Blueprint for Maryland's Future

Policy Area 1 - Early Childhood Education

The Office of Early Childhood continues to prepare for the fall 2023 expansion of prekindergarten at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM).  During the month of February, the team worked with planning and construction to sort and box all materials of instruction.  An inventory of all usable furniture and materials from the facility was compiled and secured in one area of the building so renovations can begin.  A list of furniture and materials that would need to be purchased for the center was created.

Policy Area 2 - Diverse Teachers and Leaders

Charles County Public Schools and the Education Association of Charles County (EACC) have reached a tentative agreement for all unit 1 and unit 2 employees.  Per the requirements of the Blueprint, school systems are required to implement an initial 10% salary increase for teachers by 6/30/24 and implement a minimum $60,000 starting teacher salary by 7/1/26.  The tentative negotiated agreement moves towards the goals of increased salary within the Blueprint.

Policy Area 3 - College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The Early College Program provides accepted students with access to tuition-free college courses. Through this program, students earn college credits that can transfer following their high school graduation. CCPS is offering 200 total spaces to current high school sophomores and juniors for next school year.  Eligible CCPS students that met all required to be eligible to apply for the Early College Program received information about the steps for application. CCPS, in partnership with the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), offers a free Early College Program for high school juniors and seniors.  The parent/guardian of eligible students also received information.  The deadline for applying was March 1.

Policy Area 4 - More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Parents and guardians of children who receive special education services in Maryland recently received a copy of the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey in the mail from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). By completing the survey, parents and guardians can share how their children’s school can better partner with them.

The feedback helps guide efforts to improve special education and related services in school systems around Maryland, including Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). The hard copy of the survey should be returned in the postage-paid envelope by May 19. The survey can also be completed online at:

maryland special education parent involvement survey

Questions can be directed to Kenneth Hudock with MSDE at 410-767-7770 or Kenneth.Hudock@maryland.gov.

Policy Area 5 - Governance and Accountability

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) continues to host technical assistance sessions aimed at providing districts feedback on Blueprint plans.  CCPS participated in a LEA specific meeting with members of MSDE and the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) to receive feedback on its draft plan.  In addition to the Blueprint implementation coordinator, leaders of each of the five steering committees attended the feedback session.  CCPS also hosted a Blueprint Town Hall on February 21^st.  You can view the video at:

Blueprint Maryland's Future Town hall

Policy Area 1 - Early Childhood Education

On January 1, 2023 the lease between CCPS and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) began so that CCPS can utilize CSM’s former St. Charles Children’s Learning Center (CLC) to expand prekindergarten program offerings beginning in the 2023-24 school year. CCPS has started preparing for construction to begin to accommodate up to 90 pre-kindergarten students.  CCPS is in the process of determining the catchment zone for students and additional information will be shared once it is determined.

Policy Area 2 - Diverse Teachers and Leaders

Score results for teachers seeking National Board Certification (NBC) are released every December.  CCPS is proud to announce that one additional teacher has become nationally board certified.  NBC is available in 25 certificate areas representing 16 different disciplines and four developmental levels. To become a Board-certified teacher, eligible candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills, and practice in their individual certificate area by completing four components: three portfolio entries and a computer-based assessment.  As a part of the career ladder, NBC educators teaching in the classroom at least 60% of the time receive a $10,000 salary increase.

Policy Area 3 - College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The Charles County Chamber of Commerce’s Business & Education Committee and CCPS hosted their January mixer titled “Connecting Employers to Apprenticeship and Internship Opportunities.”  Employers in the county had the opportunity to explore apprenticeships and internships opportunities and learn how to become an eligible employer for CCPS students.  As CCPS moves towards increasing apprenticeships opportunities for students, we plan to continue to reach out to the business community.  One of the goals of the Blueprint is for 45% of high school students to earn an industry-recognized credential or complete the high school level of a registered apprenticeship.

Policy Area 4 - More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

On January 31^st, representatives from CCPS and the Charles County Health Department presented at the County Commissioners’ January 31^st meeting requesting $1,135,000 in CIP funding for a modular medical clinic on the grounds of Indian Head Elementary School.  The Charles County Department of Health has submitted a grant request to Maryland Community Health Resources Commission to implement a school-based health center (SBHC).  The grant to the commission would cover the cost of employee salaries and benefits, furniture and supplies, training and other non-construction related needs.  This expansion of services aligns with the goals of the Blueprint, as well as the needs of the community.  A copy of the presentation can be found below: 

School Based Health Center at Indian Head Elementary School

Policy Area 5 - Governance and Accountability

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) continues to host technical assistance sessions aimed at providing districts feedback on Blueprint plans.  The first submission of the Blueprint plan is due to the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) on March 15^th.  CCPS continues to improve its draft plan based on feedback it is receiving from other districts, the AIB, and the MSDE. 

On December 22, CCPS was required to complete its yearly report to the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) that detailed the disaggregated data for prekindergarten enrollment.  This report was submitted using a Google form that was provided by MSDE.  The Family Child Care Alliance of Maryland informed CCPS we do not have a private prekindergarten provider as they reported earlier in the school year.  The alliance is currently working with a private provider in Charles County in hopes the provider will become eligible to receive state funding for enrolled students next school year.

Policy Area 2 - Diverse Teachers and Leaders

Charles County Public Schools currently has 58 initial candidates who are participating in the CCPS National Board Academy.  The purpose of the CCPS National Board Academy is to provide resources and support to teachers seeking National Board Certification.  Because of the Blueprint, a National Board Certified (NBC) teacher receives and additional $10,000 salary increase.  The National Board Academy includes five cohorts each led by a current CCPS NBC teacher.  The cohort mentors meet monthly in order to create resources based on the needs of the teachers in the process of earning National Board Certification.  The December focus was on Component 1- Content Knowledge and Component 2- Differentiation in Instruction.

Policy Area 3 - College and Career Readiness (CCR)

CCPS continues its partnership with the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) to provide early college opportunities to students.  Beginning in school year 2023-24, eleventh grade students will have the opportunity to earn an associate degree in business.  This program is 60 credits.  Students and families will learn more about this opportunity in January and applications will be available in February.

Policy Area 4 - More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

On December 7, CCPS hosted the MSDE’s southern Maryland regional presentation titled Regional Data Walks: A Data Deep Dive into Southern Maryland’s Schools.  The interactive presentation, from members of MSDE including State Superintendent Mohammad Choudhury, included information about enrollment trends, funding formulas, measuring poverty in education, concentration of poverty and community schools in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s schools.  The presentation, including additional resources provided, can be found at tinyurl.com/msdedec7

Policy Area 5 - Governance and Accountability

The MSDE hosted its first series of technical assistance meetings for districts on the requirements of Blueprint submission.  The sessions, held December 12-16 and 19-22, focused specifically on each of the five pillars of the Blueprint and each individual question.  Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and collaborate with others from around the state.  Additional technical assistance sessions are being held throughout the months of January, February, and March. 

During the month of November, Charles County Public Schools participated in and hosted several town halls and meetings with system stakeholders to solicit feedback regarding the Accountability and Implementation Board’s (AIB) draft Blueprint Comprehensive Plan released on October 26^th.  Based on these sessions, the feedback of the five steering committees, and an open survey available on the system’s website, CCPS submitted written feedback prior to the November 23^rd deadline to the AIB.  The AIB received feedback from all over the state of Maryland including both written feedback and public testimony at the November 10^th public hearing.  The AIB was seeking feedback in order to make any necessary adjustments to the draft Blueprint Comprehensive Plan as well as the Blueprint Implementation Plan Template and Criteria for Success that systems are to use to develop their own system plans.

Charles County Public Schools is eagerly waiting for the release of the final Blueprint Comprehensive Plan and the templates to complete after the December 1 AIB meeting.  During this meeting, the AIB will discuss the public comment and suggested changes to these documents before voting on final documents to be released.  This will allow our school system to focus on the development of our Blueprint plan.  More information will be shared during the December 13^th Board meeting.

The updates for the Blueprint Steering Committees for the month of October are a little different than the previous updates provided.  On October 26^th, the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) released the. The plan is intended to guide implementation by State and local entities to achieve the Blueprint’s expected outcomes and can be viewed below:

draft Blueprint Comprehensive Implementation Plan

The AIB will host a virtual public hearing on November 10, 2022 where stakeholders and the public are invited to provide oral testimony on the draft Blueprint Comprehensive Implementation Plan. Public input is crucial to successful implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and is greatly appreciated. More information regarding the AIB’s meeting can be found below:

Accountability & Implementation Board Meeting

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is holding a virtual town hall 5:30 p.m., November 7, 2022 to discuss the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The town hall will allow parents, students, and community members to learn about the Blueprint and provide feedback on the draft plan created by the AIB. Click here for more information regarding the town hall.  Feedback generated by this town hall, as well as other meetings with system stakeholders, will be submitted to the AIB.  Each of the five steering committees will also provide feedback about the draft plan.

For each of the five pillars in the Blueprint, there are specific tasks and subtasks that support expected outcomes and objectives.  This information can be found by each policy area below:

1.  Early Childhood Education
    
2.  Diverse Teachers and Leaders
    
3. College and Career Readiness (CCR)
    
4. More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful
    
5. Governance and Accountability

Early Childhood Education

The prekindergarten enrollment for full-day students has increased for the 2022-2023 school year. A total of 843 prekindergarten students have been enrolled in a full-day program, up from 537 full-day students in the 2021-2022 school year.  School year 2021-2022 had 247 category one students enrolled.  This school year, 664 tier one students are enrolled.  The criteria for eligible students to have access to prekindergarten has changed for this school year.  Students with a family whose income is no more than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines are now considered tier one.  In previous years, category one students were eligible if the family income was no more than 185% of the federal poverty level.

Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) collects information from each local educational agency (LEA) regarding the number of teachers that hold National Board Certification (NBC) for the additional salary increase.  The MSDE recognizes the timing difference between the data submission deadline for FY 2023 State Aid (December 1, 2021) and the Statutory eligibility deadline for NBC Teacher Salary increases, July 1, 2022. The MSDE provided LEAs with the opportunity to revise the count of teachers for FY 2023 State Aid. CCPS completed the report to make necessary adjustments to the number of NBC teachers that are eligible to receive the additional $10,000 salary increase.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

State Superintendent Choudhury provided a briefing to the State Board of Education at the August 23^rd meeting on apprenticeship programs as described in The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and other national context and best practices.  Click below to view/download the full presentation from Superintendent Choudhury:

Blueprint Deep Dive Presentation

To help provide access to these programs for CCPS students, the Charles County Chamber of Commerce created a Business and Education subcommittee which held its first meeting for the school year in September.  Topics included increasing access to apprenticeships for CCPS students and increasing awareness to membership regarding the partnerships between the commerce and CCPS.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

A joint steering committee with CCPS Judy Centers and Community Schools has been formed and met for the first time on September 28^th.  Included in the committee are local and state agencies, as well as CCPS employees.  The purpose of the committee is to share resources and information on how to best serve our students in our Judy Centers and Community Schools.

Governance and Accountability

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) continues to meet to seek stakeholder feedback regarding the development of the Blueprint Implementation Plans.  Superintendent Choudhury presented at the September 29^th AIB meeting and presented the proposed criteria for success.  The criteria must be approved by the AIB. Click below to view/download Information regarding this meeting:

AIB Meeting

 Early Childhood Education

CCPS entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Family Child Care Alliance of Maryland. This MOU establishes the working partnership between the one private prekindergarten provider in Charles County, CCPS, and MSDE. CCPS and the Family Child Care Alliance will be working together to develop an implementation plan that includes options for enrollment for eligible students, serving students with disabilities, serving English learners, serving homeless students, addressing racial and socioeconomic integration, and an explanation of any agreed upon administrative costs that will be retained by an agency that is party to the agreement. The original due date for this plan was September 1, 2022 but it will now be a part of the Blueprint plan that is due in March. MSDE is working to schedule technical assistance sessions for private providers and districts.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is facilitating a Teacher Preparation Workgroup where representatives from districts and institutes of higher education (IHE) work together to address elements of the Blueprint related to teacher preparation and certification. During the August meeting, participants discussed data collection needs and data wonderings, heard from colleagues from the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) about how the Blueprint requirements for Teacher Preparation Programs were developed as well as features of top-performing systems, and heard from several of colleagues around Maryland about their Teacher Collaborative Grants. Links to the resources can be found below:

8.31.22 Teacher Prep Workgroup Session 2 - Google Drive

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

August 31st marked the first day of class for students enrolled in the Early College Program at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM). Students arrive to their home high school and receive a breakfast and lunch for the day before being transported to the CSM campus. All students are enrolled in a seminar course that is focused on helping students navigate college.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

The Blueprint mandates school systems provide summer programs during the 2021 and 2022 summers to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. August 4 was the last day for summer boost programs for qualifying students. A total of 2,861 Charles County Public Schools students in elementary, middle, and high participated in this opportunity.

Governance and Accountability

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) launched its new website. Included on the website are links to meetings, information regarding the Blueprint, and other relevant information that is directed for various stakeholders. Once Blueprint plans are submitted by school systems, these plans will be available on the website. Click the link below for additional information:

learn more about blueprint plans 

Early Childhood Education

The Maryland Leads Initiative supports LEAs in addressing short and long-term challenges related to the current labor shortage and attends to the longstanding need to establish and strengthen teacher pipelines and development.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) structured this grant around seven high leverage strategies.  CCPS applied and will focus on three of the seven strategies, including Grow Your Own Staff.  One of the focus areas in this strategy will allow grant funding to be used to help pre-kindergarten instructional assistants acquire a child development associate (CDA) or associate’s degree as mandated in the Blueprint by the 2025-26 school year.  CCPS has been meeting with approved vendors of the grant to determine what organizations, colleges, and/or universities can best work with employees to meet this mandate.  Click the link below for more information:

Maryland Leads Initiative

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) announced appointments to its new advisory committees that are focused on collecting stakeholder feedback regarding the implementation of the Blueprint.  Dr. Brian King, Principal at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School, applied and was appointed to a one-year term on the advisory committee that focuses on high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders.  Dr. King also serves as a participant on the CCPS steering committee that is focused on the same pillar. 

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

Representatives from CCPS and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) continue to meet on a regular basis in order to plan how to best provide additional access to students per the Blueprint. An orientation has been scheduled for students that will participate in the early college program being piloted at Lackey, St. Charles, Stone, and Westlake high schools.  Students will be notified of the orientation dates and times.  Students who complete the program will earn an early studies certificate which is transferrable to most public colleges and universities in Maryland.    

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Indian Head Elementary School became the second community school in CCPS.  Community schools, through funding from the concentration of poverty grant, have a community school coordinator that works as a liaison between the school and community to help provide needed resources to students and families.  Marissa Ackerman was recently hired to serve in this role at Indian Head Elementary School and is very excited to begin her work!

Governance and Accountability

The AIB hosted a series of implementation planning sessions in June.  During the month of July, the AIB hosted working sessions where stakeholders were invited to participate and provide feedback.  Follow-up sessions have been scheduled for August:  August 4 will focus on pillar 2, August 11 will focus on pillars 3 and 4, and August 18 will focus on pillar 1. 

Early Childhood Education

The Family Child Care Alliance of Maryland has partnered with MSDE to serve as an umbrella organization to support family childcare providers eligible to participate in Maryland’s PreK Expansion Grant. These providers can choose to apply for the grant themselves, or they can operate under the Alliance umbrella. The providers in the Alliance program do not have to apply to the state for participation, but they do have to meet the grant’s requirements.  CCPS was notified by the Family Child Care Alliance of Maryland that they received the PreK Expansion Grant and one eligible private provider in Charles County will participate under the umbrella grant.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

On July 1, a hiring and diversity report was due to the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) as well as the Governor that evaluates the school system’s hiring practices to determine if those practices are contributing to a lack of diversity in Maryland’s teaching staff.  

Click here to view the report

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The Blueprint mandates each local school system establish and implement a summer school program that addresses the needs of students effected by the Covid-19 pandemic during the summers of 2021 and 2022.  CCPS is hosting several programs this summer, including boost programs for students who need additional supports, enrichment camps, career and technical education (CTE) exploration camps, a Grade 9 Academy for rising freshmen, and summer school courses.  

Click here for more information

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Dr. Mudd Elementary School, our first community school with additional funding for wraparound services for students and families funded by the Blueprint, facilitated a needs assessment that will help develop a long-term plan to help meet the needs of the school.  Surveys, interviews, and other impactful data was collected and will be used to provide services to the community of Dr. Mudd Elementary School.  This report was due to MSDE on July 1.  Feedback regarding the process and plan will be provided by MSDE.

Governance and Accountability

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) hosted a series of implementation planning sessions in June. The purpose of these sessions was to build collective understanding of the Blueprint’s purpose and inform the development of the Comprehensive Implementation Plan that is critical to the Blueprint’s success. Each session focused on different pillars of the Blueprint.  For recordings of the meetings, click the link below. Then click “Meetings” at the top and scroll to view the June meetings.  The schedule is as follows:  June 16- Pillars 3 and 5, June 23- Pillars 1 and 4, June 30- Pillar 2.

Early Childhood Education

CCPS has confirmed that no private providers in Charles County received any of the prekindergarten grants offered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  Three private providers in Charles County applied to receive grant funding intended to expand prekindergarten services to students, but all three did not meet the requirements set forth by the MSDE.  MSDE has stated they intend to provide support to these private providers to help them meet the requirements for grant funding in the future.  CCPS will also provide support to private providers to help them with the requirements of the grants in order to help expand prekindergarten services to students in our county.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The MSDE has convened a small advisory committee to make recommendations regarding the document titled Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Implementation Guidance: Initial Eligibility for National Board Certification Salary Increase Incentives (see April 2022 update for more information).  Six school systems have been selected to provide feedback regarding current policy regarding National Board Certification (NBC) including representation from CCPS.  All CCPS nationally board-certified educators have been notified regarding whether or not they are eligible to receive the additional $10,000 salary increase beginning next school year.  Those educators that were not eligible had an opportunity to request a transfer to a position that allows them to earn the additional salary increase.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The selection committee for early college entrance, comprised of representatives from CCPS and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM), convened to review the applications of students wanting to participate in the early college pilot program.  The program is being piloted at Lackey, St. Charles, Stone, and Westlake high schools.  In order to participate, students need to meet specific requirements including GPA, specific coursework, and number of high school credits.  72 students were accepted into the program.  

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Dr. Mudd Elementary School, our first community school with additional funding for wraparound services for students and families funded by the Blueprint, held its first Community Wellness Day on Saturday, May 21^st.  Focused on advocating on the physical and mental health of the community, 30+ vendors were present and interacted with community members that attended.  Participants were able to receive needed vaccines, COVID-19 tests, and food baskets.  Opportunities to sign-up for various services included organizations that could help with food shortages, summer camps for students, and other needs expressed by the community.  Approximately 263 families attended the event.

Governance and Accountability

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is seeking applications for its advisory committees.  Four advisory committees will be formed around the following policy areas:  early childhood education, high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders, college and career readiness pathways, and more resources to ensure all students are successful.  Applications are due by midnight on June 20^th.  For more information, including the link to the Google form application, click the link below:

Advisory Committees Structure- Final.docx (maryland.gov)

Early Childhood Education

CCPS has been working with officials from the Charles County Government and AlphaBEST, our system’s before and after care provider, to expand access for before and after care for CCPS students below the age of five.  Currently, AlphaBEST is only licensed for students five years and older and per the regulations, students in AlphaBEST under the age of five cannot be in the same space as those above the age of five.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Office of Child Care’s (OCC) will need to approve the expansion for students under five and visit every elementary school as a part of process.  We are hopeful this can be accomplished in time for the start of the 2022-2023 school year.  Dr. Navarro spoke at the public forum portion of the Maryland State Board of Education meeting on April 26th to highlight the feedback the school system has received from private childcare providers about why many providers have not applied to receive state funds to provide prekindergarten programs.  The clip can be found at the 12 minute mark on the video below:

Click here to view the video

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The MSDE has provided a document called Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Implementation Guidance: Initial Eligibility for National Board Certification Salary Increase Incentives which aims to address unified language and understanding around those educators that are eligible to receive salary increases associated with National Board Certification (NBC) beginning July 1, 2022.  This document is considered a working document; therefore, additional clarifications and/or changes should be anticipated.  The most up-to-date version College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The proposed recommendation by the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) made to Maryland legislators to delay the requirement for districts to create a program of study for students that don’t meet the CCR requirement by the end of 10th grade until the 2023-24 school year has been passed and signed into law by Governor Hogan.  The steering committee worked to identify current supports in place for students and is currently working in identifying the supports that are used effectively in other school systems.

 More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

The steering committee recommends the following priorities be adopted in order to help with student achievement in Charles County Public Schools:

• Provide math and reading resources aimed at improving student achievement to students, teachers, and parents/guardians based on data iReady assessment scores that are administered to students throughout the school year;
   
• Create a hybrid or virtual option for all students that includes the same rigorous options (AP) and allows students to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities; and
   
• Align hiring practices to ensure our best teachers are working with our neediest students.

Governance and Accountability

During the past Maryland legislative session, House Bill 1450, which altered timelines for the Blueprint’s implementation, was passed.  Specifically, this bill extends the State Implementation Plan deadline from Feb. 15, 2022 to Dec. 1, 2022; extends the MSDE deadline for plan criteria from April 1, 2022 to Sept. 1, 2022; and extends the local implementation plan deadline extended form June 15, 2022 to March 15, 2023.  The MSDE plans to provide ongoing technical support to local districts as they develop plans that will begin this summer or early fall.

Early Childhood Education

Several meetings with various stakeholders were held during the month of March.  The Blueprint mandates that all instructional assistants in prekindergarten classrooms hold either a child development associate (CDA) or an associate’s degree by the 2025-26 school year.  Meetings were held for all instructional assistants impacted by this mandate to share this information, as well as to gather input from them to help the district create pathways for staff to meet these requirements.  Preliminary estimates show this will cost approximately $10,000 per employee.  Representatives from CCPS presented to the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) of Charles County focusing on expanding access for prekindergarten students by private providers.  Some hesitation on the part of private providers to participate was shared due to experiences private providers have had in the past with getting funds owed to them in a timely manner from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).  Our system is still greatly concerned that we could have no private providers in the county who apply to receive Blueprint

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The team continues to work on possible scenarios to ensure CCPS is on a trajectory to meet salary requirements for staff as required in the Blueprint. There will be additional updates once the County Commissioners finalize the allocations for CCPS and the BOE finalizes the school system’s budget.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) made recommendations to Maryland legislators to delay the requirement for districts to create a program of study for students that don’t meet the CCR requirement by the end of 10th grade. Currently, the law states districts must create a program of study for students by the 2022-23 school year.  The proposed recommendation would delay the mandate for one school year.  Because of standard setting due to a new Maryland assessment, districts would not have data by the beginning of the school year from the MSDE to place students in a program of study.  The bill has been reviewed by both chambers and will go to Governor Hogan.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Dr. Mudd Elementary School, our first community school in the district, will be hosting a Community Health Fair Day on Saturday, May 21 from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the school site. Community schools work with local stakeholders to provide wrap around services and supports to their students and their families.  We are excited that Indian Head Elementary School has received funds to become a community school in school year 2022-23.

Governance and Accountability

Per the Blueprint, each district is required to have a 9th grade tracker system that will measure each student’s progress towards graduating on time.  A report in our current student information system, Synergy, is being used for this requirement and is now considered “live” for all 9th grade students since semester grades were completed.  School administrators were provided training on how to access the report.  Parents and students can access the report using ParentVUE or StudentVUE by clicking on the Documents tab.  They can then click on the Graduation Tracker report to see testing requirements, student-service learning information, and information about credits attained and still needed.

Early Childhood Education

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) opened two grant opportunities to both public and private childcare providers with the hope of expanding prekindergarten access to more students in Maryland.  With help from MSDE’s Office of Childcare, CCPS invited all private, licensed childcare providers in Charles County to attend one of two informational sessions held on February 10th and February 15th.  The purpose of these sessions was to ensure private providers had the information provided by MSDE about the upcoming grant opportunities, answer any questions they may have about the grant process and requirements, offer any assistance and support, and determine if any private providers may be applying for grants to expand prekindergarten.  At this time, we are very concerned we will not have any private providers in Charles County to expand prekindergarten programs for residents and this could impact the number of tier two and tier three students that will not have access to prekindergarten in the future.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

Steve Roberts, Director of Accountability, presented information regarding the process for the current CCPS teacher evaluation system.  Discussions focused on the alignment of the current teacher evaluation system to the requirements of the Blueprint.  Changes, which would likely have financial implications, would likely need to be made including training for all observers, creation of a competency assessment for observers, and modifications to the current teacher evaluation system hub called The Evaluation and Assets Management System (TEAMS).  An extensive plan for professional learning for all stakeholders will need to be implemented.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

Options for career exploration continues to be researched within the steering committee.  February’s meetings focused on how to target access for students in elementary school.  Several suggestions including themed early dismissal explorations, embedded curricular documents and lessons, and online programs that could be enhanced were discussed.  More clarification is needed from Elementary Programs in order to make further recommendations. 

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Throughout the month of January, members of this steering committee spent time reaching out to colleagues and community members to seek input regarding services and/or programs that were needed to ensure students did not have barriers at school.  A comprehensive list was shared within the steering committee, and participants were asked to prioritize the top three.  These top three priorities will be shared as recommendations for the Blueprint plan.

Governance and Accountability

Changes have been made in Synergy, the system’s student information system, for the prekindergarten registration.  All families will be required to submit family income documentation as a part of the registration process.  In the past, only families who qualified for free and reduced meals (FARMS) were required to submit this paperwork.  Students in tier one, whose family income is 300% or below of the federal poverty rate, will qualify for prekindergarten with income verification.  If space allows, students in tier two, whose family income falls within 301% and 600% of the federal poverty level, will be given next priority for acceptance to prekindergarten.   Students in tier three, whose family income is above 601% of the federal poverty level, will be only accepted if space allows once tier one and tier two students have been placed.  Prekindergarten registration for school year 22-23 opens on March 28, 2022.

*Beginning in school year 2024-25, there will be a family share for tiers 2 & 3.

Early Childhood Education

Participants were divided into three subgroups to research information provided by MSDE from three states that currently use income eligibility guidelines for pre-kindergarten programs.  Meetings have been scheduled for early February between CCPS staff and private childcare providers in Charles County.  The purpose of these meetings is to establish partnerships and expand access to pre-kindergarten students.  While the opportunity for private providers to apply for state money has not happened yet, MSDE is hopeful this will happen within the next month or two.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

The steering committee finalized its work in four subgroups based on the four steps of the teacher career ladder.  Subgroups reviewed and shared recommendations based on current career ladders in other school systems to help create possible guidance for the school system when career ladders must be implemented by the July 1, 2024 deadline.  While there continues to be great discussion as it relates to the career ladder, some aspects of the career ladder will need to be negotiated by the local bargaining unit.  The committee is making a recommendation that a local career ladder development board be formed per the recommendation of the Blueprint.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The two subgroups that have been formed within this committee met as one large group for this month’s meeting in order to share information with each other and plan for upcoming agenda items.  The two subgroups are focusing on creating differentiated pathways for students that are not CCR by the end of 10th grade and providing elementary and middle school students with additional CTE courses.  The group has determined they would like more information about past and current supports for students who are not CCR by the end of 10th grade.  They have requested additional information from content specialists, as well as information from a school’s perspective.  Additional programs for elementary and middle schools will be explored to help determine how CTE will be expanded and the subsequent costs including training, personnel, and other costs associated with implementation.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Information regarding current reading programs in elementary schools was shared with participants, as well as the data from the fall iReady assessment in reading.  Participants were asked to assess how to best address the needs for students using the available data and share ideas that support research-based practices and programs.  Updates regarding the progress of the other four steering committees was shared. 

Governance and Accountability

The three subgroups that have been formed within this committee continued to meet on the following topics:  pre-kindergarten registration, student scheduling best practices, and requirements to monitor the career ladder.  The subgroups are continuing to work on recommendations for protocols that align with effective research-based practices.  A quote to make customizations to the current registration platform for pre-kindergarten was received.  It will cost the school system $7,500 to make the necessary changes for the pre-kindergarten registration process because of the Blueprint.

Early Childhood Education

A review of the current pre-kindergarten registration process was shared with group members.  Additional information about a family’s income will be needed from all pre-kindergarten registrants per the mandates of the Blueprint.  The steering committee focused on providing recommendations for changes that would need to be made to the registration process and was shared with members of the Office of Accountability (the office responsible for school registration) and the policy area 5 subcommittee.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

With the implementation of career ladders coming July 1, 2024, committee members worked to understand the requirements of each of the four levels of the ladder.  Expert groups were formed to review the career ladders in place in another school system in Maryland to analyze its alignment to Blueprint and to determine if any of these practices should be implemented in Charles County Public Schools.  This work will continue into the coming months.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

The steering committee has been split into two subgroups in order to best continue its focus on identifying pathways for students who are not CCR by the end of the 10th grade and creating introductory CTE courses in elementary and middle school.  The first subgroup is focusing on learning about the State’s requirements to identify a student as CCR and are working to identify the needs of students to match them with appropriate supports.  The second subgroup is researching existing CTE programs in other school systems for elementary and middle school students.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

Data regarding students’ fall performance on the iReady test in math and reading was shared with the committee to help determine where resources should be focused.  Members of the steering committee provided feedback and additional questions about how the data is being used in schools.  Steering committee members requested an update at a future meeting to learn about the work of the other steering committees.

Policy Area 5- Governance and Accountability

Updates were shared on upcoming due dates for the Blueprint.  Information regarding the changes necessary for pre-kindergarten were shared including the need to collect income verification from all students who register.  Information was also shared regarding the need for various information systems within CCPS to be able to “talk” to each other including Synergy, the system’s student information system (SIS), Insystech’s TEAMS, the teacher evaluation system, and the new human resources database.

Early Childhood Education

An overview of the policy area and important dates was shared with the steering committee.  The Blueprint mandates requirements of both teachers and instructional assistants working in prekindergarten classrooms.  The mandates of the instructional assistants require a minimum of an associate’s degree or a child development associates.  These mandates will take effect for school year 2025-26.  Questions were generated by the group for MSDE to answer.  The next meeting will focus on this information.

High Quality & Diverse Teachers and Leaders

Agenda items for each meeting have been determined for the duration group.  Because the Blueprint mandates salary increases associated with National Board Certification (NBC) begin in SY 2022-23, November’s meetings were dedicated to learning about NBC in Charles County, and discussions were focused on how to best expand and support NBC.

College and Career Readiness (CCR)

An overview of the policy area and important dates was shared with the steering committee.  A review of where the system is currently at as it relates to future goals of the Blueprint was discussed.  Two areas of focus were identified for immediate future work:

• Creating CCR standards program of study for those who have not met CCR by the end of 10th grade; 
   
• Creating introductory CTE courses in elementary and middle school.

More Resources to Ensure All Students are Successful

An overview of the policy area was shared with the steering committee.  Participants in the steering committee were asked to share information about current programs that support the Blueprint including transitional supplemental instructional, equity, community schools, and mental health.  Participants asked to review data at the next meeting to identify what schools and students need additional support.

Governance and Accountability

An overview of the policy and deadlines was shared with the steering committee.  One of the items required in the Blueprint is a 9th grade tracker that measures each students progress towards graduating on time, including credit accumulation.  Synergy, CCPS student information system (SIS), currently has several reports that meet the requirements of the Blueprint.  The steering committee focused what additional information could be included in the current reports to improve them for various stakeholder groups, as well as how to best share these reports with necessary stakeholders including students, school counselors, and administrators.