Students and staff of Montpelier Elementary School in PG County show off their 2018 EGATE Recongition Banner!

Maryland Schools Honored For Gifted and Talented Programs

Seventeen Schools Recognized in February! 

Maryland has honored seventeen schools with the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) School award this month. This award recognizes top elementary, middle, and high schools with outstanding Gifted and Talented programs.

Now in its ninth year, the EGATE awards spotlight gifted and talented programs that align with the Maryland Criteria for Excellence: Gifted and Talented Program Guidelines . Each EGATE school submits an application which provides documentation of 21 criteria of excellence under four program objectives: student identification, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and program management and evaluation.

For a complete list of Maryland's 2018 EGATE Schools, Follow This Link! 

State Board Actions

January 22, 2019 

The following actions were taken at the January 22, 2019 State Board of Education meeting:

• Approved the identification of “comprehensive needs” schools for the 2018-2019 school year for the purpose of awarding the Quality Teacher Incentive Grant; specifically, to allow the Title I schools as identified for the 2018-2019 school year to serve as the “comprehensive needs” schools for the purpose of the grant.
• Approved calendar waiver requests for Dorchester County and Garrett County Public Schools to open school on February 18, 2019, President’s Day, as necessary in the case of inclement weather.
• Granted authority to the State Superintendent to approve requests received from local school systems to open school on February 18, 2019, President’s Day, as a snow make-up day, if needed, for the 2018-2019 school year.
• Granted permission to repeal COMAR 13A.06.05 School Supplies and Equipment and replace with COMAR 13A.06.05 Purchase and Use of Accessible Teaching and Learning Materials. The existing chapter of COMAR 13A.06.05 does not effectively support today’s instruction practices. The repeal and replacement of the existing chapter will direct school systems to develop policies and procedures for the purchase and acquisition of accessible textbooks and supplemental curricular resources, in print, and in digital formats, that support teaching and learning in and out of the classroom.
• Granted permission to publish amendments to Regulation .02 School Counseling Program under COMAR 13A.05.05. The proposed amendments define, update, and clarify the requirements for school counseling programs to support and unify the role of school counselors in students’ academic, career, and personal/social performance to enhance school success based upon the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model.
• Granted permission to publish amendments to Regulation .04 School Psychology Program under COMAR 13A.05.05. The proposed amendments further define and clarify the role of the school psychology program to support the expanded role of school psychologists based upon the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) guidelines.
• Granted permission to publish amendments to Regulation .23 Blind/Visually Impaired under COMAR 13A.12.02. The proposed amendments remove the current language requiring that a teacher certified in Blind/Visually Impaired present a qualifying score on an approved test of braille competency at the time of the first certificate renewal to align the test submission with all other teaching areas by requiring it at the time of application.
• Granted permission to adopt amendments to Regulation .05 General Requirements for Professional Certificates under COMAR 13A.12.01. The amendments eliminate the basic skills test requirement for those individuals seeking certification in specialized and professional technical education who do not hold a bachelor’s degree.
• Granted permission to adopt new Regulation .08-1 Adjunct Certificate under COMAR 13A.12.01. The new regulatory language addresses the LEAs continuing need to hire individuals with highly specialized content expertise and interest in teaching on a part-time basis as a teacher of record. Specific regulatory language establishes the eligibility criteria for the issuance of the certificate, requires LEAs to provide specific support and professional development to an individual who holds an adjunct certificate, and establishes the limitations of the certificate.
• Granted permission to adopt amendments to regulations under COMAR 13A.01.05 Appeals to the State Board. The amendments include changes to the procedures to file appeals with the State Board and establishes procedures for removal of a local board member. 

The following Opinions and Orders were rendered: 

• Karina D. v. Montgomery County Board of Education – student transfer – Opinion No. 19-01
• Shantell D. v. Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners – transfer – Opinion No. 19-02
• Jennifer Hoover v. Montgomery County Board of Education – workplace bullying – Opinion No. 19-03
• Leslie P. v. Anne Arundel County Board of Education – student transfer – Opinion No. 19-04
• Parents of Student A. v. Howard County Board of Education – student discipline/involuntary transfer – Opinion No. 19-05
• Colin and Lori W. v. Frederick County Board of Education – administrative transfer – Opinion No. 19-06
• Allison York v. Prince George’s County Board of Education – teacher termination – Opinion No. 19-07

Meeting materials, Opinions, and Orders can be found HERE.

• Maryland Schools Honored For Gifted and Talented Programs
• State Board Actions

2018 Kindergarten Readiness Results Continue to Show Progress

More Kindergarten Students Demonstrate Readiness 

State and local school system results of Maryland’s 2018 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) reveal that incoming students are continuing to make strides in their preparation.

A new report found that 47 percent of the State’s kindergarteners had demonstrated readiness.  This means that the students were fully prepared to participate in the kindergarten curriculum.  This compares to 45 percent in 2017-18 and 43 percent in 2016-17.

The KRA was administered by all kindergarten teachers between the beginning of the school year and October 10, 2018. For more information, and to access more in-depth results, Click Here. 

 "My CTE program did get me College and Career Ready - Thanks for Asking"

Former Frederick County CTE student, Katherine Jones, gives us the inside scoop on how her CTE Program prepared her for success after high school.

Curious about her experiences? Read On! 

Federal Funds Available to Serve Summer Meals to Children and Teens

Funds Used to Expand Access and Participation Across the State

MSDE is currently seeking public and private nonprofit organizations to serve free, nutritious meals to children and teens this summer through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program.

Over 392,000—more than 43 percent—of Maryland children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals and may not have access to safe and nutritious food during the summer when schools are closed. The SFSP fills the hunger gap between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next by offering nutritious meals in community locations across the State.

Find out more here!