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TRANSCRIPT
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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.
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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
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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
Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural 577
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
Public Comments on Policy IEA Page 2 3/23/18
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
Public Comments on Policy IEA Page 3 3/23/18
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
Public Comments on Policy IEA Page 4 3/23/18
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.
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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
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DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTAttachment C
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IEA
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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
Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural 189
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
Nondiscrimination, Equity, and Cultural 567
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