Board debates strategic plan wording and unanimously agrees to review the district—s 50% grading policy

Calvert County Public Schools leaders gave the board a detailed presentation on a draft strategic plan and the board held an extended discussion about the plan—s priorities and the district mission statement.

Chief Operations Officer Susan Johnson, Chief Academic Officer Jackie Jacobs and Chief Financial Officer Scott Johnson outlined four strategic priority areas: student excellence, a culture of learning, organizational accountability and community engagement. Susan Johnson described the process and said the planning work produced a ‘‘journey of a graduate’’ framework intended to define the skills students should have on graduation.

Board members spent much of the meeting debating a proposed change to the district mission statement. A motion to adopt amended wording that would have read in part, "CCPS will raise the bar for excellence in education by empowering students with a rigorous academic and career foundation," failed on a board vote. Several members argued for a shorter, more academically focused statement; others said language about an "inclusive and supportive school community" should remain because it recognizes families and community roles in student success.

The strategic plan presentation described specific objectives and strategies under each priority area, including targets such as raising early‑reading proficiency and college‑and‑career readiness and expanding project‑based learning, apprenticeships and dual‑enrollment pathways. Board members repeatedly pressed for more concrete, measurable actions, clearer timelines and accountability: questions included how progress will be monitored, which offices will be responsible, and how the plan aligns with state initiatives such as the Blueprint for Maryland—s Future.

During discussion of instructional goals, a board member made a motion to schedule a future meeting to consider Policy 3415 — the district—s provision that can allow students to receive 50% credit for missing work — and to invite Scott McComb to present options for revising the rule. The motion passed on a 5–0 voice vote. One board member said the change would aim to ensure that students who do not do the work do not receive a de facto passing grade; another member emphasized ensuring the process accounts for good‑faith efforts.

Other substantive topics raised during the planning discussion included: - How to measure college‑and‑career readiness (state rules and local GPA/algebra requirements were discussed); - Whether Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses at the county—s technology center should receive GPA weighting comparable to AP courses (administrators said the prior district decision was to weight only AP at this time, and the issue has been discussed in curriculum committees); - Concerns about chronic absenteeism and how much the district can influence attendance metrics affected by family choices or medical reasons; - Requests for clearer metrics, fewer but more meaningful indicators, and more explicit timelines for professional development and implementation; - Calls for reviews of administrative job descriptions, targeted social‑emotional learning interventions, and the creation of a comprehensive operations manual.

What—s next: Staff will continue work on the strategic plan implementation details, produce clearer timelines and metrics, and the board will schedule the Policy 3415 review with district staff. The meeting concluded with the board approving a motion to move into a closed session to discuss personnel matters under Maryland law.