Howard County presents multi‑year special education strategy, seeks $4M for Year 1 expansion
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
District leaders outlined a five‑theme strategic plan to strengthen special education: MTSS implementation, expanded environmental supports, staffing increases, program redesign (Compass/RISE), and family partnerships; staff said $4 million in the FY27 request would fund nine new classrooms and staff.
Howard County Public Schools presented the first-phase implementation of a five‑year strategic plan for special education at the Board of Education meeting on Feb. 26.
Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Webster and Executive Director of Special Education Melissa Brunson described five themes: accelerating student learning through district MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports); enhancing safe and supportive learning environments; building staff capacity (adding social workers, board‑certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians); structural program changes to differentiate Compass programming and create RISE (Regulation, Instruction and Sensory Engagement) supports; and deeper family partnership via a new administrative review process.
"This work is about strengthening instruction, making staffing more responsive to student needs, refining programming and deepening authentic family partnership," Webster said during the presentation. Brunson added that a quick-response team launched this year has already supported 14 schools and 31 students.
Staff told the board that the FY27 proposed operating budget includes $4 million to expand nine classrooms (six elementary and three middle) and to fund positions to reduce caseloads. Brunson described an approach to phased expansion and noted that program evaluation will include IEP progress monitoring, district assessments, report‑card evidence and perceptual feedback from staff.
Board members asked about implementation details, measures of program success and access for students in nonpublic placements. Staff said they will develop clear evaluation metrics, incorporate input from community partners and provide periodic updates to the board. The district also plans a public‑facing program continuum on its website to improve transparency about program types and locations.
What’s next: Staff said the draft program continuum will be refined with partner feedback and that additional implementation details — including staffing timelines and program evaluation measures — will be shared with the board before summer.