[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":73},"mediaId",6609493,"mediaKeyId","2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9","parentId",2918318,"title","Votes at a glance: Board approves minutes and personnel items at April 8 meeting","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",18491000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9&start=18491&end=18491","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9/thumbnail_18491000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6609493/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-Board-approves-minutes-and-personnel-items-at-April-8-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609493-b0655c518c72b773e99672388eefcb80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156402&Signature=aFcx8gPec3UR5UGPbSUs~ZzAd2BT7TDBfSGY-w~5UK9JaJupJJyRomSDrhmDriKIqDkfUS3mvAFphPqX~XpBfrU9Sml6vzHDuYmSqgCn~roHa95jLdES-Q8kHC3Lj8seeRO4Qd71E0ifvdguMFz68aRKp9~iUsrGneQZGJWbj8CacZxmMYDfM0bq2qqodh9wa7uGxPddM49PmlMcIVv-ayFOPlBCynh0dsBNjz-M7RwpEvOr2UJBI2UN8qSKV-57uWNsmWRO1SrpFSndga0-6~RIM-SfWnjEB8NXglhb~cKKoejIs3PvcBfI1~y2F3yDLGm0zMgCvH3kHX~VXaxwlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Charles County Public Schools","date","2025-04-09T14:11:51.85Z","article","At its April 8 meeting the Board of Education took routine procedural votes.

Minutes: The board approved the minutes of the March 11, 2025 regular meeting. The motion to approve the March 11 regular meeting minutes was moved by board member Ms. Boyer and seconded by Ms. Thomas; the board approved the motion unanimously.

Personnel: The board approved the personnel recommendations presented at the meeting. The motion to approve was moved and seconded by board members in the meeting record and passed unanimously.

Work-session minutes: Board members noted the March work-session minutes were not uploaded and a vote on those minutes was deferred.

Why this matters: Routine approval of minutes and personnel actions are formal board business and part of maintaining an auditable public record for the district.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting - April 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Education approved the March regular meeting minutes and routine personnel recommendations during the April 8 meeting. Work-session minutes were not voted because they were not yet uploaded to board documents.","taxTitle","Charles County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",14205,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6609496,"Board reviews three school-calendar models for 2026–27; election-day closure raises cost questions",2329,5850000,8179000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9&start=5850&end=8179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9/thumbnail_5850000.jpg","/articles/6609496/Maryland/Board-reviews-three-school-calendar-models-for-202627-election-day-closure-raises-cost-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609496-2de854bcab8d170c9bf1521ca8972485/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156402&Signature=fEAcfnBw6-gf9La8zWmdPH-3HMin9L9KBJ3z4h5W72ziVR0tIvzmy4cHqS6bmhfK-Zp9SwirrjpZD70BG4D4GNZZwr0sQSGlwCWnDGpJUIoy-pspmBbA~4nw8A8v-DfEhEsC30ZR-9HJnCJzzjQrb85~nGvhnljhnsfaqDe0s5UUQyGc0~7YWxW4LJPHQpzNUPuNskyKAW23vGjRGGzD5W1pFkkpAYSjJBx4wCIhFEZaPRN7GPEVzi7yNrv4s0K~-3~1lPIVvMsjHCoCjDbiPEbpfVbLkIeJowBMxiqZzgxkptFk3suG3r2Uxto4GeRggG4NSWK-83V2I2-XtiG7eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A district calendar committee presented three draft calendars for the 2026–27 school year to the Board of Education on April 8, laying out differences in start dates, break structures, two-hour early dismissals and the fiscal and operational consequences of closing schools on election day.

The three models are: a traditional calendar with students beginning the fourth Monday in August; a “midweek start” that advances the start by a few days so the school year ends slightly earlier; and a post–Labor Day start that would push the student opening to the Tuesday after Labor Day and lengthen the summer for some families.

The committee report said all models observe 180 student days and 190 contracted teacher days, provide teacher professional-development time and include required two-hour early-dismissal days before some breaks. Committee members told the board they generally favored the traditional or midweek-start models and were less supportive of the post–Labor Day option because it ends the school year later in June.

Calendar staff described practical tradeoffs. One recurring issue is election day: several models would keep buildings closed to students but open to the public for voting, which creates extra responsibilities for building service staff and logistical problems when polling-site setups overlap with school operations. Staff estimated that paying building-service teams to open and close polling sites at roughly 25–26 facilities would cost about $25,000 in direct staffing for that day. If the district instead treated election day as a negotiated paid holiday for all AFSCME-represented staff, staff said the broader cost to the system could approach an estimated $300,000 (a ballpark figure supplied during the discussion) because of negotiated pay and contract holiday rules.

Other procedural points: the committee proposed keeping Veterans Day as a students-and-teachers-off day in the post–Labor Day model by applying a floating holiday in the AFSCME agreement; committee members also discussed aligning breaks with neighboring counties, adding a spring-based parent–teacher conference day, and preserving a full two-week winter break if possible.

Superintendent Maria Navarro’s staff said the three full calendar models and one-page summaries are posted to the district’s board documents page and that a public survey will be published next week. School staff recommended that the board review community feedback and take action later in the spring; staff expected the board would adopt a final calendar in June after community input.

Why this matters: Calendar choices shape family schedules, educator planning time and student programs. The discussion flagged a concrete budgetary trade-off — closing schools for election day — and showed how negotiated labor agreements intersect with scheduling decisions.","A calendar committee presented three draft models for the 2026–27 school year — traditional, midweek start and post–Labor Day — and outlined tradeoffs including winter-break length, teacher planning time and costs tied to a full system closure on election day.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6609503,"Charles County recommends HMH English 3D curriculum for English learners; 30-day public review planned",635,4542000,5177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9&start=4542&end=5177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9/thumbnail_4542000.jpg","/articles/6609503/Maryland/Charles-County-recommends-HMH-English-3D-curriculum-for-English-learners-30-day-public-review-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609503-15df43ea72dde45de594cb379a1ba18e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156402&Signature=l5scNBB~lXudl~7VI7p8mJYkgHFgK7uz9dfDcmTAstK3n2Bs6fx3JBPelC9sftbbjl8scpINTMh5JsEOlgli0Vhh-HysAUT2GyBD9c18ntfDKC5TAv-IK9eZNGWoTGkbYT6l7HkJ5XykZufmreNfNrtNQbqnzhRNO8JHv2uRTLY6f1vwsL35HLBCwR-~yTJGuEE~ECqQ9uWaVLQ9u7Z7UAIYIKzIsES3A4WoZr-bdmnnwPouFPrJBwDaIL8zAwzpKL5aFatwhFXb5GANWmvDqKAwILCgFTF~wdx1YmTEbmPtMryGHkNqzVjo2onSiZ-pOd2EOay8hDkYbP79RSOgpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charles County Public Schools staff on April 8 recommended a single, districtwide English language development (ELD) curriculum — English 3D from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt — to provide consistent, standards-aligned supports for multilingual learners from kindergarten through grade 12.

Autumn Hoffman, the district ELD content specialist, said the program is aligned to WIDA language-development standards and covers all grade bands and proficiency levels. Staff told the board they selected English 3D after rubric-based reviews and pilots by 22 ELD teachers and received favorable feedback from teachers and students who used the pilot materials.

Hoffman told the board the program offers differentiated entry points for newcomers, long-term multilingual learners and students with limited or interrupted formal education, and that it includes both digital and print components to give teachers flexibility and to help newly arrived students transition to online assessments.

The staff presentation said the curriculum is research-based, includes consistent embedded instructional routines that reduce the cognitive burden of changing formats, and provides data and benchmarking tools to measure student growth across proficiency levels. Hoffman summarized pilot feedback: teachers liked the range of proficiencies the materials covered; students praised improvements in writing; staff raised concerns that some pilot lessons were long and asked for local flexibility in implementation.

Superintendent Maria Navarro and instructional staff said the materials would supplement, not replace, core instruction provided in classrooms. Staff outlined next steps: a 30-day public-comment and review period with translated materials and outreach to bilingual parent groups and community partners, and a plan to refine scope and sequence to fit local program models (push-in, pull-out, co-teaching and self-contained settings).

Board members asked about involvement of special education reviewers; staff said they would invite the special-education office and partners to review materials. The district also plans targeted outreach to Hispanic parental groups and to the Charles County Community Action and other bilingual contacts to ensure reviews are accessible.

Why this matters: ELD curriculum choices affect instruction for thousands of multilingual learners and will shape teacher supports, benchmarks for English proficiency and methods to monitor progress toward literacy and academic language standards.","District staff recommended selecting English 3D (HMH) as the new K–12 English language development program, citing WIDA alignment, support for newcomers and students with interrupted schooling, and digital and print options; a 30-day public comment period and targeted outreach were announced.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6609506,"Charles County presents expanded common-assessment use to track pacing and instruction",1330,871000,2201000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9&start=871&end=2201","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2918318-bf19c63adc6e53449b283495fb4afbe9/thumbnail_871000.jpg","/articles/6609506/Maryland/Charles-County-presents-expanded-common-assessment-use-to-track-pacing-and-instruction","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6609506-fb71e00355670795526a91ab3f9006d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156402&Signature=QZlr3KZmSvAfmJgOR5nWwFpA8Lfuy44E0FQbwpTld2yNsK3jdwj5Uc4goRHxXnAbv900Zu0neN0Qftdz0gd2Vyv1Cj3wWlqBT9Yl2rh~7y~rkBhyTxqoGhaIR26pnON3Bv7Vw2bOODFx5xq~eFkILDfubA5SPxeyYYE2tU2-gWUiZ1M86WiLC7NyvvX6k1VrHQIvcWClMdh812g3IT0S-pbO1JtuC4qxcCJBP3MmBTET5PbwBV1SUQ-n2T6c0zBvO3h8ztfConJZSCP9CCbnweMoG3hscsqlgaSdK6ULH1~37TCkISq1h3IJh7Zqf8LYhNhxfYpltzG4YjKMIGslew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charles County Public Schools officials on April 8 outlined how the district is using “common assessments” across grades to monitor curriculum pacing, measure student knowledge at points in time and guide instruction for improved state-test readiness.

Chief of Teaching and Learning Kevin Lowndes told the board the assessments are intended to check pacing and the “depth of our students' knowledge” so teachers can revisit standards that students are missing. He said the district limits when tests are administered so the system stays within Maryland’s state time cap on local assessments.

The presentation focused on how specialists and teachers use item-level data to change instruction. Kim Huddler, elementary reading content specialist, pointed to an example in fifth-grade ELA where “RI 5.3 … 74 percent of our kids got those questions right” but another standard — determining two or more main ideas and supporting details — showed lower results: “only 46 percent of our kids got those right.” Huddler said coaches and teachers then target instruction for the weaker standard.

Panel members described classroom practices that use assessment results. At Brown Elementary, instructional resource teacher Erica Boardley said teachers use short warm-ups and targeted practice to reteach the specific items students missed. Middle- and high-school specialists said professional learning time, item analysis by standard and released-state items are being used to create valid sampling across a course.

The district also emphasized practical constraints: not every common assessment can be given each quarter because Maryland limits the proportion of instructional time that may be used for local testing. Lowndes and colleagues stressed that fall and winter assessments are not always directly comparable because they may measure different standards; they said year-to-year comparisons will be more informative once the district has consistent results to benchmark.

Several board members pressed for details on participation and special education accommodations. Director of Accountability Steve Roberts said participation was high: “We have about 95 percent,” and Lowndes confirmed absent students are required to make up tests. Panelists said students with IEP accommodations (extra time, scribe, read-aloud where specified) receive them on common assessments.

Presenters and board members also discussed a recurring concern: computer delivery can reduce evidence of mathematical reasoning because students may write detailed work on paper but not enter partial thinking into the computerized answer window. Middle- and elementary-math specialists said the district is teaching students how to transfer their written reasoning into the digital format and embedding released MCAP items into local tools so students practice the online experience.

District staff said next steps include continuing to increase teacher participation in common assessments, using item-analysis to focus professional development and refining reporting so parents and teachers get clearer guidance about what students need to work on.

Why this matters: The common-assessment effort is meant to give teachers actionable, standard-by-standard data earlier in the year so instruction can be adjusted before state testing.","At its April 8 meeting the Board of Education heard a district presentation on common assessments designed to monitor pacing, rigor and student readiness for state tests; specialists described uses in classrooms, participation rates and concerns about computer-based testing for math reasoning.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Board approves minutes and personnel items at April 8 meeting

Board reviews three school-calendar models for 2026–27; election-day closure raises cost questions

Charles County recommends HMH English 3D curriculum for English learners; 30-day public review planned

Charles County presents expanded common-assessment use to track pacing and instruction