Home
>
News and Events
> July News Releases
July 2008 News Releases
July 25, 2008 (#2008-010)
Howard Assistant Superintendent Selected to Head MSDE Innovative Accountability Pilot
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Robert Glascock has been chosen to head up a new initiative being launched by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). After a 32-year career with the Howard County Public School System, he assumes leadership of MSDE’s Breakthrough Center, an innovative approach which State officials say will revolutionize work with low-performing schools and help assure very high quality outcomes.
“Maryland is on the cutting edge with this approach. The intention is to move away from labeling schools as ‘failing.’ Instead we need to identify what supports are needed to help students be successful,” says Glascock. “We also can’t delay in providing supports to schools demonstrating the greatest needs. The Breakthrough Center will engage schools earlier before they need more intense interventions. All schools do not need the same level of support and the support that is provided needs to be specific to their needs. One-size-fits-all approaches are just not effective.”
The Breakthrough Center is an innovative State model for supporting districts and schools across Maryland. The initiative, developed in partnership with the Education Alliance at Brown University, will provide a broad array of targeted State and local supports for schools. Maryland has found more schools are not achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) criteria because of the performance of relatively smaller portions of populations –frequently students with disabilities or limited English proficiency. The Breakthrough Center will ensure that the right services are being delivered at the right time by the various MSDE Divisions, external service providers and private donors.
Glascock was hired by the Howard County Public School System as a classroom teacher in 1976. In 1985, he became the Gifted and Talented teacher at Glenwood Middle and was later promoted to Supervisor with the system’s fledgling Gifted and Talented Program. In 2000, Mr. Glascock assumed the role of Director of K-12 Curricular Programs. He was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in 2002. His leadership role was later expanded to include Instructional and Business Technology in 2005.
Superintendent Sydney Cousin says schools across the state will benefit greatly from Glascock’s leadership, knowledge and collaborative approach to improvement.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Bob, however we are very sorry to see him leave because he has been such a great asset to the Howard County Public School System. However, I can’t think of anyone more qualified to take on this project,” says Cousin.
July 23, 2008 (#2008-009)
Students End Summer Session with Display of Talents
Students attending the Black Student Achievement (BSAP) Summer Programs will end the summer session with a Showcase of Talent on Thursday, July 24 at Hammond Elementary and Middle Schools, 8110 Aladdin Drive in Laurel. Culminating activities begin at 9:15 AM with welcoming remarks, followed by student presentations and displays in elementary and secondary drama, elementary and secondary MESA (math, engineering, and science achievement), secondary step team and secondary basketball.
The BSAP Summer Learning Camp provides elementary students with opportunities to strengthen and/or accelerate their academic skills during the summer months. The Student Enrichment and Accelerating Achievement of Leadership (SEAL) Program for secondary students provides incoming middle and high school students with opportunities to strengthen academic skills in reading, mathematics and other subject areas. Both programs run for four weeks and offerings are designed to better prepare students for the state assessments.
July 23, 2008 (#2008-008)
Hispanic Students Focus on College at Youth Symposium
In 2004 and 2005, Howard County was not represented at the Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium sponsored by the Hispanic College Fund. In 2006, three students from Long Reach High School participated in the annual event. Last year that number grew to 16.
This year, 43 of the symposium's 153 participants were Howard County students. Nine of Howard County's twelve high schools were represented including Atholton, Centennial, Hammond, Howard, Long Reach, Mt Hebron, Oakland Mills, Reservoir and Wilde Lake.
This is not surprising to school officials who have watched the number of Hispanic/Latino students enrolled in Howard County's public schools increase significantly in the past decade. For the 2007-2008 school year, the school system enrolled 2646 Hispanic students, up from 746 just 10 years ago. Hispanic students now make up 5.3 percent of the system's enrollment, compared to 1.9 percent in 1997.
From July 8 through July 12, the students participated in the Fifth Annual Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium at Towson University. The Howard County delegation appeared to be by far the most diverse in terms of countywide representation, races, countries of origin, levels of proficiency in English and Spanish, and socioeconomics. Countries of origin of the Howard County participants and/or their parents included Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, México, Perú, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela.
Not only was Howard County's delegation diverse, it was talented as well. Of the 15 finalists in the talent show competition, nine were from Howard County and eight of the 20 scholarships and grants were awarded to Howard County students.
Julio Jiménez, Long Reach High, won first place in the speech competition and placed second in the talent competition. He earned a total of $3,000 toward college tuition.
Ivanna Cusick, Howard High, and Odis Ponce, Wilde Lake HS, each won one of 5 scholarships for $1,500 toward college tuition.
Fabian Rodríguez, Oakland Mills High, won second place in the art competition and $1,000 toward college tuition.
Ariel Arieta, Long Reach High, won third place in the talent competition and $500 towards college tuition.
Javon García, Atholton High, won a scholarship for training in a Baltimore dance school.
The team Latinas Unidas -- three students from Oakland Mills HS including Liliana Jiménez, Wendy Pérez and Nora Tiznado -- won the only grant awarded in the Issues to Action Competition. They will receive $1,000 to tackle the issue of teen pregnancy in their high school.
Participants also got to meet with college recruiters from many universities including Harvard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, and many more. All participants in any of the Hispanic Youth Symposiums, including those held in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Mexico and Virginia, who are admitted to Towson University and decide to attend college there, will receive a $500 yearly scholarship for 4 years from the University, matched by another $500 annually for 4 years from the Hispanic College Fund.
July 21, 2008 (#2008-007)
Families Urged to Register Students Now
School officials are urging families who are new to the county or will have a child entering public school for the first time this fall to register at their local school as soon as possible. School begins for Howard County public school students on Monday, August 25 this year.
"The longer parents wait to register students, the more difficult it is for us to ensure that schools are staffed with the appropriate number of teachers and support staff," says Marion Miller, Director of Elementary School Administration. "This is especially important in neighborhoods with greater mobility."
Miller reminds parents that kindergarten is mandatory for children who are five years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2008. All students must be registered by one of their parents. The following documentation must be presented at the time of registration. All documents should be originals.
- Proof of residency -- Acceptable documents for home owners are a deed or a deed of trust that has all required signatures, along with any of the following: current cable bill, current bill for non-cellular telephone, or current gas and electric bill. If a home was just purchased and no deed is available, signed settlement papers may be submitted. Within 30 days of enrollment, the parent must submit a deed or a deed of trust with all required signatures. For renters, an acceptable document is an original, current lease with all required signatures, along with any of the following: current cable bill, current bill for non-cellular telephone, or current gas and electric bill.
- Proof of student's date of birth -- Acceptable documents are birth certificate, hospital or physicians certificate, church/baptismal certificate, passport, or military identification
- Proof of parent identity -- Acceptable documents are driver's license with photograph, passport, Motor Vehicle Administration identification, or other legal form of photographic identification.
- Proof of parental relationship or custody -- Acceptable documents are birth certificate that identifies the parents, court order, separation or divorce decree, or other legal identification. In cases of separation or divorce, when primary physical custody has been awarded, documents regarding the bona fide residence must reflect that of the parent with primary physical custody. If parents have joint legal custody with no primary custody designated, documents regarding the bona fide residence must reflect that of the parent with whom the student lives regularly.
- Proof of emancipation when applicable
- Proof of current student immunization
- Student's social security number -- Requested but not required.
Registration takes place at the local school. Parents who are not sure which school serves their neighborhood should check their address using the School Locator on the Howard County Public School System website at: www.hcpss.org
July 15, 2008 (#2008-006)
Howard Schools See Improved Performance at All Grade Levels
Gains greatest among English language learners, ethnic groups, students on free/reduced priced meals; Worthington Elementary reaches 100% proficient or advanced in reading.
The number of Howard County students scoring at proficient or above on the Maryland School Assessment increased again this year, according to information released today by Howard’s Deputy Superintendent Sandra Erickson. The most significant gains – ranging from 5.3 to 12.3 percent -- were made by students with limited English proficiency (LEP), students receiving free and reduced meals (FARMS), African American students, Hispanic students and students receiving special education services.
“We are absolutely thrilled with this year’s MSA results. Our students and teachers are amazing!” says Deputy Superintendent Erickson. “We work very hard in Howard County to use data to identify needs, to provide resources to support our classroom teachers, and to meet the learning needs of each child. These results indicate that our approach is working.”
At the elementary level, every school achieved the local standard of 70 percent scoring at proficient or advanced in both reading and mathematics. At the middle school level, every school achieved the local standard of 70 percent at proficient or advanced in reading and 15 out of 18 met the local standard in mathematics.
Reading performance improved at every grade level. Overall, 91 percent of students in Grades 3 to 8 scored at proficient or advanced, a 3 percent gain over 2007. In Grades 3 to 5, 92.9 percent of students scored at proficient or advanced in reading. This is an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2007. In Grades 6 to 8, 89.2 percent of students scored at proficient or advanced, which represents an increase of more than 4 percent from 2007.
Every elementary school in Howard County had 80 percent or more students scoring proficient or advanced in reading. Twenty-six of Howard’s 39 elementary schools had more than 90 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Worthington Elementary School had 100 percent of its students reach proficiency.
According to Ms. Erickson, Worthington Elementary is the first Howard school to see 100 percent of its students perform at proficient or advanced on either MSA. “Worthington’s performance is remarkable. The students, teachers and administration are to be congratulated for this achievement. We are all very proud of them,” says Ms. Erickson.
In reading, every middle school had more than 78 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Ten out of 18 schools had more than 90 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced
Mathematics performance improved at every grade level, except Grade 5, which held steady. Elementary results reveal 89.4 percent of students at proficient or advanced. In mathematics, every elementary school had more than 72 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Twenty-two elementary schools had more than 90 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced.
At the middle school level, 83.6 percent of students scored at proficient or advanced, an increase of 2.6 percent from 2007. In mathematics, there were eight middle schools with more than 90 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced.
All student groups show marked improvement
At the elementary level, every student group improved performance in reading over 2007, except American Indian, which has smaller numbers that may significantly impact percentage changes each year. LEP students saw the greatest gains with a 9 percent increase, resulting in 78.1 percent at proficient or advanced; followed by students receiving FARMS with a 7.6 percent increase, resulting in 78.6 percent at proficient or advanced.
All elementary student groups, except special education, met Howard County’s local standard of 70 percent at proficient or advanced in reading and special education students moved closer to meeting that standard with 66.4 percent of students at proficient or advanced.
At the middle school level, the greatest increase in reading performance occurred for LEP students, up by 12.3 percent over 2007. Performance of Hispanic students is up 10 percent, students receiving FARMS up 10.4 percent, and African American students up 8.4 percent.
In mathematics, all racial/ethnic groups in elementary schools met the local standard of 70 percent at proficient or advanced. Elementary LEP students posted the biggest gain in mathematics with 72.6 percent scoring proficient or advanced, an increase of 6.6 percent from last year.
Every middle school student group receiving special services improved performance in mathematics. LEP students gained 9.6 percent with 61.9 percent proficient, as special education students gained 5.3 percent with 43.3 percent proficient. Students receiving FARMS increased 7.6 percent to 52.6 percent proficient. African American students reached 62.7 percent proficiency, an increase of 5.7 percent, and Hispanics students reached 66.1 percent proficiency, an increase of 7.1 percent.
“This is such a significant accomplishment. All of our teachers and support staff are to be commended for working so hard to meet the needs of each and every one of our students,” says Ms. Erickson.
July 8, 2008 (#2008-005)
Board of Education to Hold Closed Meeting
The Howard County Board of Education will meet in closed session at 3 p.m., on Thursday, July 10, 2008, at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.
July 3, 2008 (#2008-004)
Board of Education to Hold Regular Meeting
The Howard County Board of Education will hold a regularly scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2008, in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. There will not be an evening session.
The meeting 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 speak at Public Forum, contact the Board’s office 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.
July 1, 2008 (#2008-003)
Three HCPSS Teachers Attend Boeing Space Camp
Three Howard County educators are among the 90 teachers from 12 countries selected to participate in the 2008 Boeing Educators to Space Camp program, to be held July 7-12 in Huntsville, Alabama. Howard County participants include:
- Jessica L. Michaelson, Laurel Woods Elementary School, Laurel, Md.
- Sherri L. Morisco, Folly Quarter Middle School, Ellicott City, Md.
- Susan Varner, Hollifield Station Elementary School, Ellicott City, Md.
The teachers each received scholarships from Boeing to attend the weeklong program designed to help teachers motivate students in science and math. The program supports the school system's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative to inspire, engage, and prepare students to be global leaders in STEM-related fields.
The Space Camp Program, which has involved more than 600 teachers since its initiation in 1992, uses space-exploration initiatives to enhance teachers' skills in presenting math, science and technology lessons that will inspire students and help ensure a skilled work force for a globally competitive technology market.
During the course, teachers participate in simulated space missions, astronaut training, and lectures by rocketry and space-exploration experts. The teachers also receive resources to bring back to their classrooms to help students meet national learning standards for science, math and technology.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.
July 1, 2008 (#2008-002)
Student Members Sought for Instructional Materials/Criteria Review Committee
In conformance with Policy 8040, Selection of Instructional Materials, applications are now being solicited from students for membership on the Instructional Materials/Criteria Review Committee.
Two student members are needed for a two-year term. The committee will be responsible for reviewing selection criteria for instructional materials and revising the criteria, as needed. It will also serve as a review committee for any materials requested for reevaluation. New members will be appointed in September and begin serving in October.
Applications are now being received and can be found on the school system website, www.hcpss.org under Latest News. New members will be selected from the applications received prior to the deadline. The deadline for applications to be submitted to Elaine Zavaleta, Office of Secondary Language Arts, is Aug. 29, 2008.
July 1, 2008 (#2008-001)
Members Sought for Instructional Materials/Criteria Review Committee
In conformance with Policy 8040, Selection of Instructional Materials, applications are now being solicited from citizens for membership on the Instructional Materials/Criteria Review Committee. Citizens must be residents of Howard County.
Five new citizen members are needed for a two-year term. The committee will be responsible for reviewing selection criteria for instructional materials and revising the criteria, as needed. It will also serve as a review committee for any materials requested to be reevaluated. New members will be appointed in September and begin serving in October.
Applications are now being received and can be found on the school system website, www.hcpss.org under Latest News. The deadline for applications to be submitted to Elaine Zavaleta, Office of Secondary Language Arts, is Aug. 29, 2008.
|
