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Board hears MSDE literacy policy overview; district warns retention rules may affect many third graders
Summary
District staff explained Maryland's new preK–3 literacy policy requiring universal screeners, student reading improvement plans (STRIPs), expanded interventions and a retention process tied to state assessment proficiency; staff emphasized many implementation details remain undefined and that parental consent is required for retention.
Carroll County Public Schools staff on March 11 briefed the Board of Education on Maryland State Department of Education’s new preK–3 comprehensive literacy policy and outlined the district’s plan to align with it.
Mr. Shockney, speaking for the district, said the state policy emphasizes universal screeners (to be administered three times annually), the development of a student reading improvement plan (a "STRIP") when a screener flags a student, and expanded reading interventions. He said the policy also creates a retention requirement tied to a student’s performance on the MSDE‑adopted ELA assessment (currently MCAP) unless the student meets an MSDE‑approved reassessment standard or receives a good‑cause exemption.
"Parents have the final say," Mr. Shockney told the board, repeating that parental consent is central to the process and that some students will qualify for good‑cause exemptions (for example, recent ESOL students or certain students with disabilities). He warned, however, that the district’s grade‑3 proficiency rate (about 65% last year, per district slides) means a substantial share of students could be affected if reassessment rules and cut scores are narrowly defined.
Board members raised a series of operational questions: how STRIPs will be developed and who will carry the workload, when reassessment and triangulation rules will be defined by MSDE, and whether IEPs would have to be revisited. Staff said the district’s working group is examining roles for teachers, reading specialists and administrators and that some state definitions (for example, what constitutes "intensive reading intervention" or reassessment procedures) have not yet been provided by MSDE.
District leaders signaled practical constraints: they expect expanded interventions but said no new funding has been allocated by the state for additional staffing. "We have to get creative with what we have," Mr. Shockney said, adding the district will review schedules and academic blocks to create intervention time in the school day. Staff also highlighted the timing challenge when state assessment results arrive late in the year and could create uncertainty for families about promotion decisions.
The district plans a phased approach (work group work through the summer, more communication and professional learning next year, with retention procedures set to begin in the 2027–28 school year). Board members urged the district to press MSDE for clarifying guidance and to prioritize supports that limit negative social‑emotional impacts on students and workloads on teachers.
Next steps include continued work-group meetings, a more detailed presentation to the board (anticipated in May or June), administrative‑regulation revisions and communication with families about the STRIP process and timelines.
