time that board members have access to the information by several days. Board members will also have access to a vast database of best of best practices from other districts to gain knowledge of initiatives other boards have considered and implemented.

The new eGovernance features can be accessed via the district’s web site at www.hcpss.org. All Board of Education policies are also available in electronic format and can be accessed through the school system web site as well.

BoardDocs was developed in partnership with K-12 administration and board members from across the country to ease the process of assembly and distribution of board packets and supporting documents to board members. In use since January of 2001, BoardDocs has enabled organizations to publish board agenda items, supporting documents and policies to the World Wide Web. BoardDocs uses a structured collaborative workflow that is specifically designed to meet the unique needs and legal requirements of public school boards, county commissions and municipal government. Organizations interested in learning more about BoardDocs can visit www.boarddocs.com for more information and to experience the paperless solution first hand.

June 25, 2007 (#2006-182)

Board of Education to Hold Closed Meeting

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a closed meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 21, 2007 (#2006-181)

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 Tuesday, June 26, 2007, in Conference Room 1 at Homewood Center, 10914 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 15, 2007 (#2006-180)

Time Change for Board of Education Closed Meeting

The time for the previously announced closed meeting of the Board of Education, scheduled for Tuesday, June 19, 2007, has been changed from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 14, 2007 (#2006-179)

Liberian School System to Partner with Howard County Public Schools

Howard County students will gain new opportunities to expand their exposure to and understanding of international peoples and cultures through a new partnership between the Monrovia Consolidated School System in Liberia, West Africa, and the Howard County Public School System. The partnership will be formalized at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, in Board Room B at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

The partnership will create an alliance that will enhance mutual understanding, promote common goals, and establish a dialogue for possible cultural exchanges. Under the terms of the agreement, the school systems will explore opportunities to exchange personnel, information, and resources in order to enhance educational programs and build mutual understanding of each nation’s people, land, history, and culture.

Liberian representatives signing the agreement will include the Honorable Charles A. Minor, Ambassador of the Republic of Liberia, Daniel G. Johnson, President/CEO, Liberia Investment and Business Development Corporation, Jacques P. Walker, Vice President/Partnership Development, Liberia Investment and Business Development Corporation, and Charles W. Johnson, Vice President/Trade & Industry Development, Liberia Investment and Business Development Corporation.

HCPSS representatives signing the agreement will include Diane Mikulis, Chairperson, Howard County Board of Education, Dr. Sydney L. Cousin, Superintendent, Mamie Perkins, Chief of Staff, Min Kim, Coordinator, Equity Assurance, and Mary Schiller, Manager, Partnerships Office.

June 14, 2007 (#2006-178)

Eggspectation Partnership to Enhance Learning Environment for Seven Howard County Schools

Students, staff, and volunteers at Glenwood Middle School will enjoy a variety of incentives and rewards for excellent work, to be provided by Eggspectation Bistro-Café through an expanded educational partnership between the restaurant and seven Howard County elementary and middle schools. The partnership agreement will be formalized with an official signing on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, at Glenwood Middle School, 2680 Route 97 in Glenwood.

Glenwood Middle School joins six other schools currently participating in the partnership, which was first established in 2002: Bellows Spring, Deep Run, Lisbon, and Waterloo Elementary Schools, and Dunloggin and Harper's Choice Middle Schools.

Under the terms of the partnership, Eggspectation Bistro-Café will offer the use of a private event room for School Improvement Team meetings, and will provide an annual staff breakfast or dinner for faculty appreciation events at each school and restaurant gift certificates to be used as incentives and rewards for staff or students. Eggspectation personnel will also share their expertise on restaurant management, food preparation, and customer service with students during career days and other events.

The schools have agreed to provide entertainment at the restaurant for selected special events and holidays, to be performed by members of school choruses and bands, and will recognize the partnership in school newsletters and other venues.

At 9 a.m., Jon Hinkle, Owner, Hinkle-Albert Enterprises, Inc., will sign the formal partnership agreement, joined by Howard County Public Schools representatives Richard Wilson, Principal, Glenwood Middle School, and Mary E. Schiller, Manager, Partnerships Office.

Eggspectation Bistro-Café (www.eggspectation.com) is one of America’s most innovative upscale casual dining restaurant companies. The restaurant at 6010 University Blvd. in Ellicott City was the first location to open in the U.S., and is now one of five on the East Coast, with plans to expand throughout the country.

The Howard County Public School System Partnerships Office unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses, and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

June 14, 2007 (#2006-177)

Over 90% of Howard 4th Graders Meet State Standard on MSAs; Steady Growth Continues in Performance of Student Groups

Superintendent Sydney Cousin announced today that Maryland State Assessment scores for Howard County continue to be among the top in the state. He said he is particularly pleased with the performance of the county’s fourth graders. Cousin noted that within Howard County, fourth graders had the highest percentage of students scoring at proficient or above on the assessments -- 93 percent in reading and 91 percent in math.

"This is the first time that we’ve passed the 90 percent mark across a grade level. That’s significant,” said Cousin. “Of particular note is the 86 percent of Howard’s fourth grade African American students and 82 percent of the county’s fourth grade Hispanic students who scored at proficient or above.”

He also noted that ALL student groups in Grade 4 met Howard County’s local standard of 70 percent in reading.

Cousin noted that ALL elementary schools exceeded the county standard of 70 percent in BOTH reading and mathematics. For the first time, overall 90 percent of Howard’s elementary students scored at proficient or advanced on the reading MSA. In mathematics, 89 percent of elementary students scored at proficient or advanced.

“We expect our schools to meet state standards, but we also expect them to meet our local standards, which are more rigorous," he explained. 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.

Ten elementary schools met the 70 percent target for EVERY student group in reading and seven elementary schools that met the target for EVERY student group in mathematics.

Elementary students receiving special services continued to make progress in reading, with English Language Learners (ELL) moving from 62 percent at proficient or advanced in 2006 to 69 percent in 2007. Students receiving Free or Reduced Price Meals (FARMS) and special education services gained 2 percent each, with 71 percent of FARMS students and 63 percent of special education students at proficient or advanced.

The performance of middle school students in reading and mathematics continued to be strong, with 85 percent scoring proficient or advanced in reading and 81 percent scoring at proficient or advanced in mathematics. The overall student performance in all middle schools exceeded the county standard of 70 percent in reading.

“We have seen steady growth over the last four years for many of our student groups in middle school mathematics,” said Cousin. He noted that since 2004, African American student performance increased from 39 percent to 57 percent scoring at proficient or advanced in mathematics. For Hispanic students, the increase for that same period was 14 points, from 45 percent to 59 percent. ELL students moved from 40 percent to 52 percent, FARMS students from 28 percent to 45 percent and special education students from 22 to 38 percent.

The Superintendent 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.

“While we are very pleased with the performance of our fourth graders, we still have work to do across the system, especially at the middle school level. We need to continue the improvements we are seeing for all our student groups,” he said. “We can not be content until every student succeeds.”

June 13, 2007 (#2006-176)

Board of Education Meeting June 28

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a regularly scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 28, 2007, in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Both the afternoon and the evening session, which convenes at 7:30 p.m., will begin 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.

To sign up to testify at a hearing or to speak at Public Forum, contact the Executive Assistant to the Board at 410-313-7194.

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.

June 13, 2007 (#2006-175)

Board of Education to Hold Closed Meeting

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a closed meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 12, 2007 (#2006-174)

Glenelg High School to Partner with Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel

A new partnership with Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel will enable Glenelg High School students to learn skills related to running a tour and travel business, including scheduling, finance, marketing, and effective communication.

Under the terms of the partnership, Eyre will offer internships at the company for interested, qualified students. Eyre employees will also share their expertise with students during activities such as career days and mock interviews. Eyre has also agreed to sponsor special events at the school.

The partnership agreement will be formalized on Friday, June 15, with an official signing at Eyre headquarters at 13600 Triadelphia Road in Glenelg. At 2:30 p.m., Ronald Eyre, President/CEO and Matthew Eyre, Vice President-Sales of Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel will join Sandra French, Board of Education Member, Dr. Sydney Cousin, Superintendent, Karl Schindler, Glenelg High School Principal, and Mary Schiller, Partnerships Manager to sign the formal partnership agreement. After the signing, participants will enjoy a guided tour of the Eyre facility.

Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel (www.eyre.com) has represented excellence in travel for more than sixty years. A full-service transportation company, Eyre offers a wide array of charter bus, tour, and travel agency services.

The Howard County Public School System’s Partnerships Office unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses, and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

June 8, 2007 (#2006-173)

Debate Partnership to Sharpen Students’ Persuasion, Public Speaking Skills

Howard County students will be able to develop their skills in critical thinking, research, and preparing convincing arguments while matching wits with others through a new partnership with Capitol Debate, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching and promoting policy debate programs in schools.

Under the terms of the partnership, high schools students and their coaches will work with Capitol Debate to establish school debate teams, to learn policy debate techniques, and to practice those skills through participation in local, regional, and national debate tournaments. Capitol Debate will also assist teachers in introducing debate at the middle school level, and will provide resources on debating techniques for classroom use.

Debate team participation can build confidence and self esteem, often leading to greater academic, social, and employment success, according to Capitol Debate founder and CEO Ron Bratt. He notes that debate can be especially effective in appealing to students who have not found satisfaction in more traditional academic or competitive activities. Bratt has been involved in debate for more than 25 years, and established an award-winning debate program at Catholic University.

The partnership agreement was formalized on Friday, June 8, with an official signing at the Waterside Restaurant in the Sheraton Columbia Hotel. Ron Bratt joined Ellen Flynn Giles, Howard County Board of Education member, Clarissa Evans, Executive Director, Secondary Curricular Programs, Zeleana Morris, Secondary Language Arts Curriculum Coordinator, Debbie Blum, Middle School Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher, and Joan Fox of the Partnerships Office to sign the formal partnership agreement.

Capitol Debate (www.capitol-debate.com) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting policy debate in schools and colleges. Capitol Debate assists schools in setting up teams, recruiting and training students and coaches, fundraising, and sustainability planning.

The Howard County Public School System’s Partnerships Office unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses, and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

June 5, 2007 (#2006-172)

Board of Education Audit Committee Meeting Canceled

The meeting of the Board of Education Audit Committee scheduled for Tuesday, June 5, 2007, has been canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

June 4, 2007 (#2006-171)

Board of Education to Hold Closed Meeting

The Howard County Board of Education will hold a closed meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at the Department of Education 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

June 4, 2007 (#2006-170)

Citizens Advisory Committee to Hold Planning Meeting

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Board of Education of Howard County has scheduled a planning meeting on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. in room ML-2 at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. They will be identifying and prioritizing projects for the 2007-2008 school year. All members are encouraged to attend.

All meetings of the CAC are open to the public. For more information, contact Rose Dennison, Chairman at rosedennison@comcast.net or call 301-490-7716.

June 1, 2007 (#2006-169)

Jeffers Hill Elementary School PTA Annual Health and Safety Fair on June 2, 2007

Jeffers Hill Elementary School PTA is hosting a Health and Safety Fair on Saturday, June 2, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at  6000 Tamar Drive in Columbia. This is a fun event filled with important information on children’s health, fitness and safety. The fair gives children the opportunity to watch the State Police Medivac helicopter land and get an inside view of the copter cabin while talking to the pilot. Also, they can see a State Police K-9 demonstration; meet McGruff the Crime Dog, the Crash test dummies, and Troo the TraumaRoo. Kids who bring their bikes and helmets can have a free safety inspection. There will be learning stations set up where children and parents can learn about stranger danger, seat belt safety, healthy hearts, poison control, dental health, proper hand washing using a special ultra violet light, and much more. There will also be face painting, snacks, and lots of give-a-ways to take home! The event is free to the community.

A special thanks to the Maryland State Police Special Op Section and Aviation Command, Howard County Police Department Youth Section and Fire and Rescue, the National Highway Administration, Shock Trauma Center, Howard County General Hospital, Howard County Cooperative Extension, Poison Control Center, the American Red Cross, University of Maryland Dental School, Princeton Sports, Jhoon Rhee Institute of Columbia, Howard County Recreation and Parks, and NeighborCare Pharmacies.

June 1, 2007 (#2006-168)

Board of Education to Meet with County Council

The Board of Education will hold their quarterly meeting with the County Council at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, in Board Room B at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.