Oct 22, 2024 Board of Education Work Session

THE PROPER FORM TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC STUDENT OR EMPLOYEE MATTERS OR TO COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT DO NOT RELATE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

HE'S ON THE WAY, UH, AND IS BEING APPOINTED AS A SPECIALIST DISCIPLINARY LITERACY IN THE OFFICE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS WITH OVER 31 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

SIMONE'S EXPERIENCES INCLUDE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT, TEACHER, INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST, MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTRUCTION AND ACHIEVEMENT, ASSISTANT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR, TRANSITION SERVICES UNIT AND SUPERVISOR, SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT TOWSON UNIVERSITY.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO BCPS AND OUR FINAL APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING IS KEVIN JENKINS.

KEVIN, PLEASE STAND.

KEVIN IS ATTENDING THIS EVENING WITH HIS WIFE, JENNIFER JENKINS.

PLEASE STAND.

JENNIFER IS A SPECIAL EDUCATION INCLUSION TEACHER AT RICA.

FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, KEVIN IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE COORDINATOR SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL STUDIES WITH OVER 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIENCE.

HIS EXPERIENCES INCLUDE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND AND SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM SPECIALIST IN BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SOCIAL STUDIES ASSESSMENT SPECIALIST AT THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SOCIAL STUDIES.

WERE AT DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER SPECIALISTS IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO P TO TEAM BCPS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR NEW APPOINTEES.

OUR NEXT ITEM

[F. PUBLIC COMMENT (7:00 - 7:40 p.m.)]

IS PUBLIC COMMENT.

THIS IS ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THE BOARD PROVIDES TO HEAR THE VIEWS AND TO RECEIVE THE ADVICE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

IF NOT SELECTED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS VIA EMAIL@BOEATBCPS.ORG.

THE BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HOMELAND SECURITY UNIT AND OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY HAS RECOMMENDED SAFETY AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS, WHICH ARE POSTED IN THE BOARD ROOM AND AVAILABLE IN BOARD DOCS AND ON THE BOARD'S PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC WEBSITE.

WHILE WE ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INPUT ON POLICY PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS BOARD AND THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM, THIS IS NOT

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INAPPROPRIATE PERSONNEL REMARKS, INAPPROPRIATE PERSONAL REMARKS OR OTHER BEHAVIOR SUCH AS LANGUAGE THAT PROMOTES VIOLENCE AGAINST A-B-C-P-S EMPLOYEE OR THAT DISRUPTS OR INTERFERES WITH THE CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING ARE OUT OF ORDER AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

PERSONS WHO OTHERWISE DISRUPT OR DISTURB THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THEIR REMARKS AND WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE MEETING.

PLEASE OBSERVE THE THREE MINUTE CLOCK, WHICH WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

THE MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF AT THE END OF YOUR TIME OR PRIOR TO THAT TIME AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD CHAIR.

I WILL NOW CALL ON OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED GROUPS TO SPEAK, AND OUR FIRST, UH, PERSON TO SPEAK IS MR. GREG, GREG APPLE FROM THE PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS BOOSTER CLUB.

HI.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

MY, AS I SAID, MY NAME IS WELL, AS YOU SAID, MY NAME IS GREG APPLE.

I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC BOOSTERS CLUB, UH, CLASS OF 1999 ALUMNI AS WELL.

I AM HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS OUR CONTINUED NEED FOR A VITALIZED TRACK LASTED DONE OVER 20 YEARS AGO AND OTHER UPGRADES TO OUR PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM.

ALTHOUGH WE CURRENTLY USE OUR TRACK FOR PRACTICE FOR OUR 30 PLUS CROSS COUNTRY, SIX INDOOR TRACK ASSIST, SIX INDOOR TRACK PARTICIPANTS, A HUNDRED PLUS OUTDOOR TRACK ATHLETES.

IT IS DETERIORATING A LITTLE MORE EACH YEAR.

IT'S SURFACED AT ITS WIDTH, MAKE IT NON-USABLE TO HOST TRACK MEET, WHICH TURNS PUTS OUR PROGRAM AT A DISADVANTAGE FROM OTHER DISTRICT PROGRAMS. IT'S NOT JUST OUR TRACK AND THE FIELD ATHLETES THAT USE OUR TRACK, BUT IT'S OUR CURRENT, BUT ITS CURRENT SURFACE POSES PROBLEMS FOR OUR CHEERLEADERS.

MARCHING BAND DIVOTS WITH PE SURFACES MAKE IT LESS THAN IDEAL FOR THESE STUDENT ATHLETES AS WELL.

OUR COMMUNITY FOOTBALL TEAMS, CHEERLEADERS AND LOCAL REC TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAMS USE THE STADIUM FACILITIES AS WELL.

IT WILL BE WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT OUR COMMUNITY COULD BE PROUD OF AND USED WITHOUT CONCERN FOR ITS CONDITION.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WHAT WE ARE PROMISED AND BEEN WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW, A REVITALIZED TRACK PROJECT THAT IS MOVING FORWARD WITH ITS TARGET COMPLETION OF AUGUST, 2020.

WE ARE CONCERNED THAT $61,000 AMOUNT BUDGETED AS OF MAY 31ST, 2024, IS NOT ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT.

IN ADDITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO ADJUST THE MONEY THAT IS BEING WASTED EVERY YEAR ON RESTROOM RENTALS.

THIS ANNUAL AMOUNT OVER THE PERIOD OF THE YEARS, THE 64,000 FOR THOSE PORTABLE RESTROOMS IS PAID DIRECTLY FROM PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC BUDGET, WHICH TAKES NECESSARY FUNDING DIRECTLY FROM OUR STUDENT ATHLETES THAT CAN BE USED FOR UNIFORMS AND OR SAFETY EQUIPMENT NEEDED.

WE ARE ASKING FOR A FEASIBLY STUDIED TO BE DONE ALONG WITH PROPOSED COSTS AND PUTTING IN PERMANENT RUNNING WATER BATHROOMS THAT CAN BE ASSESSED FROM INSIDER STADIUMS AND FROM OUTSIDE STADIUMS FOR OTHER STUDENT ATHLETES, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, AND TENNIS, AND THEIR GUESTS AT HOME GAMES.

ANOTHER PRO, ANOTHER NEEDED PROJECT AT PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM IS CONCRETE WORK THAT WILL ALLOW AMBULANCE TO ACCESS THE FIELD IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

A TEMPORARY FIX HAS BEEN IN PLACE, BUT THAT'S TOO IS BEGINNING TO SAFE.

MAKE ME FIELD ACCESS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SUCH AS AMBULANCE OR FIRE TRUCK TO CLEAN WELL TRUCKS TO CLEAN THE PORTABLE RESTROOMS, DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY AFRO RAINING PERIOD.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

NEXT ARE OUR UNIONS, AND WE HAVE MR. ALLEN FROM TABCO.

GOOD EVENING CHAIR BOOKER DWYER, VICE CHAIR POEY, SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I'M LLOYD ALLEN, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TABCO, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION WITH PERMISSION FROM PRESIDENT SEXTON.

WHAT DOES THE UNION BELIEVE AND WHY AM I ALLOWED TO SPEAK FOR THE UNION TONIGHT? TABCO IS A UNION THAT DERIVES POWER AND BELIEFS FROM ITS MEMBERS AND IT EMPOWERS ITS REPRESENTATIVES, THE BELIEFS OF TABCO AND ITS PARENTS.

ORGANIZATIONS ARE LAID OUT IN THEIR CONSTITUTIONS AND A SET OF STATEMENTS CALLED RESOLUTIONS.

THE FIRST TWO CLAUSES OF THE NEA CONSTITUTION ESTABLISHED THAT THE ORGANIZATIONS EXIST TO SERVE AS A VOICE FOR EDUCATION AND IN PARTICULAR TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS.

WHEN TABCO WORKS TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF EDUCATORS, WHICH IS TO SAY NOT ONLY TEACHERS, BUT ALSO OTHER CERTIFIED EDUCATORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO RELATED SERVICES, PERSONNEL, MENTAL HEALTH PER PROFESSIONALS,

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AND SCHOOL NURSES.

WE DO SO BECAUSE WE WANT PUBLIC EDUCATION TO THRIVE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

THE CONDITIONS OF OUR MEMBERS BECOME THE CONDITIONS OF OUR STUDENTS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE AGITATE IT IS TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

BEYOND THE FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS, THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BELIEF STATEMENTS CALLED RESOLUTIONS.

50 OF US JUST RETURNED TO THIS WEEKEND FROM THE MARYLAND STATE EDUCATOR ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR WHICH THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED LAST FRIDAY.

AT THAT ASSEMBLY, TWO CHANGES TO THE RESOLUTIONS WERE PROPOSED.

THE BODY VOTED TO ACCEPT ONE CHANGE TO THE BELIEFS, BUT VOTED DOWN THE SECOND.

THIS SHOWED THAT THE BELIEFS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SMALL D DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

WE ARE ABLE TO UPDATE OUR ORGANIZATION'S BELIEFS IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES.

FOR INSTANCE, NEA HAD A TASK FORCE THAT SPENT ALL OF LAST ACADEMIC YEAR CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING.

THE AI REPORT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE NEA THIS PAST SUMMER THROUGH A VOTE.

CINDY SEXTON IS THE PRESIDENT OF TABCO AND DERIVES HER AUTHORITY FROM THE BODY AND FROM OUR FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS THROUGH HER ELECTION TO THAT OFFICE, SHE IS ABLE TO DELEGATE THAT AUTHORITY TO A MEMBER LIKE ME IN A CASE LIKE TONIGHT.

SHE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SPEAK FOR THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE, BUT SHE IS ALLOWED TO ALLOW ME TO BE HER INSTRUMENT.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME TIME TO GIVE THESE INSIGHTS INTO WHAT EDUCATOR UNIONS ARE AND HOW THEIR LEADERSHIP CAN MAKE STATEMENTS BEGINNING WITH OUR MEMBERS BELIEVE.

AND WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON FROM OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED GROUPS, UM, FROM THE SOUTHWEST AREA ADVISORY COUNCIL, MS. COL, COLTON PER PERCELL.

GREETINGS, EVERYONE, BOARD CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, AND ALL THAT ARE ON THE DAY.

FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS MARLENA COLTON PURCELL.

I'M THE SOUTHWEST AREA EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL.

I AM A PARENT WHO REALIZES THE IMPORTANCE AND ESSENTIAL ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, PLAY IN OUR DISTRICT.

THIS IS NOT A I JOB, THIS IS A VOLUNTEER JOB.

SO I IMPLORE YOU PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING ONE OF THE AREA, UM, EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, SPECIFICALLY THE SOUTHWEST.

UM, WHEN YOU, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND YOU CAN GO TO BCPS.ORG, GO TO THE SEARCH BAR, TYPE IN A EAC AND YOU WILL FIND THE MISSION STATEMENT.

YOU WILL FIND YOUR AREA, THE EMAIL.

YOU WILL ALSO FIND THE MEETING TIMES AND DATES.

OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 11TH.

THAT'S THE SECOND MONDAY, AND AT THIS MEETING YOU'LL FIND OUT ALL YOU WANNA KNOW OR NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.

AS I CLOSE, I AM ENCOURAGING YOU TO EMAIL YOUR REMARKS, YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR DESIRES FOR THE OPERATION AND OR CAPITAL BUDGET.

THIS IS LIKE YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST.

PARENTS, CAREGIVERS.

I WANT YOU TO INDICATE WHAT IT IS AT YOUR SCHOOL OR YOUR AREA THAT YOU SEE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO THE BOARD TO CONSIDER IN ORDER FOR SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS TO MAKE A GREAT BUDGET.

AND OF COURSE, OUR CITIZEN DOLLARS WILL SUPPORT THAT RIGHT EXECUTIVE OH.

UM, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, OUR SCHOOLS, DISTRICTS, OUR NEEDS ARE MET.

SO IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING WALLS IN YOUR SCHOOLS OR YOU WANT, UM, PRE-K EQUIPMENT, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR PRE-K YOU WANT DROP OFF, UM, ACCESSIBILITY AND YOU WANT MORE STAFFING LIKE IN THE GT OFFICE, OR PERHAPS YOU JUST WANT YOUR SCHOOLS TO BE WIDER, MEANING INCREASE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE WRITE YOUR COMMENTS, GIMME YOUR REMARKS FOR OUR BUDGET.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.

COUNTY BRANCH OF THE NA A CP.

THANK YOU, MS. COLTON PURCELL.

I APOLOGIZE FOR MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME.

NO WORRIES.

OUR NEXT CATEGORY ARE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MS. ENGLISH FROM THE NAACP BALTIMORE COUNTY BRANCH.

I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE NO A WHILE.

GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

BOOKER DWYER, VICE PRESIDENT HUMPHREY AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS IN DR. ROGERS.

MY NAME IS MARIETTA ENGLISH AND I CHAIR THE AXO PROGRAM AND THE EDUCATION CHAIR FOR THE BALTIMORE

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I WANT TO BEGIN BY COMMENDING DR. ROGERS FOR HER COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS, YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE THE SAFETY INFORMATION AT FRANKLIN AND CURRENT.

KENWOOD HIGH SCHOOL PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE DISTRICT IS PROVIDING FOR THE SAFETY FOR OUR STUDENTS, ALONG WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONNECT WITH STAFF MEMBERS.

IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO HEAR FIRSTHAND ABOUT THE PLANS AND TO HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT OF POLICE ON HOW THEY WILL SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS AND THE STUDENTS.

IT WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO OFFER SUGGESTIONS AND GET GUIDANCE ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR STUDENTS AND WHAT WILL BE TOLERATED AND WHAT WILL NOT.

I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OTHER MEETINGS.

WE ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO REGISTER STUDENTS TO VOTE.

WE WERE ABLE TO REGISTER STUDENTS AT PIKESVILLE, NEWTOWN, AND PARKVILLE.

WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS IN THIS ELECTION, AND THOUGH WE ARE NOT ABLE TO TELL STUDENTS WHO TO VOTE FOR, WE WERE ABLE TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING.

AS YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS COME AND TALK ABOUT AXO, AND AXO STANDS FOR AFRO-AMERICAN ACADEMIC SCIENTIFIC OLYMPICS, AND IT WAS FOUNDED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR ACADEMIC SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT, ALLOWING YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE RECOGNIZED EQUALLY TO THAT OF ATHLETES AND ENTERTAINERS.

THERE ARE 26 CATEGORIES THAT THE STUDENTS IN GRADES NINE THROUGH 12 CAN COMPETE FROM, COMPETE IN FROM SCIENCES, PERFORMING ARTS, HUMANITIES AND CULINARY ARTS.

THEY COMPETE LOCALLY FOR GOLD MEDALS AND THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER GOES ON TO COMPETE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

THIS YEAR, WE HAD A GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN THE CATEGORY OF PLAYWRITING, UM, I'M SORRY, PAINTING A BRONZE MEDAL IN PLAYWRITING AND A, UM, AND THOSE WERE THE TWO MEDALS WE HAD, BUT WE HAD THREE STUDENTS TO WIN $10,000 SCHOLARSHIPS ON ESSAYS THAT THEY WROTE.

OUR STUDENTS WERE IN A TOTAL OF $30,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS.

THIS IS A GREAT THING FOR OUR STUDENTS IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

IT SHOULD BE APPLAUDED AND RECOGNIZED, AND IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTEND OUR FREEDOM FUND ACTIVITY ON NOVEMBER 2ND, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ATTEND.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT NONPROFIT GROUP IS THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CONTINENTAL SOCIETIES, AND WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION, MS. LAW, MS. LAW GREETINGS, DR. ROGERS BOARD CHAIR BOOKER DWYER, VICE CHAIR HUMPHREY, AND BOARD MEMBERS AND GUESTS.

MY NAME IS LYNN LONGINGS, PRESIDENT OF BALTIMORE COUNTY CONTINENTAL SOCIETIES.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR GROUP.

WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1956.

WE ARE ENERGETIC, DEDICATED, SERVICE ORIENTED WOMEN, VOLUNTEER, ALL VOLUNTEER.

OUR MISSION OF THE CHAPTER IS TO CREATE ENVIRONMENTS, EMPOWER CHILDREN TO ACCESS TO QUALITY, APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR OPTIMAL POTENTIAL.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE.

OUR PROGRAM OF HEALTH SUPPORTS PROACTIVE SAFETY MEASURES, FOCUS ON CHILDREN'S BASIC SECURITY NEEDS COLLABORATIVELY WORKING WITH PARENTS, EDUCATORS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, WHOSE OUTCOMES ARE VITAL FOR EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

DR. ROGERS, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AROUND SCHOOL SAFETY.

VERY INFORMANT TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS.

THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CHAPTER RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING FOR STUDENTS ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

WE ENCOURAGE DR. ROGERS TO EXPAND THESE CONVERSATIONS OF SAFETY IN THE BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO BROADEN INSIGHTFUL DISCUSSION AND YIELD SOUND SOLUTIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES WILL CONTINUE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH, TRANSFORMING THEIR LIVES AND FOSTERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW.

OUR CHILDREN NEED A BRIGHTER TOMORROW.

THEY NEED TO BE SAFE WHILE THEY'RE DOING THIS, THANKS TO THE TIREDNESS, DEDICATION OF OUR BALTIMORE COUNTY CHAPTER MEMBERS, IT TAKES

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A VILLAGE.

WE HAVE 50 MEMBERS AND WE VOLUNTEER OUR SERVICE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.

WE ARE GETTING READY TO DO A TURKEY DRIVE.

WE DO COAT DRIVES, ANYTHING THAT THE SCHOOL IS NEEDS TO SUPPORT, AND THESE ARE VOLUNTEER WOMEN WHO GIVE THEIR TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURES, AND WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY AND WE WORK HARD.

WE ARE FULL-TIME PARENTS, PRINCIPALS, EDUCATORS, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO BE PART OF THAT VILLAGE.

LIKE EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT.

OUR CHILDREN, OUR COMMITMENT, OUR CONCERN.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER, OUR NEXT SPEAKERS FROM THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OR STUDENTS CATEGORY.

AND WE HAVE MR. TONY D CZAR.

GOOD EVENING, DR. ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

IN 1963, JOHN F. KENNEDY LAUNCHED THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS TO REFLECT ITS ROLE TO SERVE ALL AMERICANS.

THE PROGRAM SUCCEEDED IN MAKING MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALTH AND FITNESS NATIONWIDE AND PRODUCE THE HEALTHIEST POPULATION OF STUDENTS IN MODERN AMERICA.

FAST FORWARD 60 YEARS AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY RATES HAVE INCREASED BY 300% IN CHILDREN, AND OVER 400% IN TEENS SINCE THE 1970S.

WHILE PRESCRIPTION STIMULANTS REACH RECORD HIGHS TO TREAT AND MANAGE ATTENTION DEFICIT AND HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERS, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE ABANDONED THE GOALS OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS TO FOCUS ON STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, ALL AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR STUDENTS' PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.

BASED ON A PEW RESEARCH STUDY, 15 YEAR OLDS, THE US NOW RANKS 24TH IN SCIENCE, 39TH IN MATH, AND 24TH IN READING LITERACY.

IN 2018, THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL RANKED MARYLAND 35TH OUT OF 50 STATES WITH AN OVERALL GRADE OF A C.

WHAT WE NEED ISN'T A CHANGE IN THE CURRICULUM, IT'S A CHANGE IN THE CULTURE OF OUR SCHOOLS.

AS THE LEADERSHIP OF BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND ADDRESS THESE EXISTENTIAL, THIS EXISTENTIAL CRISIS.

MY QUESTION TO THE BOARD IS WHAT'S BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, GYM TEACHERS IN NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS CONDUCTED AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENT CALLED ZERO NET PE, WHERE, WHERE, UH, THEY SCHEDULED TIME TO WORK OUT BEFORE CLASS USING TREADMILLS AND OTHER EXERCISE EQUIPMENT WHERE YOU WERE ONLY COMPETING AGAINST YOURSELF TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM.

NOT ONLY TURNED THEIR 19,000 STUDENTS INTO THE FITTEST IN THE NATION, BUT ALSO IN SOME CATEGORIES, THE SMARTEST IN THE WORLD.

AND NAPERVILLE, 97% OF THE EIGHTH GRADERS TOOK THE TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY EXAM ON THE SCIENCE SECTION.

THEY FINISHED JUST AHEAD OF SINGAPORE, NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, AND ON THE MATH SECTION, THEY WERE NUMBER SIX IN THE WORLD, ALL BECAUSE OF THEIR INNOVATIVE EXERCISE PROGRAM.

THERE IS ALMOST NO BRAIN FUNCTION THAT EXERCISE DOESN'T AFFECT IN A POSITIVE WAY.

WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MOOD OR LEARNING.

EXERCISE IS A BIG PART OF THE EQUATION, EVEN IN PEOPLE WITH A DD AND A DHD EXERCISE HELPS THEM CONCENTRATE BETTER AND LEARN BETTER.

THIS TYPE OF INNOVATIVE THINKING IS WHAT WE NEED TO TRANSITION TOWARD AND ABANDONED TEACHING FOR TESTING PURPOSES.

SHOULDN'T WE BE FOCUSING ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS INSTEAD OF CREATING SAFE SPACES? THAT BEGINS RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM WITH THIS BOARD.

YOU COULD BE THE EXECUTOR OF CHANGE IN THE CULTURE OF OUR SCHOOLS.

IGNORING THE DECLINING HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS DUE TO LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ONLY GONNA MAKE THIS SITUATION WORSE.

I CHALLENGE YOU AS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE ARE PARENTS AND STUDENTS THAT DESPERATELY NEED THAT TYPE OF INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP.

THIS EVENING IS TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO AN ISSUE REGARDING THE CARPENTRY PROGRAM AT CARVER CENTER FOR ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DR.

LASHAUN STITT.

GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, AS STATED, MY NAME IS DR.

LASHAWN STITT.

I AM REPRESENTING, UH, THE PARENT BODY THIS EVENING.

UM, AS ALWAYS, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE LAND IN WHICH WE CURRENTLY OCCUPY TERRITORY THAT WAS ORIGINALLY INHABITED BY THE SUSHAN PEOPLE WHO WERE VIOLENTLY REMOVED FROM THEIR LAND BY COLONIZERS.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION TO PURSUE POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT RESPECT THE LAND AND WATERS, SO THAT OUR RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, THEM CAN BE FULLY RESTORED.

I STAND IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WITH OTHER INDIGENOUS, BLACK, BROWN, AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS OF THIS STATE AND OUR EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHOSE TERRITORY WE OCCUPY.

AND I ASK THAT YOU JOIN US IN HONORING THEIR PRESENCE HERE TODAY.

MY REASON FOR CALLING IN

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UM, THE PROGRAM, I ACTUALLY HAVE A SON WHO IS A SENIOR IN THE, IN THE PROGRAM, AND I WILL SAY OVERALL, UH, THE EXPERIENCE HAS HAD MOMENTS OF, UM, DEEP DESPAIR FOR ME.

UH, AS A FRESHMAN, HE RETURNED TO SCHOOL AFTER THE COVID LOCKDOWN, AND IT WAS QUITE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR, FOR MANY SOPHOMORE YEAR.

HIS TEACHER RETIRED MID-YEAR, LEAVING THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO BE FILLED WITH SUBSTITUTES AND INCOMPLETE PROJECTS.

DURING HIS JUNIOR YEAR.

HE DID NOT RECEIVE A FULL-TIME TEACHER UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST QUARTER, AGAIN, LEAVING STUDENTS WITHOUT CONSISTENT INSTRUCTION UNTIL THAT TEACHER BECAME PERMANENT MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR.

SO AS A RESULT, MY SON AND HIS CLASSMATES HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE COLLEGE READY EXPERIENCE THAT THE, THAT BCPS CURRENTLY TOUTS.

MOST OF HIS PEERS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES THROUGH FAMILY CONNECTIONS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS OTHERS.

MOREOVER, WE'VE, UH, I FEEL, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, UH, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED FOR SENIORS, UH, SUCH AS INTERNSHIPS, APPRENTICESHIPS, CONSTRUCTION, SITE VISITS, OR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES SUCH AS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

UM, AND DESPITE THE CLAIMS OF PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE OR CAREERS, THE REALITY IS THAT MANY OF THESE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN LEFT WITHOUT THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THEY NEED.

UM, AND I WILL SAY THIS IS NOT JUST A GAP IN EXPERIENCE, IT'S AN EQUITY ISSUE.

AND FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION AFTER GRADUATION, THE DISTRICT HAS NOT ADEQUATELY PREPARED THEM FOR, FOR THE FUTURE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

AS OTHER SCHOOLS WITH LEGITIMATE CTE PROGRAMS HAVE DONE, IT'S DEEPLY CONCERNING THAT WHILE THE PUBLIC IS LED TO BELIEVE THESE STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE CAREER READY, THE REALITY PAINTS A DIFFERENT PICTURE.

SO, ON BEHALF OF MANY PARENTS AND STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE FOUND THEIR VOICE, I ASK, WHAT STEPS WILL THE DISTRICT TAKE TO ENSURE THESE STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR A FUTURE IN CONSTRUCTION? AND HOW WILL THE DISTRICT MAKE UP FOR THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES? THANK YOU.

AND ENSURE THAT THE, YOUR TIME IS UP NOW.

OH, THAT WAS QUICK.

DOESN'T HAVE CHAIRS ANYMORE, UNFORTUNATELY.

THANK YOU, .

OUR NEXT INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER IS DR.

UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

I SENT YOU THIS PICTURE, I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN IT.

AND BASICALLY, MY FAVORITE PLACE TO STUDY IS BARNES AND NOBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH STARBUCKS.

THE ONE IN TOWSON, UH, NEXT TO THE FRESH MARKET.

SO I WENT TO THE NEXT NEXT ONE, WHICH IS AN ICE CREAM CASE, AND I WAS GREETED BY THE MANAGER AND THE WORKER.

IT SMILED VERY WELCOMING, AND OF COURSE THEY TOOK MY ORDERS $6, BUT I REALLY WAS IMPRESSED WITH THIS SIGN AND I REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR YOU.

IT SAYS, WELCOME.

FOR ANY ANY COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS, PLEASE CALL MANAGER AS AZURE, A FOREIGN NAME.

SO IT MUST BE LIKE ME AN IMMIGRANT, AND HE HAS HIS CELL PHONE IN (347) 304-3034.

COMPARE THIS WITH THE SIGN UP THERE.

COMPARE THEM TOGETHER.

REALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR GREAT SUPERINTENDENT TALKS ABOUT ENGAGEMENT, ALRIGHT? AND I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU, DR.

RAJAS COMING IN AND MINGLING WITH ALL OF US BACK THERE.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, VERY ADMIRABLE, BUT THIS SIGN IS UNFAIR AND JUST DOESN'T MAKE YOU SECURE.

DOESN'T MAKE US BACK THERE.

SECURE TELLS US TO SIT AND NOT STAND UP.

WELL, I COULDN'T REALLY HEAR.

I HAD TO STAND UP AND REPORT IT, SO I VIOLATED THE POLICY.

THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO STAND UP AND DID NOT REALLY WIND UP BEING ESCORTED OUT BY ARMED SECURITY PEOPLE.

WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING

[00:35:01]

TO SAY IS, PUBLIC EDUCATION IS VASTLY IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNTRY, BUT YOU GOT TO LEARN FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

YOU CAN'T HAVE A SIGN LIKE THIS AND THEN HAVE A SLIDE TALKING ABOUT ENGAGEMENT.

IT'S JUST THREE.

THEY CANCEL EACH OTHER, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO IS SINGLED OUT TO BE EJECTED.

I ASK YOU, MADAM SUPERINTENDENT, PLEASE TAKE THAT UGLY, UNFAIR, UNJUST SIGN DOWN.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. ANNA WEISBERG.

HI, I AM ANNA WEISBERG.

I'M SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

I'M A TEACHER AT VILLA CREST ELEMENTARY.

I'M ALSO A TAPCO REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR BCPS, UH, COMMUNITY SCHOOL STEERING COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE BALTIMORE COUNTY EDUCATION JUSTICE TABLE.

I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.

THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE THE TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS INCLUDES THE EMPOWERMENT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN EACH SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

AND WE KNOW THAT THIS MODEL IS NOT SIMPLY PROVIDING BAND-AID SERVICES THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

UM, BUT IT'S ALSO ALLOWING THAT EACH COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY THEIR AREAS OF CONCERN AND EMPOWERING THEM TO IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CAN TO MAKE THOSE SOLUTIONS HAPPEN.

UM, AND WHEN RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT WHEN WE HAVE THIS TRANSFORMATIVE MODEL OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BEING IMPLEMENTED, THAT WE SEE REALLY PROFOUND CHANGES IN THE OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND SO THAT IS WHY I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS MADE TO DATE IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, OUR 20 SCHOOLS ENTERING THEIR FOURTH YEAR OF BEING CLASSIFIED AS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL.

AND IT'S ALSO FOR THIS REASON THAT I ASK THAT OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION INTRODUCES AND PASSES A LOCAL POLICY THAT COMMITS BCPS TO LONG-TERM IMPLEMENTATION AND FOR RELATED ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES THAT WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND CLARITY TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL FACILITATORS, EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, AND BALTIMORE CITY SCHOOL BOARDS ALL HAVE PASSED LOCAL POLICIES DEMONSTRATING THEIR LONG-TERM COMMITMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE POLITICS AND FUNDING FROM THE STATE LEVEL IN MAJOR JURISDICTIONS ACTUALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, WHERE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ARE THRIVING AND TRANSFORMING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.

UM, THEY HAVE ALSO PASSED POLICIES IN NEW YORK, DURHAM, LOS ANGELES, MILWAUKEE, EVEN LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, AND HILLSBOROUGH, FLORIDA.

SO I JUST ASK THAT WE PLEASE PURSUE SUCH A POLICY SO THAT WE CAN REALLY MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE FUNDING RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT.

THANK YOU GUYS SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO.

NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION, AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MR. BURNS.

THE

[G. NEW BUSINESS - ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION (Board Counsel) (7:40 - 7:45 p.m.)]

GOOD EVENING, CHAIR BOOKER DRYER, VICE CHAIR.

EY, DR. ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR THE RECORD, DARREN BURNS, BOARD COUNSEL ENCLO SESSION.

THE BOARD REVIEWED CASES NUMBER 24 DASH 38 AND 25 DASH ZERO TWO.

THIS WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR ACTION.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTION TAKEN ENCLOSED SESSION ON HEARING EXAMINER'S CASES 24 DASH 38 AND 25 2.

SO MOVED.

HARVEY, MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE MS. EY? YES.

MS. BOOKER DWYER? YES.

MOTION CARRIES.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE REPORT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY LITERACY.

[H. REPORT - ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (Dr. DiDonato and Dr. Craft) (7:45 - 8:15 p.m.)]

AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR. ROGERS.

AT THIS TIME, DR.

DEDO, DR.

KRAFT, MS. WICKS, DR. WOLF, WE'LL COME FORWARD PLEASE.

READY? WELL, MEL, WELCOME UH, TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR, UH, CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION LITERACY TEAM.

[00:40:01]

UH, THEY ARE HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON ELEMENTARY LITERACY.

UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR PROVIDING, UH, APPROVAL FOR A CONTRACT FOR LAST YEAR TO BE OUR FIRST YEAR WHERE WE IMPLEMENTED BRAND NEW CURRICULUM INTO READING HMH, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE SCIENCE OF READING.

LAST YEAR, WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS THE, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS WITH OUR STUDENTS.

UM, AT THIS TIME, UH, DR.

DDO I THINK MIGHT BEGIN, OR MS. WICKS, I'M GONNA TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO MS. WICKS, RIGHT OVER TO MS. WICKS, AND WALK US INTO, UH, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE AND WHAT HAVE WE SEEN AS A RESULT OF THE, UM, ASSESSMENT WINDOWS THAT HAVE JUST CLOSED THIS FALL? THANK GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TO, UM, PERSONALIZE AND CREATE THAT PLAN FOR EACH SCHOOL.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME ELEMENTARY LITERACY UPDATES.

WE WANTED TO START BY SHARING, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO SUPPORT OUR SECOND YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION FOR HMH .

AND SO AS WE PLANNED OUR CALENDAR FOR THIS, UM, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON TWO OF THE BIG BRACKETS THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS IDENTIFIED HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND CLARITY.

AND SO AS WE WENT ABOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT DO EACH OF THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS NEED IN THOSE AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN ARE THE GUIDING QUESTIONS THAT WE REALLY FOCUSED ON.

AND SO MY GLASSES DON'T WORK OFF OR ON .

SO, UM, UH, REALLY FOCUSING ON THE IDEA OF IMPLEMENTATION WITH INTEGRITY AROUND THE SCIENCE OF READING, THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND PROVIDING RESPONSIVE INSTRUCTION WITH THE USE OF DATA, REALLY FOCUSING ON THE IDEA OF OUR STUDENT PROGRESS MONITORING AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT TEACHERS IN THAT FOCUS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR BIGGEST UMBRELLA UNDER EQUITY IS HOW WE CAN PROVIDE EQUITABLE INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS.

UM, OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON PROVIDING DIFFERENTIATED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS.

AND SO WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON WHAT SUPPORT CAN WE PROVIDE TO BUILDING LEADERS, BOTH PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, THINKING ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAMS, ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL THAT INCLUDE READING SPECIALISTS AS WELL AS STAFF DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS, PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AT THE TEACHER LEVEL FOR OUR TEACHER LEADERS, ESPECIALLY OUR TEACHER LEADER CORE, SO THAT THEY ARE GRADE LEVEL SPECIALISTS AND CAN PROVIDE THAT ONSITE SUPPORT.

UM, REALLY FOCUSING OF COURSE ON OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR SUPPORT FOR ALL TEACHERS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CURRICULUM, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THE LITERACY INTERVENTION PROGRAM AND THOSE TEACHERS WHO HELP PROVIDE THAT.

AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR SCIENCE OF READING, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING COUNTYWIDE.

NEXT SLIDE.

UM, TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK AND TO MAKE SURE WE ARE MAXIMIZING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES, WE ARE REALLY APPROACHING THIS FROM A CROSS-DIVISIONAL APPROACH.

SO WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE DIVISION OF SCHOOLS AND FOCUSING ON EACH OF THOSE ACADEMIC PRIORITY AREAS.

AND SO AS WE VISIT SCHOOLS, WE ARE DOING THAT IN COLLABORATION WITH MATH, SPECIAL ED, UM, ELD, AND THEN OF COURSE OUR OFFICE AS WELL.

AND SO IN THOSE VISITS, REALLY FOCUSING ON HOW CAN WE JOINTLY PROVIDE THOSE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, UM, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, HOW CAN WE REALLY FOCUS ON PLCS? AND THEN OF COURSE, THINKING ABOUT GIVING THAT BACKGROUND AND THAT IN THE FEEDBACK OF WHAT WE SEE IN THE CLASSROOM.

WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR. WOLF TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION AND TO FARTHER EXTEND THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR TEACHERS.

LAST YEAR AS PART OF OUR FIRST YEAR IMPLEMENTATION, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, ONSITE JOB EMBEDDED INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING WITH AN INTO READING COACH.

THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT WAS REALLY HIGH AND VERY POWERFUL BECAUSE THAT IS THAT SHOULDER TO SHOULDER LEARNING.

AS A PREVIOUS LITERACY COACH, IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL LEARNING FOR A TEACHER BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT AT THAT POINT OF NEED, WHETHER I'M PLANNING, TRYING TO FIND A RESOURCE OR FIGURING OUT HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE FOR THE NEEDS OF MY STUDENTS.

UM, BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO ONE-TO-ONE WITH A COACH DEDICATED TO A SCHOOL, THERE WAS ALSO, UM, THE PRINCIPAL, THE BUILDING PRINCIPAL AND LEADERSHIP TEAM ALSO WERE ABLE TO PERSONALIZE THAT PD FOR THOSE TEACHERS AT THE GRADE LEVEL.

SO WHAT THE NEEDS WERE COMING UP AT THE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT THIS YEAR WE GET TO EXTEND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS RECEIVING THOSE TWO DAYS OF COACHING AGAIN THIS YEAR.

AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT SUPPORT THROUGH CARRY OVER TITLE ONE MONEY THAT WAS DEDICATED TO PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT FOR THOSE SCHOOLS TO HAVE UP TO 25 SESSIONS THAT THEY CAN SELECT TO HAVE THAT ONE SITE JOB EMBEDDED INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING THOSE WALKTHROUGHS IN SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW AND MEETING WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAMS TO REALLY BE ABLE

[00:45:01]

AND THAT WILL BE A DEDICATED COACH THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AS PART OF MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE READY TO READ ACT AND KOMAR, WE CONDUCT READING SCREENER, A READING SCREENER THREE TIMES A YEAR IN GRADES K TO THREE.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THE SCREENER IS TO REALLY DETERMINE IF THERE IS, IF A STUDENT IS POSSIBLY AT RISK FOR A READING DIFFICULTY.

THIS IS OUR KINDERGARTEN SCREENING DATA FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

UM, AND THIS IS WITH THE DIBELS ASSESSMENT.

EACH OF THOSE BLOCKS ARE THE SUBTEST AS PART OF THE DIBELS ASSESSMENT AND THE COMPOSITE SCORE, WHICH IS THE RED BOX AROUND THAT BLOCK.

THAT IS THE MOST ROBUST SCORE.

THAT'S REALLY THE BEST INDICATOR TO DETERMINE IF A STUDENT MAY BE AT RISK FOR A READING DIFFICULTY.

THIS DATA WE'LL USE TO REALLY PROVIDE SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS.

WE'LL LOOK AT IT AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, AT GRADE LEVELS TO DETERMINE WHERE ARE WE WANNA PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT TO OUR INCOMING KINDERGARTNERS.

AND IN SOME CASES, IT'S THEIR FIRST TIME IN A FORMAL SCHOOL SETTING.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UM, WE ADDITIONALLY, WE DISAGGREGATE THE DATA AND YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF STUDENTS ON THIS SLIDE.

AND THAT ALSO HELPS US TO REALLY FOCUS, SUPPORT, AND TO DETERMINE IS THE CORE CURRICULUM, ARE THE SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORTS PROVIDING WHAT EVERY STUDENT NEEDS IN THROUGHOUT OUR DIFFERENT STUDENT GROUPS.

WE WANT THEM TO BE ON THE TRAJECTORY EVERY STUDENT THAT THEY ARE READING PROFICIENTLY BY THE END OF GRADE THREE.

NEXT.

AND THEN THESE ARE, THIS IS OUR DATA FOR GRADES ONE THROUGH THREE.

AND WE USE THE AMIRA SCREENER FOR THIS DATA.

AND YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THIS THAT 56% OF OUR STUDENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ARE ON TRACK FOR BEING BENCHMARKED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

UM, AND THAT SCREENER, UM, CHANGES EACH TIME WE GIVE IT, SO THE EXPECTATIONS ACTUALLY INCREASE.

SO WE WILL USE THIS DATA AGAIN TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM SUPPORTS TO OUR SCHOOLS.

UM, AND IT'S OUR HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF COMPLETION THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR, AS WELL AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WERE SCREENED BY THE END OF THE WINDOW OF SEPTEMBER 27TH.

WE ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND SHOWCASE SOME OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE.

SO, UM, OUR CURRICULUM COMMITTEE HAD A PREVIEW OF SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, BUT THE TOP, UH, CHART SHOWS THE PERCENT OF STUDENTS, UM, WHO WERE AT THE 25TH PERCENTILE OR BELOW AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, 23, 24 SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEN THE COMPARISON AS THEY PROGRESSED TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL FOR THE 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.

SO THESE ARE STUDENTS WHO WERE BOTH WITH US.

THE FIRST, UM, ROW, THEY WERE WITH US AS FIRST GRADERS, AND WE HAD 28.6% OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WERE BELOW THE 25TH PERCENTILE.

THOSE SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS THEN ASSESSED IN SECOND GRADE.

UM, WE WERE DOWN TO ONLY 20.2% OF STUDENTS WHO ARE BELOW THE 25TH PERCENTILE.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHANGE IN ACHIEVEMENT, YOU WANNA SEE BOTH THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE BELOW GRADE LEVEL DECREASING AS WELL AS AN INCREASE ON THE OTHER END, MEANING THAT YOU'RE MOVING THE STUDENTS FROM THE MIDDLE ALSO FURTHER IN THEIR ACHIEVEMENT.

YOU CAN SEE THE SAME PATTERN OCCURRED WITH OUR SECOND GRADERS.

SO LAST YEAR, SECOND GRADERS, 29% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE BELOW THE 25TH PERCENTILE, DECREASING TO A 23.6% FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR AS THIRD GRADERS.

REALLY EXCITING IS THE DATA IN THAT SECOND CHART, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS, AGAIN, ARE MOVING FORWARD, UM, WITH THEIR READING ACHIEVEMENT WITH FIRST GRADERS.

UH, DURING THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR, 53.1% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

NOW AS SECOND GRADERS, 64.3%, SO OVER 10% GROWTH IN NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WERE ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

YOU SEE THE SAME THING IN TRAJECTORY BETWEEN GRADE TWO AND THREE.

UM, GRADE TWO WITH 52.3% OF STUDENTS ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

UM, THAT SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS AT THE START OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AT THE, UH, 59.7, UH, PERCENT OF THEM WERE ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

SO WHAT THAT SAYS IS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE MAKING PROGRESS AND THEY'RE SUSTAINING IT BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING IT YEAR OVER YEAR, WHICH IS VERY POSITIVE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING SOME MASSIVE SYSTEMIC CHANGES WITH OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

MORE SALIENT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROGRESS OF OUR STUDENTS BASED UPON DIFFERENT STUDENT GROUPS.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, UH, BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN GRADE ONE FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR, 50% OF THEM WERE ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

WE LOOK AT THAT SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS THIS YEAR IN GRADE TWO, AND 59% OF THEM ARE STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR AT, UH, AT OR ABOVE THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

YOU SEE THE SAME PATTERN, UH, CONTINUE WITH OUR STUDENT, OUR HISPANIC STUDENT POPULATION, 33% UP TO 44%.

UM, WE SEE GAINS WITH OUR STUDENTS REQUIRING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, 32 TO 35% AS WELL AS OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, 28% TO 39%.

[00:50:01]

THE INSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR STUDENTS IS REALLY SUPPORTING THEIR FORWARD PROGRESS.

AGAIN, WE SEE THE SAME PATTERN CONTINUE, UM, WITH OUR SECOND TO THIRD GRADERS, UM, 50 TO 54%, UM, WITH OUR BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS, 31 TO 39, UM, WITH OUR HISPANIC STUDENTS.

AGAIN, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, UM, REMAIN THE SAME.

WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT.

UM, AND OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, UH, 28% TO UH, 31%.

THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDARDS AND READING EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT STUDENTS ARE BEING ABLE OR NEED TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE AS FAR AS THEIR READING PROFICIENCY.

SO THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL ABLE TO SEE PROGRESS AND GAINS DESPITE BIGGER GET, LIKE JUMPS IN STANDARDS, UM, IS AGAIN, ANOTHER POSITIVE INDICATOR OF OUR FORWARD PROGRESS.

WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.

THANK, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION.

THIS DATA IS REALLY ENCOURAGING.

UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? MS. N THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

I AGREE IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO SEE THE DATA.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE RELATED.

UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE DATA, MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT ANY GAINS ARE GREAT, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE RELATIVITY OF OUR DATA IN COMPARISON TO WHAT GAINS WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN ONE YEAR OR RANGE OF GAINS IN TERMS OF WHERE WE FALL IN RELATION TO OTHER DISTRICTS IMPLEMENTING THIS CURRICULUM IN TERMS OF, YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE BETWEEN TWO AND 12% AND WE FALL IN THE AVERAGE, OR YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE FIVE AND 25% JUST IN TERMS OF BALLPARK, UM, OR BENCHMARK OUR RESULTS TO KNOW, IS THIS TO BE EXPECTED? DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF OUR RESULTS RELATED TO OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS CURRICULUM? THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION AND I'LL ALLOW YOU TO ANSWER AND THEN ASK MY SECOND IF I MAY.

SURE.

UH, MS. HEN, IF WE GO TO SLIDE SIX, UM, ONE OF THE SAMPLES THAT DR. WOLF, UH, SHARED, UH, WITH THE GROUP WAS FROM COLUMBUS, UH, CITY SCHOOLS AND THE YEAR OVER YEAR PROFICIENCY GAINS BY GRADE.

AND SO THERE'S A AVERAGE THERE OF, UM, OR A RANGE OF FOUR TO 6%.

UM, DR.

KRAFT, I THINK HAS PRESENTED BEFORE THAT THAT IS THE AVERAGE, UM, EXPECTED GAINS WHEN WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS, UH, CURRICULUM.

UM, DR.

KRAFT, IF YOU WANT TO EXPOUND ON THAT.

SO, UH, I WAS GONNA POINT BACK TO THAT SLIDE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE, THE GROWTH THAT WE SHOULD SEE AND THAT IT IS GONNA BE ARRANGED DEPENDING ON THE SCORES THAT WE START WITH, UH, TO THE SCORES THAT WE NEED TO SEE.

UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS A PRETTY AVERAGE EXPECTED.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT DATA FROM NEW YORK CITY ALSO USING INTO READING, AND THEY ALSO HAD ABOUT A FOUR TO 5% GAIN FROM THE STATE TEST YEAR TO YEAR.

AND SO I THINK THAT IS PRETTY TYPICAL.

UM, WE CERTAINLY CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT ARE USING IT YEAR OVER YEAR.

UM, OUR PURPOSE THOUGH IS TO GET, UH, ALL STUDENTS READING AT GRADE LEVEL.

AND SO, UM, OUR GROWTH MIGHT NEED TO BE MORE THAN WHAT AVERAGE IS.

AND SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE GAINS.

UM, AND WHAT WE ALSO KNOW FROM, UM, IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE IS THAT REALLY YEAR THREE IS THE SWEET SPOT OF IMPLEMENTATION.

UM, AND SO THEY HAVE THEIR FIRST YEAR AND IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING.

AS I'VE BEEN IN CLASSROOMS, TEACHERS HAVE BEEN SAYING, THIS YEAR IS SO MUCH BETTER, I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.

UM, AND, AND, AND LAST YEAR THEY WERE DOING THE, THE BEST THEY COULD WITH THE NEW CURRICULUM.

AND WE HAD, WE DID, I MEAN, YOU SEE THE RESULTS, LIKE WE DID GET GOOD RESULTS.

I'M EXCITED TO SEE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS SO MUCH MORE FAMILIAR.

I WAS ACTUALLY AT, UH, UH, MS. WICKS TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNINGS.

SHE TALKED ABOUT TEACHER LEADER CORPS.

SO I WAS ACTUALLY AT TEACHER LEADER CORPS, UH, WHICH ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EVERY SINGLE BUILDING.

UM, AND TODAY WAS KINDERGARTEN.

UM, AND HEARING WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AND THE KINDS OF METACOGNITIVE MOVES THAT WE'RE DOING WITH KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS, UH, DIALOGUE CONVERSATIONS, I JUST THINK THAT WE ARE REALLY ON THIS PATH OF GETTING STUDENTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

SO IT'S A BOTH END REALLY STRONG CORE INSTRUCTION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION WHEN STUDENTS AREN'T MEETING ALL THE EXPECTED BENCHMARKS.

SEEN INCREDIBLE GAINS AS EARLY AS YEAR ONE, YEAR TWO, I HAVEN'T SPECIFICALLY HEARD THEM MENTION YEAR THREE IS THE SWEET SPOT.

AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT SOME OF THE TOP SUPERINTENDENTS NATIONWIDE HAVE SAID IN TERMS OF IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU START, RIGHT? AND THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE SCIENCE OF READING WITH FIDELITY.

THEY'VE

[00:55:01]

I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT, , AND I'M SURE YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RESEARCH AND THAT THAT'S THE CASE IN THEIR IMPLEMENTATIONS AS WELL.

WHICH LEADS ME TO MY SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS, HOW ARE WE VALIDATING OUR, THAT OUR IMPLEMENTATION IS WITH FIDELITY? UM, IT'S WONDERFUL THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING INTERNALLY.

IT'S WONDERFUL WHEN HMH CAN SAY, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

THEY'RE TELLING US WHAT WE WANNA HEAR TO, TO SOME EXTENT WE'RE THERE'S A SELF-FULFILLING, YOU KNOW, PROPHECY THE NUMBER, THE DATA LOOKS GREAT, BUT HOW DO WE TAKE IT TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AND VALIDATE, YOU KNOW, EITHER FROM OUR PEERS, FROM SOME EXTERNAL SOURCE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, BCPS, YOU'RE REALLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK HERE.

ASIDE FROM THE DATA ITSELF.

I MEAN, YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH RESULTS, RIGHT? BUT ARE WE LOOKING AT OTHER SOURCES OF VALIDATION TO SAY YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH HERE WITH IMPLEMENTATION? YOU WANT, YOU WANNA START OR YOU WANT? WELL, AS FAR AS IN, WELL, INTERNALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH PRINCIPALS LAST YEAR AND AGAIN THIS YEAR TO DEVELOP WALKTHROUGH TOOLS FROM HMH INTO READING AND THE SCIENCE OF READING.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY USING OUTSIDE SOURCES FOR THOSE WALKTHROUGH TOOLS, NOT JUST THE INTERNAL ONES OF WHAT SHOULD WE SEE WHEN I'M VISITING A CLASSROOM, WHAT FEEDBACK DO I GIVE TO A TEACHER? IS THIS APPROPRIATE OR NOT APPROPRIATE? UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE CONDUCTING LEARNING WALKS WITH OUR READING SPECIALISTS COMING UP.

WE'RE GONNA DO SMALL COHORTS AND DO THE SAME SO THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR THE SAME EXPECTATIONS AND WHAT'S APPROPRIATE AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE STUDENTS FORWARD, THEIR GROWTH FORWARD BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW THE SCIENCE OF READING SAYS IS APPROPRIATE.

UM, AND TO ADD TO THAT, THANK YOU DR. WOLF.

UM, WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS, UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PRINCIPALS TELL ME LAST YEAR AFTER WE DID THE INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS WHERE WE USED THE LOOK FOR TOOL THAT DR. WOLF JUST TALKED ABOUT, SAY, THIS IS THE BEST PROFESSIONAL LEARNING I RECEIVED.

AND SOME OF THEM THEN TOOK IT AND TOOK IT RIGHT BACK TO THEIR BUILDING AND DID WALKS IN THEIR OWN BUILDING WITH THEIR OWN STAFF.

AND SO WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO CALIBRATE THAT INSTRUCTION SO MUCH SO THAT THE REASON THAT WE'RE DOING THOSE, UH, WALKS WITH READING SPECIALISTS THIS YEAR IS PRINCIPALS WERE LIKE, MY READING SPECIALISTS NEED TO DO THIS TOO.

MY ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS NEED TO DO THAT.

AND SO WE REALLY ARE, WE HAVE A, UH, SET OF LOOK FORS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AT THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE LESSON.

UM, THOSE HAVE STAYED CONSISTENT.

LAST YEAR WE ROLLED THEM OUT A SECTION AT A TIME.

OF COURSE, BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE HAD ALL OF THEM.

AND WE STARTED THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF THEM.

SO NO MATTER WHAT PART OF THE LESSON WE GO INTO, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND HOW TO GIVE ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK.

UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, AS PART OF OUR TITLE ONE PROJECT, UH, WHICH, UH, DR. WOLF TALKED ABOUT DURING THE PRESENTATION, WE ACTUALLY TOOK THAT WALKTHROUGH, UM, TOOL.

AND THAT IS HOW WE'RE GONNA MEASURE THE EFFICACY OF THE, THAT EXTENDED COACHING IS WE ARE DOING BASELINE WALKS ON EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY CLASSROOM, UM, LOOKING AT PATTERNS AND TRENDS, MAKING A COACHING PLAN.

AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL DO A SECOND WALK AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR RANKING VERSUS THE END OF THE YEAR RANKING, HOPING THAT THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WILL SHOW CHANGE NOT ONLY IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA, BUT TEACHER EFFICACY, UH, DATA IN TERMS OF THE MOVES THAT THEY ARE DOING TO HELP STUDENTS, UM, DURING THE LESSON, THE MICRO DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING, THAT THEY ARE APPLYING THAT THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE AROUND THE SCIENCE OF READING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I, I HOPE WE ARE TAKING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH OTHER DISTRICTS.

I KNOW WE'RE ALL DEALING, THIS IS NEW YES TO MOST, AND IN FACT, I'LL SAY THE MAJORITY, BUT THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE CAN ALL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND, AND I KNOW OTHERS ARE LEARNING FROM US.

BECAUSE WE ARE PIONEERS IN MANY, UM, ASPECTS OF THIS BALTIMORE COUNTY HAS ALWAYS LED THE WAY, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATORS AND LEARNING FROM DISTRICTS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING THE SCIENCE OF READING WITH FIDELITY, AND THAT WE LOOK TO THOSE DISTRICTS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

UM, I KNOW WE LEARNED A LOT FROM OUR, OUR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY REVIEW AND THE EXPERTS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN OUR OPERATIONS AND USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY PROVIDED SOME REALLY AMAZING FEEDBACK FROM SENIOR LEADERS IN THEIR FIELD.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT SAME POOL OF EXPERTISE EXISTS, BUT AS INDIVIDUALS DO HAVE THOSE LESSONS LEARNED, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT AND TAP INTO SOME OF THAT EXPERTISE AS WELL.

UM, HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR CONTENT AREAS WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING IN ELA? AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, SOCIAL STUDIES HAS ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD AND THEY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING INTEGRATED UNITS.

AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT, UM, WE DID HAVE MAY COME OUT LAST YEAR AND OBSERVE OUR CLASSROOMS, TALK TO OUR TEACHERS, TALK TO OUR ADMINISTRATORS, AND WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXTERNAL REVIEW TO START TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.

AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL FEEDBACK AND THAT WAS PART OF WHAT INFORMED OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TRAJECTORY FOR THIS YEAR.

AND ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS THAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS,

[01:00:01]

UM, AND SO WE JUST, SO SPEAKING OF WHAT ARE THE HMH, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAYING THE HMH COACH SAID THIS IS AMAZING WORK.

SO WE PREVIEWED WITH THEM HOW WE ARE GOING TO REALLY DO THIS INTEGRATED APPROACH IN SOME OF THE UNITS WITH, UH, ELA AND SOCIAL STUDIES, AND THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

AND SO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AND SEEK FOR THAT FEEDBACK, ESPECIALLY FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MILE THAT THAT IS THEIR FOCUS IS, UH, LITERACY AND EQUITY AND THE INTERSECTION OF THAT, UM, TO ALWAYS LOOK AND SEE THAT WE ARE IN A CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT STANCE, KNOWING THAT WE STILL, ALTHOUGH WE'RE DOING GOOD WORK, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE GOOD WORK TO DO AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR PRACTICE.

AND IF I MAY ADD TO THAT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT DR.

KRAFT.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT JUST THIS WEEK, MSDE AND THEIR LITERACY COMMITTEE, UM, HIGHLIGHTED BALTIMORE COUNTY AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR STUDENTS IN THE SCIENCE OF READING, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS BRINGING OUR KINDERGARTNERS UP, UM, AS ONE OF THE TOP THREE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

WE ALSO HAVE A VERY STRONG, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW LEADERSHIP IN LITERACY AND, UH, AT THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

CLEARLY THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COACHES THAT COME OUT FROM HMH, WHICH ARE INDEPENDENT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL ABOUT AMIRA AS THE TOOL.

WHEREAS DIBELS, UM, AND OTHER TOOLS REQUIRE A ONE-TO-ONE HUMAN WHERE THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SUBJECTIVITY, GOOD OR BAD FOR THE STUDENTS, SOME BIAS IT TAKES LONGER WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH A OBJECTIVE SYSTEM THAT IS MAKING THE DETERMINATION, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY ARE AUTOMATICALLY BUILT IN.

AND WE ARE ALSO SEEING NOT ONLY WHAT STUDENTS ARE DOING FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BUT ALSO WHAT HAPPENS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND BEING, UH, BRINGING IN A BRAND NEW PROGRAM THIS SUMMER FOR 12,000 STUDENTS.

SEEING THAT WE DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THAT SUMMER SLIDE FOR OUR STUDENTS, NOT JUST IN THE AGGREGATE, BUT WHEN YOU DISAGGREGATE THAT DATA BY GRADE LEVEL REALLY MAKES THE CASE FOR EARLY INTERVENTION, WHY WE'RE INVESTING IN PRE-K WHY WE NEED SUMMER PROGRAMS, AND ALSO WHY IT'S ALREADY ON OUR TRAJECTORY BEFORE THE STATE PASSED TODAY, THAT READING BY THE END OF GRADE THREE WAS IMPORTANT.

AND SO I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT BCPS IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF THIS WORK.

OUR RESULTS ARE SHOWING THE IMPACT OF THE EFFORTS OF OUR TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHER LEADERS IN THE SCHOOLS.

AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR YOU TO HEAR, FOR YOU TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM A SCHOOL AND SCHOOL STAFF ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT'S HAVING ON STUDENTS.

YOU'RE WELCOME, MS. HARVEY.

THANK YOU, MS. HUMPHREY.

HI.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SLIDE.

DO ANY OF OUR, OR DO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ALSO RECEIVE ANY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING? UM, MY QUESTION IS BE ESPECIALLY FOR OVERSEEING SCHOOLS THAT MAY HAVE NEW PRINCIPALS AND, UM, FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES THERE.

SO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ARE PART OF THE PRINCIPAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND ADDITION.

PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE WALKTHROUGHS THAT ARE DONE TOGETHER ARE WITH THE CONTENT OFFICE, WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT SUPPORTS THAT SCHOOL.

SO IT IS AN EMBEDDED DISCUSSION AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IN PRACTICE.

SO THEY GET THE OVERALL GLOBAL CONTENT INFORMATION, BUT THEN THEY ACTUALLY WALK THROUGH AND ARE HEARING THE EXEC TYPE FEEDBACK INTERACTIVE DISCUSSIONS WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT I'M SEEING.

THIS IS WHAT I, THIS IS WHAT I'M SEEING.

HOW WOULD YOU INTERPRET THIS? SO THAT INTERACTIVE PART OF BOTH IN THIS CLASSROOM VISITS AS WELL AS, UM, WHETHER IT'S DATA MEETINGS OR PLCS, WE ALSO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM THROUGH THAT ENTIRE DATA AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS.

I'LL JUST ADD AS WELL TOO, UM, WE HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS VOLUNTARILY ATTEND THE READING SPECIALIST MEETINGS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW BUSY THEIR SCHEDULE IS, BUT THEY COME AND THEY PARTICIPATE VIGOROUSLY IN THOSE AS WELL AS PART OF THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

FANTASTIC.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND ONE OTHER QUESTION, UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE POSITIVE COACHING FEEDBACK.

AND THIS, YOU MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER, BUT UM, I, I'M, I'M SURE IT WAS VERY LITTLE, BUT I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK YOU'VE RECEIVED AND HOW THAT WAS ADDRESSED.

UM, ACTUALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT DATA TODAY 'CAUSE WE WERE GETTING READY TO PREPARE AND OUR OVERALL, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE QUANTITATIVE DATA, WE HAD 90% OF TEACHERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE COACHING SAY THAT IT WAS VERY VALUABLE AND 7% OF THOSE WERE NEUTRAL.

SO THAT WAS ONLY 3% THAT WERE, THAT RESPONDED WITH, WITH SOME APPREHENSION.

AND WHAT WE, WE LOOKED AT THAT IS A LOT OF 'EM FELT THAT IT WAS OVERWHELMING.

THERE WAS STILL SO MUCH ON THE WEBSITE TO TRY TO NAVIGATE, AND THEY WANTED MORE TIME.

THEY, THEY JUST, AND IT WAS, THAT, IT WAS REALLY A LOT OF THE ASK FOR MORE TIME WITH THE COACH WAS WHERE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK CAME BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES DETERMINING HOW TO MAKE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS TO DIFFERENTIATE FOR THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS IN THAT ROOM SEEM TO BE THE OVERLYING, UM, COMMENT THREAD.

THANK

[01:05:01]

YOU.

AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION.

I, I JUST, UH, HAVE AN ASK REALLY.

UM, WHEN YOU PRE PRESENT THE DATA ON THE, UH, READING SCREENER FOR KINDERGARTEN, UH, AND WE LOOK AT THE LITTLE RED BOX, I JUST ASK THAT YOU EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE OUR AUDIENCE IS NOT JUST THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, BUT THE PUBLIC.

AND I BELIEVE IN MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.

AND THESE NUMBERS COULD MEAN EVERYTHING AND NOTHING.

AND SO IF YOU COULD DO THAT WITH A COMPOSITE, UH, AND WITH THE PERCENTILES EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT 56 PERCENTILE OF STUDENTS BETWEEN FIRST AND THIRD GRADE, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AROUND THAT? ABSOLUTELY.

SO FOR THE, THE KINDERGARTEN READING SCREENER, SO THE DIFFERENT SUBTEST, THERE'S LETTER NAMING, WHICH IS THE LLNF, THE PH NAME SEG NONSENSE WORD FLUENCY, PH NAME SEGMENTATION IS JUST THE SOUNDS, BEING ABLE TO HEAR THE SOUNDS.

NONSENSE WORD FLUENCY IS BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE LETTER AND THE SOUND AND THEN BLEND THE WORD AND FIRST IDENTIFYING THEM SEPARATELY IS CORRECT.

LETTER SOUND WORDS READ CORRECTLY IS THE NEXT BOX, WHICH IS THEY CAN BLEND THE WORD TO MAKE IT A WORD.

THE NONSENSE WORD.

ACTUALLY A WORD WORDS READ FLUENTLY IS HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS, UM, THAT THEY SEE ALL THE TIME.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THE COMPOSITE SCORE IS BASED ON THE TIME OF YEAR ONE OF THOSE SUBTEST OR TWO OF THOSE SUBTEST ARE WEIGHTED MORE HIGHLY BASED ON WHAT THE PREDICTION IS, WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE AT THAT POINT IN THE YEAR AS A KINDERGARTNER TO BE ON TRAJECTORY TO BE PROFICIENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE COMPOSITE SCORE IS, LOOKING AT ALL THOSE SCORES TOGETHER AND THEN RANKING STUDENTS BASED ACROSS NATIONAL PERCENTILES.

SO, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE 42% OF OUR INCOMING KINDERGARTNERS AS INTENSIVE NEEDING.

THEY NEED THE CORE AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT, UM, AS DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? DO YOU WANT SURE.

STRATEGIC MEANS STUDENTS ARE APPROACHING BENCHMARK, SO THEY NEED THE CORE AND THEN PROBABLY ADDITIONAL SMALL GROUP.

AND WHAT WE DO IS WE USE OTHER SCREENERS OR WE USE OTHER ASSESSMENT DATA, CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS TO REALLY PINPOINT AND DETERMINE WHAT EXACTLY THOSE STUDENTS NEED AS FAR AS THAT SMALL GROUP SUPPORT, SO THAT THEY WILL BE PROFICIENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

STUDENTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED CORE OR CORE PLUS MEAN IF THEY CONTINUE WITH THE SAME INSTRUCTION THEY'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW, THEY WILL BE PROFICIENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

AND THEN IT'S SIMILAR FOR THE AMIRA DATA, THE PERCENTILES, IT'S JUST PRESENTED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN DIBELS.

SO WHAT, WHAT AMIRA IS SAYING THAT STUDENTS THAT ARE BELOW THE 25TH, FIFTH PERCENTILE ARE THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY AT RISK.

THEY NEED THE CORE AND ADDITIONAL SMALL GROUP SUPPORT, REALLY TARGETED INSTRUCTION, UM, MORE FREQUENTLY AND IN SMALLER GROUPS.

CAN CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT BEING IN THE 25TH PERCENTILE IS FOR THE PUBLIC? WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT, WHAT A PERCENTILE MEANS? YEAH.

SO IF YOU TOOK A HUNDRED STUDENTS AND LOOK AT THE BELL CURVE, THOSE WOULD BE YOUR STUDENTS THAT ARE FALLING AT THAT 25%, THE, THE LOWEST PART OF THAT, THAT CURVE AND THINKING ABOUT BEING PROFICIENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY'RE THE FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE END, THE END LINE, THE GOAL WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

AND THEN THE STUDENTS THAT ARE AT THE 50TH PERCENT OR GREATER ARE, AGAIN, THEY'RE ON TRACK WITH CONTINUED SOLID INSTRUCTION WITH ACCESS TO RESOURCES.

THEY WILL BE PROFICIENT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

AND SO I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. RUMPA? GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, FROM SLIDE NUMBER 11 WHERE WE HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR SERVICE GROUPS AS WELL, UM, OUR STUDENTS BASED ON, UH, SOME ETHNICITY BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR, UH, BLACK AND HISPANIC STUDENTS.

SO WE DO SEE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, AS WE GO FROM SCHOOL YEAR 23, 24 TO 24, 25, WE SEE IMPROVEMENT IN MOST ALL OF THESE.

UM, AND SO AT FIRST GLANCE, I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THIS, BUT SOMETHING AS I CONTINUED TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT WAS OF CONCERN TO ME WAS WHEN WE COMPARE TO ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES IS UNDER OUR AVERAGE.

SO THAT MEANS OTHER STUDENT GROUPS AND OTHER, UM, STUDENTS BASED ON RACE ARE SCORING ABOVE, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AVERAGING AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE, AS YOU LOOK FROM SCHOOL YEAR OF 23, 24 TO 24, 25, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THESE INCREASES, THE GAP BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE STUDENT GROUPS GOING FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED.

[01:10:01]

IF YOU LOOK AT GRADE ONE, BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN AND THEIR, UM, I GUESS PERCENTAGE IS 50, BUT THE ALL FOR THE GRADE IS 53.1.

SO THAT'S A GAP OF 3.1.

BUT WHEN WE MOVE FROM SCHOOL YEAR 24, 25, AND OVERALL THE SYSTEM HAS GONE UP TO 64.3 AND BLACK HAS GONE TO 59, SO WE NOW HAVE A GAP OF 5.3.

SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THAT.

SO WHILE WE'RE MAKING, UM, IMPROVEMENTS, IT'S THE PACE AND THE RATE IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE REST OF THE STUDENTS.

SO, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING TALKING ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE AS FAR AS PLANNING THAT WE HAVE E EQUITABLE ACCESS.

SO JUST WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR, UH, PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT ON THAT A BIT.

SO GO, I'LL START AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. WOLF.

SORRY.

SO MANY OF US.

UM, SO THINKING ABOUT EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR ALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS PARTNERING WITH OUR, UM, OFFICE OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY.

AND SO AS WE PLAN OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, WE PLAN THOSE IN COLLABORATION WITH THAT OFFICE.

SO WE ARE GETTING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS IN PROVIDING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE INSTRUCTION.

AND SO I KNOW DR. WOLF WILL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE HMH COACHING AND THAT ASPECT OF IT AS WELL, BUT THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS IS PARTNERING WITH NOT ONLY THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, NOT ONLY THE OFFICE OF ELD, BUT ALSO WITH THE OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL, UM, EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY SO THAT WE CAN HELP TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS.

WE KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT ONLY AN ISSUE FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY, BUT THAT IS AN ISSUE NATIONWIDE.

AND SO WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.

SO I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION BECAUSE THAT IS A CENTRAL AREA OF OUR FOCUS.

UM, AND TO BUILD ON THAT PART OF IT, THE WORK WE'RE DOING TOO IS TO MAKE SURE, PART OF THE COACHING AND THE WALKTHROUGHS IS THAT ALL STUDENTS IN EVERY CLASSROOM HAVE ACCESS TO GRADE LEVEL MATERIALS AND GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS THAT WE HAVE A HIGH EXPECTATION, AND THAT OUR MIND SHIFT IS THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN GET THERE.

SO PART OF THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IS HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE IN A WAY THAT WE PROVIDE THAT ACCESS AND DIFFERENT ENTRY POINTS THAT WE'RE NOT KEEPING STUDENTS IN THAT GROUP THAT'S NEVER GONNA GET TO CORE, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THAT ACCESSIBILITY TO THE LEARNING THAT ALL STUDENTS DESERVE.

THANK YOU, DR.

DR. ROGERS.

DID YOU WANNA? SURE.

UM, MS. ONG, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS PART OF THE WORK THAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING IS THE INDIVIDUALIZED SCHOOL PROGRESS PLANNING.

AND WE SHARED WITH THE PRINCIPALS, UH, THIS YEAR HOW WE WERE DISAGGREGATING DATA THAT WAS IN OUR EQUITY SNAPSHOT, SO SPECIFIC TO EVERY SCHOOL, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THOSE STUDENT GROUPS THAT LIVE UNDERNEATH THE AGGREGATE DATA TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC, UM, MEASURES AND ACTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE, ADDING TO WHAT DR. WOLF AND MS. WICKS HAVE SHARED.

AND AGAIN, THIS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDITIONAL PRE-K PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT NEXT YEAR MEANS, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT OUR KINDERGARTEN DATA IN PARTICULAR, UM, YOU HAVE WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROGRAMS THIS BASED ON LAST YEAR DATA, WERE HALF DAY PROGRAMS AND MAY PROBABLY LESS THAN HALF OF THE STUDENTS WERE EVEN IN ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND IT WAS HALF DAY.

SO AFTER THIS YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE THAT NUMBER JUMP.

SO THE GAP THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH FROM THE BEGINNING IS NOT, UM, SO WIDE THAT AS YOU'RE PLAYING CATCH UP, NINE UH, PERCENT IN INCREASE IS SUBSTANTIAL.

IT IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN ANY MEASURE THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT.

BUT WHEN WE START FROM A BETTER PLACE AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE THAT FOUNDATION THAT THEY NEED, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT TRACTION.

UM, IN TERMS OF OUR STUDENTS, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE HEAR THAT BCPS PROGRESS AND ACTION IN WESTTOWN, UM, AND I SEE ALL THEIR STAFF IN THE BACK LOOKING GREAT WHEN THEY SPEAK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE, NOT ONLY ARE THEY GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THE PROGRESS IN TERMS OF THE AGGREGATE, THEY'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT IT'S DONE FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, WHAT IT'S DONE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, UH, IN THAT SCHOOL.

AND THAT'S JUST WITH ONE YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA.

THANK YOU, MS. LESKI.

WELL, MS. , YOU WERE FINISHED? YES.

WITHIN THE LIBRARY THAT COMES WITH SCHOOLS, THERE'S ALSO CHOICE AND THERE'S ALSO SOME ONLINE RESOURCES.

MS. LESKI, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE THE GAINS THAT WE'RE MAKING ALREADY.

I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT PROVIDING VARIED READING MATERIALS AND HOW THAT'S BUILT INTO HMH IN TERMS OF, EXCUSE ME, IN TERMS OF INTEREST LEVELS FOR STUDENTS AND FINDING, UM, READING MATERIALS THAT THEY BUY INTO.

AND THEN DO STUDENTS DO ANY KIND OF EVALUATION ABOUT, UM, THEIR INTEREST IN THE LEARNING MATERIALS THAT ARE PROVIDED? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION THAT, UM, ACTUALLY, IN HMH, SO THE CORE IS THIS ESSENTIAL QUESTION.

EACH MODULE IS BUILT AROUND AN ESSENTIAL QUESTION WITH A THEME.

SO THERE ARE CORE TEXTS THAT THERE ARE EXPECTATIONS THAT STUDENTS ARE READING TOGETHER, BUT THEN

[01:15:01]

SO, UM, STUDENTS CAN START TO EX EXPAND THEIR LEARNING AROUND THAT TOPIC, AROUND THAT THEME PRESENTED FOR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD CLASSROOM LIBRARIES IN OUR SCHOOLS.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST IN THAT OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN HAVE, DO, DO, HAVE ACCESS TO MULTIPLE LEVELS.

AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, MOTIVATION MATTERS.

UM, WE HAVE DONE SOME FOCUS GROUPS WITH STUDENTS IN THE PAST, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL DO AGAIN, LIKE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT IT? WHAT, WHAT'S MOST INTERESTING TO YOU? AND IT'S ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN TO MEET WITH A GROUP OF STUDENTS TO HEAR THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT, UM, THE, WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING AND THEIR INTEREST LEVEL, AND ESPECIALLY NOT ONLY SOMETHING THEY KNEW COMING INTO IT, BUT EXPANDING THEIR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE TO LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD ACCESS TO BEFORE.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A REPORT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION UPDATE.

AND THEN, UM, JUST A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, IS THERE ANY FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS ABOUT HOW INTERESTED THEY ARE IN THE READING MATERIAL THAT'S PROVIDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BUYING INTO, UM, OVERALL AND THAT CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR MOTIVATION OVERALL? WE'VE HEARD REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK.

LIKE WHEN YOU WALK INTO CLASSROOMS, EVEN INFORMALLY TALKING TO STUDENTS AND LIKE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE? AND THEY'LL TURN RIGHT AWAY.

EVERY CHILD CAN PICK OUT THEIR FAVORITE STORY, THEIR FAVORITE MODULE THAT THEY'VE READ FOR THE YEAR, AND WHY THEY LIKED IT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.

THIS REPORT IS ENCOURAGING.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE NEXT ONE, .

[I. REPORT - ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (Dr. DiDonato and Ms. Derrien) (8:15 - 8:35 p.m.)]

AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR. ROGERS.

AT THIS TIME.

YOU WELCOME.

UH, MS. DARIEN, MS. BOYKIN, DR.

DEDO IS STAYING, WE ARE PLEASED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON, UH, PILLAR ONE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

AND IT'S QUITE FITTING AFTER WE'VE JUST MADE SEVERAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND THEIR IMPACT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. DEAN DONDO.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UH, HAVING US PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON, UH, PILLAR ONE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

SO, AS YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GROUNDING US IN OUR WORK.

SO PILLAR ONE IS REALLY LOOKING AT EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING WITHIN, UM, OUR SCHOOLS.

UM, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE INVESTMENT THAT THE BOARD HAS MADE TO SUPPORT, UM, OUR FULL DAY PRE-KINDERGARTEN EXPANSION.

UM, BECAUSE TRULY, UH, WE ARE SEEING REALLY POSITIVE OUTCOMES FROM OUR STUDENTS, UM, AND ARE VERY EXCITED, AS DR. ROGERS HAD JUST MENTIONED, TO LOOK AT OUR, UH, FUTURE DATA WHEN THOSE, UH, FULL DAY PRE-KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ENTER KINDERGARTEN NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY INCREDIBLE COLLEAGUES TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE FULL, UH, DAY PRE-K EXPANSION.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

THE VERY FIRST THING I WANTED TO SHARE BEFORE WE WENT ANY FURTHER IS OUR VISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AND BCPS.

SO I'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO READ THAT FIRST.

THE ONE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS OUR VISION.

WE HAD TO COME UP AS A TEAM AND DECIDE WHERE ARE WE MOVING FORWARD WITH PRE-K EXPANSION.

YOU NOTICE OUR VISION DOESN'T MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT A SCHOOL SCHOOLHOUSE BECAUSE WE START WORKING WITH OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS BEFORE THEY EVER ENTER SCHOOL THROUGH OUR JUDY CENTERS.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE START WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILIES.

WE START WITH PRENATAL CARE FOR OUR MOTHERS BEFORE THEY EVEN CAN CONSIDER SCHOOL OR SCHOOLHOUSE.

SO OUR JUDY CENTER IS OUR VERY FIRST OLIVE BRANCH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

SO WITH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH BIRTH TO FIVE AND EARLY CHILDHOOD, WE WANNA CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN THAT'S WELCOMING, NURTURING, AND THEY'RE EMPOWERED TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK AT EVERY DAY BEFORE WE GO OUT INTO SCHOOLS, WHEN WE WORK WITH STAFF TO HELP PEOPLE.

THAT'S OUR MINDSET.

AND THAT WAS CREATED WITH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEAM AND THE BIRTH TO FIVE TEAM.

AND WE TWEAKED IT SEVERAL TIMES.

WE WOULD SAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE THE WORK WE'RE DOING EVERY DAY.

SERVICES IN PRIVATE AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO IS SOME MIGHT ASK WHY WOULD THERE BE AN OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD AND AN OFFICE OF BIRTH FIVE SERVICES, UM, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR TWO OFFICES HAVE COME TOGETHER AROUND ARE ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLUEPRINT.

UM, PILLAR ONE, WORK TO EXPAND PRE-K HOWEVER, WE HAVE REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH BIRTH TO FIVE SERVICES AS TIED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND OUR GRANTS.

WE OVERSEE OUR FIVE INFANTS AND TODDLERS TEAMS ACROSS THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS OUR FOUR CHILD FIND ASSESSMENT CENTERS WHO SERVE MANY OF OUR THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS WHO ARE ENTERING INTO THE SYSTEM, UM, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTION TEAM WHO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION

[01:20:01]

THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SIMILARLY TAKES THE LEAD IN OVERSEEING AND SUPERVISING AS MR THE JUDY, THE FOUR JUDY CENTERS THAT WE HAVE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

THEY ALSO TAKE THE LEAD WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR, UM, IDENTIFYING AND, UM, PROPOSING CURRICULUM, DEVELOPING CURRICULUM, UM, ASSESSMENTS, AS WELL AS THE PRE-K ACCREDITATION, ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPANSION OF OUR FULL DAY PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTY WHERE WE COME TOGETHER.

AGAIN, EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH BLUEPRINT PILLAR ONE, MS. DARIEN AND I CO-LEAD THAT IMPLEMENTATION TEAM.

UM, IN ADDITION, OUR TEAMS ARE WORKING VERY COLLABORATIVELY IN ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

WE THINK THIS IS ESSENTIAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING ONE SYSTEM FOR OUR CHILDREN, UM, REGARDLESS OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY RECEIVE.

AND JUST A SIDE NOTE, WHILE WE ARE ON THAT SLIDE WITH PRE-K ACCREDITATION, I JUST WANNA THROW OUT THAT AT SHADY SPRING AS A FRIDAY IS NOW AN ACCREDITED PRE-K SCHOOL.

THAT'S EXCITING .

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR BCPS PRE-KINDERGARTEN NUMBERS, THE EXPANSION PROCESS, I'M, I'M THRILLED TO SAY THAT AS OF SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE OVER 2000 PRE-K FOUR STUDENTS IN SEATS IN SCHOOL FULL DAY UP FROM, I CAN'T SEE THAT NUMBER, I THINK IT SAYS 800 , BUT WE'RE OVER 820, 820.

WE'RE WELL OVER OVER 2000 NOW.

ADDITIONALLY, THE VISION FOR BLUEPRINT WAS ALWAYS THAT PRE-K EXPANSION WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PASSING OF HOUSE BILL 1441 THIS PAST SESSION, UM, BEING ENROLLED, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THOSE TIMELINES, MUCH TO THE RELIEF OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS ACROSS, UM, THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS HOUSE BILL DID, AND THAT NOW THE LAW IS DOING, IS THAT IT'S EXTENDING OUR TIMELINE FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR 50 50, UM, PROVIDER SEAT SPLIT BETWEEN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITY PROVIDERS FROM IMPLEMENTATION IN 2020 6 27 TO 2020 8 29.

THE OTHER BIG SHIFT THAT HAPPENED IS THAT IN THE PREVIOUS LAW, WE WERE REQUIRED IN 2020 2 23, UM, THAT 30% OF OUR, UH, FULL DAY PRE-KINDERGARTEN SEATS WOULD BE OFFERED IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS.

UM, THAT ALSO HAS BEEN EXTENDED.

SO THAT THE GOAL NOW IS THAT FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, OUR UM, GOAL WOULD BE AT LEAST 10% OF OUR PRE-KINDERGARTEN SLOTS, UH, BEING OFFERED IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO THE GOOD NEWS IS NEXT SLIDE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THAT WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH BUILDING THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY, EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS, WE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR SEATS IN THE COMMUNITY BY 24.42%, UM, GIVING US 270 SEATS.

AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF SEATS WE HAVE, WE'VE ACTUALLY EXCEEDED OUR 10% FOR THIS.

MM-HMM, .

UM, WITH THAT SAID, WE ALSO KNOW THAT EVERY YEAR BETWEEN NOW AND 28 29, WE NEED TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF SEATS BY AT LEAST 10% IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

AND SO OUR TEAMS ARE WORKING, UM, COLLABORATIVELY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE USING THIS YEAR TO ENGAGE AND BUILD, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PROVIDERS.

UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT IS THAT WE'RE FURTHER OPENING UP SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROVIDERS.

WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING, I HAVE A TEAM MEMBER WHO'S WORKING, UM, ON GRANT THAT I THINK, UH, THE JUDY CENTER IS ALSO PARTICIPATING IN.

UM, AND WE ARE TAKING PART IN SOME OF THEIR, UM, TRAINING FOR THEIR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND ALSO WE ARE LOOKING AT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS ENGAGEMENT.

SO, UM, HOLDING SOME ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS SPECIFICALLY WITH OUR COMMUNITY PROVIDERS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO PLAN FOR THEM, BUT WE WANNA PLAN WITH THEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES.

SO THIS TAKES US TO OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

WE HAVE LET GO BACK AND SAY WE HAVE THREE ADULTS IN EACH PRE-K FOUR CLASSROOM, THREE FULL-TIME ADULTS, THE CLASSROOM TEACHER, THE PARAEDUCATOR, AND THE FULL DAY BLUEPRINT PAID HELPER.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ALL THREE ADULTS IN THE CLASSROOM.

THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THEY'RE GETTING IS FROM JUNE TO JUNE, YOU SEE, FOR TEACHERS IN PARAEDUCATORS.

AND A QUESTION I HEARD EARLIER, I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE FOR IT, SO I'LL STICK IT IN RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE ALSO DOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR ADMINISTRATORS, FOR ADMINISTRATORS, CONSULTANT TEACHERS AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS.

THEY HAVE SESSIONS COMING UP IN NOVEMBER, SO THEY'LL HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN PRE-K FOUR CLASSROOMS. ALSO, THE NEXT SLIDE IS FOR OUR BLUEPRINT FULL DAY PRE-K HELPERS.

THEIR TRAININGS ARE HELD WHEN THE PRE-K STUDENTS ARE NOT IN SCHOOL.

SO WE PUT

[01:25:01]

THEM ON CONFERENCE DAYS FOR PRE-K OR ON SYSTEM-WIDE PD DAYS.

THEY'LL HAVE FOUR HOURS OF PAID TRAINING.

SO BY THE END, THEY'LL HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT SESSIONS ON VARIOUS TOPICS TO OTHER TOPICS ARE LISTED.

THEY'RE PERFECT.

I CAN DO IT.

I CAN'T SEE IT.

SO, SESSION ONE IS TO BE A FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND CLASSROOM ROUTINES, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND POSITIVE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, SUPPORTING INSTRUCTION AND CLASSROOM LEARNING ACTIVITIES, AND ENSURING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

SO AT THE END OF THEIR TRAINING, THEY'LL HAVE 16 HOURS OF TRAINING BASICALLY TO TAKE BACK INTO THE CLASSROOMS. THE PRE-K FOUR ASSESSMENT, THAT IS NEW FOR US THIS YEAR, BECAUSE MSDE PAUSED THE E THE EARLY LEARNING ASSESSMENT, OUR TEAM CREATED AN ASSESSMENT BASED ON THE ME EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS.

THE ASSESSMENT IS AUTHENTIC, SO IT'LL HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM.

IT'S NOT ANOTHER LAYER FOR TEACHERS.

IT WILL HAPPEN IN THEIR REGULAR DAILY INSTRUCTION.

TEACHERS ARE BEING TRAINED ON IT ON NOVEMBER 1ST, ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ASSESSMENT IS THIS, THIS TIME IT'S LINKED TO A-B-C-P-S PLATFORM SO THAT ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND DISTRICT LEVEL LEADERS CAN SEE THE DATA FROM THE ASSESSMENT.

THE ASSESSMENT WINDOW WILL OPEN UP NOVEMBER 4TH.

IT'S NO RUSH.

IF YOU NOTICE THE ASSESSMENT WINDOW GOES FROM NOVEMBER 4TH TO DECEMBER 16TH.

WHEN I SAY IT'S AUTHENTIC, IT'LL BE THINGS LIKE FOR, UM, EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS.

ONE OF 'EM IS NAME RECOGNITION.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS WHEN THE KIDS COME IN AND GO TO THEIR LOCKERS, CAN CAN YOU POINT YOUR NAME OUT FOR ME? THE TEACHER HAS A LITTLE OBSERVATION CHECKLIST AND MARKED IT OFF IT.

SO IT'S GONNA BE A PART OF THEIR EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE.

ALSO SUPPORTED BY PILLAR, ONE OF THE BLUEPRINT AND TAKING YOU BACK, UM, TO OUR VISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES, A, A TRUE FOCUS.

UM, IT IS NEVER MORE IMPORTANT THAN WITH OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS.

UM, AND SO THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT, UH, BALTIMORE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT FOUR JUDY CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTY, BEDFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HAWTHORNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, FEATHERBED LANE ELEMENT, AND SANDALWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

UM, WITH, WHILE WE'RE PRIORITIZING OUR FULL DAY EXPANSION, WE ARE ALWAYS, UM, LOOKING FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO FOCUS ON JUDY CENTER EXPANSION AS WELL.

UM, OVER THE PAST YEAR, OUR FOUR JUDY CENTERS HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES TO OVER 750 FAMILIES IN THOSE CATCHMENT AREAS, 70 FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TRAININGS, UM, AS WELL AS 50 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH SCHOOL-BASED, UM, TEAMS, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PROVIDERS.

ADDITIONALLY, BLUEPRINT FUNDS HAVE, UM, SUPPORTED OUR BALTIMORE COUNTY INFANTS AND TODDLERS PROGRAM SERVICES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, STARTING IN FY 21.

UM, THOSE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO THE PROGRAM THROUGH OUR ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED GRANT, WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM.

UM, ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO DIRECT SERVICES.

SO THEY HELP SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS, OUR RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND OUR SERVICE COORDINATORS.

UM, LAST FISCAL YEAR, OUR COUNTY PROVIDED SERVICES TO OVER 3000 ELIGIBLE INFANTS AND TODDLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTY.

EVERY ZIP CODE, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD WE PROVIDED SERVICES TO THOSE CHILDREN.

WE RECEIVED OVER 2,600 REFERRALS FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF THREE FOR ELIGIBILITY.

UM, AND AGAIN, I JUST, ALL OF THOSE FUNDS HAVE HELPED US REALLY, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS INCREASING OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS FOR THOSE SERVICES.

ALL OF THE FUNDING THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT HAS GONE TO SUPPORT THAT.

SO, AND THANK YOU.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.

BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS, MS. LICHTER, THEN WE'LL GO TO MS. HUMPHREY.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

IT'S, AND I LOVE TO SEE THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UM, SPECIAL ED, WHICH MS. BOYKIN REPORTS TO.

AND THEN, UM, MR. IAN, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PRE-K ASSESSMENT YES.

I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH SLIDE IT WAS.

OH, HERE IT IS.

SLIDE NUMBER 11.

IS THAT, UM, AN MSDE REQUIREMENT, OR THAT'S BCPS? WELL, SINCE MSDE PAUSED THE EARLIER IN ASSESSMENT, BUT WE STILL WANNA MAKE SURE WE KNOW IF OUR CHILDREN ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, SO WE CREATED IT.

MM-HMM, .

THANK YOU, MS. HUMPHREY.

JUST A COMMENT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND FOR YOU, YOU ALL ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

YOU SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED.

UM, I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER LEAS WHO JUST SAY THEY CAN'T DO THIS, AND YOU'VE NOT ONLY DONE IT, YOU'VE EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND IT'S APPRECIATED.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE REPORT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STAFF BCPS IN ACTION.

[J. REPORT - ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE STAFF (Dr. DiDonato and Dr. Jones) (8:35 - 8:55 p.m.)]

AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR. ROGERS FOR OUR

[01:30:01]

FINAL PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.

WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO DEBUT A NEW SERIES TITLED BCPS IN ACTION.

UM, THE PURPOSE OF THESE PRESENTATIONS IS TO ALLOW THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE WORK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AS THEY MOVE BCPS FORWARD.

UM, SOMETIMES, UH, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM PRACTITIONERS ABOUT WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN AND, UH, TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS WORK WITH REAL STUDENTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, SPEAK TO HOW THEY MAKE IT WORK AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, UH, OR WHAT HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR WORK, UH, WITH STUDENTS.

SO THIS GIVES EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FIRSTHAND, UH, FROM THE EXPERTS WHO ARE TRAINED, WHO RECEIVE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE LEADERS WHO LEAD THIS WORK, UM, FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR STUDENTS.

AND, UM, EQUALLY IMPORTANT WHEN ALL OF THE ADULTS COME TOGETHER TO DO THIS WORK WITH THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, UH, FOR OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS OUR CORE PURPOSE, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE FOR OUR STUDENTS DESPITE, UH, THEIR ZIP CODE, THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS, ET CETERA.

AND SO WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT THE FIRST GROUP IS WESTTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LED BY PRINCIPAL SCOTT PALMER.

SO AS THE LEADERSHIP COMES FORWARD, WE'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO, UH, THEIR DATA.

AND I THINK SCOTT WILL PICK UP WITH WHO WEST SOUND IS, AND, UH, WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.

SO THE FIRST, UH, SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WE WANT YOU TO SEE THE ONE SLIDE BACK, PLEASE.

ONE SLIDE FORWARD PLEASE.

NOPE, THE GREEN AND BLUE.

THE GREEN AND BLUE RIGHT THERE.

OF THE YEAR, EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL, UH, FROM KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE THREE, EXPERIENCE GROWTH.

ALRIGHT.

UH, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WHY, WHY WESTTOWN IS HERE, WHY THEY WERE, UM, SELECTED.

SO ONE OF THE PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM NOW IS AT CENTRAL OFFICE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM.

AND WE MEET, UM, REGULARLY EVERY, UH, FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS.

WE LOOK AT STUDENT DATA ACROSS THE SYSTEM BY LEVEL.

IT'S COLLABORATIVE, WHERE WE HAVE MEMBERS OF CENTRAL OFFICE, UM, ALL OF THE DIVISIONS THAT ARE PRESENT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING.

SO WE CAN IDENTIFY FOR US AS CENTRAL OFFICE WHAT, UM, WE NEED TO DO TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS, AND WE CAN ALSO IDENTIFY PROMISING PRACTICES IN SCHOOLS.

SO WE ALWAYS START OUR WORK LOOKING AND ROOTED IN THE DATA.

AND SO, WESTTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT, UM, OUR DATA FOR GROWTH FOR STUDENTS, THIS FIRST SLIDE SHARES WITH YOU THE READING PERCENTILE SCORE, UM, FOR WESTTOWN.

AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THEIR PROGRESS OVER THE LAST THREE ACADEMIC YEARS.

UM, THEY HAVE MADE, UH, PROGRESS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO THE END OF THE YEAR IN TERMS OF PROVIDING INSTRUCTION TO THEIR STUDENTS IN READING FOR ALL THREE YEARS.

BUT WHAT YOU'LL NOTE IS, UH, YOU HAVE FROM SCHOOL YEAR 21, 22 TO LAST YEAR IS THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS FOR ALL OF THEIR STUDENTS AS A GROUP.

UM, AND YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE, UH, OTHER YEARS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

WHILE WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE GROWTH IN THE AGGREGATE, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AT HIGH LEVELS.

AND SO ON.

THIS, UH, SLIDE, WHAT YOU SEE IS DISAGGREGATED GAINS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO THE END OF THE YEAR FOR WESTTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISAGGREGATED, UH, FOR EVERY GRADE LEVEL.

AND YOU SEE THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, UM, ACROSS K THROUGH GRADE THREE, AND THEN THE OVERALL GROWTH, GROWTH FOR THEIR SCHOOL.

BUT THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, SERVICE GROUPS, UM, STUDENT GROUPS, OUR SPECIAL STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, YOU SEE THE INCREASE IN PERCENTAGE, UM, FOR THE STUDENTS AT, UH, WESTTOWN.

AND IN A FEW MINUTES, THEY'LL SHARE WHAT THEY DID TO RECEIVE THESE REMARKABLE, UH, RESULTS JUST IN ONE YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCIENCE OF READING AND IMPLEMENT, IMPLEMENTING THE LITERACY CURRICULUM WITH, UH, FIDELITY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THIS SLIDE, WE'VE SHARED THIS SLIDE, UH, BEFORE FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

WE'VE ALSO SHARED SOME DISAGGREGATED DATA.

UH, THIS IS THE DATA ONLY FOR WESTTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

THIS IS THE, UH, GREEN, THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT ARE AT THE PER 50TH PERCENTILE AND ABOVE.

THESE ARE STUDENTS READING AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.

AND YOU WILL NOTE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, LAST SCHOOL YEAR TO THE END

[01:35:01]

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THIS SLIDE BEFORE SCOTT AND THE TEAM TAKES OVER, UM, SPEAKS TO THE HIGH USAGE AND HIGH GAINS.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE REITERATED TO OUR FAMILIES, UH, THAT IT IS TIME FOR AMIRA, AND THERE IS BENEFIT IN OUR STUDENTS PRACTICING 30 MINUTES PER WEEK, IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THE DATA, UH, OBJECTIVE, VALID, RELIABLE DATA THAT SHOWS US THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING AMIRA AND PRACTICING ON A REGULAR BASIS, THEY ARE GROWING AT MUCH HIGHER LEVELS THAN ANY OTHER INTERVENTION AND CORE, UM, INSTRUCTION THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE, UH, PROVIDED IN RECENT YEARS ACROSS TEAM BCPS.

SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU FOUR WESTTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, THE GAIN IN, UH, STUDENTS, THEIR RECE, UH, READING PERCENTILE GROUP.

AND I WILL BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE ALL STUDENTS LINE.

AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE GREEN LINE REPRESENTING THE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, THE GROWTH OF MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS FROM 38.6% TO 75.6%, WHICH IS THREE TENTHS OF A PERCENTAGE BELOW THE GROWTH OF ALL STUDENTS.

AND SO WITH THAT, THEY HAVE DONE AMAZING WORK.

THEY ARE HERE TO LET US KNOW WHAT THEY'VE DONE, UM, AND, AND HOW THEY'VE MADE THIS WORK, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALL BRAND NEW.

SO, SCOTT, WE TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS, UH, BOARD CHAIR, BOOKER DWYER, AND THE REST OF RECORD IF COULD SPEAK TO THE MICROPHONE.

YEP.

AND CONTINUES TO GROW EACH YEAR.

UM, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, , AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR STORY.

UM, ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UM, CHANGING THE BOARD DYNAMICS UP FRONT HERE FOR OUR TEAM.

BUT I THOUGHT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING THE EXPERTS TODAY AND, AND THOSE ARE TRULY, UH, FILTERED DOWN FROM MY TWO ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, OUR READING SPECIALISTS, AND THEN, UH, THREE TEACHERS THAT RE REPRESENT OUR WHOLE TEACHING STAFF.

UM, SO WITH THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT IMPORTANT, UM, UM, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR OVERALL DATA AND OUR OVERALL ENROLLMENT WAS WE ARE A, A VERY, UH, DIVERSE BUILDING.

AND I WANTED TO TAKE AN, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS WITH US.

SO WESTTOWN IS A FAIRLY LARGE SCHOOL.

UM, AND THERE YOU CAN SEE OUR STAFF.

UM, WE HAVE TOTAL 115, UH, FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS.

UM, 66 OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS ARE OUR TEACHERS RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS, OUR SPECIALISTS, UM, AS WELL AS OUR ADMINISTRATION AND SECRETARY STAFF.

UM, WE HAVE NINE PARA EDUCATORS, 18, OR EXCUSE ME, 16 ADDITIONAL ADULT, UH, ADULTS IN THE BUILDING THAT ALSO HELP SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND, UH, THE REST OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF INCLUDE, UH, OBVIOUSLY OUR CUSTODIAL, OUR, UM, SECRETARIAL STAFF, UM, THAT ALL HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR STUDENTS, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

UM, IN THIS, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 638 STUDENTS IN OUR BUILDING.

GENERALLY, WE END THE SCHOOL YEAR OVER 700.

UH, SO OUR BUILDING IS FAIRLY TRANSIENT, UH, IN NATURE.

AND OUR ENROLLMENT GROWS, UH, OVER TIME.

RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE, UH, TO MAKE UP THOSE PERCENTAGES, UH, WE HAVE 0.4% OR 3%, OR EXCUSE ME, THREE STUDENTS THAT REP REPRESENT OUR AMERICAN INDIAN, UM, OR ALASKAN NATIVE GROUP.

OUR ASIAN STUDENTS.

WE HAVE 118 STUDENTS OR 18.5% OF OUR BUILDING.

OUR BLACK, OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS REPRESENT 216 STUDENTS, OR 33.9% OF OUR ENROLLMENT WHITE STUDENTS ACCOUNT FOR 24.3%, OR 155 STUDENTS ARE TWO OR MORE RACES REPRESENT, UH, 7.5 OR 48 TOTAL STUDENTS.

AND OUR HISPANIC POPULATION, UH, REPRESENTS 97 STUDENTS, OR A LITTLE OVER 15% OF OUR POPULATION.

UH, SO AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE.

AND, UM, OUR, UH, STUDENT GROUPS SUCH AS OUR HISPANIC GROUP, UM, HAS GROWN OVER TIME, UM,

[01:40:01]

SO WHEN TALKING ABOUT AMIRA, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS EMBRACING THIS FROM DAY ONE.

UM, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

UM, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE, UH, 20 23, 20 24 SCHOOL YEAR, WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL, UH, ABOUT INTEGRATING AMIRA, UH, ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS.

UH, WE WANTED HIGH EXPECT EXPECTATIONS AND WE WANTED TO, UH, IMPLEMENT IT WITH INTEGRITY.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE TRUE TO THE PROGRAM.

OUR FIRST STEP WAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL FACULTY AND STAFF WERE FAMILIAR WITH AND UNDERSTOOD THE BENEFITS, UH, OF THE PROGRAM.

SO FIRST WE INTRODUCED AMIRA THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS.

UH, DURING THAT FIRST TEACHER PREPARATION WEEK, WE IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THAT WITH, UM, A WHOLE GROUP PD SESSION.

AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR GRADE LEVELS.

WE THEN INCORPORATED AMIRA INTO, UM, AMIRA DISCUSSIONS INTO OUR GENERAL PD AND OUR WEEKLY GRADE LEVEL PLC SESSIONS, UH, WHERE OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS READING SPECIALISTS WORK WITH OUR GRADE LEVELS.

UM, EACH DAY OR EACH WEEK, FINALLY, OUR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM MONITORED THAT DATA.

AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE WE COULD SEE HOW OUR TEACHERS ARE USING IT WEEK TO WEEK.

OVER TIME, WE COULD THEN DECIDE WHERE WE NEEDED TO MAKE CHANGES OR, UH, IMPROVE IN CERTAIN AREAS AS TO HOW IT'S IMPLEMENTED.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, I THINK, IS WE, WE, WE REQUIRED ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO USE AMIRA FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES A WEEK.

UH, THAT BREAKS DOWN TO SOMETHING VERY SIMPLE, GENERALLY A STORY A DAY, UM, SIX MINUTES.

UH, AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, IT'S VERY EASY TO GET EACH STUDENT TO UTILIZE THAT.

SO THIS ALSO INCLUDED ALL OF OUR BRAND NEW KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS WHO, UM, TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO GET USED TO IT.

IT WASN'T A SMOOTHER ROLL OUT.

THERE WERE LOTS OF HANDS IN THOSE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS, WHOEVER WE COULD GATHER.

UH, BUT THE STAFF DID A GREAT JOB.

UM, WE MONITORED STUDENT USE VERY CLOSELY AND ADJUSTED OUR CLASSROOM ROUTINES AS NEEDED.

UH, BASED ON OUR EXPECTATIONS AND THE DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT AND SEE, UM, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, IT ALLOWED US TO TARGET PRACTICE IN EACH CLASSROOM, MAKE IT INDIVIDUAL FOR EACH STUDENT, AND ALIGN THAT PRACTICE WITH, UM, THE, OUR STUDENTS' STRENGTHS AND INDIVIDUAL AREAS OF GROWTH.

UM, AMIRA ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN KEEPING STUDENTS ENGAGED, ENGAGED AND MOTIVATED.

BY THE SECOND SEMESTER.

OUR TEACHERS ARE USING AMIRA REPORTS EFFECTIVELY TO GUIDE THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS ON A DAILY BASIS.

UH, THE DATA HELPED FINE TUNE SMALL GROUPS, UH, SMALL GROUP ROTATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND IT ENSURED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TARGET INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS AND MEET THEIR NEEDS.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, MS. CARRIE RAIL AND MR. ANTHONY SCHULTZ.

DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST, YEAH.

UM, JUST TO KIND OF, UH, ECHO WHAT SCOTT SAID AND, AND TO BUILD ON IT, UH, BUY-IN FROM OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WAS CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS.

UM, BUT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER, I THINK THAT, UH, BUY-IN FROM ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE BUILDING, UH, INCLUDING PARIS, AAS STUDENTS, EVEN OUR, UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, OUR PARENTS, WAS KEY.

UM, UH, FOR US TO BE SITTING BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW.

UM, IF THERE ARE ANY POCKETS OF RESISTANCE FROM MANY OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, AS I'M SURE ME, MANY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD KNOW, UH, RESISTANCE, UH, WILL KILL YOUR MOMENTUM.

AND BECAUSE WE HAD BUY-IN THAT PERVADED OUT FROM OUR READING SPECIALISTS AND ECHOED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUILDING, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE, UH, GROWTH, WE WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT GROWTH.

AND THEN AS WE STARTED TRACKING THE NUMBERS AND CELEBRATING THAT, THAT MOMENTUM JUST BECAME FUN.

IT BECAME FUN FOR THE TEACHERS, IT BECAME FUN FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS AS WE CELEBRATED THEIR SUCCESSES.

UM, AND NOW IT'S TAKEN ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN, AND IT HAS THAT MOMENTUM THAT WE REALLY CRUCIALLY NEED.

UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COLLABORATION.

UM, WESTTOWN HAS, UH, A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE BENEFITED FROM FOR MANY YEARS.

AND WHEN WE SEE COLLABORATION IN REGARDS TO AMIRA, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THAT GRADE LEVEL PLANNING, UM, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF OUR READING SPECIALISTS.

AND WHEN, UH, TEACHERS GET TOGETHER TO PLAN, THEY SHARE IDEAS, UM, THEY SHARE IDEAS ON HOW TO TRACK THE DATA, HOW TO, UM, BENEFIT FROM IT IN TERMS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT,

[01:45:01]

BECAUSE EVERY GRADE LEVEL HAS A VERY UNIQUE SCHEDULE AND THEY HAVE UNIQUE CHALLENGES.

AND WHEN THEY COLLABORATE THAT IN THIS WAY, THEY'RE ABLE TO FIT IN THOSE 30 MINUTES THAT MR. PALMER MENTIONED, UM, IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE FOR THAT GRADE LEVEL, UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE WE SAID, A LOT DIFFERENT IN KINDERGARTEN THAN IT WILL IN GRADE FIVE.

UM, SO I GUESS, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, SUM UP THE KEYS WERE, UM, TOTAL BUY-IN, UH, FROM EVERYONE IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

AND THEN UTILIZING THAT SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IMPLEMENTATION MADE SENSE AND WORKED FOR EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING.

SO TO ADD ON TO WHAT MR. SCHULTZ MENTIONED, UM, THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE TRANSITIONED TO A SCHOOL-WIDE TITLE ONE SCHOOL.

AND FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE BEEN A TARGETED TITLE ONE SCHOOL.

SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, USE OUR TITLE ONE FUNDING, BUT ONLY WITH A SPECIFIC TARGETED GROUP.

SO THIS SCHOOL YEAR, NOW THAT WE'VE TRANSITIONED TO A SCHOOL-WIDE, UM, TITLE ONE SCHOOL, WE ARE, UM, FURTHER STRENGTH STRENGTHENING OUR EFFORTS AND, UM, SUPPORTING OUR TITLE ONE PROGRAM BY IMPLEMENTING, UM, SOME AMIRA INCENTIVES WITHIN OUR TITLE ONE PROGRAM.

SO THIS FALL WE HAVE STARTED TO PLAN FOR, UH, EXCITING NEW FAMILY ENGAGEMENT EVENT THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR AMIRA FAMILY NIGHT.

AND THAT IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING THIS FALL.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR READING ACTION COMMITTEE ACTUALLY BROUGHT TO ME AFTER WE HAD ALREADY, UM, DECIDED ON OUR TITLE ONE BUDGET, AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY SAW A NEED FOR.

AND, UM, THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT MR. SCHULTZ SAID ABOUT, UM, COLLABORATION THROUGHOUT OUR BUILDING.

UH, WE REALLY GIVE OUR TEACHERS, UM, YOU KNOW, LEEWAY TO DECIDE ON THINGS THAT THEY THINK ARE IMPORTANT, AND THEN THEY BROUGHT THAT IDEA TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND, UM, WE'VE KIND OF RAN WITH IT SINCE THEN.

SO FOR OUR FIRST AMIRA FAMILY NIGHT FAMILIES ARE GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT AMIRA AND HOW IT SUPPORTS THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GROWTH IN READING.

UH, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO INVITE FAMILIES TO BRING THEIR OWN DEVICES TO SCHOOL FOR THAT PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM PERSONALIZED SUPPORT AND WE CAN GIVE THEM STRATEGIES TO USE THE AMIRA PROGRAM AT HOME.

UM, WE KNOW THAT WHEN FAMILIES ARE INVOLVED, STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME ENGAGED.

AND SO WE WANT TO SHARE IDEAS FOR INCENTIVES FOR FAMILIES IN ORDER TO, UM, MOTIVATE THEIR CHILDREN, NOT ONLY TO USE AMIRA AT SCHOOL, BUT ALSO AT HOME.

AND, UM, TO PROVIDE THEM SUPPORT SO THAT WE CAN REMOVE ANY OF THOSE BARRIERS THAT MAY EXIST WITH, UM, ACCESSING AIRA BEYOND THE SCHOOL DAY.

UM, SO WITH ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, OUR ENTIRE PROS, UH, PRACTICE, SORRY, REFLECTS, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE WESTTOWN WAY.

AND MR. PALMER MENTIONED IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, OUR WESTTOWN WAY IS EMBRACE, UTILIZE, MOTIVATE, AND, UH, CELEBRATE.

SO WITH AMIRA, WE'VE EMBRACED THE POTENTIAL OF AMIRA FROM THE BEGINNING.

UM, AND THAT'S CLEAR IN OUR DATA AND IN OUR GROWTH, AND WE UTILIZE IT WITH INTENTION.

UH, WE WERE CLEAR WITH OUR TEACHERS AND WITH OUR STAFF THAT WE FIND THIS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WORKS AND BECAUSE THE MORE KIDS USE AMIRA, THE FURTHER THEY GROW IN THEIR READING.

UM, AND THIS SCHOOL YEAR WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO KEEP EVERYONE MOTIVATED, OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS.

UM, BUT ALSO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO CELEBRATE OUR PROGRESS.

AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE A FEW, UM, PICTURES OF OUR STUDENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW THEY GOT EXCITED ABOUT AMIRA AND HOW WE'VE CELEBRATED THEM, UH, LAST YEAR.

AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

UH, SO FINALLY IT'S WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT WE WANT TO, UM, BRING OUR READING SPECIALISTS UP HERE.

UM, THEY ARE ACTUALLY BEING AWARDED FOR THEIR HARD WORK.

THEY JUST RECEIVED AN AWARD, UM, THIS MONTH THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, THAT WE WANTED TO, WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU BEFORE WE INTRODUCED THEM.

UM, OUR READING SPECIALISTS ARE KATE GROS, DANIEL GMO, AND STEPHANIE ERO.

AND THEY WERE NAMED AS THE AMIRA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER, WHICH IS AMAZING .

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD THAT THEIR HARD WORK IS BEING RECOGNIZED NOT ONLY BY US, BUT BY OTHERS.

AND, UM, THEY ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS TO MAKE MIRROR IMPLEMENTATION SMOOTH, BUT THEY'VE ALSO DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB MOTIVATING OUR STUDENTS.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO US.

SO OUR READING SPECIALISTS ARE NOW GONNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THEY'VE CREATED, LIKE, SOME STRUCTURES, OUR READING COMPETITIONS AND INCENTIVES WITHIN OUR BUILDING TO SUPPORT, UH, OUR MIRROR PROGRAM AND IMPLEMENTATION.

GEORGE, OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER.

SO WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY UTILIZED DIBELS AS OUR UNIVERSAL SCREENER.

HOWEVER, WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AMIRA, WE EMBRACED IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY AS OUR NEW UNIVERSAL SCREENER.

AS READING SPECIALISTS, WE BEGAN THIS TRANSITION BY ACCESSING VALUABLE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FROM THE ELA OFFICE AND FROM OUR BCPS, AMIRA CUSTOMER SUCCESS

[01:50:01]

MANAGER, MARY JAGER.

I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMEND THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ELA OFFICE AND AMIRA FOR THEIR EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT.

THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM, WE ENROLLED IN AMIRA COURSES SUCH AS MEET AMIRA DATADIVE AND BACK TO SCHOOL.

WE TOOK ON AND SHARE THE ROLE OF AMIRA CHAMPIONS.

WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN MONTHLY BCPS CHAMPION MEETINGS.

THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL HAS PROVEN ESSENTIAL TO OUR SUCCESS.

WE INTRODUCED THE PROGRAM WITH CAREFULLY PLANNING, PROVIDING OUR TEACHERS WITH NECESSARY RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT AMIRA EFFECTIVELY AND WITH INTEGRITY.

ADDITIONALLY, WE STARTED TROUBLESHOOTING TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

TOGETHER WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENHANCING OUR STUDENTS' READING EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES.

SO ALTHOUGH WE BEGAN WITH A PLAN, UM, FROM AN IMPLEMENTATION, WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY.

UM, LIKE ALL NEW INITIATIVES, UM, WE ENCOUNTER UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES, UM, WHICH WOULD, CAN CAUSE STAFF TO FEEL UNNERVED AND A LITTLE VULNERABLE.

UM, SO OUR BUILDING DID RUN INTO ROADBLOCKS.

SOME WERE SMALL ROADBLOCKS LIKE MAKING THE MICROPHONES AND THE HEADPHONES WORK.

SOME FELT MORE CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS, SUCH AS, UM, BENCHMARK ADMINISTRATION AND SESSION COMPLETIONS.

BUT WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD TAKE THESE CHALLENGES AND EMBRACE THEM.

UM, WE DECIDED WE'D BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND REACTIVE, UM, AND WE FELT THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IF WE USED A GRADUAL RELEASE METHOD, UM, WITH THEM.

SO, UM, WE DECIDED TO PROVIDE OUR TEACHERS WITH SUPPORT AND SOME SENSE OF SECURITY BY TAKING ON THE TROUBLESHOOTING OURSELVES AT THE, AT THE BEGINNING.

UM, THIS BEGAN WITH A LOT OF REGULAR USE OF THE AMIR, UM, USING, CALLING DIRECTLY INTO CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND THEN CONTACTING OUR CUSTOMERS SUCCESS MANAGER AS WE NEEDED TO.

UM, THIS HELPED US AS A TEAM DEVELOP AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH WE THEN WERE ABLE TO SHARE OVER TIME WITH OUR STAFF.

UM, WE ALSO TOOK STEPS TO INCORPORATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, EVERY MONTH TO EVERY OTHER MONTH WITHIN THE BUILDING.

THIS HELPED US ROLL OUT AND DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF AMIRA.

IT GAVE US THE CHANCE TO DISCUSS THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND UTILIZE THE DATA AVAILABLE FROM AMIRA TO MEET OUR STUDENTS' NEEDS.

UM, ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS WERE PROVIDED, UM, DURING COLLABORATIVE PLANNING AS MENTIONED.

UM, WHICH FOR US WAS WHERE TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO SHARE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, FRUSTRATIONS, UM, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY'D WALK AWAY, UM, WHERE WE WOULD DEVELOP A SOLUTION TOGETHER AND THEN WE COULD ALL MOVE FORWARD.

UM, IN GENERAL, WE FELT THAT THESE STEPS RESULTED IN A SENSE OF COMFORT, CONFIDENCE, AND COLLABORATION ACROSS OUR BUILDING.

SO NOW THE EXCITING PART WHERE WE GET TO CELEBRATE AND MOTIVATE OUR STUDENTS.

SO OUR TEACHERS ARE CONTINUALLY SHARING IDEAS AND STRATEGIES ACROSS GRADE LEVELS, AND IT'S INCREASING THEIR AM MIRROR USAGE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.

ONCE WE WERE CONFIDENT IN OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE SET UP OUR TEACHERS FOR MORE SUCCESS AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD AN AIRA TABLE DURING OUR LITERATURE NIGHT, WHICH WAS LIKE THE VERY FIRST ONE, UM, WHERE WE WERE ANSWERING QUESTIONS TO PARENTS AND PASSING OUT, UM, VISUAL DIRECTIONS THAT WE MADE OURSELVES.

AND THEY MIGHT BE COMING TO SCHOOLS NEAR YOU.

UM, UM, SO TO CONTINUE THE MOTIVATION, WE STARTED MARCH MADNESS BRACKET, UM, WHICH IS AT THE, THE VERY FIRST PICTURE AT THE TOP.

UM, FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL, IT WAS RARE, VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WERE EXTREMELY ENGAGED.

WE ANNOUNCED WINNERS ON OUR MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND YOU COULD HEAR CLASSES CHEERING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUILDING.

THIS SET UP, THIS WAS ALSO SET UP AS A GRADUAL RELEASE NOT TO OVERWHELM OUR TEACHERS.

AS THEY BEGAN TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE TO INCREASE THE USAGE OF AMIRA DAILY AND WEEKLY.

FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR SCHOOL-WIDE INCENTIVES TO ONCE A QUARTER.

WE BEGAN THE SCHOOL YEAR BY WAKING UP SPOT, WHICH IT'S AMIRA'S DOG AND EVERYBODY LOVES HER DOG .

UM, EACH CLASS HAD TO WAKE HIM UP BY READING A, A SET AMOUNT OF STORIES.

ONCE THEY REACH THEIR GOAL, THEY WILL GET TO TAKE CARE OF SPOT, WHICH WE HAVE ONE IN OUR BUILDING, UM, FOR THE WEEK AS THEIR SPECIAL GUEST IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. SO NOW WE GET TO INTRODUCE THREE OF OUR TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN UTILIZING THESE MOTIVATIONS AND THE SUCCESSES THEY HAVE IN THEIR CLASSROOM.

SO WE HAVE LACEY

[01:55:01]

WE HAVE RANDY SINGER, OUR FIRST GRADE TEACHER, AND SHANNON O'CONNELL, A NEW THIRD GRADE TEACHER.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

FOR VARIOUS NEEDS OF STUDENTS.

HI, I'M LACEY GEORGE.

UM, IN KINDERGARTEN WE FOUND A GRADUAL RELEASE, UH, PROCESS REALLY WORKED BEST TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AS THEY LEARNED TO USE AMIRA FOR THE FIRST TIME.

WE STARTED IN SMALL GROUPS WITH TEACHER SUPPORT, WITH ME BEING ABLE TO MODEL FOR THEM HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE PROGRAM, UM, UNTIL THEY GOT COMFORTABLE AND COULD START WORKING MORE INDEPENDENTLY.

I'M USING THE SAME KIND OF GRADUAL RELEASE MODEL WITH TEACHING THEM HOW TO LOG IN ON THEIR OWN.

RIGHT NOW I LOG ALL THE COMPUTERS IN FOR THEM BEFORE THEY ARRIVE IN THE MORNING.

WE SET IT UP TO THE AMIRA START PAGE AND THEN, UM, NOW THEY'RE GETTING TO LEARN HOW TO ENTER THEIR PASSWORD TO OPEN THAT LOCK SCREEN AND GET STARTED ON THEIR OWN.

UM, LAST YEAR, THAT PROCESS TOOK, UM, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR SOME STUDENTS AND, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS FOR OTHERS.

BUT THEY WERE EACH ABLE TO GET TO THEIR, UH, INDEPENDENT LEVEL ON THEIR OWN.

UM, IN KINDERGARTEN, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSE NEEDS TOO.

UM, AND AMONG THOSE THAT REALLY IMPACTED AMIRA THE MOST WERE, UM, SPEECH ARTICULATION ISSUES.

AND WITH OUR DIVERSE MULTILINGUAL POPULATION, THERE'S A LOT OF ACCENTS AS WELL.

SO GOING IN AND LISTENING TO THEIR RECORDINGS OF AMIRA WAS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE THEM HAVE MORE SUCCESS BECAUSE IT ENABLED ME TO MAKE CORRECTIONS AS NEEDED SO THAT THE PROGRAM WAS RECOGNIZING THEIR SPEECH PATTERNS MORE QUICKLY.

AND THEN, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS UNDERSTANDING THEM BEST.

UM, THE ONE THING THAT MADE MY STUDENTS REALLY EXCITED WAS WHEN WE HAD OUR INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES AND THEY GOT TO LISTEN TO THEIR OWN RECORDINGS ON AMIRA AND THEY GOT TO CHOOSE THEIR, UM, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON.

UM, AND THEY SET THEIR OWN GOALS AND IT REALLY GAVE THEM THAT OWNERSHIP OF THAT LEARNING.

UM, AND, UH, AS WELL AS ACCOUNTABILITY, TO BE HONEST, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY LISTEN TO THEMSELF AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, I DIDN'T DO MY BEST JOB.

UM, AND WE USE THAT TOO AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEND HOME THOSE AWARDS FOR THE ONES WHO ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, MEETING THEIR GOALS EVERY WEEK.

AND TO REINFORCE THOSE EVERY FRIDAY WE HAVE FREE CHOICE CENTER OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE MET THEIR GOALS.

SO IT REALLY HELPS WITH OUR, OUR LITTLEST LEARNERS.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

I'M RANDY SINGER.

UM, MOVING INTO FIRST GRADE FOR AMIRA, IT BECAME MORE PRESENT THROUGHOUT OUR LEARNING THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, IT'S FROM THE MOMENT THEY START COMING INTO THE CLASSROOM, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO START PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR THE DAY, GETTING SETTLED, GETTING READY, EAT THEIR BREAKFAST, AND IF THEY HAVE THE TIME TO START WORKING ON THAT STORY.

BECAUSE KINDERGARTEN HAD DONE SUCH A TREMENDOUS JOB ON GETTING THEM LEARNING HOW TO GET ONTO THE COMPUTERS, THEY WERE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO GET STARTED AND READY AND MORE EAGER.

SO THAT INDEPENDENCE LEVEL WAS STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING AND THEN SETTING UP VISUAL ROUTINES AND PROCEDURES WERE CONSTANTLY PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY FROM THE MOMENT THEY COME IN TILL THE MOMENT THEY LEAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

SO THEY ALWAYS KNEW THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

I WAS NEVER NOT KNOWN.

AND THEN THE STUDENTS ARE VERY HIGHLY MOTIVATED BY GETTING AMFI.

AS YOU CAN SEE, SHE'S HANGING OUT BECAUSE UM, THEY WANTED TO MOVE THEIR NAMES UP ON THE BRACKET.

AND THEN WE JUST RECENTLY ADDED A BONUS ROUND, UM, WHERE IF YOU GET 50 MINUTES OR MORE, YOU GET TO MOVE UP THERE AND GET A STICKER FOR THE DAY.

BUT THEY'RE FIRST GRADERS, SO THEY REALLY ENJOY THOSE TICKETS THAT WE GIVE FOR THAT ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL AS THE STICKERS.

BUT THEY DO LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR AMIRA.

SOME KIDS ARE WORKING ON IT AT HOME.

I'VE TALKED THROUGH PARENTS ON THE PHONE ON HOW TO ACCESS IT AT HOME, WHERE I'VE DONE IT FIRST TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS ON MY HOME COMPUTER.

AND THEN I'M ABLE TO HELP THROUGH THE USE OF THE, UM, HOME CONNECTION THAT MS. PESARO HAD CREATED FOR OUR SCHOOL.

IT'S A REALLY GOOD USEFUL TOOL, WHICH THEY'LL BE IMPLEMENTING AT THE AMIRA NIGHT THAT WE'LL BE HAVING.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO BADGES THAT ARE PROVIDED THROUGH THE AMIRA SITE, SO THE STUDENTS ARE GETTING THAT RECOGNITION AS WELL.

AND IT'S THROUGH OUR, UM, PORTAL WHERE WE GO TO LOOK AT THEIR TRACKING.

THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER PORTAL TO LOOK FOR BADGES AND THAT CAN BE PUSHED OUT THROUGH THE SYSTEM SO THEY RECEIVE THE BADGES.

AND THEN IT'S ALSO BEEN HELPFUL TO IMPLEMENT USING THE DIAGNOSTIC SKILLS TO PUT WITHIN THE SMALL GROUPS SO I CAN PINPOINT MORE AS TO WHAT THE STUDENTS NEED AND THEN THAT SHOWING THROUGH THEIR SCORES AS WELL.

AND THEN ONE MORE THING

[02:00:01]

I DO HAVE A PARTICULAR STUDENT WHO DOES HAVE A HEARING DEFICIT, BUT IT HAS BEEN HELPFUL.

WE USE THE MICROPHONE THAT, UM, IS USED FOR THE STUDENT AND PUT IT UP NEXT TO THE COMPUTER.

SO FOR THAT LEARNING PIECE, THAT STUDENT IS STILL CAPABLE AND ABLE TO READ THROUGH AND COMPREHEND THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWER THEM.

SO THAT'S YOUR SPECIAL ED PIECE TO ADD IN AS WELL AS OTHER STUDENTS WITH THEIR LEARNINGS.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

HELLO, I'M SHANNON O'CONNELL AND THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR IN THIRD GRADE.

I MOVED FROM KINDERGARTEN UP TO THIRD GRADE.

SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HOW AMIRA WORKS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.

ALTHOUGH IT WAS A BIG JUMP FROM KINDERGARTEN TO THIRD.

MY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE STUDENTS HAVE NOT WAVERED.

I MAINTAIN A LOW FLOOR, HIGH CEILING APPROACH AND I DO THIS BY HAVING A 100 MINUTE CLUB IN MY CLASSROOM.

SO I HAVE A READING RACE, JUST LIKE THE OTHER TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS EACH HAVE A VAN OF THEIR OWN.

AND AS AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MOVE THEIR VANS UP THROUGH THE RACE.

AND THEN AT THE TOP WE HAVE THE 100 MINUTE CLUB.

AND THE SCHOOL WIDE EXPECTATION IS 30 MINUTES PER WEEK FOR THE STUDENTS.

BUT, UH, THE 30 MINUTE MARK FOR ME IS AT THE MIDDLE OF MY RACE SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP ON BUILDING INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING THAT THEY'RE DONE AND THEY'VE MET THEIR MINUTES FOR THE WEEK AND KEEPS PUSHING THEM AND, UM, SETTING A GOAL FOR THEM SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO READ AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

THEY RECEIVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF REWARDS THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE READING RACE.

SO ONCE THEY HIT 30 MINUTES, THEY GET A TICKET.

ONCE THEY HIT 60 MINUTES, THEY GET A FUN ERASER FROM MY JAR.

AND THEN THE MOST REWARDS ARE AT THE 100 MINUTE CLUB.

AND THIS IS WHERE I ADD IN THE HOME CONNECTION PIECE.

UM, I START TO SEND HOME NOTES AND PHOTOS TO FAMILIES AS WELL AS CERTIFICATES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS AND SHOW THAT THEY ARE WORKING REALLY HARD IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND THE KIDS GET SO EXCITED AND SO PROUD OF THEMSELVES WHEN THEY EARN A CERTIFICATE, THEY'RE SHOWING EVERYBODY IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE IT HOME.

'CAUSE WE DO IT EVERY FRIDAY.

SO IT'S LIKE A GOOD START TO THE WEEKEND EVERY WEEK.

UM, I ALSO HAVE BEEN THE WINNER FOR OUR SCHOOL-WIDE INCENTIVES FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, .

SO I AM ALL INTO THE COMPETITION.

I GET MY KIDS TO BUY IN AND I TELL THEM THAT WE ARE GONNA WIN.

AND IT'S BEEN GREAT SO FAR.

, WHO'S YOUR FRIEND? THESE ARE MY STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR.

THESE ARE MY KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS AND WHICH ARE NOT MINE.

AND YES, THEY WON THE MARCH MADNESS CHALLENGE AT WESTTOWN AND WE HAD A BUBBLE PARTY AND WE GOT TO BLOW BUBBLES OUTSIDE.

WE GOT BALLOONS, WE HAD A DANCE PARTY WE DREW WITH CHALK.

SO WE'VE JUST BEEN TRYING TO CELEBRATE THEM ANY WAY WE CAN TO KEEP READING AND ENCOURAGING THEM.

AND THAT IS, UH, THE END OF OUR FORMAL PRESENTATION.

SO , WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL LISTENING.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.

I KNOW AFTER A LONG DAY OF TEACHING AND YOU KNOW, HARD WORK WITH AMIR TO COME TO A BOARD MEETING TO THEN HAVE TO PRESENT.

SO WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, UM, COMING OUT AND SHARING YOUR, YOUR WONDERFUL NEWS WITH US, UH, BOARD MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS? MS. FONG, THE MS. LICHTER, UM, JUST KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU AND THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, IT HAS JUST BEEN, UM, REFRESHING TO SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, UM, AND TO HEAR, UM, AS, AS DR. ROGERS REFERRED TO, LIKE YOU'RE THERE WITH THE CHILDREN AND, UM, IN THE CLASSROOMS. AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO HELP THEM JUST TO LEARN, BUT ENJOY LEARNING.

UM, AND THEN WE'RE JUST SEEING THE RESULTS PAY OFF AS WELL.

WESTTOWN WAY, YOU KNOW, SO MANY TIMES WE PUT WORDS TOGETHER AND WE MAKE SLOGANS, BUT WE COULD HEAR THAT.

UM, SO FIRST, UM, TO DR. ROGERS AND BOARD LEADERSHIP, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THIS TYPE OF A REPORT IN OUR, UM, AGENDA.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN VOTE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT, WE CAN DEBATE IT AND EVERYTHING, BUT UNTIL WE SEE HOW IT IS ROLLED OUT AND IMPLEMENTED IN A SCHOOL BUILDING.

THAT'S WHERE THE MEANING IS.

AND, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR WORK IS ABOUT.

SO BEING ABLE TO LISTEN, ESPECIALLY FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES IN THE BUILDING, UM, IS WONDERFUL.

UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I MEAN, THERE WERE SO MANY BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU SHARED THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THE KIDS, HAVING THE KIDS LISTEN TO THEMSELVES.

I MEAN, THERE WAS, I COULDN'T KEEP TAKING THE NOTES, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCING, THE GOAL SETTING, UM, BEYOND THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM, BUT JUST WAYS THAT YOU'RE USING THE COMPONENTS THAT COME WITH THE PROGRAM TO ENHANCE KIDS READING SKILLS AND YOUR ABILITIES AS, UM, TEACHER LEADERS, UM, IS WONDERFUL.

THE OTHER THING, YOUR, UM,

[02:05:01]

WE COULD HEAR HOW YOU'VE EMBRACED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM, HOW YOU'RE UTILIZING IT IN MULTIPLE WAYS.

UM, YOU ARE DEFINITELY MOTIVATED.

YOUR KIDS ARE OBVIOUSLY MOTIVATED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE NOW TO CELEBRATE YOU.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND FOR REALLY GIVING US A GLIMPSE INTO HOW THIS IS USED EVERY DAY TO ENHANCE INSTRUCTION.

MR. MCMILLION, I WANNA THANK THE ADMINISTRATORS FOR BRINGING THESE OTHER PEOPLE.

YOU COULD HAVE SAT HERE AND DONE THIS.

YOU COULD HAVE SAT HERE AND DONE THIS YOURSELF, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE EFFECT OF THEM BEING PRESENT AND THEM TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY DID IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. AND ANYBODY THAT KNOWS ME KNOWS I APPRECIATE THE COMPETITIVE PIECE.

, MS. MINOSKI.

YES.

THANK YOU, UM, VERY MUCH.

IT WAS OBVIOUS HOW MUCH YOU'VE BOUGHT INTO THIS BY YOUR PRESENTATION HERE TODAY, AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND SHARING IT WITH ALL OF US.

UM, MY QUESTIONS AREN'T DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY MORE TOWARDS DR.

DI NADO.

HOW DO WE USE THESE BECKS BEST PRACTICES THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT FORWARD HERE AND SPREAD THEM THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS IN BCPS? WEST TOWSON, I THINK WAS, UH, BUILT IN, OPENED IN 2016.

SO SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE MUCH, MUCH OLDER.

AND I JUST, I'M WONDERING HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THIS IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS SO THAT THEY CAN BENEFIT? SO I THINK, UM, THE STAFF ALLUDED TO SOME OF IT.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YES, THE FIRST THING IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS WESTTOWN.

WESTTOWN, WESTTOWN, SORRY, THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A WEST HOUSE.

WE DO.

I KNOW, I .

SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT THE TEAM ALLUDED TO WAS SOME OF THE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS THAT THEY'VE MADE MADE TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS AND SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED UNIVERSALLY.

SO SOME OF THE, UM, TIPS AND TRICKS ON HOW TO HELP STUDENTS GET INTO AMIRA, HOW TO HELP PARENTS NAVIGATE IT AT HOME TO USE IT ARE GOING TO BE SHARED WITH ALL OF OUR READING SPECIALISTS.

SO THOSE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THEIR TEACHERS, THEIR READING SPECIALISTS HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORM DECISIONS AND DIRECTIONS THAT WE GO AND MOVE, UM, IS PART OF IT.

I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HEARD TODAY ARE ALSO THE KEY STRATEGIES.

SO YOU HEARD THE TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO THE STUDENTS, READING THE RECORDINGS AND THEN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THE PROGRAM BASED ON SPECIFIC STUDENT ARTICULATION OR, UM, YOU KNOW, DIALECTS.

AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF BEST PRACTICES THAT REALLY MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR READING SPECIALISTS ARE WORKING WITH.

OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS ARE WORKING WITH OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO DO THOSE THINGS BECAUSE IT IS ONE THING TO PUT A CHILD ON A COMPUTER TO READ TO IT.

AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER THING TO ACTUALLY USE THE DATA TO INFORM INSTRUCTION AND TO ANALYZE IT.

UM, AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE HAVING THEIR STUDENTS LISTEN TO IT, SO THEY'RE HEARING THEMSELVES AS READERS, UM, IS ONE MOTIVATING, BUT THEN ALSO ALLOWING STUDENTS TO BE REALLY RESPONSIVE AND REFLECTIVE OF, WAS IT THE BEST WORK THAT I DID THAT DAY, UM, WHERE THEY CAN THEN MAKE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES AND BEGIN TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD, UH, MULTIPLE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE GONNA BE SHARED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.

UM, WE DO LEARNING WALKS BETWEEN SCHOOLS, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE IN SOME OF OUR PRESENTATIONS.

UM, SO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT OTHER ADMINISTRATORS ARE SEEING THE THINGS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM IS DOING.

UM, BUT REALLY IF, IF YOU LOOKED AT ALL OF IT, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THAT CULTURE IN THE SCHOOL.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CULTURE AND CLIMATE, THERE IS A CULTURE OF LEARNING AND A CULTURE OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS.

AND SO REALLY HELPING THAT TO BASIS TO BE PRESENT IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

YES, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

AS FAR, WHEN I HEARD YOU SAY, UM, LISTENING TO THE STUDENTS' RECORDINGS, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S PROBABLY 95% OF IT IS, I MEAN, THE KIDS JUST CAN READ TO IT, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO IT AND CATCHING WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE REALLY HELPING THEM WITH THIS? UM, SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, ALSO, UM, THE, I REALLY LOVE THIS.

I THINK IT'S GREAT ALL STUDENTS CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

MY ONE HESITATION WITH IT IS THAT IT'S ENCOURAGING MORE SCREEN TIME.

THE 30 MINUTES IS GREAT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SAYING A HUNDRED MINUTES FOR THIS, A HUNDRED MINUTES FOR THAT, DOING THIS AT HOME, IT'S BRINGING BACK FLASHBACKS OF FIRST IN MATH WHEN OUR KIDS WERE STAYING UP LATE AT NIGHT AND GETTING THESE TICKETS TO WIN THESE COMPETITIONS.

HOW IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN SUPPLEMENT THAT'S NOT REQUIRED? A WIFI THE SCREEN THAT'S STILL GOING TO GIVE THE SAME RESULT AND STILL GONNA ENCOURAGE KIDS TO READ AND, AND TO PRACTICE MORE AT HOME THAT'S NOT ON THEIR SCREEN.

SO MS. DOKI, I'LL START WITH THAT RESPONSE BECAUSE JUST LAST WEEK WE MET WITH PRINCIPALS, PARTICULARLY ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, LESS SCREEN TIME FOR OUR STUDENTS.

WE STARTED THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

UH, SOME OF IT WAS BASED ON FEEDBACK WE WERE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY,

[02:10:01]

BUT ALSO, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT DEVICES BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND STUDENTS LOSING SKILLS, UM, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP THEM INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, EVEN WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE CELL PHONE PILOT, PART OF THE RICHNESS OF THAT IS STUDENTS ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER AS OPPOSED TO SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM TYPING ON DEVICES, WHICH SOMETIMES HAPPEN AT, UM, YOU KNOW, AT DINNER TABLES IN THE HOUSE.

AND SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT CULTURE? AND THE FIRST CONVERSATION WERE, UH, WAS WITH PRINCIPALS PRINCIPAL ADVISORY GROUP TO SEE, HEAR, UH, HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE TOPIC.

AND, UM, IT WAS EXTREMELY WELL RECEIVED.

AND SO, UH, YOU AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, SHOULD, UH, BE HEARING VERY SOON ABOUT SOME STEPS WE'RE GONNA TAKE WITH THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE, UH, UH, MISS, UH, DEB SOMERVILLE, OUR DIRECTOR OF, UH, HEALTH SERVICES, A, UH, WORK GROUP THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH ON REALLY BALANCED USE OF, UM, OF, UH, WHAT DO WE CALL THIS? ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY OF, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE TO UNPLUG ALTOGETHER.

WE KNOW THAT'S NOT A REALITY, BUT HOW CAN WE BALANCE THAT USE BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH AND ON, UH, STUDENTS, UH, NOT ONLY THEIR SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS, BUT ALSO THEIR WRITING SKILLS, ET CETERA.

SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE ARE ENGAGING IN ALREADY DEEPLY.

UM, THE BEAUTY OF AMIRA IS THAT IT IS PRI PROVIDING REAL TIME FEEDBACK.

IT'S MAKING SMALL CORRECTIONS IN THE MOMENT, AND IT ALLOWS, AND THEY, THEY HAVE SAID IT WELL, IT ALLOWS FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT TO PRACTICE ON A REGULAR BASIS, AS OPPOSED TO IN THE PAST, IT WOULD TAKE YOU A WEEK TO HEAR THE KIDS READING TO YOU.

AND SO IT ALLOWS YOU TO CONTINUE MOVING FURTHER WITH THE STUDENTS.

SO WHILE WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA TOUCH THE COMPETITIVE A HUNDRED MINUTE CLUB , UH, WHILE WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, PULL BACK ON AMIRA BECAUSE WE SEE THE GAINS AND THE BENEFITS FOR OUR STUDENTS, TO YOUR POINT, THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AND SPACES WHERE WE CAN PULL BACK ON THE TECHNOLOGY, AND IT'S A CONVERSATION WE'RE ALREADY DEEPLY, UM, ENGAGED IN.

AND MORE INFORMATION IS, UH, TO COME.

UH, SOME SCHOOLS ARE ACTUALLY ALREADY TRYING SOME THINGS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT STUDENTS ARE ON THE SCREEN.

SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THAT.

ALSO HAVE CONSULTANTS FROM, UH, THAT ARE PEDIATRICIANS THAT ARE ADVISING, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT AREA.

I, I THINK THE OTHER, OH, GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY.

NO, REAL QUICK.

YES, YES.

UM, AS A SCHOOL COMMUNITY, ONE THING THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR DEVICES ARE SEEN ONLY AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL.

SO THAT MEANS IF WE HAVE INDOOR RECESS ONE DAY, WE DON'T HAVE KIDS ON OUR DEVICES, WE DON'T OFFER OUR DEVICES AS REWARD DEVICE TIME, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, BECAUSE IF WE DO THAT, THEN KIDS WILL START TO FIND OUT WAYS TO PLAY GAMES, THEY'LL START TO SEE IT AS A TOY.

AND THAT'S WHEN YOU GET SOME OF THOSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

THAT'S WHEN YOU GET KIDS ON GROUP CHATS, THAT'S WHEN PROBLEMS HAPPEN AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.

SO ONE THING THAT WE'VE DONE IS TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THAT THE, THE DEVICES ARE AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL AND ONLY AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING THAT.

AND I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SEND OUT A MASS EMAIL TO EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HAVE THAT SAME POLICY BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FULL CIRCLE.

AND I, AND I LOVE IT.

UH, WHEN I SEE THE SPECIALIST DRESSES, AMIRA, UM, UM, AND, UH, THAT YOU CAN, UH, LEARN WHILE YOU'RE HAVING FUN.

I THINK, AND JUST TO, TO WRAP IT UP, I THINK THE OTHER PART IS THE READING PROGRAM IS MULTIFACETED.

SO THE STUDENTS' ANTHOLOGIES, THEIR READERS ARE PAPER BOOKS.

THEY'RE ANNOTATING IN THEM.

SO IT IS REALLY FINDING THAT BALANCE OF THE ACTUAL PRINT MATERIALS THAT THEY'RE USING.

AND SO THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON ALL OF THOSE OTHER WRITING SKILLS AND READING SKILLS AND ANNOTATE, ANNOTATING SKILLS WITHIN THE ACTUAL PAPER BOOKS, UM, AS WELL AS THE COMPLEMENTARY SUPPORT OF, AGAIN, THAT REAL TIME FEEDBACK FOR READING.

UM, AND I, AS A FORMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE SMALL GROUP AND YOU WOULD PARTNER TWO STUDENTS TOGETHER TO READ TO EACH OTHER.

AND UNLESS YOU WERE SITTING RIGHT BY THEM, YOU DID NOT KNOW WHAT THOSE TWO STUDENTS WERE READING TO EACH OTHER.

THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN READING, ONE MIGHT HAVE BEEN READING, ONE MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN LISTENING.

AND SO THIS REALLY DOES ALLOW FOR A TEACHER TO EVEN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT A STUDENT TAKES TO GET THROUGH A STORY AND THEN LOOK AT WHERE, HOW, WHAT WAS THEIR LEVEL OF FOCUS WHEN THEY WERE DOING IT? WERE THEY DISTRACTED? WERE THEY TALKING TO A NEIGHBOR? SO THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN GATHER ABOUT A STUDENT WITH THIS, BUT IT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT AWAY.

BUT AGAIN, IT IT'S REALLY ABOUT A BALANCED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM.

UM, THANK YOU.

STOP THERE, PERIOD.

WELL, GO AHEAD, MS. HARVEY.

UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE.

THIS IS JUST REALLY EXCITING TO HEAR AND TO SEE.

UH, I DO AGREE THAT THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED THAT CAN BE, UH, SPREAD ACROSS THE SYSTEM, BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK OR, OR POINT OUT SOME OF THE MORE INTANGIBLE LESSONS LEARNED, LIKE THE MOTIVATION AND THE COMMITMENT OF YOUR TEAM,

[02:15:01]

SO GAMIFICATION HAS BEEN A PROVEN, UH, STRATEGY FOR, UH, NOT ONLY LEARNING, BUT ALSO PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT.

I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE ENGAGED IN IS JUST A NOTE TO A PARENT, AN EMAIL OR A TEXT TO SAY, HEY, DID YOU KNOW YOU, YOUR STUDENT ACHIEVED THIS THING TODAY? BECAUSE THAT, UM, ONE GIVES THE STUDENT A SOURCE OF PRIDE.

TWO, UH, CAN MAKE A PARENT SAY, HEY, WHAT IS THIS AMIRA THING? SHOW IT TO ME.

AND THEN TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO ACCESS IT ON YOUR HOME COMPUTER SO THAT YOU CAN TALK PARENTS THROUGH ACCESSING IT.

SO THAT ENGAGEMENT, I THINK IS, UH, REALLY SPECIAL, BUT IT'S ALSO DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR STUDENTS AT YOUR SCHOOL.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT PARTICULAR FOCUS, IF WE CAN SPREAD THAT ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND HELP EVERY SCHOOL TO SAY, HEY, YOUR STUDENTS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THESE STUDENTS, AND YOU CAN FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE THEM, UH, IS IS ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, SECRET SAUCES TO SUCCESS.

AND SO I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH AMIRA.

UH, I AM EXCITED TO SEE THE GROWTH, ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF OUR, UH, CATEGORIES LIKE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AND OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, UH, AND HOW THEY'RE THRIVING, UH, WITH THE USE OF A AMIRA.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE PROGRESS AS YOU MOVE FORWARD.

THAT WE INCORPORATE IN A DAILY BASIS.

SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

SO OVER THE LAST YEAR, BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ROLLED OUT A MIRROR.

WE ROLLED OUT NEW CURRICULUM SCIENCE OF READING.

SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THIS HAPPENING, UM, PRETTY MUCH THE TEACHERS, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING IT.

SO COULD YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY IS ROLLING OUT WITH THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND, AND ALL THESE OTHER INITIATIVES, HOW IT'S ALL HOW YOU'RE, HOW IT ALL COMPLIMENTS EACH OTHER AT THE, IN THE CLASSROOM.

UM, HOW ARE YOU BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER TO REALLY HELP INFORM YOUR INSTRUCTION? , WHO'S SUPPOSED TO TALK? WELL, I, I THINK IT'S, I, IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO REMEMBER.

UM, SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLES, UM, THAT WE, THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO PUSH TOWARDS AND HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING.

UM, THAT'S WHERE THE KEY TO USING THAT EMBRACE, UH, IMPLEMENT, UM, AND CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES ARE IMPORTANT.

UM, ALL OF THESE PIECES SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

AMIRA IS SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER WITH HMH.

UM, IT, IT ALL ROLLS TOGETHER.

WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THAT OVER INTO THE AREA OF MATH WITH READING IN MATH, UM, TRYING TO STRETCH IT INTO OTHER AREAS LIKE OUR SPECIAL AREAS.

UM, IT'S MUCH EASIER IN, IN, UH, UH, LIBRARY MEDIA OR ART.

IT'S A LOT HARDER TO DO IN PHYS ED.

AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE STRETCHING TO TRY TO REACH.

SO ANYTHING WE IMPLEMENT, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO, UH, A FEW THINGS.

WELL, IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH WE CAN IMPLEMENT.

UM, WE HAVE A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

WE NEED TO PICK THOSE PIECES THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE US OUR MOST, THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, UH, WITHIN EACH OF THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT TEACHERS ALSO KNOW THAT SOME OF THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IT CONSISTENTLY, NOT ONLY AT OUR SCHOOL, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD AS, AS EVERYONE ELSE ELSE IS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ACTUALLY GETS TO YOUR ANSWER, BUT CAN I ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, YEAH.

I WANNA, SORRY.

SO I WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, WE ALWAYS START OFF BY SAYING, THIS ISN'T FOR US, THIS IS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

SO LIKE, WE KEEP THEM IN THE FOREFRONT, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT, UM, USING THIS AMIRA, WHERE WE KNOW HOW WE HAVE STUDENTS AT HOME THAT DON'T HAVE BOOKS, LIKE THEY'RE ABLE TO HAVE AT LEAST A BOOK AT AT SCHOOL, THEN, SO LIKE, IF YOU KEEP THAT IN MIND, THEN THAT'S WHERE LIKE IT ALL COMES INTO PLAY.

AND THEN TO ALSO ADD ON WITH THE CURRICULUM PIECE THAT YOU HAD PRESENTED EARLIER, UM, WITH AMIRA, IT ACTUALLY HELPS BACK UP THE, UM, PHONICS PIECE

[02:20:01]

AND IT SHOWS THE STUDENTS HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE WORDS IN DIFFERENT STAGES.

SO THAT'S AN ADDED LEVEL OF PRONUNCIATION TO HELP THE STUDENT LEARN HOW TO ACHIEVE, TO SAVE THE WORD.

THEY ASK THEM TO REPEAT IT MULTIPLE TIMES, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO TRANSFER THAT TO AN ACTUAL BOOK AND READ.

AND I, IN MY CLASSROOM, HAVE NOTICED, AND I'M SURE OTHERS CAN SPEAK, HAVE PICKED UP MORE BOOKS BECAUSE THEY FEEL MORE CONFIDENT.

ARE THEY FLUENT? MAYBE NOT, BUT THEY FEEL MORE CONFIDENT BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING ALL OF THESE MULTIPLE VARIATIONS TO SPEAK ON YOUR BEHALF OF NOT JUST A COMPUTER, BUT A BOOK, UM, LISTENING TO SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, READ WRITING.

THEY'RE PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.

AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE BUILDING THE FOUNDATION.

SO AMIRA, YES, IT IS TECHNOLOGY.

I HEAR YOU ON THAT.

IT'S ONE FOUNDATION OF ALL OF THESE OTHER MULTIPLE SOURCES THAT WE ARE USING WITHIN OUR STRESSFUL CURRICULUM TO IMPLEMENT AND BRING IT TO EVERYONE.

SORRY, I SAID THAT.

OH MY GOD.

I'LL NEVER BE INVITED BACK.

I'M GONNA ADD ONE MORE THING THOUGH.

I THINK THAT ALSO FOR THE THREE OF US, WE HAVE, UM, HAD TO HYPE UP OUR TEACHERS.

UM, SO LIKE WE READ THE STORIES, WE DID SOME OF THE WORK, AND WE WOULD GO INTO PLANNING AND WE WOULD SAY, OH, WE READ THIS STORY AND IT'S SO AWESOME.

AND I THINK FOR US TO SAY THAT TO OUR TEACHERS, THEN IT LIKE RELAYS TO OUR STUDENTS.

UM, AND ALSO TO ADD, AND I DIDN'T SAY THIS EARLIER 'CAUSE I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS, YOU WOULD THINK I WOULDN'T BE NERVOUS TO TALK IN FRONT OF ADULTS WHEN I TALK IN FRONT OF CHILDREN ALL DAY.

UM, THAT, UM, FOR AMIRA, UH, WE HAVE NOTICED THAT FOR OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, THEY ARE A LOT MORE CONFIDENT.

THEY'RE SPEAKING MORE, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE TALKING TO, THEY'RE NOT LIKE BEING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT TALKING.

SHE'S, YEAH.

LIKE SHE'S GIVING THEM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SKILLS AND THEY'RE USING THEM.

AND, UM, IT ALSO HAS BEEN HELPING WITH THE SPEAKING PART OF WIDA.

SO EVEN OUR, UM, OUR ESOL TEACHERS HAVE NOTICED THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING NOW IN THAT PORTION OF THE TEST FOR THE STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN USING AMIRA ROGERS.

I JUST WANNA ADD TWO IN TWO WORDS.

JUST THE BIGGEST THING IN OUR SCHOOL THAT MAKES IT ALL WORK WITH ALL THE PROGRAMS IS COLLABORATION.

AND WE CO-TEACH AND WE WORK AND WE PLAN WITH ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, AND WE KIND OF TAKE ON SOME OF THE LOAD FOR THEM AND WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM.

SO THEN THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S SO MUCH.

AND WE REALLY HELP THEM THROUGH ALL THE PARTS.

AND I THINK THE OTHER BIGGEST PART IS ACCOUNTABILITY.

WE HAVE, UH, MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE HELD TO HIGH EXPECTATIONS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE NOTICED WITH AMIRA.

HOW WE'VE ABLE TO GET OUR MINUTES IS THE STUDENTS AREN'T JUST SITTING THERE FOR, OH, I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR 20 MINUTES TODAY.

I'M GONNA SIT HERE.

LIKE, WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY FINISH THEIR STORY, WE MAKE SURE THEY ARE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT THEIR STORY WAS ABOUT.

SO I THINK THE TWO WORDS ARE COLLABORATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

UH, DR. ROGERS, UH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.

UM, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR RESULTS AND THE PASSION AND THE OBVIOUS TEAMWORK THAT YOU HAVE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MR. PALMER, BUT COMING HERE AND TELLING THE TRUTH, THIS IS NOT EASY WORK.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING ADVANCES IN TEAM BCPS, BY NO ILLUSION ARE WE SUGGESTING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE EASY? IT IS HEAVY, IT IS A HEAVY LIFT, AND IT GETS MESSY SOMETIMES.

BUT THIS IS WHY WE TALK ABOUT IT'S, WE, IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE ONE PERSON.

IT'S NOT GONNA ONLY TAKE THE CURRICULUM OFFICE.

IT'S NOT GOING TO ONLY TAKE THE TEACHER LEADERS OR THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.

IT HAS TO BE ALL OF US ON THE SAME PAGE.

AND BEING VERY HONEST.

AND I THINK, UM, WHAT, UH, ONE OF THE READING SPECIALISTS SHARED AT THE END AROUND THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE HAVE TO EACH OTHER, BOTH AT A CENTRAL OFFICE LEVEL AS WELL AS IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE AND ALL OF US LOOKING AT THE DATA, I, WE'VE SHARED OUR COMPUTER AND PASSED IT AROUND AND PRINCIPAL MEETINGS AND PRINCIPALS ARE TAKING OWNERSHIP OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE OF EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS.

AND THAT'S TRULY WHAT'S MAKING THE DIFFERENCE.

AND WE ARE SO PROUD AND GRATEFUL, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.

AND BIRDIE TOLD ME THAT YOU'RE ALREADY AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? RIGHT? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.

THIS IS SO ENCOURAGING.

SO OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT ITEM IS, UM,

I THINK WE CAN JUST END THE MEETING NOW.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT MAKING THAT MONEY.

I MEAN, .

[02:25:11]

[K. INFORMATION (8:55 p.m.)]

INFORMATION.

AND SO YOU HAVE THE QUARTER ONE AUDIT REPORT IN THE, UM, IN THE HANDOUT, IN THE, IN THE BOARD DOCS.

MY COMPUTER LOGGED ME OUT, SO I HAVE TO GET THANK YOU.

UM, AND SO THE QUARTER ONE AUDIT REPORT ON THE WORK PLAN AND INVESTIGATION, UH, AND IT WAS PROVIDED TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AT OUR MEETING, UM, ON MONDAY.

THE NEXT ITEM IS ANNOUNCEMENTS.

AND WE WILL START WITH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.

SO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, WE HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING ON NOVEMBER, ON NOVEMBER 12TH AT 4:30 PM BUILDING AND CONTRACTS.

MR. YOUNG, EXCUSE ME.

THE NEXT BUILDING AND CONTRACT MEETING IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31ST AT FIVE O'CLOCK.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE, MS. LICHTER.

UM, OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 14TH.

UM, WE JUST HAD ONE REALLY THIS WEEK, LAST WEEK.

SO, UM, THANK YOU TO THE, UM, STAFF.

THANK YOU EQUITY COMMITTEE, MS. ONG.

SO THE EQUITY COMMITTEE, WE MET THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10TH.

UM, OUR TOPICS INCLUDED A FOLLOW UP TO OUR PREVIOUS MEETING AND A DISCUSSION ON HIRING THE 2024 STRATEGIC PLAN TIMELINE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY AND A REVIEW OF BCP S'S CURRENT EQUITY SNAPSHOT.

SO OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH AT 4:00 PM IT WILL INCLUDE THE TOPICS OF RETENTION AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR DECP.

AND OUR NEXT MEETING WITH THE EQUITY COUNCIL WILL BE ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST AT FIVE 30.

UH, LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.

OUR NEXT MEETING, OR OUR FIRST MEETING FOR THE, UM, SEASON WILL BE NOVEMBER 6TH AT FOUR 30.

POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE MS. HUMPHREY, ON OCTOBER 5TH, 14TH, EXCUSE ME, WE REVIEWED IN-DEPTH POLICIES 0 383 20 AND 83.

32 OF THOSE POLICIES MOVE FORWARD FOR FIRST READER, AND ONE WAS, UM, SENT TO THE EQUITY COMMITTEE FOR THEIR REVIEW BEFORE PROCEEDING.

EXCUSE ME.

BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND TO INDICATE IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION.

UH, NEXT IS AGENDA ITEMS.

[L. BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES AND AGENDA SETTING (8:55 - 9:05 p.m.)]

YES, UH, DR.

SAVOY? YES, I'D LIKE A, UM, PRESENTATION FROM DR. ROGERS ON, UH, THE CULTURAL PROFICIENCY BOARD AND, AND OFFICE OF CULTURAL PROFICIENCY.

AND SO A PRESENTATION ON THE OFFICE OF OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY.

YES.