Board of Education Discusses Strategic Technology Plan and FY 2016 Operating Budget Interests

July 16, 2014

The Montgomery County Board of Education met on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Among other items, the Board discussed MCPS’ Strategic Technology Plan, discussed its Fiscal Year 2016 Operating Budget Interests, and made an administrative appointment. The agenda for the meeting, with links to related materials, can be viewed on the Board of Education website. You can also watch the video of the meeting by clicking here.

Strategic Technology Plan—Creating 21st Century Learning Spaces
The Board of Education received an update and held a discussion on the implementation of MCPS’ Strategic Technology plan, which was first presented to the Board on May 30, 2013. The Strategic Technology Plan will provide greater access to the school system’s expanding digital curriculum and will allow instructional staff to create 21st century learning spaces in all MCPS schools.

Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, MCPS will launch a multiyear effort to provide students in all schools with access to mobile technology and a cloud-based learning platform that will enhance creativity and collaboration in the classroom. The plan includes the deployment of 40,000 laptops and tablets. At the meeting, the Board voted to authorize the purchase of the devices for a total cost of $15 million dollars. Funding to purchase the devices is included in the Fiscal Year 2015 Operating Budget and the six-year Capital Improvements Program (CIP), both of which were approved by the Montgomery County Council in May. Additional funding will be provided through the Federal Education Rate (E-Rate) program, which provides money to help schools increase access to the Internet and technology.

The initiative will begin with students in Grades 3, 5, and 6, as well as those in high school social studies classes, and will be rolled out to other students in the coming years. Grades 3-12 will use Chromebook laptops and students in kindergarten through second grades will use Android-based tablets. The initiative will use Google Apps for Education as the secure, cloud-based platform that will provide students and teachers with a wide array of tools and web-based communication and collaboration applications.

The goal of the district’s initiative is to provide “anywhere, anytime access” to tools and resources for students and staff. The initiative supports MCPS Curriculum 2.0, the district’s new curriculum that focuses on building student knowledge and developing critical thinking and academic success skills. Curriculum 2.0 is a fully digital curriculum that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

Read the Board memo

Operating Budget Interests for Fiscal Year 2016
The Board began a discussion with Superintendent Starr about its operating budget interests for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. This is the fourth year that the Board has shared its budgetary interests with Dr. Starr as he begins the process of developing an operating budget recommendation for next fiscal year. The Board will continue this discussion at a future Board meeting. Dr. Starr will present his FY 2016 Operating Budget recommendation to the Board in December.

Read the memo

Appointment to Board Committee
The Board passed a resolution appointing Dahlia S. Huh, Student Member of the Board, as a member of the Board of Education’s Policy Management Committee. She will serve on the Committee until the expiration of her term of office on June 30, 2015.

Read the Board item

Administrative Appointment

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointment:

Ruschelle Reuben, currently principal, Benjamin Banneker Middle School, as executive director to the deputy superintendent, Office of School Support and Improvement

Resolutions: The Board approved the following resolutions:

-A resolution recognizing the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation, Inc. Scholarship Awards

Future Meetings

The Board’s next regular business meeting will be held on July 28, with public items scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Please check the Board of Education meeting calendar for further information.

About the Board of Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education is the official educational policymaking body in the county. The Board is responsible for the direction and operation of the public school system. The Board consists of seven county residents elected by voters for a four-year term and a student elected by secondary school students for a one-year term. Board members are elected countywide but run at-large or from the Board district in which they reside.

Montgomery County Board of Education: Mr. Philip Kauffman, president; Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, vice president. Members: Mr. Christopher Barclay, Ms. Shirley Brandman, Dr. Judy Docca, Mr. Michael Durso, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, and Ms. Dahlia Huh, student member. Dr. Joshua P. Starr, superintendent and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617.

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