Public schools begin opening in Maryland tomorrow, August 20, as nearly one million students, teachers, and administrators prepare to start the 2008-2009 school year.
Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Washington county schools are the first systems to begin classes this year. By the time all schools are open Sept. 2, more than 850,000 students will fill classrooms and approximately 80,000 teachers and other instructional staff will be in the schools to help students enjoy a safe and rewarding academic year.
Twenty-three of Maryland’s 24 school systems begin classes this month, as most schools open next week. Only Worcester County on the Eastern Shore is set to begin classes after Labor Day.
“The opening of school is always steeped in optimism for students and teachers, and we have good reason to be optimistic here in Maryland,” said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. “Schools in every part of the state are making consistent, measurable improvement, and these efforts continue to garner national acclaim.”
Among the headlines for the new school year:
- This year’s senior class is the first group of students who must pass the state’s High School Assessments in order to receive a Maryland high school diploma. Data for the spring 2008 administration will be released next month.
- The Bridge Plan is up and running. Maryland’s alternative route to passing the High School Assessments began in several school systems this summer.
- Fewer teacher shortages are being reported than in past years. Although Maryland colleges continue to have trouble meeting the demands of local systems, the teacher shortfall this year appears to be less than in the recent past.
- Public charter schools emerging as a presence in Maryland. Four new schools are scheduled to open this fall, bringing the total to 34.
- School safety remains an important topic for educators. The School Safety Action Advisory Committee, created after this summer’s summit, has already started meeting.
- Schools are developing stronger math, science, and technology programs to meet the needs of a changing economy. With the release of this years Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics grants, all 24 Maryland school systems will be involved in the program.
- Farm-to-School programs for Maryland agricultural products are being developed.
School systems throughout the State are focusing on continuing the progress made over the past five years, as Maryland School Assessment scores in both reading and mathematics rose in all 24 school systems. At the same time, the achievement gaps between students in certain racial subgroups have started to shrink.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that all students be proficient in reading and mathematics by the year 2014. To that end, the performance bar rises on an annual basis, a goal for schools known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Each year, those academic performance goals become more difficult to reach. New figures for elementary and middle schools, released last week, found more schools meeting those targets. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org
/MSDE/pressrelease_details/2008_08_14.htm
This year’s 12th grade class (the class of 2009) is the first group of students required to pass end-of-course assessments in algebra, biology, English 2, and government before being allowed to graduate with a Maryland diploma. The High School Assessment (HSA) requirement, instituted by the Maryland State Board of Education in 2004, is part of a national effort advocated by higher education and business leaders to strengthen the high school diploma.
Many of this year’s 12th graders began taking – and passing – some of the assessments while still in middle school. Students taking high-school-level courses, such as algebra, took the tests near the end of their courses. Students have numerous opportunities throughout the year to pass the test, and those who need additional assistance to make the grade will be provided with on-line tools and remedial resources through their local school system. Results of this spring’s test administration will be released next month.
Maryland’s Bridge Plan for Academic Validation, a rigorous alternative route to passing the High School Assessments, was instituted this summer. More than 280 students in 11 systems already started to take advantage of the program, developing high-level projects that convey the knowledge they have learned in the required courses. MSDE developed the Bridge Plan over the past two years, implementing the ideas of Maryland’s Task Force on Comparable Assessments and the Task Force for the Review of the High School Assessment Options. The Bridge Plan is being offered to students who have met the other requirements of a high school diploma but have not passed the assessments with the traditional testing.
Personnel offices in Maryland school systems continue this week to tie up loose ends, but there are indications that the teacher shortages that have long plagued many systems are not quite as big of a problem this fall. Maryland schools are scheduled to welcome nearly 5,700 new teachers and classroom personnel this fall, and an informal survey last week found that more than 480 positions remained unfilled. At this time last year, more than 900 positions were empty.
There may be several reasons for the improved picture. School systems have done a much better job in recruitment, which this year featured Maryland’s first-ever statewide teacher job fair, held this past spring in Baltimore. Second, the state’s alternative certification programs have helped ease teacher shortages by bringing new, qualified candidates into the classrooms. Finally, the uncertain economy is likely to have caused some teachers to postpone retirement.
Many of the remaining open teaching slots can be found in fields that have faced chronic shortages, such as special education, upper level science and math, and certain foreign languages.
Four new public charter schools will open in Maryland this fall, bringing the total number of charters in the state to 34. Three schools are opening in Baltimore City, while Baltimore County will open its very first charter.
The rapid growth of charter schools has taken place over a very brief period of time. Maryland’s charter school law was signed in May 2003. Since that time, nearly three dozen schools have joined Monocacy Valley Montessori Charter School in Frederick, which existed before the law was passed. These schools will enroll nearly 8,000 students this fall.
U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Dr. Grasmick last month announced the formation of the School Safety Action Advisory Committee (SSAAC) created following this summer’s Summit on School Safety Solutions. The SSAAC’s goal is to provide critical input in developing solutions for local systems as they work to strengthen safety in the classroom and around campus.
In addition, a student summit is set for Oct. 27 as a follow-up to the Summit on School Safety Solutions co-sponsored by Rep. Cummings and MSDE this summer. A complete report of the proceedings from this summer’s summit is available on the MSDE web site. “Report from the Summit on School Safety Solutions.”
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM) programs continue to grow throughout Maryland. With the release of MSDE’s fiscal 2009 STEM grants, all 24 school systems have had or will have STEM funding.
Strong STEM programs are taking root throughout Maryland, which is important for the State’s growing technology industry. For example, Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George’s County is celebrating its 25th year as a STEM magnet school. Baltimore City this past year sent nine teams to the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. Howard County will have STEM advisors in 70 schools this fall. The STEM programs will help Maryland meet the needs of the growing technology related business community and the training requirements of the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) initiative.
From Asian pears to zucchini, more than 24 different Maryland-grown fruits and vegetables will be featured on school lunch menus during the 2008-2009 school year. The Jane Lawton Farm to School Program’s “Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week” will be held Sept. 22-26, with a kickoff event on Tuesday, Sept. 23 in Montgomery County.
This program will bring more Maryland-grown foods to school lunches, educate students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. The Maryland Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with MSDE, also will provide teachers with educational materials to integrate into their lessons and help students make the connection between their school lunch menus and the agricultural process.
The Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program, named in honor of the late Maryland House of Delegates member Jane Lawton of Montgomery County, was created during the 2008 session of the Maryland General Assembly and was sponsored by Sen. Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County.
Most Maryland schools are opening their doors before Labor Day. Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Washington counties kick off the school year on Aug. 20, followed by: