DISCUSSION/ACTION 9.0 Office of the Superintendent of Schools MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rockville, Maryland November 13, 2007 MEMORANDUM To: Members of the Board of Education From: Jerry D. Weast, Superintendent of Schools Subject: Secondary Pilot Courses Executive Summary The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to develop and pilot courses in support of the Middle School Magnet Consortium, the Middle School Reform Initiative, as well as signature, academy, magnet, and elective programs in our high schools, and to fully implement courses that have completed the pilot process successfully. Course proposals are submitted to the Board of Education as required by Board Policy IFA, Curriculum, approved February 13, 2001, and its accompanying regulation, IFA-RA, Curriculum. The policy requires that initial information regarding proposed curriculum development or significant revisions be presented to the Board for approval. The Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs (OCIP) continues to implement the process for proposed pilot courses and is presenting four courses for full implementation countywide beginning fall 2008, as well as 37 new proposals: three middle school magnet courses; three middle school reform courses; eight Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) approved career and technology education courses; 19 externally developed courses—Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID); and four noncore high school courses. OCIP also requests approval for 11 online versions of existing AP courses. Background Over the past decade, several secondary schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have developed unique program identities. In many cases, courses that support the individual program themes were designed by local school teachers. These courses reflect the creativity and dedication of teachers and principals to complement and enhance the academic focus of their school’s programs. In an era of increased accountability, and in a school system committed to the academic achievement of all students, any new courses offered in MCPS secondary schools must comply with Board policy and align with MCPS and state standards. MCPS curriculum is designed to prepare students for success on the Maryland School Members of the Board of Education 2 November 13, 2007 Assessments (MSA), High School Assessments (HSA), the SAT, and rigorous examinations such as AP, International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge. Course proposals are initiated either by local school or central office staff. Some high school course proposals being presented for the Board’s consideration were initiated by school staff, with the approval of the principal, as authorized under MCPS Regulation IFA-RA, Curriculum, which specifies in Section 3b that “Development of noncore curriculum is initiated by a principal, community superintendent, or other MCPS administrator through OCIP. Teachers may initiate noncore curriculum with the approval of the principal. Final approval of noncore curriculum rests with the Board of Education.” Other high school course proposals presented for the Board’s consideration were initiated by central office staff. Staff in the Division of Career and Technology Education submitted proposals for eight courses developed or planned for development as part of state programs and approved by MSDE. Proposals for additional courses in the AP, Cambridge, and AVID programs also are being forwarded in accordance with MCPS Regulation IFA-RA, Curriculum, which states in Section 3c.3 that “Nationally or internationally recognized curriculum…” may be used “…after review and approval using the process for noncore curriculum development.” Middle school course proposals are initiated only by central office staff as part of the systemwide Middle School Reform initiative. Courses are developed after carefully considering student, staff, and community needs and interests, as well as current learning research. Courses are phased in according to the agreed upon timeline for Middle School Reform. Development of Course Proposal Process In 2003, OCIP developed a pilot course approval process initially designed to support the development of academy courses in the five Downcounty Consortium high schools. The process required schools to develop a course proposal with the guidance of OCIP content supervisors or coordinators. Proposals were reviewed by OCIP staff and, with the recommendation of the associate superintendent, were forwarded to the Board for approval to pilot. During the 2005–2006 school year, OCIP took a number of steps in order to ensure countywide compliance with Board policy, beginning with a revision of the course proposal process. The process was clearly communicated to principals, resource teachers, the Councils on Teaching and Learning, executive leadership, and central office staff. In addition, a plan for monitoring and evaluating course pilots was established. Individual high school principals were notified of the pilot courses’ status in their schools and the requirements for continuing the courses. OCIP also established a central database of course proposals and designated points of contact for collecting course materials, including course evaluations. A revised course proposal timeline ensures that schools are notified of the status of their proposals well before student registration. This entire process represents a significant continuous improvement effort to ensure consistency in course proposal development systemwide. Members of the Board of Education 3 November 13, 2007 During the 2006–2007 school year, OCIP staff refined processes and adjusted timelines based on feedback from stakeholders. Information was provided through memorandums to principals and informational meetings to clarify processes for proposing and reporting development of pilot courses. Model documents for reports and course materials were identified from among those created by school staff, and distributed as examples to guide development of materials. Implementation of Course Proposal Process Based on stakeholder input, OCIP developed, communicated, and disseminated processes for proposing, monitoring, and evaluating courses that ensure rigor and thorough preparation. In June 2007, high school and OCIP staff members met to review each course completing the second year of pilot status. OCIP staff also reviewed progress reports submitted by school staff for courses completing the first pilot year. During summer 2007, school personnel submitted proposals for new pilot courses. OCIP staff reviewed the proposals to determine the quality of the proposed curriculum, existence of similar or related courses, and alignment to standards and MCPS curriculum. After providing feedback and technical support to school staff, OCIP staff subsequently worked with school staff to revise course proposals. Upon approval by the Board, new pilot courses will be offered in schools for two years, beginning in the 2008–2009 school year. School staff will develop and refine curriculum documents that include enduring understandings and essential questions, alignment to standards and indicators, methods of assessment, a course evaluation plan, as well as sample student lessons and supporting teacher materials. At the end of the first pilot year, school staff will submit a status report to OCIP. Feedback and suggestions for the second pilot year will be provided to school staff. At the end of the second pilot year, course materials and evaluation will be submitted to OCIP and recommended courses will be presented to the Board of Education. Upon Board approval, only successful pilot courses will be available for implementation in all MCPS high schools. Status of Courses Ending Pilot Phase Eight courses, previously approved by the Board for pilot implementation, have completed the two-year pilot phase and evaluation. Four of these courses are recommended for full implementation countywide beginning in 2008. For four other courses, OCIP recommends extending the pilot period one year for further development, with reevaluation in June 2008. Five other pilot courses will be discontinued in June 2007. In addition, 44 high school courses have been designated inactive during the 2007–2008 scheduling season. Online Courses In spring 2005, MSDE approved 54 online courses as part of the Maryland Virtual Learning Opportunity. MCPS seeks the Board’s approval to offer online versions of existing AP courses that have been endorsed by the College Board. During 2007–2008, OCIP will continue to review online courses approved by MSDE. The purpose of the review is to ensure alignment Members of the Board of Education 4 November 13, 2007 with MCPS curriculum and state or national assessments, especially the HSA. The review includes analysis of data that have been requested from MSDE to determine student performance on state tests after taking online courses. Recommendations A summary of proposed courses and schools requesting to join pilot courses in progress is contained in Attachment A. Additional attachments provide the recommendations of staff members in OCIP which are submitted for your approval. • Proposed Secondary Magnet Specialized Courses (Attachment B) • Proposed Noncore MSDE Courses for High School Students (Attachment C) • Proposed Externally Developed Courses (Attachment D) • Proposed Noncore High School Courses (Attachment E) • Proposed Middle School Reform Pilot Courses (Attachment F) • Proposed Online Versions of Existing