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DISCUSSION Office of the Superintendent of Schools DISCUSSION Office of the Superintendent of Schools MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rockville, Maryland April 27, 2015 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Board of Education From: Larry A. Bowers, Interim Superintendent of Schools Subject: Study of MCPS Choice and Other Special Programs—Phase I Road Map As part of its Fiscal Year 2015 Operating Budget, the Montgomery County Board of Education authorized an external review of the choice and other special academic programs that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) provides as options for families to enroll students in schools outside their home attendance zones. On January 13, 2015, the Board awarded a contract to Metis Associates (Metis) to conduct the study. Metis is a research and evaluation firm that is nationally known for its commitment to participatory evaluation. Through a collaborative process with Metis, MCPS staff members have worked during the past several months to launch a detailed planning process for the initial data gathering phase of the study, which will extend through the fall of 2015. Overview of the Study The study has been designed to focus on four main objectives: • Understanding the unique history and current state of each of MCPS’ choice and other special academic programs; • Identifying the original purposes of each of these programs and assessing whether they are fulfilling those purposes; • Assessing whether all students have equitable access to these programs, especially in light of the continuing growth of MCPS student enrollment and the changing demographics of the region, both countywide and at the neighborhood level; and • Ensuring that these programs, both individually and collectively, are well-positioned to effectively advance the mission; core purpose; core values, including equity; and core competencies set forth in the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework, Building Our Future Together: Students, Staff, and Community. Equity, as defined in the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework, ensures that “each and every student matters [and] outcomes should not be predictable by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.” Members of the Board of Education 2 April 27, 2015 The study will proceed in three phases: • Phase One will gather and analyze data and information on the unique history and current state of MCPS choice and other special programs. • Phase Two will benchmark MCPS programs with innovative, high-quality programs in other districts and review academic research on access to educational options outside students’ home schools. • Phase Three will engage community stakeholders in the development of a collaborative action plan for MCPS choice and other special academic programs going forward that is informed by the data, information, and the benchmarking analysis from Phases One and Two. Choice and other special academic programs (for the purpose of the study) include language immersion programs, magnet application programs including the elementary centers for highly gifted students, and the regional consortia schools (Northeast, Downcounty, and Middle School Magnet Consortium). A list of the choice and other special academic programs included in the study is presented in the road map (attached), which is discussed further below. Each of MCPS’ choice and other special programs has its own unique history. Depending on the program, they serve a variety of different purposes. Some provide whole-school models while others offer smaller learning communities located within a larger school. Therefore, the study seeks to understand the distinctive origins, evolution, and current state of each program, in addition to assessing each program’s cumulative impact in serving the needs of MCPS students and the broader community. It is important to note that this study is not designed or intended to result in an in-depth curricular review or ranking of the quality of programming in each individual magnet or other special academic program as compared to others. The study also will explore the extent to which implementation of choice and special academic programs has implications for local signature programs and career and technical education programs in local high schools. In addition, the study will review the intersection between these choice and special programs, on the one hand, and other related MCPS policies and practices, including the Change of School Assignment process, which provides another mechanism by which students may attend schools other than their home schools. Road Map for Phase One (January – October 2015) During the past months, Metis has worked with MCPS staff and stakeholders to develop a plan, which we are calling a road map, for Phase One of the study. The road map has benefitted from input from a planning retreat including MCPS central office staff and school-based staff, as well as leaders of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations, Inc. In addition, staff provided an update on this planning process during a recent meeting of the Board’s Policy Management Committee. The road map is posted on the MCPS website along with other information on the study at this link: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/choice. Members of the Board of Education 3 April 27, 2015 The road map provides detailed descriptions of the research methods and timeline of activities for Phase One of the study. The study will collect qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources, including the following: • Review of district documentation and policies. • Interviews with current and former district staff and Board members. • Interviews with community stakeholders. • Visits to a sample of MCPS schools with choice and special academic programs (schools selected are listed in the road map). • Parent focus groups • Parent/community survey and comment box • Student data analysis • Program-level data analysis Explanations for the protocols for each are incorporated into the road map. As an experienced research organization, Metis will take appropriate steps to safeguard the confidentiality of student data and other information collected through this study. Preliminary findings from each phase of the study will be submitted to MCPS for review and discussion. For Phase One, a preliminary report is expected in fall 2015, and planning for the benchmarking work in Phase Two will begin during the same time period. The Board’s Policy Management Committee will receive periodic updates as the study progresses. LAB:MVN:JIC:km Attachment March 2015 Montgomery County Public Schools, Study of Choice and Special Academic Programs Research Design and Road Map for Phase One SUBMITTED TO: Montgomery County Public Schools SUBMITTED BY: Claire Aulicino, Senior Associate Marilyn Zlotnik, Vice President for Development and Communications Table of Contents Page Background and Context 1 Overview of the Choice Study 1 Phases of Study 2 Research Design and Methods—Phase One 3 Reporting 5 Timeline of Research Activities and Reporting—Phase One 7 Attachment A: MCPS Choice and Special Academic Programs 8 Background and Context In June 2013, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved the Building Our Future Together Strategic Planning Framework to guide the future of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The framework was developed with broad input from the community and is being carried out through a District Implementation Plan with actionable steps and benchmarks. See http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/implementation-plan/. One of these steps is to “initiate a comprehensive study of the wide variety of choice and other special academic programs that MCPS offers to ensure that these programs, both individually and collectively, are well-positioned to effectively advance the mission, core purpose, core values, and core competencies set forth in the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework.” This study was approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education as part of its Fiscal Year 2015 Operating Budget. In January 2015, MCPS contracted with Metis Associates to conduct the study. Metis is a research and evaluation firm that is nationally known for its commitment to participatory evaluation. Participatory evaluation is driven by a highly collaborative approach that involves active stakeholder involvement and includes multiple methods, measures, and respondents with multiple perspectives in order to ensure that findings “speak to” a variety of audiences and stakeholders. Overview of the Choice Study The study will examine MCPS’s use of a variety of choice and special academic programs to provide options for families to enroll students in schools outside of their home attendance zones. The study has been designed by MCPS to focus on four main objectives: • Understanding the unique history and current state of each of MCPS’s choice and other special academic programs; • Identifying the original purposes of each of these programs and assessing whether they are fulfilling those purposes; • Assessing whether all students have equitable access to these programs, especially in light of the continuing growth of MCPS student enrollment and the changing demographics of the region, both countywide and at the neighborhood level; and • Ensuring that these programs, both individually and collectively, are well-positioned to effectively advance the mission; core purpose; core values, including equity; and core competencies set forth in with the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework. Equity, as defined in the MCPS Strategic Planning Framework, ensures that “each and every student matters [and]
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