[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6106847,"mediaKeyId","2779263-8bf384956842e2dcd3b488ed157caedb","parentId",2779263,"title","MCPS presents FY26–30 draft strategic plan emphasizing systems, accountability and equity","audioSeconds",6323,"startMs",598000,"endMs",6921000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779263-8bf384956842e2dcd3b488ed157caedb&start=598&end=6921","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779263-8bf384956842e2dcd3b488ed157caedb/thumbnail_598000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6106847/Maryland/MCPS-presents-FY2630-draft-strategic-plan-emphasizing-systems-accountability-and-equity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106847-8a80b2da89cefe75ed9e8336695b4777/orig.mp4?Expires=1771128849&Signature=onskgVd1kl8X10YkzTyKaND7FMmRaQS5thh7Ns4kbE4yycGaRLIC1oa0OtenDYX2KuIHWsn7TEZALzLZqRj1BTkiVcOc7ndIGOMyWDryzNyhuNIw3tdAoC7VW5hF0aufrQAM~F8ybDpzA1~WRof3USdXFq4M7cPLFYy-5zUO~U3bc5YWTDpr5cTgJyQgPkwJf-zmpdWM5yAcddjUnH5JdgJ7VvH7opMgZEkXhEyJoXMgjUwzTj4huPNCu6~ZAJZ6giBJ7oa5qJLqz9~08c6PC51M5ay-GPDKkKONVsSKHe~O68nmoHDIOmeLtUwEj-iVaHfkBYC7rmDERQdBuS6pZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County Public Schools","date","2025-03-26T07:04:23Z","article","Sharon, staff member leading the strategic‑plan process, and John Landsman, executive director in the Office of Strategic Initiatives, presented a draft FY26–30 strategic plan to the Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee on March 25 that centers on changing systems and structures, increasing accountability and aligning central services with school needs.

\"What we're not trying to achieve with this strategic plan is we're not trying to fix our kids,\" Sharon said. \"What we do need to do is reevaluate how we are functioning in support of the children so that we're effectively meeting their needs.\" John Landsman described a multi‑phase, iterative engagement process that informed the draft and emphasized building structures to produce consistent implementation across schools.

Landsman said the planning effort included multiple phases of stakeholder engagement. He summarized early outreach: about 200 stakeholders participated in initial focus groups, a later work session convened roughly 80 stakeholders, and subsequent work groups refined priorities and actions; the planning team said it has engaged more than 500 participants across phases. Landsman quoted an external critique the team used to reshape its approach: many traditional plans are \"beautifully designed\" but fail to produce implementation; the draft plan attempts to remedy that by embedding systems, pipelines and measurable goals.

The draft plan sets three overarching district goals: \"at least 90% of MCPS schools earn 4 stars or higher on the Maryland State Report Card,\" to \"reduce proficiency disparities by at least 50% on the Maryland School Report Card for students receiving farm services, multilingual learners, students in special education, HispanicLatino students, and Black and African American students,\" and a graduation target the draft expresses as \"MCPS annually graduates 90% 95% of grade 12 students in all reporting categories equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to thrive in an ever changing world.\" Dr. Addison, staff member, said the plan will be followed by baseline data and interim metrics to measure progress and inform annual benchmarks.

Presenters described five priority areas in the draft: transform structures to remove barriers and expand opportunities; strengthen family and community engagement; support educators with culturally responsive, standards‑aligned instruction and professional learning; develop and diversify school leadership; and strengthen central services to better support schools. Examples of proposed actions include redesigning the school day to expand non‑traditional pathways, creating plain‑language communication guidelines for families, developing a districtwide professional‑learning framework and documenting standard operating procedures in central services.

Board members pressed for specificity. Committee Chair Brenda Wolf asked \"what is going to be different?\" and requested clearer timelines, baseline numbers and interim metrics. Landsman and Sharon responded that the March 25 presentation is a framework; the team will add baseline data, annual targets and clearer implementation timelines after this round of committee feedback and additional stakeholder input. Landsman said the team will return to the committee on May 13 with updates and aims to present a final plan to the full board in June (staff also mentioned an internal target date of June 10 for a final draft to the board).

Board members raised operational concerns: how the district will measure and report interim progress versus lagging state metrics (Dr. Addison said the district will use measures such as MAP assessments as predictive, interim indicators), how to avoid overburdening staff with additional requirements, and how the plan will distinguish actions already underway from new or expanded efforts. Several board members asked that communications to the full board clearly label what remains draft and what elements will be completed after June. Presenters said they will collect more feedback — including a separate session with students who participated earlier in the engagement process — and revise the draft before the May committee meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education - Strategic Planning Committee Meeting - 3/25/25","oneSentenceSummary","Sharon, staff member leading the strategic‑plan process, and John Landsman, executive director in the Office of Strategic Initiatives, presented a draft FY26–30 strategic plan to the Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee on March 25 that centers on changing systems and structures, increasing accountability and aligning central services with school needs.","taxTitle","Montgomery County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",38270,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6106851,"MCPS says state identified continued disproportionality in suspensions for Black students with disabilities; $5,638,869 in IDEA funds targeted",6444,551000,6995000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2779263-8bf384956842e2dcd3b488ed157caedb&start=551&end=6995","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2779263-8bf384956842e2dcd3b488ed157caedb/thumbnail_551000.jpg","/articles/6106851/Maryland/MCPS-says-state-identified-continued-disproportionality-in-suspensions-for-Black-students-with-disabilities-5638869-in-IDEA-funds-targeted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6106851-6c30cdbb79902f669a9bc7af766d6814/orig.mp4?Expires=1771128849&Signature=lFO~1Y~GjOFux-uE7AbKUAQld9jw7CxVO0QrD-Rii8F3HdAK-n63AMErEoq2BJdgXQbaX4G3mv4ZnRqbNzxL46r8NnYAtOQxJewxTAVxuq9sZy63E5civCfb0bHl2aXu3g15MoCTi9Lh1WLq~jpB3irjFvBf-wkK9RkvvgnK4gnFeH2fdJaK5n4BFUtJxP8QheKDW3bO5xEnrkCxnyPAi37YHw3YPD2tk3Ww4e1pUDu1I114LgEf5HD9aor3XypGFTPygs1OrrRHVvrs54ZNvJlCp-iwdSXPXu25aI4Z3XCkYAE3vDstChJF7eirx8N6g-ge1CN9CtA5CeqKrTP15Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brenda Brown, assistant to the associate superintendent in the Office of Special Education, told the Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee on March 25 that the district remains identified for \"significant disproportionality\" in suspensions for Black and African American students who receive special education services and must direct a portion of federal IDEA funds to corrective actions.

\"It is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and we have to do this ongoing monitoring of disproportionality by race in areas of discipline, identification, and special education placement,\" Brown said. She told the committee that when a district is identified under the state process it must reallocate 15% of IDEA funds and added, \"For those of you who would like to know, I would like to share that amount. It is $5,638,869 just to be clear.\"

Brown described how the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) identifies significant disproportionality using a lagging, risk‑ratio calculation. She said the district was identified based on two years of lagging data covering the 2020–21 and 2021–22 school years and that MSDE’s next update — applying the subsequent lagged school years — typically arrives in May. \"Every spring we are, updated by the state with a letter ... so, we will find out at that time how we are doing based on the state,\" Brown said.

Committee members pressed Brown on root causes, local actions and measurable progress. Brown summarized root causes the district’s cross‑office self‑assessment flagged: belief systems and relationship gaps, implicit bias in disciplinary decisions, an overreliance on exclusionary discipline, and limited capacity for social‑emotional learning and trauma‑informed practices. She listed planned response actions that the district is implementing: a real‑time data dashboard for suspensions, school data review meetings three times per year, review of the student code of conduct and its implementation, expanded professional learning, and targeted interventions at identified schools.

Brown told the committee the district will deliver a dashboard \"beginning of the upcoming school year\" to let schools see suspension data in near real time. She described the three‑times‑a‑year school review process, which brings together a CCEIS instructional specialist, school‑based resource teacher for special education, counselor, staff development teacher, assistant principal and restorative approaches coach to review local data and grant activities.

Brown reported some local results the district has recorded after targeted actions: a previously reported 13.8% decrease in suspensions of Black and African American students overall; a 22.5% reduction in the share of suspended students who were suspended more than once; and, she said, \"as of December, 2024, there have been a 55% decrease in the suspensions of Black and African American students receiving social emotional special education services.\" She attributed those changes to expanded social‑emotional staffing, classroom culture training, restorative approaches and expanded de‑escalation training.

Board members asked for details on implementation. Natalie Zimmerman, Board member (District 2), asked whether the most recent (2023–24) state data had arrived; Brown confirmed that MSDE’s next formal update will arrive in May. Committee Chair Brenda Wolf, Board member (District 5), and Zimmerman pressed for specifics about how the code of conduct and trainings are being made accessible to all students and asked for clearer timelines and cycles for CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) recertification and other professional learning.

Brown listed schools that have taken part in the Summer Belonging Initiative as examples of the district’s local interventions: Bethesda‑Chevy Chase, Baker, Northwood, Paint Branch, Pyle, Briggs Chaney, Eastern, Richard Montgomery, Seneca Valley, Shady Grove, Lochraven/Loiterman (verbatim from presentation), Banneker, Clarksburg, Gaithersburg High and Middle, Holly Wells, John F. Kennedy, Julius West, Montgomery Village, Sherwood, Northwood High and Walter Johnson High School. (Brown said she would follow up with more specific program details on requests for one‑to‑one mentor matching and other operational questions.)

Brown also described professional learning: districtwide de‑escalation training delivered annually, crisis prevention and de‑escalation professional learning for roughly 12,000 staff members, and ongoing, targeted professional learning for paraeducators supporting social‑emotional special education services.

There was no formal vote or committee decision at the March 25 meeting; committee members requested followup information and the district team said it would return with additional details. Brown said the district will submit required updates to MSDE and that the committee should expect the next state letter and updated lagging data in May.","Brenda Brown, assistant to the associate superintendent in the Office of Special Education, told the Montgomery County Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee on March 25 that the district remains identified for significant disproportionality in suspensions for Black and African American students who receive special education services and must direct a portion of federal IDEA funds to corrective actions.","actionData","errors"]

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MCPS presents FY26–30 draft strategic plan emphasizing systems, accountability and equity

MCPS says state identified continued disproportionality in suspensions for Black students with disabilities; $5,638,869 in IDEA funds targeted