Weekly Outlook 10/29



MSDE BULLETIN

Vol. 15, No. 9 – May 28, 2004

TESTIMONY ON HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

OFFERS STATE BOARD A VARIETY OF VIEWS

The Maryland State Board of Education listened to several hours of testimony this week on a plan that would tie passing the High School Assessments (HSAs) to receiving the Maryland High School Diploma.

Vocal support came from the Public School Superintendents of Maryland, the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals, the Maryland Association of Student Councils, the University of Maryland, and various business leaders. Opposition or requests to delay came from the Maryland State Teachers Association, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, and various advocates for disabled students.

The State Board is expected to act on the proposal at next month’s State Board meeting, June 15-16. If approved, the regulations would affect the graduating class of 2009.

Michael Cohen, the president of Achieve, Inc., and a long-time advocate for higher standards in education, set the stage for the State Board, previewing a report that will be released next month. Maryland, he said, can take a page from Massachusetts, where a high school exit exam proposal engendered some of the same concerns as had Maryland’s.

Massachusetts’ educators found that approximately half the students failed its exit exam before passing it became a requirement. When passing became the requirement, scores across the board rose dramatically. And the testing gap between whites/Asian-Americans and African Americans/Hispanic Americans was significantly reduced.

“The High School Assessment requirements…are utterly reasonable,” Cohen noted. “There is no reason to delay implementation.”

Many teachers, principals, and business leaders supported Cohen’s sentiments, with some concerns raised by others who said that more time was needed study the proposal.

The proposed change in the Maryland high school requirements would add the results from the four high

school assessments to pre-existing requirements. To receive the Maryland High School Diploma under the new proposal, students would either:

• Take and pass all four High School Assessments (English I, algebra/data analysis, government, and biology);

o As part of this, a student may decide to take and pass one or more approved substitute assessments in those subject areas (such as an Advanced Placement Test or SAT II Test in one of the four subjects); or

• Take all four High School Assessments and earn a minimum score (an acceptable score, to be established by MSDE, that is below the passing score) and earn the combined passing score (equal to the total of the four HSA passing scores established by the State Board last year).

Passing the assessments would not be the only criteria for graduation. Students still would be required to complete all credit and service-learning requirements, attend school for four years beyond eighth grade, and complete any local graduation requirements. The HSAs cover the curriculum that has been in place in Maryland schools since 1996.

The State Board also plans to launch a task force that will examine comparable methods of measuring student knowledge and skills in English, algebra/data analysis, government, and biology. The work of the task force aims to address the questions of some stakeholders—such as parents of disabled students—who worry that end of course exams may be too difficult for some students.

More than 40 individuals came before the Board to voice their opinions on the HSA proposal. For example:

• Brit Kirwan, chancellor of the University of Maryland System, said the assessment program was an important step toward instilling high expectations in young people. He said he supported the proposal “with great enthusiasm.”

• Elliott Wolf, a senior at Montgomery Blair High School in Montgomery County, urged the State Board to reject the plan, noting that students for whom English is a second language have been largely unsuccessful in the assessments.

• Sharon Cox, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, said she supported the concept of linking the HSA to the high school diploma, but suggested the State Board take a more cautious approach and delay action until more information had been gathered.

(more)

TESTIMONY ON HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

OFFERS BOARD A VARIETY OF VIEWS (Cont.)

• Scott Pfeifer, principal of River Hill High School in Howard County, said that Maryland has been looking at this for many years and “a decade of research is enough.” Passing the new requirement would help spur an “educational renaissance” in the state, he said.

• Leslie Margolis, counsel for the Maryland Disability Law Center, suggested the State Board place more attention on developing alternative routes to the High School Diploma, such as using a portfolio system. ν

STATE BOARD MEMBERS HONOR

LOCAL TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

The Maryland State Board of Education this week honored Maryland’s 24 Teachers of the Year 2004 - 2005, with a special ceremony and a luncheon sponsored by the Maryland New Car & Truck Dealers Association.

Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, lauded the teachers for their commitment to education, excellence, and providing top quality learning experiences to Maryland public school students. The teachers represent all levels of the educational spectrum, from kindergarten through 12th grade. “Each of these worthy candidates is deserving of the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year,” said Dr. Grasmick.

The Maryland Teacher of the Year 2004 – 2005 will be announced at the annual Teacher of the Year gala in October. The winner will compete for National Teacher of the Year honors.

MSDE directs the Teacher of the Year program in cooperation with its Presenting Sponsors, the Maryland New Car & Truck Dealers Association and the McDonald’s Family of Greater Baltimore. Platinum sponsors are the Bank of America, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems and The Sallie Mae Fund. Gold sponsors are The Baltimore Sun, M&T Bank, State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon – Maryland, and VPC, Inc. Silvers sponsors are the Maryland State Teachers Association and SunTrust Bank.

The honorees are:

• Tina Mowery, art, Cresaptown Elementary and Bel Air Elementary, Allegany County

• Michael Bell, fine arts, Southern High, Anne Arundel County

• Catherine Cora Gearheart, first grade, Roland Park Elementary/Middle, Baltimore City

• Sharon Grimes, library media, Lansdowne Elementary, Baltimore County

• Amy Gibson, English, Patuxent High, Calvert County

• Adele Renee Showalter, science, North Caroline High, Caroline County

• Kevin Giffhorn, mathematics, Liberty High, Carroll County

• Brenda Reynolds, business education, Bohemia Manor High, Cecil County

• Sandra Sanders, English, Thomas Stone High, Charles County

• Anne Ridley, media/music, Warwick Elementary, Dorchester County

• Deborah Thackston, targeted reading intervention, Whittier Elementary, Frederick County

• David Bender, world history, Southern Garrett High, Garrett County

• Joan M. Hayden, family/consumer science, Bel Air High, Harford County

• Kevin Joseph Mulroe, gifted and talented, Clemens Crossing Elementary, Howard County

• Terri Mullikin, social studies and language arts, Rock Hall Middle, Kent County

• Eleanor Goodwin, English, Winston Churchill High, Montgomery County

• Michael M. Powell, science, Patuxent Elementary, Prince George’s County

• Bradford C. Engel, Kent Island High, social studies, Queen Anne’s County

• April Tyler, fourth grade, Marion Sarah Peyton Elementary, Somerset County

• Paula Williar, early childhood, Green Holly Elementary, St. Mary’s County

• Lauri A. Bell, physical education, Easton Elementary, Talbot County

• JoAnne E. Nave, English, South Hagerstown High School, Washington County

• Brian J. Raygor, biology, James M. Bennett High, Wicomico County

• Ronald C. Harrington, MCJROTC, Snow Hill High, Worcester County. ν

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MSDE BULLETIN

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AND STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICE

200 West Baltimore Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

On the web:

Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools

Ronald A. Peiffer, Deputy State Superintendent

Bill Reinhard, Editor

MSDE-TV Video:

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