THE MCPS EQUITY JOURNEY
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All Means All and the
Important Work of Access and Opportunity for All Students
Race, ethnicity, and culture play a powerful role in teaching, leading, and learning. For many years, MCPS has worked actively to provide a rigorous, meaningful education to students, but the fact remains that not all students achieve at the same high levels. The MCPS equity journey claims, boldly, that a public education must serve all students and this belief is central to district values, strategic planning and budgeting. Today's "All In: Equity and Achievement Framework" rests on a foundation built upon years of informed, hard work. Important references of this work are presented on this webpage.
Examples of Equity Work in MCPS
Policies and Regulations
All Means All
The mission of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to ensure every student has the academic, creative problem solving, and social emotional skills to be successful in college, career, and community, regardless of his or her background. While many of our students achieve at the highest levels, not all have had opportunities, support and resources needed to meet their full potential. MCPS is committed to addressing disparities in student outcomes by closing gaps in opportunity and achievement for all students, in all classrooms, in all of our schools. (Available in all languages.)
Equity Initiatives Unit
All In: Equity and Achievement Framework
Evidence of Learning
1
Measure Student Progress
Evidence of Learning (EOL)
Multiple measures in classroom, district and external categories that assess student learning
2
Plan for Student Success
School Improvement Planning process (SIP)
A continuous improvement model that uses data to identify strategies focusing on students who are not meeting the multiple measures and ensure continued progress for those who have
3
Assess School Impact
MCPS Equity Accountability Model
A continuous improvement model that uses data to identify strategies focusing on students who are not meeting the multiple measures and ensure continued progress for those who have
Equity Accountability Model
The MCPS Equity Accountability Model* provides a detailed and focused assessment of school success and publicly monitors and reports all students' performance. The Equity Accountability Model moves beyond the typical state and federal aggregate reporting to performance reporting for specific focus groups of students who have not experienced the same level of access, opportunity or success as other students.
How do we know? In not, why not?
Equitable Access to Resources
The Equitable Access to Resources (EAR) portion of the Equity and Achievement Framework examines how well the system and schools are using staff, time and money as measured by student outcomes, with emphasis on the performance of the five focus groups. The primary goal of a deep examination of system resource allocation and use is to reduce the likelihood that student outcomes are predictable by race or income.
What are we going to do about it?
In the Media
Opinion Postings
Washington Post
The growing achievement gap in Montgomery County schools must be addressed
Opinion by Jack R. Smith
May 3, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
For 50 years, the achievement gap in Montgomery County has grown in the shadows while many of our county's schools and students garnered well-deserved praise and earned awards. Despite efforts by county leaders, the gap continued to grow, overshadowed by aggregated data, which allowed the struggles of some students to be masked behind the outcomes of their peers in one of the nation's largest school districts.
Bethesda Beat
Opinion: We need 'serious progress toward all of our students feeling valued and learning at their full potential' MCPS superintendent calls for greater urgency, purpose in eradicating racism
By Jack Smith
Published: 2020-07-11 00:49
Most years, I spend the Fourth of July holiday enjoying the company of my family and friends; watching the joy on a grandchild's face during a fireworks display; and reflecting on my whereabouts during the many July 4 holidays I've experienced.
Superintendent Smith's Blog Posting Speaking to Equity Issues
All In: A Call for Justice and Equality
May 31st, 2020
For several weeks, I've been writing about how we are "all in this together" as we continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is another crisis in our country that I must address now. It's a crisis of justice and equality that we are all facing and, while we are all in it together, we are not experiencing this crisis in the same way—not even close.
All In: We Must Speak Out Against Hate, Bias and Discrimination
January 20, 2020
No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. — Nelson Mandela
In order to learn at high levels, students need a sense of well-being. They need to know that they are physically, socially and psychologically well taken care of. They need an environment where they are valued. They need schools and communities free of hate and bias.
The Theme of Equity is carried in just about every posting of the superintendent's blog:
All In: An Investment to Prepare Our Students for Their Futures
December 19, 2019
I often speak about the moral imperative to ensure that every student has an education that prepares him or her for college or career.
All In: Where We Spend Our Money Matters
December 4, 2019
Late fall is budget season for our school system. While on the surface, budgets sound dry and mundane, they provide us the opportunity to evaluate our priorities and put our money where our mouth is, so to speak.
From the Board of Education
Statement from the Montgomery County Board of Education: Commitment to Equity, Justice and Excellence
May 30, 2020
As the children and community read, hear and watch in horror about the recent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it is our moral imperative to speak out. The Montgomery County Board of Education condemns the senseless killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis and Ms. Taylor in Louisville. That their killings are committed by a law enforcement officer is beyond the pale. These acts have focused our nation on the longstanding historical injustices that have plagued our nation since its founding.
On the Horizon
Districtwide Anti-racist Audit
The project in its beginning stages will engage an external contractor to do an audit of MCPS in six key areas:
Workforce Diversity
Work Conditions and Progress Barriers
K-12 Equity Curriculum Review
Equity Achievement Framework Process
Community Relations and Engagement
Evaluation of School Cultures
Videos
Equity Accountability Model
Overview
Evidence of Learning
Overview
Equity Accountability Model -
Graduation Rate
Equity Accountability Model -
English Language Learners
Equity Accountability Model -
Students with Disbilities
MCPS Spotlight - Black and Brown Forum for Educational Equity and Excellence
Black and Brown Forum -
Full Meeting video
Related Websites or Programs in MCPS
The Equity Initiatives Unit
Race and culture exert a powerful influence on policies, practices and interactions in every aspect of Montgomery County Public Schools and can lead to the racial predictability of achievement and success.
- This racial predictability is not simply a factor of individual beliefs and actions, but is institutionalized.
- To eliminate this racial predictability we must remove institutional barriers and demonstrate culturally proficient policies, practices and behaviors.
The Study Circles Program
The Study Circles Program helps groups develop relationships, awareness, and skills necessary to engage in productive dialogue around challenging issues.
The dialogue process helps participants to:
- Build relationships and empathy across racial and cultural differences
- Develop skills to listen to and discuss a broad range of racial and cultural experiences and perspectives
- Utilize a framework to identify beliefs, practices, and policies that contribute to racial and cultural disparities
- Develop a vision of what equity looks like for the school, office, or community.
Restorative Justice Initiative
Restorative Justice is an approach to building community, self-care, and conflict resolution. It's a social justice platform that allows students to:
- Actively engage and problem-solve physical, psychological, social and disciplinary issues that affect themselves and the community.
- Take responsibility for their actions.
- Work with those affected to restore and/or repair the members and community who were harmed as a result of those actions. .
