ACTION MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION …€¦ · 2 IFA, IFA-RA, IKA, IKA-RA, IOA, IOA-RA,...

ACTION

MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Rockville, Maryland

April 12, 2018 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Board of Education From: Patricia B. O’Neill, Chair, Policy Management Committee Subject: Final Action, Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and

Elementary Education On December 5, 2017, the Montgomery County Board of Education tentatively adopted revised Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education. The tentatively adopted policy was distributed for public comment; seven comments were received. Members of the Policy Management Committee (Committee) further discussed Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, on March 19, 2018. In response to comments received, the Committee has revised the policy to address the following:

• To include County Government, and state and local agencies, as community stakeholders for partnership and collaboration in establishing a framework for early childhood and elementary education, and to include community partners such as community child care centers, family child care homes, and private preschools, for collaboration on evidence-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum and instructional practices in a supportive and culturally proficient learning environment.

• To meet the needs of early childhood and elementary students, and establish and maintain a rigorous instructional program with comprehensive curriculum and related assessments and a rigorous, differentiated instructional program, the Board of Education will seek committed staff and leadership that is appropriately certified, licensed, or credentialed.

• To provide the continuity needed by young children and their families to effectively utilize county, state, and federal resources to establish a continuum of essential services, and to affirm the importance of the continuity provided by early childhood education programs for students in pre-K and kindergarten through Grade 3.

Members of the Board of Education 2 April 12, 2018 The Committee Recommended Draft is included as Attachment A, Public Comments are included as Attachment B, and the Draft for Public Comment is included as Attachment C. The following resolution is provided for your consideration: WHEREAS, Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, reaffirms the Board of Education’s commitment to promoting the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth and development of children in their early learning years through high quality, developmentally appropriate, challenging, and comprehensive early childhood and elementary programs; and WHEREAS, The draft of Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, was tentatively adopted by the Board of Education on December 5, 2017, and sent out for public comment; and WHEREAS, The Board of Education has received comments from the public and the Policy Management Committee’s recommendations; now therefore be it Resolved, That the Board of Education adopt Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, as updated in the attached Committee Recommended Draft; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Education rescind Policy IEF, Early Childhood Education, given that the tenets of that policy are incorporated into Policy IEA; and be it further Resolved, That this revision of Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, supersede all Board of Education resolutions and actions related to early childhood and elementary education, that may be in conflict with this policy. PBO:mm Attachments

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED DRAFT

Attachment A

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Related Entries: ABA, ABC, ABC-RA, ACA, ACA-RA, AEB, GEG-RA, 1

IFA, IFA-RA, IKA, IKA-RA, IOA, IOA-RA, IOB, 2

IOD, IOD-RA, ISA, ISB-RA, JEA-RA 3

Responsible Office: Chief Academic Officer 4

5

6

Framework and Structure of 7

Early Childhood and Elementary Education 8

9

10

A. PURPOSE 11

12

To affirm the Montgomery County Board of Education’s 13

commitment to producing a challenging and comprehensive 14

educational program for eligible students in early childhood 15

and students in elementary programs that will promotinge the 16

intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth and 17

development of students children in their early learning 18

years through high quality, developmentally appropriate, 19

challenging, and comprehensive early childhood and elementary 20

programs 21

22

To establish a framework for early childhood and elementary 23

education, in partnership with parents/guardians and 24

collaboration with community stakeholders, including county 25

government, and state and local agencies, that allows each 26

child to establish a solid foundation for learning through 27

high quality early childhood experiences and attain key 28


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educational and developmental milestones in each successive 29

grade as they progress from elementary grades, to prepare 30

them for middle and high school, then . 31

To emphasize, in partnership with parents, families, and 32

community stakeholders, the importance of building a solid 33

foundation for a lifetime of academic and personal 34

achievements. 35

36

To provide early identification and intervention strategies 37

for identified students to promote student success children. 38

39

To set expectations for early childhood and elementary 40

education that includes evidence-based, developmentally 41

appropriate curriculum and instructional practices in a 42

supportive and culturally proficient learning environment, 43

through family and community involvement, staff development, 44

and collaboration with community early childhood education 45

programs and community partners, including community child 46

care centers, family child care homes, and private 47

preschools. 48

49

B. ISSUE 50

51

A strong and growing body of evidence shows that successful 52

programs during the early childhood and elementary school 53

years leads to high levels of school success in later years. 54

The Board is committed to effectively utilizing county, 55

state, and federal resources, along with community partners, 56


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to establish a continuum of essential services needed by young 57

children and their families in order to identify children in 58

need of services and facilitate student development, 59

transition, placement, and program continuity at each stage 60

of a child’s development, from home, child care, or preschool 61

to prekindergarten (pre-K), as appropriate, and from one 62

elementary grade to another. 63

64

The Board collaborates with public and private agencies 65

across Montgomery County to support children in the early 66

years from birth to five years and prepare them for elementary 67

school success In accordance with as set forth in the 68

Montgomery County early childhood initiative, Children’s 69

Agenda,Early Care and Education Strategic Plan. Montgomery 70

County Public Schools (MCPS) collaborates with public and 71

private agencies such as the Collaboration Council for 72

Children, Youth, and Families and its affiliated agencies 73

74

Among these community partners, Montgomery County Public 75

Schools’ (MCPS’) role in the meeting the educational needs of 76

Montgomery County’s diverse young learners is to provide pre-77

K and special education services for younger children early 78

intervention and special education services for children who 79

are not yet of kindergarten age who meet eligibility criteria 80

pursuant to state and federal laws. Head Start and pre-K 81

programs offer high-quality educational experiences to 82

income-eligible children in order to prepare them with the 83

foundational knowledge and skills necessary for school 84


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success in kindergarten and beyond. In addition, Judith P. 85

Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Centers, or “Judy 86

Centers,” are state grant- and locally-funded early childhood 87

and family learning centers which provide comprehensive early 88

childhood services for children birth through age five. 89

90

MCPS also provides a variety of screening, early 91

intervention, and special education services to children, 92

from birth to eight years, through home and school-based 93

programs and other area and central programs. Services are 94

provided to children with a wide range of needs, including, 95

but not limited to, speech/language, auditory, vision, 96

orthopedic, and developmental delays. 97

98

The Board affirms the importance of the continuity provided 99

by early childhood education programs for students in pre-K 100

and kindergarten through Grade 3, and the important academic 101

milestones for academic readiness that mark the transition 102

from Grade 3 to the upper elementary grades. 103

104

The Young children’s unique developmental stages and 105

characteristics of early childhood and elementary students 106

must guide the implementation of the early childhood and 107

elementary programs for them. Young children’s thinking, 108

learning styles, and view of the world are qualitatively 109

different from older children and adults. 110

111

Although young children share similarities as a group, they 112


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differ remarkably from one another, and appropriate 113

programming will be flexible enough to accommodate each one. 114

Family background, language, culture, gender, personality, 115

learning styles, interests, and abilities contribute to a 116

child’s individuality. Most children pass through the same 117

sequence of developmental stages, but the pace of development 118

varies from child to child. Moreover, development often does 119

not proceed evenly. The cognitive, physical, social, and 120

emotional levels of maturity may vary within the individual 121

child. 122

123

Montgomery County is a diverse community with an equally 124

diverse early childhood and elementary school population that 125

presents a variety of educational needs. To address some of 126

these needs, prekindergarten programs are provided to 127

families who meet eligibility criteria, pursuant to state and 128

federal laws. 129

130

The following elements are necessary for establishing and 131

maintaining a rigorous instructional program that meets the 132

needs of early childhood and elementary students: 133

To ensure success for every student in MCPS, an early 134

childhood and elementary school program must include a 135

comprehensive curriculum and related assessments; a rigorous, 136

differentiated instructional program; opportunities for 137

purposeful play; highly qualifiedcertified and committed 138

staff and leadership that is appropriately certified, 139

licensed or credentialed; a collaborative yet flexible 140


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organizational structure; and, afully engaged parental 141

parents/guardians and stakeholder community stakeholders. 142

143

C. POSITION 144

145

1. Early Childhood Program and School Culture 146

147

Each MCPS elementary school will To develop a culture 148

that promotes children’s physical, intellectual, 149

linguistic, emotional and social development; personal 150

integrity; self-confidence; social responsibility; 151

mutual respect among all students; as well as 152

motivation, and an eagerness to learn and excel, as 153

schools will do the followsing: 154

155

a) Provide an inviting, stimulating, and supportive 156

environment that eEncourages the natural curiosity 157

and creativity of all young learners students to 158

actively explore, discover, and construct knowledge 159

through intellectually challenging experiences, 160

and interactions with an inviting, stimulating, and 161

supportive learning environment that – 162

163

(1) encourages active engagement in learning 164

through self-selection of materials and self-165

direction as appropriate actively engage in 166

learning and pursue intellectual challenges., 167

168


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(2) encourages constructive risk-taking and use 169

mistakes as instructional tools, and 170

171

(3) provides young children with a continuum of 172

time in which to learn. 173

174

b) Maintain a well-managed, safe, and nurturing 175

environment that encourages positive relationships 176

among students children and between adults and 177

students children. 178

179

c) Provide daily activities for purposeful play and 180

gross motor physical development, through age-181

appropriate classroom and play spaces. 182

183

d) Use the outdoors and other opportunities outside 184

the classroom as important environments for 185

learning, on the playground, neighborhood walks, 186

and field trips. 187

188

e) Recognize that parents/guardians are their child’s 189

first teachers, and welcome and acknowledge the 190

unique contributions of parents/guardians and 191

families to the child’s growth and development. 192

193

cf) In alignment with Board Policy ACA, 194

Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural 195

Proficiency, foster mutual understanding, respect, 196


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and cultural competence among students and staff 197

without regard to an individual’s actual or 198

perceived personal characteristics as defined in 199

Policy ACA. 200

201

dg) Provide a system of standards and expectations that 202

promote personal responsibility, integrity, and 203

citizenship. 204

205

h) View discipline as a developmental process, in 206

alignment with Board Policy JGA, Student 207

Discipline, respond to inappropriate student 208

behavior in a timely and age-appropriate way that 209

supports personal growth and learning opportunities 210

for students, and administer school discipline in 211

a way that keeps students within their regular 212

school program to the greatest extent possible. 213

214

i) Promote readiness, smooth transitions and progress 215

of children from one grade level to another by 216

encouraging teachers and other staff members to 217

share pertinent information about each child’s 218

needs, learning styles, and attainment of 219

developmental milestones. 220

221

ej) Facilitate communication in the languages spoken in 222

the community, whenever feasible. 223

224


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fk) Engage parents in meaningful ways that Assist 225

children to make the transition from home, family 226

child care or child care centers, and preschool 227

into the MCPS elementary program; support the each 228

child’s development and academic achievement; and 229

facilitate the critical partnership of families and 230

schools in emphasize the necessity of long-range 231

educational planning for and attaining the long-232

range educational goals for each student. 233

234

gl) Work to ensure that school programs and activities 235

reflect the diversity of the school population and 236

provide equitable access to all academic programs 237

and school activities. 238

239

2. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 240

241

MCPS’s approach to curriculum, instruction, and 242

assessment will meet the unique needs of each young 243

learner while setting high expectations ensure a high 244

level of challenge for all students. and meet the unique 245

needs of the young learner. Teachers welcome and plan 246

for students’ wide range of abilities, developmental 247

levels, interests, backgrounds, learning styles and 248

experiences, and provide manageable challenges to 249

promote early successes that promote early successes 250

that foster self-esteem. 251

252


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a) Student achievement depends on the implementation 253

and provision of a consistent curriculum that 254

addresses the needs of the whole child. The early 255

childhood/and elementary school approach to 256

curriculum will be consistent with Board Policy 257

IFA, Curriculum, and MCPS Regulation IFA-RA, 258

Curriculum, and will include the following: 259

260

(1) The written curriculum, as presented in the 261

curriculum framework and in the curriculum 262

guides. 263

264

(2) The taught curriculum, including 265

reading/language arts, math, social studies, 266

science, art, music, and physical education, 267

as implemented by teachers with students. 268

269

(3) The learned curriculum, as demonstrated by 270

assessments of student performance. 271

272

(4) The ongoing professional development needed to 273

ensure consistent implementation, monitoring, 274

and supervision. 275

276

(5) The monitoring of curriculum implementation by 277

teachers, administrators, and central 278

services staff. 279

280


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b) Instructional practices will incorporate a variety 281

of methods, strategies, and resources, such as 282

technology, that encourage students to be active 283

and engaged learners. Such practices will align 284

with relevant Board policies and MCPS regulations, 285

including, but not limited to, Board policies IKA, 286

Grading and Reporting; IOA, Gifted and Talented 287

Education; IOD, Education of English Language 288

Learners; and IOB, Education of Students with 289

Disabilities; and MCPS Regulation IHB-RA, School 290

Academic Grouping Practices. 291

292

(1) Technology will be integrated into the 293

curriculum as well as instruction and 294

assessment to build or strengthen students’ 295

interest and skills in the use of technology. 296

297

(21) Programmatic and instructional decisions will 298

be based on the analysis of student 299

performance data in relation to established 300

standards. 301

302

(32) Differentiated instructional practices will 303

include acceleration, supports for improving 304

student performance, enrichment, and other 305

strategies as needed to help students to meet 306

their academic potential. Such practices will 307

address learning styles as well as physical, 308


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social, and emotional differences among 309

students. 310

311

(43) In both the planning and implementation of 312

instruction, early childhood and elementary 313

schools programs will utilize the unique 314

skills of staff members in all general 315

education, special education, education of 316

English for Speakers of Other Llanguages 317

learners (ESOL), special education, and other 318

staff membersdisciplines and supports 319

integral to the comprehensive educational 320

program. 321

322

(54) Instructional practices should – 323

324

(a) adapt materials and equipment, when 325

necessary to meet the developmental needs 326

of a student child, 327

328

(b) emphasize the use of hands-on activities, 329

children’s life experiences, concrete 330

materials, and manipulatives, 331

332

(c) give children choices and the opportunity 333

to initiate activities, 334

335

(d) recognize play (both planned and 336


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spontaneous) as a valuable means for 337

children to learn and develop, 338

339 (e) assure that opportunities are provided 340

that help children develop initiative, 341

responsibility, confidence, and 342

independence, 343

344 (f) provide leadership opportunities for 345

students children, and and promote 346

interaction and oral language 347

development between and among students. 348

349 (g) create a language-rich environment that 350

builds literacy and infuses all learning 351

tasks and activities with opportunities 352

for students children to understand and 353

use language with adults and peers. 354

355

c) Assessment 356

357

As explained in Board Policy IKA, Grading and 358

Reporting, sets forth assessment practices are as 359

an important essential aspect of the instructional 360

cycle. 361

362

(1) Teachers use pre-assessments, formative 363

assessments, and summative assessments to 364

communicate achievement to parents/guardians 365


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and students; plan and deliver instruction to 366

meet learning goals; provide prompt 367

appropriate interventions; provide timely 368

feedback to students on their performance; and 369

offer additional opportunities for students to 370

learn and demonstrate learning. 371

372

(2) A comprehensive assessment program, which is 373

aligned with county, state, and national 374

standards, includes the following: 375

376

(a) Representation of a student’s 377

performance on a variety of measures over 378

time. 379

380

(b) An opportunity for students to 381

demonstrate proficiency through a 382

variety of methods. 383

384

(c) Meaningful feedback on student 385

achievement to students and 386

parents/guardians. 387

388

(d) Clear and timely communication to 389

parents/guardians and students as to the 390

grading criteria. 391

392

(e) Consistency within and among schools. 393


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394

(3) Reteaching and reassessment enhances student 395

learning and provides focused instruction to 396

meet individual student needs. 397

398

3. Organizational Structure 399

400

a) The organizational structure of a high-achieving 401

early childhood andor elementary school program – 402

403

(1) effectively utilizes county, state, and 404

federal resources to establish a continuum of 405

essential services to provide the continuity 406

needed by young children and their families, 407

in close communication and collaboration with 408

community child care providers, partner 409

agencies, and other community service 410

providers, 411

412

(2) will optimizes time for learning, and 413

414

415 (3) identifies children in need of services and 416

Organizational structures should facilitates 417

student transition, placement, and program 418

continuity at each level. each stage of a 419

child’s development, from home, child care, or 420

preschool to pre-K, as appropriate, and from 421


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one elementary grade to another. opportunities 422

to build positive relationships among 423

students, staff, parents and community 424

members. 425

426

b) Effective, flexible, and collaborative 427

organizational structures shall include – the 428

following: 429

430

(1) a) public understanding of the importance 431

and availability of quality early childhood 432

programs and services and effective outreach, 433

which includes building relationships with 434

families to families of students eligible for 435

early intervention services and programming, 436

437

(1)(2) Oopportunities for MCPS teachers to 438

collaborate across grade-level teams and 439

subject areas, and communicate among special 440

education and general education program 441

staff., 442

443

(2)(3) b)oOpportunities for staff to meet with 444

parents/guardians to discuss student 445

progress., 446

447

i.(4) c)eEffective identification, intervention and 448

enrichment programs., 449


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450

ii.(5) d)aAdequate time for instruction in all 451

curricular areas., 452

453

iii.(6) e)Aa comprehensive education program that 454

prepares students to attain key educational 455

and developmental milestones in each 456

successive grade as they progress from the 457

elementary grades progress through elementary 458

schoolthrough middle and high school. 459

460

c) Class sizes and student-adult ratios are assigned 461

to the elementary classes with full recognition of 462

the importance of young children’s need to have 463

easy and frequent access to an adult for – 464

465

(1) supporting cognitive or emotional 466

development, 467

468

(2) promoting adult-to-child and child-to-child 469

interaction, 470

471

(3) individual and small group learning 472

experiences, and 473

474

(4) differentiated support for highest needs 475

schools. 476

477


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4. Leadership and PlanningProfessional Development 478

479

The MCPS professional growth systems include regular and 480

systematic opportunities for all aAdministrators, 481

teachers, and support services staff to increase their 482

knowledge, skills, and capacity to continuously improve 483

the teaching and learning process. At the program and 484

school level, there must be processes in place for – the 485

following: 486

487

a) Mmonitoring and communicating the program, school 488

or classroom’s vision, mission, goals, and action 489

plans., 490

491

b) Wworking with stakeholders to help create a vision 492

and implement strategies that will support a high-493

performing organization focused on continuous 494

improvement., 495

496

c) Iidentifying potential leaders to participate in 497

professional growth opportunities designed to 498

enhance the teaching and learning process.,and 499

500

d) Bbuilding internal capacities that strengthen the 501

program and school staff’s ability to meet its 502

vision, goals, and action plans and to establish 503

high expectations for all learners. 504

505


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506

5. Parent/guardian and Community Engagement and 507

Communication 508

509

Consistent with Board Policy ABA, Community Involvement; 510

Policy ABC, Parent and Family Involvement; and MCPS 511

Regulation ABC-RA, Parent and Family Involvement, 512

parents/guardians and community members are critical 513

partners in the social and intellectual development of 514

students children. The interrelatedness of the roles of 515

family and school requires a partnership involving 516

communication and shared decision-making. This 517

partnership promotes the following:– 518

519

a) communication and outreach that assist families and 520

children in the transition of children from home, 521

child care, family day care, or preschool, as 522

appropriate, into and through the MCPS elementary 523

program, 524

525

b) Oopportunities for families to increase their 526

children’s ability to succeed in school and in 527

life., 528

529

b) Ffrequent two-way communication between families 530

and schools to provide information and solicit 531

feedback regarding an individual child’s progress, 532

as well as local school and systemwide policies, 533


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regulations, programs and practices., 534

535

c) Ccollaboration with stakeholders within the 536

community such as local businesses, community 537

organizations, institutions of higher education, 538

and other agencies such as libraries to support 539

early academic achievement., and 540

541

d) Vvaried opportunities for families and community 542

members to be involved in student early childhood 543

and school programs, projects, activities, and 544

events with children. 545

546

6. Human Resources and Professional Development 547

548

MCPS recruits, employs, and retains It is critical that 549

early childhood and elementary school staff members who 550

possess the knowledge, skills, and content expertise 551

required to meet the needs of all studentsyoung 552

children. Practices to recruit, attract, and retain 553

highly qualified teachers must be implemented to address 554

academic performance and the individual needs of 555

schools. Such needs may include, but are not limited to, 556

Free and Reduced-Price Meals System participation, 557

mobility, students with disabilities, and English 558

language learners. 559

560

a) Staff members are – 561


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562

(1) knowledgeable about the developmental 563

characteristics of young children, 564

565

(2) committed to the concept that all children can 566

learn and succeed, and 567

568

(3) skilled at developing positive relationships 569

with students and parents/guardians and 570

engaging them in the learning process. 571

572

b) Staff members communicate high expectations for all 573

students. 574

575

c) In alignment with Board Policy ACA, 576


Proficiency, MCPS will take positive steps to 578

eliminate structural and institutional barriers to 579

recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting a 580

diverse workforce. 581

582

d) Staff selection considers the individual needs of 583

each program and school. 584

At each early childhood and elementary school, staff 585

will do the following: 586

a) Be highly qualified in core academic subjects and 587

able to balance content with instructional methods. 588

b) Communicate high expectations for all students. 589


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c) Create opportunities for professional learning 590

communities to improve teaching and learning. 591

d) Be knowledgeable about the developmental 592

characteristics of early childhood and elementary 593

students, with an emphasis on literacy, and 594

committed to the concept that all students can 595

learn and succeed. 596

e) Develop relationships with students that will 597

engage them in the learning process. 598

f) Reflect, to the extent possible, the diversity of 599

the MCPS student population. 600

601

e) e) Ongoing Providing professional development for 602

program and school staff and administrators – 603

604

(1) to deepens their knowledge of early childhood 605

development, curricular content, skills, 606

theappropriate uses of technology, 607

differentiation and the delivery and 608

differentiation of instruction., and 609

610

(2) f) Providing professional development for 611

school staff on provides effective strategies 612

for communicating with and engaging all 613

parents/guardians to promote increased 614

student achievement of children. 615

616

D. DESIRED OUTCOMES 617


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618

A hHigh-quality, comprehensive early childhood and elementary 619

programs and a comprehensive elementary school program that 620

allow each student child to establish a solid foundation 621

through challenging early childhood and elementary 622

experiences and to attain key educational and developmental 623

milestones in each successive grade as they progress from 624

elementary grades, through middle and high school, then onto 625

a lifetime of academic and personal achievements 626

thoroughly prepares all students to succeed in middle and 627

high school. 628

629

E. REVIEW 630

631

This policy will be reviewed in accordance with the Board of 632

Education policy review process. 633

634

635

Policy History: Adopted by Resolution No. 345-88, June 27, 1988; 636

amended by Resolution No. 284-07, May 21, 2007; technical 637

amendments by Resolution No. 319-17, June 26, 2017; amended . 638

639

Note. Prior to Resolution No. 345-88, this topic was governed by 640

the following: K-8 Policy, adopted by Resolution No. 161-80, 641

February 12, 1980; amended by Resolution No. 912b-83, November 8, 642

1983; reformatted in accordance with Resolution No. 333-86, June 643

12, 1986, and Resolution No. 458-86, August 12, 1986; rescinded by 644

Resolution No. 345-88, June 27, 1988. Tenets of Board policy IEF, 645


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Early Childhood Education, were incorporated by Resolution No. 646

______ amendments to this policy, and was rescinded upon adoption 647

of amended Board Policy IEA on _________________. 648

Attachment B

Public Comments on Policy IEA Page 1 3/23/18

Public Comments Received December 6, 2017, to March 6, 2018, for

Committee Recommended Draft of Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood

and Elementary Education

Comment

Number

Commentator

Comment

2

(Comment

# 1 was

not related

to IEA)

Naomi

Rubenstein

(MCPS

Parent/Guardian

)

I feel it is extremely important to have universal pre-k. This would not only help

identify children who need support earlier, but would allow children to have equal

access to education. Currently, only children whose parents can afford pre-k are

receiving it. It seems obvious to me that every child should have access to pre-k,

regardless of their family's ability to afford it.

3 Dan Widrevitz

(MCPS

Parent/Guardian

and Community

Member)

I read your edits with interest. Overall I think they improve the policy though

making it very much longer.

I would like to note that little is said concerning the needs of the County's many dual

income families and their need for full time affordable childcare; the ever increasing

education requirements on early childhood caretakers making it difficult for them to

keep up or provide full-year service; the ever more sophisticated work being pushed

down grade levels despite copious foreign experience; and the already heavy tax

burden in the county exacerbated by the recent tax-bill.

I have been impressed with much that we've been through with our two young

children (eldest in 1st Grade in MCPS) in Montgomery County, but as always life is

a matter of balancing priorities and resources. I hope you take my comments as

constructive points and not criticism.

4 Isabel Lainez

(MCPS staff

member, and

community

member)

From lines 127-147 - I believe the wording needs to be reconsidered. This section

gives me the idea that you are treating these young children as students being trained

for more than school readiness without consideration of them being children in

development. For instance, "Rigorous instructional program" this seems to be far

from developmental appropriate activities. Another example is "opportunities for

purposeful play" does not align with interest and needs of the child but seems that

there is an academic focus and play comes second. Because the nature of children,

play is fundamental in early childhood education not an isolated activity throughout

the day. I hope I make sense. Due to a limitation of my time I have not read the

whole document.

5 Michelle Green

Representative

from the

Montgomery

Child Care

Association,

Inc.

Montgomery Child Care Association, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

dedicated to providing high quality child care to children and families. We

appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Board of Education of Montgomery

County’s Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education ,

Committee Recommended Draft, 12/5/17.

We are in strong support of the language used to update this document and its

recognition that high quality, developmentally appropriate, challenging, and

comprehensive early childhood and elementary programs are essential to promoting

the intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth in children.

We disagree, however, with the assertion noted in Section B, line 134 that certified

staff are necessary in order to establish and maintain a rigorous instructional

program that meets the needs of early childhood and elementary students.

If MCPS desires to implement a Universal PreK (UPK) program using a mixed

delivery system of public school space and community child care partners, the

requirement for a certified teacher would be a significant roadblock. Only 5% of

child care programs in Montgomery County currently are rated as a Level 5 in the

Maryland EXCELS program. In large part, programs are unable to earn a Level 5

rating because their teaching staff do not process the requisite degrees in Early

Childhood Education. With the current shortfall of qualified child care teachers and

inequity in pay that exists between public school teachers and child care workers, the

requirement for a certified teacher as the standard for meeting early childhood

Attachment B


Comment

Number

Commentator

Comment

instruction will prevent child care centers from participating in a mixed delivery

UPK system.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this draft.

6 Uma

Ahluwalia,

Director,

Montgomery

County Dept. of

Health and

Human

Services

We appreciate this opportunity to respond to the Board of Education’s updated

statement on early childhood and elementary education. We want to applaud the

BOE for recognizing that the previous statement was outdated and we agree with

and support the updated language on early childhood education, the progression of

children through elementary school and specific statements regarding children with

special needs. HHS believes strongly that our partnership with MCPS Early

Childhood and Elementary Education services is critical to address the social

determinants of educational opportunity (SDOEO). To that end, our entire enterprise

including Disability Services; Children, Youth and Family Services, Head Start,

Behavioral Health; Public Health Services; and Homelessness Services stand ready

to support and collaborate with MCPS in early childhood and elementary education.

The inclusion in the revised statement of child care and preschool programs as

essential partners for the smooth transition to MCPS is crucial to the future of early

childhood education in Montgomery County. We would recommend that where you

state child care community, it is important to note both child care centers and family

child care homes, as well as preschools since all programs will be transitioning

children to MCPS. For example, page two (line 45) should be expanded to define

early childhood education programs to include child care centers, family child care

homes, and private preschools.

There is concern in the child care community that the revised statement equates high

quality early childhood education with certified teachers, page five (line 134). While

certification is required for public school employment it is not required in child care

programs and yet strong child care programs provide high quality early childhood

education as evidenced by our current Kindergarten Readiness results. Perhaps the

requirement in MCPS for certified teachers could be stated in a qualifications

section, as opposed to in the quality definition.

In the sections of the revised statement that describe early intervention and special

needs, for example page 15 (lines 409-415) and page 16 (lines 440-441), it would be

beneficial to list the Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers Program since that

program is a large and very successful collaboration between DHHS and MCPS and

the primary publicly funded early intervention program in the county.

Finally, there is a statement about continuity on page three (line 57) and (line 412)

of the revised statement, but in other places in the document continuity is not

mentioned. Current research in Early Childhood Education stresses the importance

of continuity from PreK though the elementary years with an emphasis on a

continuation of early childhood principles throughout the elementary years, as

opposed to curriculum, practice and principles brought down from higher grades into

the early childhood years. Sections of the revised statement on pages four (lines 95-

99), eight (Lines 209-214) and 15 (lines 398-404) would benefit from some attention

to the concept of continuity.

In the section on page nine (near line 228), a bullet should be added that recognizes

that early care and education is a pathway out of poverty and that MCPS will support

the county’s efforts to implement two-generation or multi-generational programs

that are offered by Montgomery County Health and Human Services for children

covered by this policy.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this revised statement. We are

available to answer any questions that you may have about our response.

7 Marie Raven,

MCPS staff

member

As a staff member currently working within the Infants and Toddlers Program, I

would respectfully like to recommend the following revisions to draft Policy IEA

listed below, in order to better reflect the continuity of programs from birth through

school aged children as outlined in MSDE's birth-five framework.

Attachment B


Comment

Number

Commentator

Comment

Line 36 “To provide early identification” Clarification needed: identification of

what, children in need of service?

Line 37 “for identified students” Clarification needed: students identified how and

for what purpose? Special education, developmental delay, at-risk, etc.?

Lines 74-76 “to provide pre-K and special education services for younger children

who meet eligibility criteria …” This phrase misses that other services typically

referred to as “related services” under Part B of IDEA such as speech, occupational

therapy, and physical therapy, are available to assist eligible children under the age

of 5. Suggestion: “to provide early intervention and special education services for

children who are not yet of kindergarten age who meet eligibility criteria ...”

Lines 87-88 “screening and special education services to children, from birth to

eight years” This phrase misses the other services available through early

intervention. Suggestion: “screening, early intervention, and special education

services to children, from birth to eight years, …”

Line 141 Title “1. School Culture” Although this title and subsequent paragraphs can

reflect pre-K programs within certain elementary schools and elementary programs,

it overlooks the “home and school-based programs and other area and central

programs” referred to in lines 89-90. Suggestion: title “1. Early Childhood Program

and School Culture”

Line 172 “among students and between adults and students.” The use of the word

“student” implies only children old enough to be in pre-K or elementary school.

Suggestion: replace “student” with “children”

Lines 178-179 “opportunities outside the classroom” should include reference to the

home as well as the first classroom for children. Suggestion: “opportunities outside

the home and classroom”

Lines 219-227 Suggestion: Move paragraph k) to be ahead of current paragraph i) to

reflect the natural progression from home, child care, and pre-school to MCPS

elementary schools prior to the progression from one grade level to another.

Line 321 & 347 “student” Suggestion: replace “student” and “students” with “child”

and “children”

Line 476 “At the school level” ignores that some programs are not housed within the

school. Although the Infants and Toddlers Program is physically located in 4/5 cases

at school buildings, they are not elementary schools and they are not considered a

“school-based” program by MCPS administration, therefore coming under the

auspices of “central office” staff. It should be expected that all early childhood and

elementary staff, with their capacity for continuously improving the teaching and

learning process, all subscribe to the outlined leadership and planning components.

Suggestion: Replace with “At the program and school level,”

Line 479 “communicating the school or classroom’s vision” This phrase misses the

non-school based Infants and Toddlers Program, which has a mission and vision as

well. Suggestion: Replace with “program, school, or classroom’s vision, mission …”

Line 493 “school staff’s ability to meet its vision, goals,” This phrase misses the

non-school based Infants and Toddlers Program. Given the nature of their home-

based work with families, and work in community settings with families, it is

imperative that these non-school based staff also be able to build internal capacities.

Suggestion: replace with “program and school staff’s ability …”

Line 506 “students” Suggestion: replace “student” with “children”

Lines 534 & 535 “to be involved in student and school programs, projects, activities,

and events” The Infants and Toddlers Program as a program currently provides

opportunities for families and community partners to be involved in activities

together in a variety of community settings. Language used should be inclusive and

reflective of this reality. Suggestion: Replace with “to be involved in early childhood

and school programs, projects, activities, and events with children”

Line 574 “each school.” Not all early childhood programs are at school, therefore

Attachment B


Comment

Number

Commentator

Comment

language should be changed to reflect programs (such as Infants and Toddlers) and

schools. Suggestion: Replace with “each program and school.”

Line 593 “school staff and administrators” Not all early childhood programs are at

school, therefore language should be changed to reflect programs and schools.

Suggestion: Replace with “program and school staff and administrators”

Line 605 “student achievement” This language only reflects the achievement of

older children. Suggestion: Replace with “achievement of children.”

Line 611 “student” Suggestion: replace “student” with “child”

Line 506 “students” Suggestion: replace “student” with “children”

Line 612 Suggestion: insert “early” between “challenging” and “childhood”

8 Greg Smith,

Chair,

Montgomery

County

Commission on

Child Care

The Commission on Child Care (CCC) advises the County Executive and County

Council on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of government

policies, programs, and services that enhance community support for quality,

affordable and accessible child care. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on

the tentatively approved revisions to Board Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of

Early Childhood and Elementary Education.

The CCC strongly supports the updates to this document and the recognition that

high quality, developmentally appropriate, challenging, and comprehensive early

childhood and elementary programs are essential to promoting the intellectual,

social, emotional and physical growth in children. For clarity throughout the

document, it may be helpful to define and distinguish between child care centers and

Family Child Care.

In support of the Board’s commitment to “effectively utilizing county, state, and

federal resources, along with community partners, to establish a continuum of

essential services needed by young children and their families,” the CCC

respectfully requests the Board review and revise the proposed change to Section B,

Line 134. The community child care partners referenced above are a critical

component of the network leveraged to provide high quality early childhood

experiences. As proposed, the document asserts that certified rather than high quality

staff and leadership are necessary to meet the needs of early childhood and

elementary students. We know that today’s workforce cannot meet that requirement

and that the certification requirement will become a barrier to entry for many child

care educators.

Furthermore, if a Universal PreK (UPK) program is a future goal of MCPS, it is

understood that a mixed delivery system will be required to accommodate the

number of students. The requirement for a certified teacher as the standard for

meeting early childhood instruction will prevent child care centers from participating

in a mixed delivery UPK system due to the shortfall of certified child care teachers

and inequity in pay between public school teachers and child care educators. At a

minimum, the certification requirement for community child care programs will

mean an increase in costs that will most certainly be borne by parents.

Thank you for your time, service and consideration.

DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTAttachment C

12/5/17

IEA

1 of 23

Related Entries: ABA, ABC, ABC-RA, ACA, ACA-RA, AEB, GEG-RA, 1

IFA, IFA-RA, IKA, IKA-RA, IOA, IOA-RA, IOB, 2

IOD, IOD-RA, ISA, ISB-RA, JEA-RA 3

Responsible Office: Chief Academic Officer 4

5

6

Framework and Structure of 7

Early Childhood and Elementary Education 8

9

10

A. PURPOSE 11

12

To affirm the Montgomery County Board of Education’s 13

commitment to producing a challenging and comprehensive 14

educational program for eligible students in early childhood 15

and students in elementary programs that will promotinge the 16

intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth and 17

development of students children in their early learning 18

years through high quality, developmentally appropriate, 19

challenging, and comprehensive early childhood and elementary 20

programs 21

22

To establish a framework for early childhood and elementary 23

education, in partnership with parents/guardians and 24

collaboration with community stakeholders, that allows each 25

child to establish a solid foundation for learning through 26

high quality early childhood experiences and attain key 27

educational and developmental milestones in each successive 28

mcnamm01Typewritten Text









12/5/17

IEA

2 of 23

grade as they progress from elementary grades, to prepare 29

them for middle and high school, then . 30

To emphasize, in partnership with parents, families, and 31

community stakeholders, the importance of building a solid 32

foundation for a lifetime of academic and personal 33

achievements. 34

35

To provide early identification and intervention strategies 36

for identified students to promote student success 37

38

To set expectations for early childhood and elementary 39

education that includes evidence-based, developmentally 40

appropriate curriculum and instructional practices in a 41

supportive and culturally proficient learning environment, 42

through family and community involvement, staff development, 43

and collaboration with community early childhood education 44

programs 45

46

B. ISSUE 47

48

A strong and growing body of evidence shows that successful 49

programs during the early childhood and elementary school 50

years leads to high levels of school success in later years. 51

The Board is committed to effectively utilizing county, 52

state, and federal resources, along with community partners, 53

to establish a continuum of essential services needed by young 54

children and their families in order to identify children in 55

need of services and facilitate student development, 56


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transition, placement, and program continuity at each stage 57

of a child’s development, from home, child care, or preschool 58

to prekindergarten (pre-K), as appropriate, and from one 59

elementary grade to another. 60

61

The Board collaborates with public and private agencies 62

across Montgomery County to support children in the early 63

years from birth to five years and prepare them for elementary 64

school success In accordance with as set forth in the 65

Montgomery County early childhood initiative, Children’s 66

Agenda,Early Care and Education Strategic Plan. Montgomery 67

County Public Schools (MCPS) collaborates with public and 68

private agencies such as the Collaboration Council for 69

Children, Youth, and Families and its affiliated agencies 70

71

Among these community partners, Montgomery County Public 72

Schools’ (MCPS’) role in the meeting the educational needs of 73

Montgomery County’s diverse young learners is to provide pre-74

K and special education services for younger children who 75

meet eligibility criteria pursuant to state and federal laws. 76

Head Start and pre-K programs offer high-quality educational 77

experiences to income-eligible children in order to prepare 78

them with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for 79

school success in kindergarten and beyond. In addition, 80

Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Centers, 81

or “Judy Centers,” are state grant- and locally-funded early 82

childhood and family learning centers which provide 83

comprehensive early childhood services for children birth 84


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through age five. 85

86

MCPS also provides a variety of screening and special 87

education services to children, from birth to eight years, 88

through home and school-based programs and other area and 89

central programs. Services are provided to children with a 90

wide range of needs, including, but not limited to, 91

speech/language, auditory, vision, orthopedic, and 92

developmental delays. 93

94

The Board affirms the importance of the early childhood 95

education program for students in pre-K and kindergarten 96

through Grade 3, and the important academic milestones for 97

academic readiness that mark the transition from Grade 3 to 98

the upper elementary grades. 99

100

The Young children’s unique developmental stages and 101

characteristics of early childhood and elementary students 102

must guide the implementation of the early childhood and 103

elementary programs for them. Young children’s thinking, 104

learning styles, and view of the world are qualitatively 105

different from older children and adults. 106

107

Although young children share similarities as a group, they 108

differ remarkably from one another, and appropriate 109

programming will be flexible enough to accommodate each one. 110

Family background, language, culture, gender, personality, 111

learning styles, interests, and abilities contribute to a 112


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child’s individuality. Most children pass through the same 113

sequence of developmental stages, but the pace of development 114

varies from child to child. Moreover, development often does 115

not proceed evenly. The cognitive, physical, social, and 116

emotional levels of maturity may vary within the individual 117

child. 118

119

Montgomery County is a diverse community with an equally 120

diverse early childhood and elementary school population that 121

presents a variety of educational needs. To address some of 122

these needs, prekindergarten programs are provided to 123

families who meet eligibility criteria, pursuant to state and 124

federal laws. 125

126

The following elements are necessary for establishing and 127

maintaining a rigorous instructional program that meets the 128

needs of early childhood and elementary students: 129

To ensure success for every student in MCPS, an early 130

childhood and elementary school program must include a 131

comprehensive curriculum and related assessments; a rigorous, 132

differentiated instructional program; opportunities for 133

purposeful play; highly qualifiedcertified and committed 134

staff and leadership; a collaborative yet flexible 135

organizational structure; and, afully engaged parental 136

parents/guardians and stakeholder community stakeholders. 137

138

C. POSITION 139

140


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1. School Culture141

142

Each MCPS elementary school will To develop a culture 143

that promotes children’s physical, intellectual, 144

linguistic, emotional and social development; personal 145

integrity; self-confidence; social responsibility; 146

mutual respect among all students; as well as 147

motivation, and an eagerness to learn and excel, as 148

schools will do the followsing: 149

150

a) Provide an inviting, stimulating, and supportive151

environment that eEncourages the natural curiosity152

and creativity of all young learners students to153

actively explore, discover, and construct knowledge154

through intellectually challenging experiences,155

and interactions with an inviting, stimulating, and156

supportive learning environment that –157

158

(1) encourages active engagement in learning 159

through self-selection of materials and self-160

direction as appropriate actively engage in 161

learning and pursue intellectual challenges., 162

163

(2) encourages constructive risk-taking and use 164

mistakes as instructional tools, and 165

166

(3) provides young children with a continuum of 167

time in which to learn. 168


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169

b) Maintain a well-managed, safe, and nurturing170

environment that encourages positive relationships171

among students and between adults and students.172

173

c) Provide daily activities for purposeful play and174

gross motor physical development, through age-175

appropriate classroom and play spaces.176

177

d) Use the outdoors and other opportunities outside178

the classroom as important environments for179

learning, on the playground, neighborhood walks,180

and field trips.181

182

e) Recognize that parents/guardians are their child’s183

first teachers, and welcome and acknowledge the184

unique contributions of parents/guardians and185

families to the child’s growth and development.186

187

cf) In alignment with Board Policy ACA, 188


Proficiency, foster mutual understanding, respect, 190

and cultural competence among students and staff 191

without regard to an individual’s actual or 192

perceived personal characteristics as defined in 193

Policy ACA. 194

195

dg) Provide a system of standards and expectations that 196


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promote personal responsibility, integrity, and 197

citizenship. 198

199

h) View discipline as a developmental process, in200

alignment with Board Policy JGA, Student 201

Discipline, respond to inappropriate student 202

behavior in a timely and age-appropriate way that203

supports personal growth and learning opportunities204

for students, and administer school discipline in205

a way that keeps students within their regular206

school program to the greatest extent possible.207

208

i) Promote readiness, smooth transitions and progress209

of children from one grade level to another by210

encouraging teachers and other staff members to211

share pertinent information about each child’s212

needs, learning styles, and attainment of213

developmental milestones.214

215

ej) Facilitate communication in the languages spoken in 216

the community, whenever feasible. 217

218

fk) Engage parents in meaningful ways that Assist 219

children to make the transition from home, family 220

child care or child care centers, and preschool 221

into the MCPS elementary program; support the each 222

child’s development and academic achievement; and 223

facilitate the critical partnership of families and 224


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schools in emphasize the necessity of long-range 225

educational planning for and attaining the long-226

range educational goals for each student. 227

228

gl) Work to ensure that school programs and activities 229

reflect the diversity of the school population and 230

provide equitable access to all academic programs 231

and school activities. 232

233

2. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment234

235

MCPS’s approach to curriculum, instruction, and 236

assessment will meet the unique needs of each young 237

learner while setting high expectations ensure a high 238

level of challenge for all students. and meet the unique 239

needs of the young learner. Teachers welcome and plan 240

for students’ wide range of abilities, developmental 241

levels, interests, backgrounds, learning styles and 242

experiences, and provide manageable challenges to 243

promote early successes that promote early successes 244

that foster self-esteem. 245

246

a) Student achievement depends on the implementation247

and provision of a consistent curriculum that248

addresses the needs of the whole child. The early249

childhood/and elementary school approach to250

curriculum will be consistent with Board Policy251

IFA, Curriculum, and MCPS Regulation IFA-RA,252


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Curriculum, and will include the following: 253

254

(1) The written curriculum, as presented in the 255

curriculum framework and in the curriculum 256

guides. 257

258

(2) The taught curriculum, including 259

reading/language arts, math, social studies, 260

science, art, music, and physical education, 261

as implemented by teachers with students. 262

263

(3) The learned curriculum, as demonstrated by 264

assessments of student performance. 265

266

(4) The ongoing professional development needed to 267

ensure consistent implementation, monitoring, 268

and supervision. 269

270

(5) The monitoring of curriculum implementation by 271

teachers, administrators, and central 272

services staff. 273

274

b) Instructional practices will incorporate a variety275

of methods, strategies, and resources, such as276

technology, that encourage students to be active277

and engaged learners. Such practices will align278

with relevant Board policies and MCPS regulations,279

including, but not limited to, Board policies IKA,280


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Grading and Reporting; IOA, Gifted and Talented 281

Education; IOD, Education of English Language 282

Learners; and IOB, Education of Students with 283

Disabilities; and MCPS Regulation IHB-RA, School 284

Academic Grouping Practices. 285

286

(1) Technology will be integrated into the 287

curriculum as well as instruction and 288

assessment to build or strengthen students’ 289

interest and skills in the use of technology. 290

291

(21) Programmatic and instructional decisions will 292

be based on the analysis of student 293

performance data in relation to established 294

standards. 295

296

(32) Differentiated instructional practices will 297

include acceleration, supports for improving 298

student performance, enrichment, and other 299

strategies as needed to help students to meet 300

their academic potential. Such practices will 301

address learning styles as well as physical, 302

social, and emotional differences among 303

students. 304

305

(43) In both the planning and implementation of 306

instruction, early childhood and elementary 307

schools programs will utilize the unique 308


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skills of staff members in all general 309

education, special education, education of 310

English for Speakers of Other Llanguages 311

learners (ESOL), special education, and other 312

staff membersdisciplines and supports 313

integral to the comprehensive educational 314

program. 315

316

(54) Instructional practices should – 317

318

(a) adapt materials and equipment, when 319

necessary to meet the developmental needs 320

of a student, 321

322

(b) emphasize the use of hands-on activities, 323

children’s life experiences, concrete 324

materials, and manipulatives, 325

326

(c) give children choices and the opportunity 327

to initiate activities, 328

329

(d) recognize play (both planned and 330

spontaneous) as a valuable means for 331

children to learn and develop, 332

333

(e) assure that opportunities are provided 334

that help children develop initiative, 335

responsibility, confidence, and 336


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independence, 337

338

(f) provide leadership opportunities for 339

students, and and promote interaction and 340

oral language development between and 341

among students. 342

343

(g) create a language-rich environment that 344

builds literacy and infuses all learning 345

tasks and activities with opportunities 346

for students to understand and use 347

language with adults and peers. 348

349

c) Assessment350

351

As explained in Board Policy IKA, Grading and 352

Reporting, sets forth assessment practices are as 353

an important essential aspect of the instructional 354

cycle. 355

356

(1) Teachers use pre-assessments, formative 357

assessments, and summative assessments to 358

communicate achievement to parents/guardians 359

and students; plan and deliver instruction to 360

meet learning goals; provide prompt 361

appropriate interventions; provide timely 362

feedback to students on their performance; and 363

offer additional opportunities for students to 364


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learn and demonstrate learning. 365

366

(2) A comprehensive assessment program, which is 367

aligned with county, state, and national 368

standards, includes the following: 369

370

(a) Representation of a student’s 371

performance on a variety of measures over 372

time. 373

374

(b) An opportunity for students to 375

demonstrate proficiency through a 376

variety of methods. 377

378

(c) Meaningful feedback on student 379

achievement to students and 380

parents/guardians. 381

382

(d) Clear and timely communication to 383

parents/guardians and students as to the 384

grading criteria. 385

386

(e) Consistency within and among schools. 387

388

(3) Reteaching and reassessment enhances student 389

learning and provides focused instruction to 390

meet individual student needs. 391

392


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3. Organizational Structure393

394

a) The organizational structure of a high-achieving395

early childhood andor elementary school program –396

397

(1) effectively utilizes county, state, and 398

federal resources to establish a continuum of 399

essential services needed by young children 400

and their families, in close communication and 401

collaboration with community child care 402

providers, partner agencies, and other 403

community service providers, 404

405

(2) will optimizes time for learning, and 406

407

408

(3) identifies children in need of services and 409

Organizational structures should facilitates 410

student transition, placement, and program 411

continuity at each level. each stage of a 412

child’s development, from home, child care, or 413

preschool to pre-K, as appropriate, and from 414

one elementary grade to another. opportunities 415

to build positive relationships among 416

students, staff, parents and community 417

members. 418

419

b) Effective, flexible, and collaborative 420


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organizational structures shall include – the421

following: 422

423

(1) a) public understanding of the importance 424

and availability of quality early childhood 425

programs and services and effective outreach 426

to families of students eligible for early 427

intervention services and programming, 428

429

(1)(2) Oopportunities for MCPS teachers to 430

collaborate across grade-level teams and 431

subject areas, and communicate among special 432

education and general education program 433

staff., 434

435

(2)(3) b)oOpportunities for staff to meet with 436

parents/guardians to discuss student 437

progress., 438

439

i.(4) c)eEffective identification, intervention and 440

enrichment programs., 441

442

ii.(5) d)aAdequate time for instruction in all 443

curricular areas., 444

445

iii.(6) e)Aa comprehensive education program that 446

prepares students to attain key educational 447

and developmental milestones in each 448


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successive grade as they progress from the 449

elementary grades progress through elementary 450

schoolthrough middle and high school. 451

452

c) Class sizes and student-adult ratios are assigned453

to the elementary classes with full recognition of454

the importance of young children’s need to have455

easy and frequent access to an adult for –456

457

(1) supporting cognitive or emotional 458

development, 459

460

(2) promoting adult-to-child and child-to-child 461

interaction, 462

463

(3) individual and small group learning 464

experiences, and 465

466

(4) differentiated support for highest needs 467

schools. 468

469

4. Leadership and PlanningProfessional Development470

471

The MCPS professional growth systems include regular and 472

systematic opportunities for all aAdministrators, 473

teachers, and support services staff to increase their 474

knowledge, skills, and capacity to continuously improve 475

the teaching and learning process. At the school level, 476


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there must be processes in place for – the following: 477

478

a) Mmonitoring and communicating the school or479

classroom’s vision, mission, goals, and action480

plans.,481

482

b) Wworking with stakeholders to help create a vision483

and implement strategies that will support a high-484

performing organization focused on continuous485

improvement.,486

487

c) Iidentifying potential leaders to participate in488

professional growth opportunities designed to489

enhance the teaching and learning process.,and490

491

d) Bbuilding internal capacities that strengthen the492

school staff’s ability to meet its vision, goals,493

and action plans and to establish high expectations494

for all learners.495

496

497

5. Parent/guardian and Community Engagement and 498

Communication499

500

Consistent with Board Policy ABA, Community Involvement; 501

Policy ABC, Parent and Family Involvement; and MCPS 502

Regulation ABC-RA, Parent and Family Involvement, 503

parents/guardians and community members are critical 504


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partners in the social and intellectual development of 505

students. The interrelatedness of the roles of family 506

and school requires a partnership involving 507

communication and shared decision-making. This 508

partnership promotes the following:– 509

510

a) communication and outreach that assist families and511

children in the transition of children from home,512

child care, family day care, or preschool, as513

appropriate, into and through the MCPS elementary514

program,515

516

b) Oopportunities for families to increase their517

children’s ability to succeed in school and in518

life.,519

520

b) Ffrequent two-way communication between families521

and schools to provide information and solicit522

feedback regarding an individual child’s progress,523

as well as local school and systemwide policies,524

regulations, programs and practices.,525

526

c) Ccollaboration with stakeholders within the527

community such as local businesses, community528

organizations, institutions of higher education,529

and other agencies such as libraries to support530

early academic achievement., and531

532


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d) Vvaried opportunities for families and community533

members to be involved in student and school534

programs, projects, activities, and events.535

536

6. Human Resources and Professional Development537

538

MCPS recruits, employs, and retains It is critical that 539

early childhood and elementary school staff members who 540

possess the knowledge, skills, and content expertise 541

required to meet the needs of all studentsyoung 542

children. Practices to recruit, attract, and retain 543

highly qualified teachers must be implemented to address 544

academic performance and the individual needs of 545

schools. Such needs may include, but are not limited to, 546

Free and Reduced-Price Meals System participation, 547

mobility, students with disabilities, and English 548

language learners. 549

550

a) Staff members are –551

552

(1) knowledgeable about the developmental 553

characteristics of young children, 554

555

(2) committed to the concept that all children can 556

learn and succeed, and 557

558

(3) skilled at developing positive relationships 559

with students and parents/guardians and 560


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engaging them in the learning process. 561

562

b) Staff members communicate high expectations for all563

students.564

565

c) In alignment with Board Policy ACA, 566


Proficiency, MCPS will take positive steps to568

eliminate structural and institutional barriers to569

recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting a570

diverse workforce.571

572

d) Staff selection considers the individual needs of573

each school.574

At each early childhood and elementary school, staff 575

will do the following: 576

a) Be highly qualified in core academic subjects and577

able to balance content with instructional methods. 578

b) Communicate high expectations for all students.579

c) Create opportunities for professional learning580

communities to improve teaching and learning. 581

d) Be knowledgeable about the developmental 582

characteristics of early childhood and elementary 583

students, with an emphasis on literacy, and 584

committed to the concept that all students can 585

learn and succeed. 586

e) Develop relationships with students that will587

engage them in the learning process. 588


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f) Reflect, to the extent possible, the diversity of589

the MCPS student population. 590

591

e) e) Ongoing Providing professional development for 592

school staff and administrators – 593

594

(1) to deepens their knowledge of early childhood 595

development, curricular content, skills, 596

theappropriate uses of technology, 597

differentiation and the delivery and 598

differentiation of instruction., and 599

600

(2) f) Providing professional development for 601

school staff on provides effective strategies 602

for communicating with and engaging all 603

parents/guardians to promote increased 604

student achievement. 605

606

D. DESIRED OUTCOMES 607

608

A hHigh-quality, comprehensive early childhood and elementary 609

programs and a comprehensive elementary school program that 610

allow each student to establish a solid foundation through 611

challenging childhood and elementary experiences and to 612

attain key educational and developmental milestones in each 613

successive grade as they progress from elementary grades, 614

through middle and high school, then onto a lifetime of 615

academic and personal achievements 616


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thoroughly prepares all students to succeed in middle and 617

high school. 618

619

E. REVIEW 620

621

This policy will be reviewed in accordance with the Board of 622

Education policy review process. 623

624

625

Policy History: Adopted by Resolution No. 345-88, June 27, 1988; 626

amended by Resolution No. 284-07, May 21, 2007; technical 627

amendments by Resolution No. 319-17, June 26, 2017; amended . 628

629

Note. Prior to Resolution No. 345-88, this topic was governed by 630

the following: K-8 Policy, adopted by Resolution No. 161-80, 631

February 12, 1980; amended by Resolution No. 912b-83, November 8, 632

1983; reformatted in accordance with Resolution No. 333-86, June 633

12, 1986, and Resolution No. 458-86, August 12, 1986; rescinded by 634

Resolution No. 345-88, June 27, 1988. Tenets of Board policy IEF, 635

Early Childhood Education, were incorporated by Resolution No. 636

______ amendments to this policy, and was rescinded upon adoption 637

of amended Board Policy IEA on _________________. 638

Policy IEA Final ActionMEMORANDUM

Attachment A Policy IEA,Attachment B Policy IEAAttachment C Policy IEA

ACTION MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION …€¦ · 2 IFA, IFA-RA, IKA, IKA-RA, IOA, IOA-RA,...

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