Sep 23, 2026 Board Work Session

[1.01 Call to Order]

[00:00:05]

ALL RIGHT, WE WILL START THE MEETING.

GOOD AFTERNOON. EVENING, I GUESS.

NOW I CALL THE ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY, WORK SESSION FOR SEPTEMBER 23, 2026. MR.

[1.02 Pledge of Allegiance]

[1.03 Adoption of the Agenda]

ALL IN FAVOR? OH, SORRY. I NEED A SECOND.

SORRY.

SECOND.

SORRY.

SOMEBODY? SECOND.

THERE WE GO.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT,

[1.04 Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Report]

FIRST, TONIGHT WE HAVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 FINANCIAL REPORT.

THANK YOU, MS. HEATH.

AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MS. SOPA, OUR SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT FOR FINANCE AND OPERATIONS, AND SHE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE FOR ITEMS 104, 105, 106, AND THAT'S IT.

MS. SOPA.

GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. LAWSON, LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS AND GUESTS.

SO WE WILL BE SHARING INFORMATION. MR. OSTROSKI IS HERE.

HE'S A PRINCIPAL WITH UHY.

THEY ARE OUR EXTERNAL AUDIT FIRM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.

SO HE'S GOING TO BE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR AUDIT THUS FAR.

KEEPING IN MIND THAT OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, IS DUE TO THE STATE BY NEXT WEDNESDAY. SO THIS IS ABOUT THE EARLIEST THAT WE WOULD HAVE A MEETING BEFORE IT'S DUE.

SO THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A CRUNCH WITH THE TIMELINE TO GET THIS INFORMATION FOR YOU, BUT MR. OSTROSKI HAS A POWERPOINT TO SHARE, AND THEN I'LL HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE AS WELL.

THAT ONE'S A LITTLE.

YEAH, THANKS, MS. SOPA.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS JASON OSTROSKI, PRINCIPAL WITH UHY AND GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TODAY.

AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.

AND SO WITH THAT, WE'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO THE RESULTS, AS MS. SOPA SAID, EXPECTED ISSUANCE.

SO WE'RE WRAPPING EVERYTHING UP. WE'RE AT THE FINISH LINE, EXPECTING TO ISSUE THE FINAL AUDIT OPINIONS EARLY NEXT WEEK, PROBABLY MONDAY OR TUESDAY. SO THESE ARE TENTATIVE AUDIT RESULTS, BUT BASICALLY FINAL.

SO DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING TO CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND MONDAY. SO THE HEADLINE RIGHT THERE IS THE SECOND BULLET, OUR INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT WE EXPECT TO ISSUE A CLEAN, UNMODIFIED OPINION THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE PRESENTED FAIRLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.

THE THIRD BULLET THERE REFERENCES LIMITED PROCEDURES THAT WE PERFORM ON BOTH THE MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND THE REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

THIS IS INFORMATION THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE GASB AND REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED IN ANY GOVERNMENTAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. BUT ALWAYS LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AND INCLUDE IT IN OUR OPINION IS THAT WE DO NOT ISSUE AN OPINION ON THAT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND THE REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, BUT WE DO GO THROUGH, VALIDATE IT, TIE IT TO SUPPORTING INFORMATION.

AND AS WE'LL TALK IN A COUPLE SLIDES HERE, THE MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS ACTUALLY UNDERWENT A CHANGE THIS YEAR THANKS TO GASB, WHICH IS THE GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD. THEY SET THE STANDARDS FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING FOR GOVERNMENT SO THAT THEY KIND OF RESTRUCTURED THAT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS THIS YEAR. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE INCLUDED IN THERE AND INCLUDED BECAUSE OF REQUIREMENTS UNDER GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AS PART OF AN ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.

IT INCLUDES THE INTRODUCTORY AND STATISTICAL SECTIONS.

TONS OF GOOD INFORMATION IN THERE. WE GO THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S FINANCE OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION'S CHECKLIST THAT ALL THE REQUIRED ELEMENTS ARE IN THERE.

BUT AGAIN, AND INCLUDED IN OUR OPINION IS THAT WE DO NOT ISSUE AN OPINION ON THOSE TWO SECTIONS AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, VALIDATE THE INFORMATION, GO THROUGH THE CHECKLIST FOR THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE REQUIRED INFORMATION IS INCLUDED, BUT DON'T ISSUE AN OPINION ON THOSE. AND THE NEXT BULLET HERE TALKS ABOUT A REPORT THAT'S REQUIRED BECAUSE WE PERFORM THIS AUDIT UNDER GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS.

PART OF GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS. ONE OF THE DELIVERABLES

[00:05:01]

IF WE HAD ANY CONTROL WEAKNESSES, WE WOULD IDENTIFY THEM IN THERE.

ANY ISSUES WITH COMPLIANCE THAT WERE MATERIAL, THEY WOULD BE IDENTIFIED IN THAT REPORT. HAPPY TO REPORT. NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES AND NO INSTANCES OF NON COMPLIANCE WERE IDENTIFIED AND INCLUDED IN THAT REPORT.

SO CLEAN REPORT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND RELATED TO THE CONTROLS. AND THEN THE LAST BULLET TALKS ABOUT THE SINGLE AUDIT THAT'S PERFORMED UNDER UNIFORM GUIDANCE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PROCESS.

ESSENTIALLY THAT IS AN AUDIT THAT WE PERFORM OVER THE FEDERAL EXPENDITURES.

SO THE FEDERAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES REQUIRE A SEPARATE AUDIT IF YOU'RE OVER A CERTAIN DOLLAR THRESHOLD, WHICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS, AND THAT IS A REPORT THAT WILL BE ISSUED LATER. PRIMARILY WE TRY TO ISSUE IT WITH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.

BUT THE REASON FOR THE DELAY, AS YOU'LL SEE THERE IS THE 2026 OMB COMPLIANCE SUPPLEMENT THAT'S PUT OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

IT'S WHAT WE FOLLOW WHEN WE'RE PERFORMING THAT AUDIT IS STILL IN PROCESS. AND WE CANNOT COMPLETE OR ISSUE THAT REPORT UNTIL THAT COMPLIANCE SUPPLEMENT IS FINISHED. SO ONCE THAT'S FINISHED, WE'LL WORK TO FINISH THAT.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED WORK ON IT AND IT'S IN PROCESS.

BUT EXPECT TO ISSUE THAT PROBABLY LATER THIS YEAR, POSSIBLY EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THE ACTUAL DEADLINE FOR THAT IS UNTIL MARCH OF NEXT YEAR.

AND THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME REQUIRED GOVERNANCE COMMUNICATIONS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE AUDIT. YOU WILL ALSO RECEIVE THIS IN WRITING.

THESE ARE REQUIRED UNDER AUDIT STANDARDS FOR US TO COMMUNICATE TO YOU.

THE BOARD AS GOVERNANCE. THE FIRST BULLET THERE TALKS ABOUT AUDITORS RESPONSIBILITIES AND REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PREPARATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS VERSUS MANAGEMENT'S. OUR ROLE IN THE PROCESS IS TO ISSUE THAT OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND WHETHER THEY'RE FAIRLY PRESENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.

AND MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BOTH THE PREPARATION OF THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS WELL AS THE INTERNAL CONTROLS RELATED TO THE PREPARATION OF THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

THE NEXT BULLET TALKS ABOUT SIGNIFICANT POLICIES.

SO AS I'D ALREADY MENTIONED, THERE'S TWO NEW GASB'S THIS YEAR.

NO CHANGES TO THE NUMBERS, NO CHANGES ACTUALLY REALLY OVERALL TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OTHER THAN A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE WITH THE GASB104.

BUT FIRST, THE GASB103 PRIMARILY ADDRESSED THE MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS. SO IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT IT YEAR OVER YEAR YOU'LL NOTICE THE CHANGES.

BUT A LOT OF THE SAME INFORMATION THEY REALLY WERE DRIVING HOME A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY CERTAIN INFORMATION CHANGED.

BUT REALLY THIS PIECE OF THE DOCUMENT IS MANAGEMENT JUST KIND OF PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OUTSIDE OF THE REQUIRED FOOTNOTES OF THE RESULTS AND THE CHANGES IN THE RESULTS YEAR OVER YEAR. SO IT JUST KIND OF MOVES SOME OF THE SECTIONS AROUND.

AND THE OTHER PIECE WAS THERE WAS BUDGETARY INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THERE AS WELL AS A STATEMENT IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

SO IT TOOK THE BUDGETARY SCHEDULE AND DISCUSSION OUT OF THE MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND IT ALSO TOOK IT OUT OF THE BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MOVED THE BUDGET SCHEDULE AS WELL AS ANY ANALYSIS RELATED TO THE BUDGET SCHEDULE INTO THE REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, WHICH IS MORE IN THE BACK SECTION OF THE FINANCIAL SECTION. SO NOTHING REALLY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGED MUCH MORE THAN JUST RESTRUCTURING THAT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND KIND OF CHANGING THE SECTIONS AND ADDING A LITTLE BIT MORE AROUND WHY THE CHANGES HAPPENED.

AND THEN GASB104, AGAIN PRETTY BASIC STANDARD.

THE PRIMARY CHANGE THERE RELATED TO YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WAS FOR LEASES AND SUBSCRIPTION BASED IT ARRANGEMENTS. THIS IS A VERY MINOR CHANGE, BUT IT JUST REQUIRES NOW THAT IF YOU WERE LUMPING THEM INTO THE FOOTNOTES FOR ALL OF YOUR CAPITAL ASSETS.

YOU HAD TO NOW BREAK THOSE OUT SEPARATELY IN THE CAPITAL ASSET FOOTNOTE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

SO YOU'LL SEE THOSE ITEMIZED AS THEIR OWN LINE ITEMS. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NOTHING CHANGED FROM THE MEASUREMENT OR HOW THOSE AMOUNTS WERE DERIVED.

JUST REALLY A DISCLOSURE CHANGE IN THAT REGARD. AND THEN THE THIRD BULLET THERE, MANAGEMENT'S JUDGMENTS AND ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES. THESE ARE ALL SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

AND THERE YOU'LL SEE DEPRECIATION, EXPENSE, THE LIABILITY RELATED TO SELF INSURANCE, AS WELL AS THE ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODS THAT WERE USED IN BOTH THE PENSION CALCULATIONS AS WELL AS THE OTHER POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT CALCULATIONS. AND SO AS PART OF OUR AUDIT PROCESS, WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE ESTIMATES, REVIEW THEM AND FOUND THEM TO BE REASONABLY STATED IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS A WHOLE. SO NEXT SLIDE.

[00:10:02]

SECOND BULLET. MANAGEMENT WAS VERY COOPERATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL. ALWAYS A PLEASURE WORKING WITH DENISE, HER TEAM.

IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING.

WE'RE WORKING ON WRAPPING IT UP BUT PUTTING THAT ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT TOGETHER, IT'S 125 PAGES. I THINK A LOT OF WORK AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING IT MAKES OUR LIFE.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THIS AS THE AUDITORS BECAUSE WE REALLY RELY ON GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM MANAGEMENT. VERY EASY WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH A GREAT TEAM AND YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE. SO WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THEN NO DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT. MANAGEMENT DID NOT CONSULT WITH ANY OTHER ACCOUNTANTS ON THE APPLICATION OF GAAP OR GAAP. SO GOING OUT LOOKING FOR ANY OPINIONS ON HOW TO APPLY GAAP OR GAS FROM ANY OTHER ACCOUNTANTS.

NO MAJOR ISSUES WERE DISCUSSED WITH MANAGEMENT PRIOR TO RETENTION. AND THEN THE LAST BULLET THERE IS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE AUDIT, MANAGEMENT WILL PROVIDE US WITH A REPRESENTATION LETTER JUST REPRESENTING THAT THEY PROVIDED US WITH ALL THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, REPRESENTING THAT THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY MATERIAL MISSTATEMENTS, THAT ALL THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE CORRECTLY AND MATERIALLY STATED AND IN VARIOUS REPRESENTATIONS IN THAT LETTER. THAT'S THE LAST STEP IN THE AUDIT PROCESS.

AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE THAT AND WRAP EVERYTHING UP EARLY, EARLY NEXT WEEK. AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I WILL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AUDIT RESULTS.

I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION, SO PRETTY DETAILED SUMMARY.

IF I HAD TO ROLL THAT UP INTO ONE SENTENCE, TELL ME IF I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK. THIS AUDIT, WHICH IS DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMAR, DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY CCPS ACCOUNTING DISCREPANCIES OR VIOLATIONS IN THE FY26 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS AND REPORTING. IS THAT GOOD? THAT IS CORRECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ACCURATE STATEMENT.

I HAVE JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO INTERNAL CONTROLS. I KNOW YOU SAID IN ONE, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE THREE, THAT THERE WERE NO, THERE WERE NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES.

WERE THERE ANY CONTROL DEFICIENCIES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES IDENTIFIED OR DO YOU NOT REPORT ON THOSE? THAT'S JUST AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

TECHNICALLY WE DON'T SAY THAT THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES. I'M NOT ALLOWED TO PUT THAT IN WRITING.

BUT WE DIDN'T. IF WE HAD SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES, THEY WOULD BE REPORTED. SO YEAH, THERE WERE JUST BY SILENCE THEY ALL ROLL UP INTO THE BIG ONE.

IF YOU DID HAVE ENOUGH SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES, IT WOULD LEAD UP TO A MATERIAL WEAKNESS AT SOME POINT.

AND IF WE HAD SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES, THE DEFINITION OF A SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCY IS SOMETHING THAT'S SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO REQUIRE REPORTING TO GOVERNANCE AND IT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED IN THAT REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING.

SO THEY WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THERE IF WE DID.

THANK YOU.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND THANK YOU DENISE AS WELL.

SO WE'RE GOING TO SHARE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDED WITHIN THE ACFR. SO THE FIRST STATEMENT IS THE STATEMENT OF NET POSITION. THIS IS A GOVERNMENT WIDE STATEMENT THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR FUNDS, SO NOT JUST OUR OPERATING FUND, BUT ALL OF THE FUNDS TOGETHER AND THE CHANGE IN NET POSITION OVER TIME.

SO YOU CAN SEE HERE AT THE BOTTOM WHERE WE'RE SHOWING THE CHANGE FROM FY25 TO FY26. THIS CHANGE OVER TIME CAN BE AN INDICATION OF THE FINANCIAL POSITION, THE HEALTH OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO WHETHER THE NET POSITION IS INCREASING OR DECREASING, OR WHILE THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHETHER IT'S ENROLLMENT OR CHANGES TO PROPERTY TAX BASE CONDITIONS OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT CAN ALL AFFECT THIS NUMBER.

THIS INCREASE HERE, THIS $49 MILLION INCREASE IS MAINLY DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW NORTHEAST MIDDLE, NORTHEAST HIGH. IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S AFFECTING THIS NUMBER.

THIS OTHER LIABILITIES NUMBER HERE. THE $7.9 MILLION INCREASE IS MAINLY DUE TO RECORDING THE LONG TERM LIABILITY OF RETAINAGE PAYABLE FROM SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.

AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS IT'S THE PORTION OF THE CONTRACTOR'S PAYMENT THAT WE HOLD UNTIL THE END WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE. SO IT'S REALLY RELATED TO THAT RETAINAGE. THE NEXT STATEMENT IS OUR BALANCE SHEET FOR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS.

YOU WILL SEE THIS AS THE FUND BALANCE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, WE'RE USUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE THAT CONCERNED WITH THAT WE'RE USING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

BUT IT OCCURS FOR EACH OF THESE OTHER FUNDS AS WELL.

AND SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THESE AREAS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NON SPENDABLE, THE PREPAID EXPENDITURES,

[00:15:01]

THESE ALSO INCLUDE UCSCA PAYMENTS AND COLLEGE FAIR PAYMENTS. SO THOSE ARE PREPAID EXPENSES THAT ARE IN THIS AMOUNT HERE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COMMITTED SUBSEQUENT YEARS EXPENDITURES, THAT IS THE AMOUNT OF THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE COMMITTED TO BALANCE THE FY27 BUDGET.

SO THIS IS THE $5 MILLION THAT WE'VE INCLUDED FOR THE FY27. AND THIS BUDGET CONTINGENCY IS OUR 2% BOARD POLICY OF OUR EMERGENCY CONTINGENCY AND FUND BALANCE.

THEN WE HAVE THESE AREAS THAT ARE ASSIGNED THAT FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF THEM ARE DETERMINED BY US. AND SO WE HAVE OUR PER PUPIL ALLOTMENT FOR SCHOOLS. SO SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THEIR PER PUPIL ALLOTMENT, PPA, THEIR SUPPLY MONEY, WE'RE ALLOWING THEM TO CARRY OVER THEIR SUPPLY MONEY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY'RE SAVING UP FOR LARGER EXPENSES, WHETHER IT'S CAFETERIA TABLES, SOUND SYSTEMS AND SO TO BE ABLE TO NOT MAKE THAT EXPENSE IN ONE YEAR, THEY CAN CARRY OVER.

THIS YEAR WE ALLOCATED SOME FUNDING TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CURRICULUM WRITING BASED ON SOME NEEDS THAT WE HAD AS FAR AS CURRICULUM THAT WERE NOT BAKED INTO THE BUDGET ORIGINALLY.

STUDENT SUPPORTS. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO.

I KNOW LAST YEAR WE LOOKED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AT CLASS SIZES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED RIGHT OFF THE BAT THIS YEAR IS REALLY STUDENT SUPPORTS AS FAR AS PARAPROFESSIONALS, STUDENTS WITH IEPS WHO WE DID NOT PREDICT AS COMING INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO WE NEEDED TO ADD THE 632, $2,000 IS ONE TEACHER AND EIGHT PARAPROFESSIONALS.

THE ONE TEACHER IS A CLASSROOM AT CECILTON THAT WAS OVER 30 STUDENTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOM.

THEY'RE ALSO A TITLE ONE SCHOOL. SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS IMPORTANT, NOT THAT THE OTHER ONES ARE NOT, BUT.

AND THEN EIGHT PARAPROFESSIONALS FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT STUDENT NEEDS. I KNOW DR. JOHNSON HAS THOSE SCHOOLS.

YES. SO ONE AT CALVERT ELEMENTARY, ONE AT NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY, ONE AT KENMORE, HOLLY HALL AND CHARLESTOWN ELEMENTARY, ONE AT CHERRY HILL MIDDLE AND TWO AT PERRYVILLE ELEMENTARY. AND JUST CREDIT TO DR.

HAMMER, HER TEAM, THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN ON THE GROUND LOOKING AT THE ISSUES. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE CLASS SIZE ISSUES REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTY.

WE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THIS CLEARLY LAST YEAR, LAST SPRING, DURING FACULTY MEETINGS, DURING BOARD MEETINGS.

MUCH OF IT'S A CONSEQUENCE OF THE BLUEPRINT. YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR NON COP SCHOOLS REALLY ARE SEEING CONSIDERABLY LARGER CLASS SIZES FROM WHAT WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO. AND SO WE DO HAVE OUR ANTENNAS UP, CONTINUE TO BE UP.

THESE FOLKS WILL BE OUT IN SCHOOLS SEEING CERTAIN CLASSROOMS. THEY KNOW IF WE SEE HOT SPOTS WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO ADD ADDITIONAL STAFF, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A SET ASIDE HERE TO DO THAT IN THE EVENT WE NEED.

AND WE WILL CERTAINLY LET YOU KNOW AS THAT HAPPENS.

BUT AGAIN, I WOULD JUST CAUTION THAT IF A SCHOOL THAT IS A NON COP SCHOOL, RIGHT.

SO YOU KNOW, KENMORE, CONAWENGO, RISING SUN, CALVERT, THOSE SCHOOLS, IF YOU SEE LARGER CLASS SIZES, I HATE TO SAY IT THIS WAY, THAT REALLY IS WHAT THE BLUEPRINT CALLS FOR.

AND SO WHILE I THINK THAT THE TEMPTATION ON OUR PART IS TO KIND OF SCRATCH THE ITCH, MAYBE BY ADDING A TEACHER, JUST UNDERSTAND IT FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE.

IT'S A ROLL OF THE DICE. AND SO WE'LL KEEP YOU APPRISED AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS PROBABLY FOR DR. JOHNSON. ONE IS, HAVE WE HIRED ANY OF THOSE POSITIONS YET? YES, WE HELD INTERVIEWS FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS ON FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK.

AND I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T FILL ALL OF THEM, BUT WE DID BEGIN MAKING OFFERS AFTER REFERENCE CHECKS AND THE TEACHING WINDOW. I THINK THE APPLICATION'S CLOSED AND THOSE INTERVIEWS ARE FORTHCOMING.

AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION.

OH, I KNOW WHAT IT WAS. THE PARAPROFESSIONALS THAT ARE GOING INTO EACH OF THOSE SCHOOLS, ARE THEY FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, ONE ON ONES, OR ARE THEY TO HELP WITH CLASS SIZE TYPE OF THING? SO, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO A STUDENT BASED ON A STUDENT NEED. AND SO WE WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE SUPPORTS WERE NEEDED.

IN ONE CASE, HOWEVER, WE DID ASSIGN IT TO A PROGRAM FOR OUR RISE SUPPORTS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE KINDS OF SETTINGS IN EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS.

KEEP GOING. SORRY.

OKAY, SO MOVING ON. STUDENT ACTIVITIES, THOSE ARE THE MONIES RAISED BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS, AND WE HAVE TO REPORT THOSE AS PART OF OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT COMBINED AMOUNT FOR ALL SCHOOLS IS $1.6 MILLION. HERE WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AND I'LL SHARE A

[00:20:01]

SO WE'VE CARVED OUT AND ASSIGNED $1 MILLION FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COME UP DURING THE YEAR THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE.

HEALTHCARE. THIS IS A RESERVE NUMBER. OUR CONSULTANTS, WTW, WILLIS TOWERS, WATSON, THEY'RE OUR HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS.

AND THIS IS AN ACTUARIAL DETERMINATION BASED ON OUR HEALTHCARE SPEND, OUR HEALTHCARE PROJECTIONS.

SO THIS IS SORT OF AN EMERGENCY RESERVE FOR HEALTHCARE. SHOULD WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET SINCE WE ARE SELF INSURED IN CASE WE NEED TO COVER CLAIMS. JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT OUR HEALTHCARE EXPENSES FOR OUR RETIREES ARE BAKED IN AS PART OF OUR PAYGO OPERATIONAL BUDGET AND THAT IN THE EVENT WE NEEDED TO, WE COULD TAP INTO OUR OPEB RESERVE. AND I IMAGINE YOU SAW THAT WHICH IS GETTING CLOSE TO $20 MILLION.

AGAIN THAT'S OTHER POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, PRIMARILY RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

SO YOU CAN SEE OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS $5.3 MILLION.

AND AGAIN KEEPING IN MIND THAT FOR FUTURE WE HAVE BEEN TAPPING INTO FUND BALANCE TO HELP BALANCE THE BUDGET.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LEAVING AS UNASSIGNED FOR NOW. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN WE COMPARE THE FUND BALANCE FROM JUNE 30TH OF 2025 TO THE FUND BALANCE OF 2026 THAT WE UTILIZED A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION. WE ALSO, THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND IS THE FOOD NUTRITION FUND.

AND SO HERE YOU, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NON SPENDABLE AMOUNT IS INVENTORY. SO THAT'S MONEY INVOLVED IN INVENTORY. SOME MONEY HERE INVOLVED IN THE COST OF FOOD SERVICE.

SO AGAIN THIS IS RESTRICTED FUNDING THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE COST OF FOOD SERVICE. AND HERE THEY HAVE SOME UNRESTRICTED MONEY THAT THEY CAN USE FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION EQUIPMENT.

SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THEY'VE UTILIZED A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR AS WELL.

AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND. THIS IS REALLY RELATED TO LAST YEAR. WE TALKED ABOUT OUR E RATE AND THE REFUNDS THAT WE GET ON THE TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY.

SORRY, NO ESTATES FUNDING.

SO WHEN WE RECEIVE MONEY FROM UNCLAIMED ASSETS AND WE WERE KEEPING IT IN FUND 30 AND SO WE'VE BEEN USING THAT THIS YEAR, THE MONEY, THE REVENUE THAT WAS RECOGNIZED IN FUND 30 AND WE'VE DONE SOME PLAYGROUND REPAIRS THAT HAVE ALL COME TO THE BOARD AND BEEN APPROVED THROUGH THE USE OF ESTATES FUNDS. AND SO WE'RE SPENDING THAT DOWN AND MOVING IT TO OUR GENERAL FUND.

SO THIS IS WHAT'S LEFT OF THAT MONEY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE IN FUND 30. SO YOU CAN SEE OUR TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS. THIS JUST TAKES THESE THREE FUNDS, ADDING THEM TOGETHER FOR THIS REPORT.

QUICK QUESTION. SO IF WE WANTED TO ADD TEACHERS AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT 5.39, THAT'S WHERE THAT WOULD COME FROM IF WE DECIDED TO DO IT.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. BUT WITH THAT SAID, IF THE SAME SITUATION IS HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, WE ONLY HAVE 5.4 AND WE DID 5 THIS YEAR.

SO THAT WOULD LEAVE US WITH VERY LITTLE TO WORK WITH NEXT YEAR IF WE'RE IN THE SAME BUDGET SITUATION.

YES, YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT. THE ONLY PIECE I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, LAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY I SPENT THE DAY IN ANNAPOLIS DOING A LEGISLATIVE PREP SESSION WITH OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS.

AND THE NUMBERS BEING FLOATED OUT THERE RIGHT NOW FOR POTENTIAL CUTS AND K12 EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND ARE SCARY.

IT GOES WELL BEYOND THE EXPECTED GROWTH IN THE BLUEPRINT.

FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S AN EXPECTED 200 TO $250 MILLION INCREASE JUST TO MEET THE BLUEPRINT NEW COSTS FROM 27 TO 28. THERE'S TALK OF GOING NOT ONLY BEYOND THAT, BUT BEYOND THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WOULD REDUCE WHAT WE GET NOW SO THAT I COULD SEE US GOING INTO NEXT YEAR WITH A STATE REVENUE NUMBER THAT'S ACTUALLY BELOW THIS YEAR WHILE EXPECTED TO MEET THE ADDITIONAL COST.

SO I THINK OF ALL THE YEARS AND LISTEN, I'M ALWAYS NERVOUS ABOUT MONEY, BUT OF ALL THE YEARS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE GOING INTO FY28, IT'S THIS ONE NOW THAT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE CLEAR AS WE GO THROUGH DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, WHEN THE GOVERNOR RELEASES HIS BUDGET AND YOU START TO SEE SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES. AND I KNOW MS. HAWLEY IS ON THE CALL.

I ASSUME SHE CAN HEAR ME. I'M SURE FROM THE MAID PERSPECTIVE SHE'S HEARING THE SAME THING.

SO THAT'S MY ONLY NERVOUSNESS.

SO RIGHT NOW THIS IS JUST TALK. WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

BUT HAS THERE BEEN ANY REFERENCE TO WHERE THE CUTS WOULD BE? WOULD IT BE THE FOUNDATIONAL AMOUNT PER PUPIL OR IS IT.

WELL, I MEAN, I THINK CONDUIT STREET. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FOLLOW THAT, BUT IT'S A PODCAST AND IT COMES OUT OF MAKO.

IT'S MICHAEL SANDERSON AND HIS GROUP. THEY PUT OUT, I BELIEVE IT'S A WEEKLY ARTICLE. THEY ACTUALLY QUOTED SOME OF WHAT HAPPENED AT MACO A FEW WEEKS AGO WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT JUST THAT.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE BLUEPRINT IN THE OUT YEARS, THEY'RE ALREADY CLEARLY ARTICULATED IN CODE. SO WHEN THEY START TALKING ABOUT REDUCTIONS FROM 27 TO 28, YOU HAVE TO GO INTO SPECIFIC LINES, WHETHER IT'S COMP ED, SPECIAL

[00:25:02]

BUT THE HARD WORK IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL, WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO INTO THOSE SPECIFIC PIECES OF STATUTE AND IDENTIFY.

WE'RE REDUCING HERE, FOR INSTANCE, SPECIAL ED.

THERE'S A 14% INCREASE PER PUPIL BAKED INTO THE SPECIAL ED FORMULA FOR FY28. WELL, THAT'S REAL MONEY THERE.

WHEN YOU START TAKING THE, I DON'T KNOW, 800,000 STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, 20% OF THAT IS WHAT, 160,000 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND SAYING A 14% PER KID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HUGE.

NOW, SO WHO'S GOING TO THROW UP THEIR HAND AND SAY, I KNOW, LET'S CUT THE FUNDING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. YOU KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO.

SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG WINDED WAY OF SAYING IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM WITHIN THE EXISTING BLUEPRINT STRUCTURE IS MY OPINION AT THIS POINT. SO I KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER IS GOING TO BE.

BUT IF WE HAVE TO FOLLOW STATUTES, BUT IF WE'RE NOT GETTING FUNDED TO MEET ALL THOSE STATUTES, THERE'S THE LETTER OF THE LAW AND THEN THERE'S THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW.

HOW MUCH TEETH WILL THEY HAVE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY FOLLOW THE MONEY? AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE INTENT OF THE BLUEPRINT, BUT IF INSTEAD OF 75% FOLLOWS THE STUDENT 74 OR SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT, HOW CAN WE GET THAT RELIEF SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN CLASSES THAT ARE LESS THAN 30? I MEAN, I WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT 75, 25 GOING FROM THAT TO 70, 30 FOR THE MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING IS KIND OF JUST SHIFTING THE CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC. I THINK THEY HAVE TO GIVE THE LOCALS THE FLEXIBILITY TO GO WITHIN THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF STATUTE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAKE SENSE TO THE COUNTY THAT TOTAL A CUT.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY SAY TO CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE NEED YOU TO REDUCE YOUR REQUEST ON THE STATE SIDE FOR $3 MILLION.

I'M THROWING A NUMBER OUT THERE. LET US GO INTO COMP ED OR THE PER PUPIL PERSONNEL GRANTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE OR THE CONSORTIUM, TAKE YOUR PICK.

BUT LET US TAILOR. PICK WHICH PIECES MAY SEE A PIECE OF REDUCTION THAT TOTALS THE $3 MILLION IN EXPECTED CUTS. AM I BEING CLEAR? AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THE STATE SAYING, HERE'S HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO YOUR $3 MILLION CUTS AND THEN WE'RE SCRAMBLING.

I THINK WE ARE MATURE ENOUGH AND DEVELOPED ENOUGH IN TERMS OF BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE CAN MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS TO GET WHERE THEY NEED US TO GO. SO THIS IS ALL SPECULATION. WE'RE GOING TO KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE ONCE LEGISLATION GETS ROLLING.

I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. WAS THERE ANY TALK OF CHANGE IN MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT? WAS THAT EVER PUT ON THE TABLE? WE'RE A LOCAL SHARE COUNTY AT THIS POINT, AND SO THAT'S LIKE OUR NEW MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. I DO SO KNOW IS THE DIRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.

I THINK YOU KNOW WHO REALLY IS GOING TO GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK HERE IS THE COUNTY BECAUSE THE STATE'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR SHARE. AND IT'S JUST GOING TO PUT INCREASING PRESSURE ON THE COUNTY WHO HAS BEEN GOOD IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO US.

BUT THEY DON'T HAVE BOTTOMLESS POCKETS EITHER.

WE MENTIONED SMALL CAPITAL PROJECTS ON THE LAST SLIDE.

THESE FIRST THREE PROJECTS WE STARTED IN FY26 AND CAME TO YOU FOR USING FUND BALANCE FOR FUNDING FOR A FEW OF THEM. AND BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T FINISHED IN FY26, THEY'RE CARRYING OVER.

SO THESE ARE THE BALANCE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CARRYING INTO FY27, WHICH MEANS WE'RE UTILIZING FUND BALANCE. WE ADDED THE HEATING AND VENTILATING UNITS FOR SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE THERE WAS A GRANT INVOLVED FROM THE STATE THAT WAS PROVIDING THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING BECAUSE THIS IS PROBABLY CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT AND WE ONLY NEEDED TO HAVE $180,000 FOR OUR PORTION AND THEN LEAVING A BALANCE HERE FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. SO JUST ASSIGNING A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THOSE TYPES OF NEEDS IN OUR FUND BALANCE. STATEMENT OF REVENUE EXPENDITURES AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCE.

SO IF WE'RE LOOKING HERE IN OUR GENERAL FUND, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A GENERAL FUND INCREASE OF $15.8 MILLION. AND THAT HAPPENED FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

SO COUNTY REVENUE INCREASED BY ABOUT $7.8 MILLION. THE STATE REVENUE INCREASED BY ABOUT 8 MILLION.

INTEREST AND OTHER REVENUE WENT UP ALMOST 3. AND THAT WAS MAINLY DUE TO EXPRESS SCRIPTS. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REBATES THAT CAME FROM EXPRESS SCRIPTS AND THERE WERE SOME PRIOR YEAR'S REBATES.

SO IT WAS MORE THAN JUST ONE YEAR, WHICH REALLY INCREASED THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE RECEIVED.

AND THEN THERE WAS ALMOST A $3 MILLION REDUCTION IN FEDERAL REVENUE. SO ALL OF THOSE SUMMED TOGETHER FOR OUR GENERAL FUND GAVE US A $15.8 MILLION INCREASE. BAKED IN HERE, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IN THIS MARYLAND REVENUE NUMBER IS $15.9 MILLION THAT THEY PAY

[00:30:01]

SO IT'S NOT MONEY THAT COMES TO US AS PART OF OUR BUDGET. SO IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY THAT DOESN'T MATCH WHAT WE SAY WE GET FROM THE STATE, IT'S BECAUSE THEY PAY THOSE PENSION AMOUNTS ON OUR BEHALF. AND IT'S NOT MONEY THAT COMES TO US.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE SAME TYPE OF CHANGES IN REVENUE FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION, WHICH IS ONLY $107,000 CAPITAL PROJECTS. YOU CAN SEE A BIG CHANGE. AGAIN, THAT'S RELATED TO THE NORTHEAST MIDDLE NORTHEAST HIGH PROJECT, WHICH IS A HUGE PROJECT.

AND THIS LAST COLUMN JUST SUMS THE FUNDS TOGETHER.

THIS IS THE SAME STATEMENT, BUT THIS IS THE EXPENDITURE SIDE. THESE DESCRIPTIONS ON THE SIDE ARE OUR STATE CATEGORIES THAT WE REFER TO WHEN WE'RE PRESENTING OUR INFORMATION.

AND SO AGAIN, FOR THIS INCREASE, THIS GENERAL FUND INCREASE INCLUDES AGAIN THAT $15.9 MILLION IN STATE REVENUE FOR THE TEACHER PENSION. SO THIS ALSO INCLUDES IN OUR FIXED CHARGES THAT PENSION PAID ON OUR BEHALF BY THE STATE IS INCLUDED THERE.

SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE NOTABLE ON THIS IS THAT OUR INSTRUCTION LINE HERE, THIS INSTRUCTION NUMBER IS 37% OF OUR TOTAL EXPENSES FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION COST IS ABOUT 14% OF OUR SPENDING FOR THE ENTIRE BUDGET. FIXED CHARGES ARE ABOUT 25% OF OUR TOTAL.

AND AGAIN, THAT PENSION PAID ON BEHALF BY THE STATE IS PART OF THAT NUMBER. AND IF WE TAKE ALL OF OUR SALARIES AND OUR FIXED CHARGES TOGETHER, OUR SALARIES ARE ABOUT $168 MILLION PLUS OUR FIXED CHARGES. IT'S ALMOST 83% OF OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES, SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.

SO THAT'S JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA FOR WHERE THE EXPENDITURES GO FOR OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

DOCTOR LAWSON TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER. THIS IS OUR OPEB FUND.

OPEB STANDS FOR OTHER POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

YOU'LL ALSO REMEMBER WHEN WE BALANCED THE FY27 BUDGET, WE UTILIZE, OR WE BUDGETED $3 MILLION OF THIS FUND FOR, FOR RETIREE HEALTHCARE BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WE WERE IN FOR THE BUDGET.

SO YOU CAN SEE FOR FY26, WE HAVE NOT, WE DID NOT CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING. SO YOU CAN SEE THE YEARS WHERE CONTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE OR WHEN MONEY WAS USED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE INVESTMENT INCOME WAS ABOUT $2.6 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR. SO OVERALL, THE FUND IS DOING WELL. YOU CAN SEE OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

AND SO AGAIN, THIS MONEY IS HERE FOR THOSE NEEDS. IF THERE IS NOT MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO HELP HELP COVER THE COST OF RETIREE HEALTH CARE. THE GOAL IS TO REALLY TO BUILD UP THIS FUND AND NOT USE IT IF WE DON'T HAVE TO. BUT WE DO HAVE THIS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.

SO WHEN YOU DO THIS NEXT YEAR FOR 2027 FOR CONTRIBUTION, IT'S GOING TO SHOW A 3 MILLION WITHDRAWAL OR THEREABOUTS.

RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HOPEFULLY NOT, WELL, AND WE'RE HOPING WE WON'T.

DEPENDING ON JUST LIKE THIS YEAR, WE BUDGETED 10 MILLION FROM OUR FUND BALANCE, BUT BASED ON OUR EXPRESS SCRIPTS REBATES AND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE HIRING FREEZE. SO ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OR THE UNINTENDED EFFECTS OF THAT HIRING FREEZE WAS THAT WE SAVED MONEY. AND WE DIDN'T IMPLEMENT THAT TO SAVE MONEY.

WE DID THAT TO AVOID HIRING PEOPLE AND THEN LAYING THEM OFF AND SAYING, SORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB IN JUNE. SO DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT FY27, THERE COULD BE A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT WE DON'T SPEND EVERYTHING WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO SPEND. WE GET REBATES WE DIDN'T PLAN TO GET.

ESPECIALLY WITH EXPRESS SCRIPTS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE DRUG REBATES ARE GOING TO BE, WHICH DRUGS, HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO GET. SO WE COULD HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE BUDGETED THAT AMOUNT. WE DON'T NECESSARILY.

OR THE RETIREE HEALTH CARE EXPENSES DON'T COME IN THAT HIGH. WE CAN ONLY USE THAT FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

WE CAN'T USE IT FOR OTHER THINGS. SO RETIREE HEALTH CARE COMES IN AT 2.5 MILLION.

WE CAN'T USE THREE.

BUT I AGREE, IF WE USE THREE, THAT'S WHERE YOU WILL SEE THAT IN THAT COLUMN NEXT YEAR.

ANYTHING THAT WE DO HAVE TO USE FROM OPEB WILL SHOW THERE.

CAN YOU SAY THAT LAST PART AGAIN? IF WE BUDGETED 2.5, YOU CAN'T USE.

IF OUR RETIREE HEALTH CARE EXPENSES, LET'S SAY NEXT YEAR, ARE ONLY $2.5 MILLION, THAT'S ALL THAT WE CAN USE FROM HERE BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY USE THIS FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE WE CAN'T USE. AND SO IT'S BUDGETED FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE. SO IF OUR EXPENSES WERE TO COME IN BELOW WHAT WE'VE BUDGETED, RIGHT.

WE COULDN'T JUST SAY, OH WELL, WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS FOR TRANSPORTATION OR WE'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR SPECIAL ED. WE CAN'T.

SO WE CAN USE FIXED CHARGES AND THE HEALTH CARE RESERVE TO PAY FOR RETIREE HEALTH CARE, BUT WE CANNOT USE OPEB REVENUE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING BUT RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

SO IT'S LIKE WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS AND WHAT'S YOURS IS MINE. SO WHEN WE WERE USING THIS TO BALANCE THE OPERATING BUDGET, THAT'S ONLY ALLOWED TO BE

[00:35:01]

SO RESTRICTED TO RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

SO IF THIS DID VERY WELL OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS AND THAT BALANCE GOT TO BECAUSE IT'S GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY WITH RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

GREW TO $50 MILLION AT SOME POINT. AND WE DON'T HAVE RETIREE.

IT JUST SITS THERE AND KEEPS GROWING. THERE'S NO WAY TO TRY TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

IT'S EXPRESSLY FOR THIS USE.

AND ACTUALLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE, WE SHOULD BE CONTRIBUTING TO IT AND HAVING MORE MONEY THERE TO COVER RETIREMENT.

SOME SYSTEMS HAVE CONSIDERABLY MORE, SOME SYSTEMS HAVE NOTHING.

SO AT SOME POINT, IF AT SOME POINT WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE BALANCE, THEN WE CAN TAKE THAT PART OUT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET AND HAVE THAT PAID THIS EVERY YEAR.

IF THERE'S ENOUGH IN THERE.

IF WE HAD $100 MILLION, MIGHT GET HEARTBURN ON SUNDAY OR WILLS TOWER WATSON MIGHT GET HEARTBURN ON THAT.

BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY'S FOR.

YEAH, THAT'S OKAY.

IT'S MEANT FOR THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU CAN'T AFFORD, YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR YOUR RETIREE. WE'RE SELF INSURED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND OUR STOP LOSS ONLY COMES INTO PLAY AT WHAT, 350.

SO THAT YOU COULD GET A SLEW OF RETIREE HEALTH CARE CLAIMS THAT FALL SHORT OF THE STOP LOSS NUMBER AND REALLY START TO HIT YOU.

SO I'M JUST SAYING IF THE RESERVE IS HIGH ENOUGH WHERE IT'S, THERE'S A POINT PROBABLY WHERE IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO START USING SOME OF THAT RATHER THAN JUST LET IT KEEP SITTING THERE GROWING AND GROWING. I MEAN, I'M SAYING IF ALL THINGS GO REALLY, REALLY WELL, BIG CHUNK OF MONEY.

IT'S ALMOST, I THINK IT IS 20 MILLION BY NOW.

YEAH, IT'S ALMOST 19,5 NOW.

YEAH. RATHER THAN HAVE THAT GROW TO THE POINT OF IT NOT EVEN BEING USABLE, IF THAT EVER DID OCCUR AND THEN BACK TO THE WHOLE SAVINGS.

I DON'T KNOW IF I THINK WE COULD DO MAYBE A BETTER JOB OF SHOWING HOW WE DID THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

BECAUSE EVERY YEAR I THINK SOME PEOPLE THINK WHEN WE HAVE A BUDGET WE TRY TO SPEND EVERY DOLLAR OF IT. WE JUST TRY REALLY HARD AND IF THERE'S MONEY THERE, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IT NO MATTER WHAT.

I MEAN, YOU HEAR THAT SOMETIMES BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK THAT WE TRY TO SAY WE'RE ALMOST.

I FEEL LIKE IF...

I AGREE.

IF I WERE TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND LIKE REALLY CRITIQUE MYSELF HARD ONE OF THE. LOOKING BACK NOW NINE YEARS OF DOING THIS, SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I OPERATE TOO DEFENSIVELY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET.

I'M PARANOID ALL THE TIME.

I'M ALWAYS WORRIED WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.

YEAH, IT'S LIKE A DEPRESSION CHILD KIND OF THING.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'M SCARRED. YEAH. SO WE ARE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH MONEY JUST THE.

BECAUSE ANY CHANCE WE SEE.

AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE $3 MILLION SET ASIDE IN OUR FUND BALANCE FOR HEALTH CARE RESERVE. OUR GOAL IS TO NOT SPEND IT JUST TO SAVE MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PROBABLY AS MUCH OF A STATEMENT OF THE TIMES AS IT IS ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE I LIKE TO SPEND MONEY GENERALLY SPEAKING.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE WE'RE IN CONSERVE MODE GIVEN THAT THE LAST TWO YEARS WE USED $10 MILLION FROM NON RENEWABLE SOURCES TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. BUT AT SOME POINT THAT DOESN'T HELP A TEACHER WITH 35. AND I GET IT'S A RISK ASSESSMENT, BUT WE OWE OUR STUDENTS THE BEST. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. IF THE BOARD SAID, OKAY, WE WANT, LET'S JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAY WE WANT TO FREE UP $2 MILLION FOR TEACHERS AND LET'S JUST SAY FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE, THAT GETS YOU 20 TEACHERS NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY WOULD FALL ON THE SCALE WHEN YOU HIRE THEM.

KEEP IN MIND, YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT MONEY NEXT YEAR.

AND AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT IN THE STATE REVENUE AND IT'S NOT IN THE COUNTY REVENUE. SO YOU'RE PAYING FOR WHAT WOULD BE A RECURRING EXPENSE, TEACHERS WITH NON RECURRING REVENUE.

AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY HAS ME REACHING FOR THE TUMS. AND THEN YOU'RE ROOFING THEM THE NEXT YEAR.

WELL, THERE YOU GO.

SO THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, SAYING, WELL, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 1100 TEACHERS, BUT BUDGET WISE WE CAN ONLY AFFORD 10, 40, SO WE GOT TO REDUCE 60.

SO I MEAN THAT'S, IT'S A NONSTOP.

COULD WE JUST BACK TO THE WHOLE RIFF, RIFFING AND WHAT, HOW WE DID IT. COULD WE HAVE TAKEN RELIEF FROM HERE, EXPECTING THAT WE WOULD, THAT WE WOULD. YOU KNOW, WE HAD SOME EXPECTATIONS THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WE RIPPED, WE WOULDN'T, WE MAY BE ABLE TO BRING BACK.

THAT WAS THE GOAL. AND WE HAD EXPECTATIONS WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND YOU GUYS DID.

RIGHT? AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT. IS THERE A WAY TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT? BECAUSE WE JUST SAY WE HAVE THE MONEY, WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, BORROW IT.

IT'S A ROLL OF THE DICE.

RATHER THAN HAVE THOSE PEOPLE THINK THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB.

WELL, I THINK WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WAS AN ANOMALY.

THIS IS, YOU KNOW, 18 YEARS IN THE SYSTEM FOR ME. AND

[00:40:01]

AND I WOULD REALLY CAUTION AGAINST IT. I'VE NEVER HEARD THE KIND OF LANGUAGE COMING OUT OF ANNAPOLIS ABOUT A FISCAL YEAR SO EARLY THAN WHAT I'M HEARING NOW.

AND WE ALSO HAVE TO PROVIDE A BALANCED BUDGET, TOO.

SO WE HAVE TO QUANTIFY EXACTLY.

EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS AND WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM.

SO, YEAH, THAT'S THE FRUSTRATING PART, THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT IN JUNE. AND THEN WE FIND OUT WHAT LAST YEAR DID. END OF SEPTEMBER, WE FINALLY SEE HOW IT'S CLOSED.

THEN WE FIND OUT HOW WE CLOSED OUT AND WE'RE LIKE, OH, NOW WE CAN AFFORD TO BRING THOSE PEOPLE BACK.

BACK IN FEBRUARY, LET'S ADD ANOTHER $5 MILLION WORTH OF POSITIONS. CLEARLY, IF YOU HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, YOU CAN DO THAT AND BACK IT UP AGAIN.

WE ACTUALLY HAD TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS IN MAY BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE TIME TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET FOR.

SO BACKED UP EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT, WHERE WE HAD TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE VERSUS WHAT WE WANTED TO HAVE. I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.

IF I COULD BACK TO THE FUND BALANCE. YOU SAID THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS 14%.

DO WE KNOW IF THAT TREND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE ESCALATED OVER THE LAST 4, 5, 10 YEARS? I MEAN, THE 14% NUMBER IS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM THE BLUEPRINT THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE FROM 27 TO 28.

IT'S GOING TO INCREASE 14% PER CHILD. SO IF A STUDENT IS GETTING $10,000 BECAUSE THE STUDENT HAS A DISABILITY, NEXT YEAR IT'S GOING TO GET 01,114. I THINK THAT 11, 40.

SO THAT'S THE 14%. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR COUNTY THAT HAVE AN IEP. I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO 20.

I WANT TO SAY 20.1, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT THAT INCREASES WHAT I COULD SEE THE STATE POSSIBLY SAYING, HEY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT MUCH.

I THINK YOU'RE QUESTIONING WHEN I SAID THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION EXPENSES ARE 14% OF OUR OVERALL EXPENSES.

IT WAS PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH LAST YEAR. IT WAS 13.8.

THIS YEAR IS 14.3.

AND IT'S BEEN INCREASING RIGHT? AND WE ALSO SPEND MORE THAN WE RECEIVE IN SPECIAL ED REVENUE.

SO COMP ED REVENUE AND FOUNDATION REVENUE IS USED FOR SPECIAL ED EXPENSES. AND THAT'S A TREND ACROSS THE STATE WHERE THE FUNDING FOR SPECIAL ED DOES NOT MEET THE NEED FOR THE SPECIAL ED EXPENSES.

SO EVERYONE IS EXPENDING OTHER FORMS OF MONEY IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL ED REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS. SO FOR CECIL COUNTY, THAT'S KIND OF UNSUSTAINABLE. RIGHT.

GOING FORWARD, I MEAN, IF WE LOOK DOWN THE ROAD.

IT'S TOUGH FOR EVERYONE, BUT WE JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE THE MOST.

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE. THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. WE HAVE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE.

THAT'S CORRECT IN THE SEAT.

IS THERE ANY INSIGHTS ON WHY THAT IS? THERE'S A LOT OF THOUGHTS AROUND THAT. WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF DRUG USE PER CAPITA.

THAT DOES CORRELATE WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, FOR SURE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS THAT COULD BE.

BUT WE GO THROUGH AND IDENTIFICATION PROCESS THAT IS PURE. AND SO THESE DISABILITIES ARE CROPPING UP AS SOON AS STUDENTS WALK IN.

JUST REAL QUICK, JOE, DIANA ALSO WANTED TO REMIND ALL OF US THAT WE ALSO DID THE EARLY RETIREMENT. AND SO THAT ALSO MADE OUR NUMBERS.

WE WEREN'T SURE. SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING WHEN WE WERE, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH MONEY WE WERE GOING TO HAVE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE GOING TO TAKE THAT EARLY RETIREMENT. THAT WAS ONE THING.

AND ALSO SHE WANTED TO MENTION TOO, WE WERE ON A LEGISLATIVE CALL WITH MAEVE TODAY. AND JUST TO REITERATE WHAT DR. LAWSON IS SAYING, LIKE COMING FROM MAEVE, THAT IT IS NOT GREAT NEWS COMING OUT OF ANNAPOLIS FOR US FOR NEXT YEAR.

THIS IS THE NEXT PART

[1.05 Designation of Fund Balance for FY26]

BUT THIS SHOWS OUR FUND BALANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS. SO YOU CAN SEE DOWN HERE THE YEARS WHERE IN THE NEGATIVE AND THE RED WHERE WE'VE UTILIZED FUND BALANCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR VERSUS THE YEARS IN BLACK, WHERE WE'VE ADDED TO THE FUND BALANCE. THE PERCENTAGES HERE ALSO SHOW YOU AS A PERCENT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET.

REMEMBER REMINDING YOU THAT WE HAD AT ONE POINT A POLICY THAT REQUIRED US TO HAVE 5%, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS YEAR HERE IN 2020, WHEN WE DIPPED BELOW 5%, THAT WE CHANGED THE BOARD POLICY, ALTHOUGH THE BOARD POLICY SAYS 2% WITH THE GOAL OF 5. AND SO YOU CAN SEE FOR 2026, THAT IT'S 8.2%.

AND AGAIN, THIS $2 MILLION

[00:45:03]

AND BEFORE I ASK FOR A VOTE, A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS, JUST TO POINT OUT THE FOLKS FAR RIGHT COLUMN, UNDER 2026, GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN, YOU SEE THE $1 MILLION CLEAN ON CAPITAL PROJECTS.

WHEN WE ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THE NEW GYM FLOOR AND STAGE FLOOR AT RISING SUN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE WILL USE THAT, THAT 215, WHATEVER IT IS, $210,000.

WITH THE HOPES OF.

WE WILL REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY FOR SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THAT PROJECT LATER IN THE YEAR. BUT FOR NOW, WE WOULD FLOAT THAT MONEY TO GET THE PROJECT DONE.

HOPEFULLY IT WILL START SOON.

AND AS WE GET FURTHER INTO THE YEAR, WE'LL GO TO THE COUNTY WITH AN ASK.

AND THIS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT ASK.

OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. SOPA BEFORE I READ THE RECOMMENDATION? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE OF $2023,304,265 AS PRESENTED.

DR. LAWSON HAS A RECOMMENDATION? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE AT CIP.

[1.06 FY27 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan/FY28 Capital Improvement Plan]

ALL WE ARE REALLY ASKING FOR IS IN THE CIP ITSELF IS THE MONEY FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS THE CHILLER REPLACEMENT.

RISING SUN MIDDLE SCHOOL IS HAVING A GOOD NIGHT TONIGHT FOR CIP CONSIDERATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028.

KEEPING IN MIND, WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS OVER BY THE TO THE COUNTY AND TO THE STATE.

THIS IS AS PER STATUTE. ARE THERE QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER? I WILL DO MY BEST.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTENT.

WE DISCUSSED THAT AT THE LAST MEETING. BUT WHAT DOES THE STATE USE THE MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR? ARE THEY ACTUALLY COMPARING US TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HOW OUR MAINTENANCE IS DOING? AND DO THEY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT FOR APPROVING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FUNDS? THEY DO. THEY DO.

AND I THINK RIGHT NOW THE IAC IS SCRAMBLING FOR MONEY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. THEY'RE ON THERE. WILL YOU FRONT FUND OUR PROJECTS TOR RIGHT NOW WITH MANY COUNTIES, AS YOU KNOW, CECIL COUNTY FRONTED THE STATE $24 MILLION, I BELIEVE IT IS, TO SEE THE NEW SCHOOL FINISH.

THEY'RE PITCHING THAT TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COUNTIES.

COUNTIES ARE PRETTY UPSET ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S A 0% INTEREST LOAN FOR $24 MILLION. BUT IN TERMS OF YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY.

THE MAINTENANCE PLAN IS REALLY A WAY FOR THE STATE TO AGGREGATE THE CONDITIONS OF THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT'S BEING PUT IN BEFORE THE ACTUAL CIP REQUEST OCCURS. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES. THANK YOU.

WITH THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR THE CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND THE FOLLOWING FIVE YEARS BE APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.

OKAY, WE'VE HEARD DR. LAWSON'S RECOMMENDATION.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

[1.07 Illustrative Mathematics Presentation]

ITEM 107 IS THE FLOOR AT RISING SUN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND AGAIN, WE HAVE ADDED AN ADD ALTERNATE TO THAT CONTRACT TO FIX THE STAGE, WHICH IS JUST ADJACENT TO THE ONE END OF THE FLOOR. BOTH HAVE BEEN DAMAGED PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY.

THESE FLOORS ARE OLD. THIS IS NOT WORKMANSHIP OR SOME KIND OF ISSUE CAUSING THIS DAM.

THESE ARE OLD FLOORS.

AND SO WE'RE CONFIDENT WE CAN GET A CONTRACTOR ON SITE FAIRLY SOON. THEY'LL BRING THE WOOD IN AND GIVE IT TIME TO SEASON. AND THEN THE SCHOOL IS READY TO ADJUST THEIR SCHEDULE AND MOVE THEIR PHYS ED CLASSES AROUND TO ACCOMMODATE THE CONSTRUCTION.

WE GAVE THE SCHOOL A WHOLE BUNCH OF LATITUDE ON THIS.

DO YOU WANT IT DONE NOW OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL SUMMER? AND THEY WERE QUICK TO COME BACK. THEY WANT IT DONE NOW.

SO WE HAVE THE MONEY. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THAT CONTRACT.

OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU SAY THEY'RE OLD.

THEY WERE THERE WHEN IT WAS THE HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK.

THOSE ARE THE HEIGHT WHEN.

YEAH. WERE YOU PROWLING THE HALLS BACK IN THAT TIME PERIOD. I WAS THERE.

YEAH.

YEAH, THEY'RE DEFINITELY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. SO

[00:50:06]

OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD DR.

LAWSON'S RECOMMENDATION.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES. AND OUR

[1.08 FY27 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan/FY28 Capital Improvement Plan ]

THANK YOU FOR INDULGING THIS DEEPLY BORING NUMBERS TALK.

YOUR MATH TEACHERS. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE INTERESTING.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE RIVETING.

BUT IT WASN'T, WAS IT? BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK THE LEEDS TEAM FOR COMING OUT AND GIVING US SOME TIME. I THINK THE BOARD WILL FIND IT INFORMATIVE AND DR. BRINKLEY WILL LEAD IT AS HER ROLE FOR PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR MATHEMATICS.

AND THE WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE WILL BE LED BY DR.

JENNY HAMMER AND DR. SHAWN JOHNSON.

GOOD EVENING. YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE FINISHED WITH NUMBERS, DIDN'T YOU? SO WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO WALK THROUGH, AS PER YOUR REQUEST, SOME PROGRAMMING REGARDING OUR MATHEMATICS WORK IN THE DISTRICT TO GET STARTED. AS DR.

LAWSON SAID. MAYBE, MAYBE. I THINK I'M TOO FAR AWAY.

THERE WE GO. IT'S YOUR JOB NOW. OKAY, SO TO GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO GIVE SOME INTRODUCTION SO THAT YOU KNOW WHO OUR TEAM IS HERE THIS EVENING.

YOU KNOW, JOINED BY DR.

LAWSON AND MYSELF, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. KESHA BRINKLEY, WHO IS THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR K TO 12 MATHEMATICS.

SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY THE INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR FOR SECONDARY MATH. WE ALSO HAVE MS. KELLY REISER, WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL AT LEEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

MS. KELLY STREISCHARS.

OKAY, OKAY.

I PRACTICED THAT. SHE IS A THIRD GRADE MATH TEACHER AND HAS BEEN PIVOTAL IN SOME PILOT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE NOT ONLY FOR OUR CURRICULUM, BUT FOR ASSESSMENTS AS WELL AS MS. MCKAYLA MARTINDALE, WHO HAD A SPECIAL GUEST IN HER CLASSROOM A LOT A COUPLE YEARS AGO NAMED DR.

LAWSON. SHE IS A SECOND GRADE TEACHER AT LEEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED THAT THEY'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO SHARE SOME PERSPECTIVE WITH US.

WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT THIS EVENING AND TALK TO YOU THROUGH THE MSDE IMPACT ON OUR MATH PROGRAMMING.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME SHIFTS WE MADE IN SOME INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND WE REALLY SAW SOME WONDERFUL RESULTS WITH THOSE SHIFTS, SOME CURRICULUM TRANSITION WORK AND WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THAT SPOTLIGHT ON LEEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

THANK YOU.

SO TO START, I WANTED TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS WITH THE BOARD ABOUT THE STATE MATH POLICY.

THERE IS ALSO A SISTER LITERACY POLICY FOR THE STATE, BUT THIS IS REALLY A PUSH FROM THE STATE TO RAISE THE BAR AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS CONSISTENCY AMONG THE DISTRICTS. AND IT IS A PRODUCT OF THE BLUEPRINT.

YOU HAVE HEARD THE TERM HQIM, WHICH IS HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ALL FOLDED IN HERE. SO SOME KEY THINGS IN THIS MATH POLICY SO THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROCESS THAT IS REQUIRED FOR ACCELERATION IN MATH. WE ALREADY HAVE SOME POLICY AND REG IN PLACE IN OUR SYSTEM FOR THAT.

BUT IT DOES REQUIRE THAT BEGINNING IN THIRD GRADE THAT YOU NEED, IF YOU SEE A STUDENT WHO IS ACCELERATING IN THE AREA OF MATH, THAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING FOR THEM AND MAINTAIN THAT UNTIL THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. SO IT'S CONSTANT MONITORING TO SEE IF THE STUDENT MAINTAINS THAT HIGH LEVEL OR MAY NEED TO MOVE BACK TO THE GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS.

THE OTHER THING YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS THERE IS A NEW INTEGRATION OF ALGEBRA 1 AND DR. LAWSON WILL LAMENT HIS PREVIOUS TIME AS A MATH TEACHER. WHERE THE PENDULUM IS SWINGING.

THIS USED TO BE THE CASE AND THEN CONTENT WAS SEPARATED AND NOW WE'RE BACK IN JOINING INTO AN INTEGRATED FASHION ALGEBRA 1 AND ALGEBRA 2. SO THAT'S GOING TO LEAD TO SOME MORE COURSE OPTIONS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.

FINALLY, LIKE THAT, THERE ARE NEW PATHWAYS AND DR.

BRINKLEY WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE PATHWAYS INVOLVING CALCULUS, DATA SCIENCE, STATISTICS AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING. AND WHAT I WOULD INVITE THE BOARD TO DO IS AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THIS IS A CONVERSATION, PLEASE JUMP IN AND ASK THOSE AS WE GO ALONG. OKAY, SO THE NEXT PIECE WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS ABOUT THE ONBOARDING OF A NEW HQIM IN OUR SYSTEM.

AND THIS IS A TIMELINE THAT YOU SEE HERE THAT STARTING IN 2022 WE WERE IDENTIFYING THAT WE WANTED TO CHALLENGE OUR STUDENTS.

OUR SCORES WERE NOT QUITE WHERE THEY NEEDED TO BE AND WE WERE STRUGGLING AND WE WANTED TO PILOT A NEW MATH STUDENTS.

SO AT OUR LEEDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AS WELL AS CECILTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND WE CHOSE THOSE TWO SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH TITLE 1 SCHOOLS AND IN SIMILAR SIZE. WE WANTED TO PILOT THIS PROGRAM CALLED

[00:55:01]

I'M NOT GOING TO STEAL THE THUNDER OF THAT AND OUR TEACHERS WILL BE SHARING THAT WITH YOU.

BUT WE PILOTED IN TWO SCHOOLS. WE THEN THE PILOT WENT WELL.

WE CONTINUED WITH THAT FOUR FORMAL IMPLEMENTATION WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE DISTRICTS KEPT WITH THE ENVISION PROGRAM WHICH WAS THE OTHER PROGRAM THAT WE WERE USING. THEN IN 25 WE ADDED ON 13 MORE SCHOOLS TO THE ENVISION. IT WAS A PRINCIPAL CHOICE DEPENDING ON THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.

AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT THIS YEAR THAT ALL OF OUR 17 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE A PART OF ILLUSTRATIVE MATH. SO LEADS IS IN YEAR FOUR THIS YEAR. SO THEY ARE OLD PROS AT THE ENVISION PROGRAM AND THEY'RE SEEKING THE RESULTS OF STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN A PART OF THE PROGRAM FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW.

IT IS A BIG SHIFT AND OUR TEACHERS WILL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE DECIDED TO STAY WITHIN VISION. THERE IS A LOT OF SHIFTING BECAUSE OF THE MARYLAND STATE MATH POLICY AND WE DECIDED TO STAY SO THERE WAS SOME CONSISTENCY OF PROGRAMMING AS OTHER THINGS AND VARIABLES AND INSTRUCTION WERE SHIFTING IN HIGH SCHOOL.

ENVISION IS THERE AS WELL AND AGA IS I HAD TO ASK THE QUESTION. I'LL ADMIT THAT IT'S ALGEBRA GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRA 2. AND SO THAT IS OUR PROGRAMMING AND OUR SECONDARY MATH. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TIMELINE? WHAT WERE THE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT REMAINED WITH ENVISION LAST YEAR? THE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WERE BAINBRIDGE, BAYVIEW, CALVERT, AND NORTHEAST. THEY REMAINED WITH ENVISION. SO THEY'RE YEAR ONE SCHOOLS THIS YEAR, NORTHEAST.

AND WHAT'S THE HANDOFF LIKE, I'M ASSUMING? I'M GUESSING IT'S NOT HARD FROM ENVISION TO, SORRY, FROM ILLUSTRATIVE TO ENVISION GOING FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE.

IS IT CLEAN OR IS IT CLUNKY? BECAUSE IT'S TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING IT.

DR. BRINKLEY, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR MIC FOR US? THANK YOU.

GREAT QUESTION. CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER? SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINES THAT EXIST IN ILLUSTRATIVE MATH SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS TO RECEIVE THOSE KIDS FROM ELEMENTARY.

AND WE NOW HAVE AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH WHO'S BEEN WORKING WITH ELEMENTARY TEACHERS AND SHE'S WORKING WITH OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS AS WELL. SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CLEAN TRANSITION FOR THOSE STUDENTS.

WOULD IT BE, AND I'M NOT. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. I DON'T KNOW IF ILLUSTRATIVE CAN GO THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, CAN IT? AND WOULD THAT BE AN END GOAL FOR US TO HAVE SOMETHING BE CONTINUOUS THROUGH ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE TO HIGH INSTEAD OF THAT HANDOFF? SO ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION.

WE DID START TO EXPLORE THE HQIM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL LAST YEAR AND WE DID, LIKE DR. HAMMER SAID EARLIER, WE PAUSED ON THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES. MSDE, THE MATH BRANCH IS WORKING ON SUPPORTING CURRICULUM AND THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE INTEGRATED ALGEBRA, WHICH IS COMING ON BOARD IN TWO YEARS.

SO WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT DECISIONS WERE MADE FOR THE INTEGRATED ALGEBRA PROGRAM.

THEN WE COULD FOLLOW SUIT WITH OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM. SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES TWICE.

SO WE WERE WAITING TO SEE HOW THAT PANS OUT.

AND WE MAY KNOW THAT DECISION AS EARLY AS FRIDAY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TRANSMITTAL, THAT INFORMATION MAY COME THROUGH. AND THEN WE'LL START TO MAKE PLANS AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A SHIFT IN CURRICULUM IS HUGE. AND IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE LEADS TEAM. LOOK AT THEM SHAKING THEIR HEADS.

WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE LEADS TEAM FOR WORKING OUT THE BUGS FOR US AND HELPING US TO IDENTIFY THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE, THE CURRICULUM CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE, ALL THE LESSONS THAT NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE. SO IT'S A HUGE LIFT. BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN.

YOU KNOW, HAVE CONSISTENCY ALL THE WAY THROUGH. WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO SEE IF THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD EXPLORE AT SOME POINT.

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. HAMMER.

I'M SORRY, INTEGRATED MATH CURRENTLY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL? CORRECT.

WHERE WITH ALGEBRA AND GEOMETRY, WHERE THEY'RE TAKING IT AT THE SAME TIME.

SO THAT IS OUR. WE CALL IT HYBRID. SO WE HAVE OUR ACCELERATED MATH STUDENTS IN 8TH GRADE WHO TAKE ALGEBRA FOR TWO MARKING PERIODS AND THEN THEY SWIFT TO GEOMETRY FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO IT'S NOT.

I'M SORRY, DR. BRINKLEY, WHAT CURRICULUM ARE THEY USING? SO THEY'RE STILL USING ENVISION.

OKAY.

BUT IT'S NOT AN INTEGRATED IN THE SENSE THAT THE CURRICULUMS ARE MIXED.

THEY ARE STILL SEPARATE.

ALGEBRA COURSE FIRST SEMESTER, IF YOU WILL, AND GEOMETRY COURSE SECOND SEMESTER.

AND GOING FROM.

WITH WHAT THE STATE IS TALKING ABOUT, FOR US, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE INTEGRATED.

THEY WOULD BE DOING ALGEBRA 1 AND GEOMETRY AT THE SAME TIME.

SO WHAT THE STATE, IN THE

[01:00:01]

AND NOW INSTEAD OF THREE COURSES AGA, THERE ARE GOING TO BE TWO COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MARYLAND. AND SO THAT IS MARYLAND, LIKE LEADING THE NATION WITH THESE REVISED STANDARDS.

IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING IN 1986 AS A TEACHER WHEN WE HAD ALGEBRA 1, ALGEBRA 2 AND GEOMETRY, HOOT AND MIFFLIN, AND WE CHANGED IT TO THE UNIFIED SERIES.

UNIFIED 1, UNIFIED 2, UNIFIED 3 JUST BLENDED THE ALGEBRA 1 AND GEOMETRY CONTENT.

SO YOU MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO CHAPTERS OF ALGEBRA AND YOU SLID RIGHT INTO GEOMETRY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.

AND BOY, DID IT CAUSE A TIZZY.

IT CAUSED A TIZZY FOR TEACHERS TO DO THE INTEGRATED.

TO DO THE INTEGRATED. I MEAN, NOT ME.

I WAS PRETTY MUCH A ROLL WITH THE FLOW KIND OF GUY. I WAS LIKE, GIVE ME THE BOOKS, I'LL TEACH.

BUT YOU HAD A LOT OF HEARTBURN.

AND JUST TO HEAR IT NOW IS THIS CUTTING EDGE, NOVEL THING.

EVERYTHING COMES BACK AROUND, RIGHT? STICK AROUND LONG ENOUGH.

IT DOES.

THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR PRESENTATION, DR. BRINKLEY, IS GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE MATH POP IMPACTED OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND SHIFTS THAT WE MADE IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS. DR. BRINKLEY.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT CLEAN HANDOFF FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO NOT ONLY DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND THEN PEDAGOGY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ALLOW TIME FOR THAT.

SO STUDENTS WERE COMING FROM ELEMENTARY WITH 120 MINUTES OF ELA OR THEIR READING, LANGUAGE ARTS AND 90 MINUTES OF MATH. AND THEY WERE GETTING TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 55 MINUTES PER, I MEAN PER CLASS. AND SO LAST YEAR DURING SCHOOL YEAR 25, WE SHIFTED TO 90 MINUTES FOR ELA AND MATH AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH A FOCUS ON AT LEAST 60 MINUTES OF THAT BEING CORE INSTRUCTION.

AND THEN WE HAVE THAT 30 MINUTES FOR SUPPLEMENTAL WHERE THEY HAD TIME TO PRACTICE FOR PRE TEACHING, TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE SKILL GAPS THEIR STUDENTS HAD. AND SO THAT WAY WE HAVE THAT COMPARABLE TIME FOR INSTRUCTION AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL THAT THEY HAD AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. AND THIS IS IN ALIGNED WITH THE MSD POLICY, REVISED MATH POLICY AND THE LITERACY POLICY.

AND DID WE SEE. AND SO, OKAY, SO WE DID SEE AN IMPROVEMENT WITH OUR MCAP SCORES. AND JUST WITH INSTRUCTION AND TEACHERS JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW MY STUDENTS ARE GETTING IT.

AND THEY HAD THE TIME TO MAKE THE CONNECTIONS AND TO STRENGTHEN THOSE SKILLS AND CONNECTIONS THAT WERE BEING MADE IN CLASSES. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE SCORES FROM 2023 TO 2026 AND YOU CAN SEE THAT INCREASE IN SCORES FOR OVERALL MATH 6 THROUGH 8 AND ALSO OUR ALGEBRA 1 SCORES AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S TO BE NOTED THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY COST AS WE MADE THIS SHIFT BECAUSE, BECAUSE IT DID PULL TIME AWAY IN SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES THROUGHOUT, BECAUSE WE TURNED THE 55 MINUTES INTO 45 MINUTE BLOCKS.

SO OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO INTEGRATE OUR CURRICULUM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ACROSS CONTENT AREAS. SO LITERACY IS HAPPENING IN ALL CONTENT AREAS, ET CETERA. AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL MCAP SCORES, IT CREATES WHAT WE CALL THE ALGEBRA CONUNDRUM THAT WE TALK ABOUT OFTEN.

AND SO SOMETHING TO BE NOTED WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR 6TH GRADE, OUR 6TH GRADE RESULTS INCLUDE BOTH OUR 6TH GRADE CORE STUDENTS OR TRADITIONAL MATH STUDENTS AND ALSO OUR ACCELERATED SIXTH GRADERS. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SIXTH GRADE MATH SCORES, BOTH GROUPS ARE INCLUDED.

WHEN WE LOOK AT SEVENTH GRADE SCORES, THAT TREND CONTINUES.

YOU HAVE YOUR SEVENTH GRADE CORE STUDENTS AND THEN YOUR ACCELERATED SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS. NOW WHEN WE GET TO EIGHTH GRADE, WE END UP WITH TWO COHORTS OF STUDENTS. SO YOU HAVE YOUR EIGHTH GRADE MATH STUDENTS ARE THE ONLY ONES, THE CORE STUDENTS THAT SHOW UP IN THAT 8TH GRADE MCAP SCORE WHERE YOUR ACCELERATED 8TH GRADE STUDENTS ARE TAKING ALGEBRA 1.

SO THEY'LL EITHER TAKE YEAR LONG ALGEBRA 1 OR WHAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THOSE STUDENTS TAKE ALGEBRA 1 AND GEOMETRY. SO THEN THEIR SCORES SHOW SEPARATELY IN THE ALGEBRA 1 SCORE. AND THEN SO THAT IMPACTS WHAT YOU SEE FOR EIGHTH GRADE SCORES.

AND YOU SEE, WE TYPICALLY SEE THAT DROP FROM SEVENTH GRADE TO EIGHTH GRADE SCORES BECAUSE OF THAT. AND THEN THAT GOES ON TO IMPACT HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR TRADITIONAL 9TH GRADE STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING ALGEBRA, YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN OUT YOUR ACCELERATED ALGEBRA STUDENTS.

THEY TOOK IT IN IN EIGHTH GRADE. SO NOW THEIR SCORES ARE NO LONGER A PART OF THE GENERAL 8TH GRADE SCORE AND THEY'RE NO LONGER A

[01:05:01]

WHAT PROPORTION OF 8TH GRADERS ARE IN THE ACCELERATED MATH? ABOUT A THIRD OF THEM. IT'S ABOUT A THIRD. WHEN I LOOKED OVER THOSE PAST FEW YEARS, IT STANDS SOLID AROUND 35% OF THE STUDENTS IN 8TH GRADE ARE TAKING ACCELERATED OUT ACCELERATED MATH BECAUSE IT'S UP THERE.

YOU HAVE MCAT, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE TRANSITIONING UP TO AT LEAST 8TH GRADE THIS YEAR TO M STAR. RIGHT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS M STAR IS GOING TO BE.

IT SHOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO MCAP, BUT IT'S NOT AS LONG. SO IF THE RESULTS SHOW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, IMPROVEMENT OR DEGRADATION WITH MSTAR, HOW MUCH OF THAT WILL WE HAVE TRUSTED? IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR CURRICULUM AND TEACHING, OR IS IT THE NEW ASSESSMENT? SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES.

AND THESE ARE QUESTIONS WHEN WE HAD OUR STATE ASSESSMENT THAT, LIKE WE'RE ASKING, SO HOW ARE WE ABLE TO MOVE FROM FOUR SESSIONS TO THREE SESSIONS, WHICH IS HAPPENING FROM THREE TO EIGHTH GRADE? AND ESSENTIALLY THE STATS, I ALWAYS SAY THEY'RE WRONG.

THE PSYCHOMETRICIANS SAY THAT THE TESTING MEASURES HAVE GOTTEN BETTER WHERE WE DON'T NEED AS MANY SESSIONS SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO GO FROM FOUR TO THREE, WHICH IS IDEAL. RIGHT.

WE WANT TO TEST STUDENTS LESS WHEN WE CAN. AND ALSO WE HAVE THE REVISED STANDARDS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT THAT WE'RE ALSO TESTING. SO WE'VE GOT REVISED STANDARDS, WE'VE GOT DIFFERING TESTING SESSIONS, AND WE'VE GOT NEW CURRICULUM.

SO WE'VE GOT A FEW VARIABLES.

SO I WOULD LOOK AT THIS YEAR AS ALMOST LIKE A BASELINE FOR THAT.

AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMPARE YEARS MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE DIFFERENT VARIABLES.

ONE THING I WOULD LIKE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE BOARD TO LOOK AT IS INCLUDING MORE TEACHER FEEDBACK IN THIS. SO THE ASSESSMENT PROVIDES THE DATA, THEIR FEEDBACK PROVIDES THE CONTEXT. SO SAY WE GET THE MCAP OR MSTAR THAT SAYS CECIL COUNTY'S 20% STUDENTS ARE 20% PROFICIENT IN MATH, RANKED 17TH OR WHATEVER IN THE STATE.

THAT'S NOT ACTIONABLE.

WHAT'S ACTIONABLE IS WHEN OUR TEACHERS SAY, MY STUDENTS STRUGGLED HERE.

OKAY, WHICH SCHOOLS? WHICH CLASSES? AND THAT GIVES US MORE DIRECTION WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES AND FLEXIBILITY WE HAVE TO SAY THIS IS HOW WE CAN ASSIST WITH THAT.

SO IF WE AND IF IT'S NOT TOO BURDENSOME FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT, SO WE HAVE BOTH. ONCE THE STATE RESULTS COME OUT, WE'LL HAVE THOSE QUANTIFIED STATE RESULTS, BUT THEN WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS CLASS. MY STUDENTS DID REALLY WELL HERE AND HOPEFULLY THEY LINE UP WITH THE ASSESSMENTS.

BUT IF THEY DON'T, LET'S SAY MCAP OR MSTAR IS REALLY GOOD, BUT STILL MY STUDENTS STRUGGLE HERE. I'M MUCH MORE CONCERNED WITH, I'M PUT A LOT MORE WEIGHT IN WHAT THEY SAY. OFTENTIMES MCAP DATA OR WHAT WILL BE MSTAR DATA WE CALL AUTOPSY DATA, IT IS LAGGING, IT'S AFTER THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE.

SO WE WANT TO LEAN INTO THE LEADING DATA. SO THE DATA THAT IS HAPPENING ON THE DAY TO DAY BASIS OF STUDENTS MEETING PROFICIENCY ON HERE'S A STANDARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO TEACH IN CLASS TODAY. WHO HAS IT AND WHO DOESN'T AND REALLY DOING THAT'S THE WORK.

THAT'S THE WORK THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS IT. SO I GUESS YOU GUYS COULD, WELL, PROBABLY MAYBE YOU'LL ANSWER THIS. I WAS LOOKING AT THE MATH PROGRAM AND SUPPOSEDLY AT THE END OF EVERY DAY OR EVERY LESSON, THERE'S A QUESTION THAT THE KIDS CAN ASK OR YOU ASK THE KIDS AND THEN YOU CAN TELL WHETHER FROM THAT QUESTION WHETHER THEY GOT IT THAT DAY.

AND THEN THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO KNOW, OKAY, THIS PERCENTAGE OF MY CLASS GOT IT. I'VE GOT A FEW THAT DON'T. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY YOU CAN GET THEM IN A GROUP TO TRY AND HELP.

IS THAT TRUE? DO WE HAVE THAT? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? I'LL SPEAK TO THAT. KELLY THIRD GRADE. YES. WITH THE IM PROGRAM AT THE END OF EACH LESSON, WE ALWAYS START THE LESSONS BY TELLING KIDS WHAT IT IS WE'RE LEARNING THAT DAY.

AND THE LESSONS ARE SET UP TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR STRUCTURE EACH DAY WHERE WE WORK THROUGH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.

AT THE END OF THOSE ACTIVITIES WE HAVE HAVE A SYNTHESIS WHERE WE KIND OF WRAP UP WHAT IT IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE THAT IDEA IN MIND. AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING CALLED A COOL DOWN QUESTION, WHERE IT'S AN INDEPENDENT QUESTION AND IT MAY BE ONE OR TWO COULD BE AN EXTENDED RESPONSE OR JUST A COUPLE SHORT QUESTIONS WHERE THEY'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY

[01:10:01]

AND SO THEN THE TEACHERS WE COLLECT THAT AND WE CAN EVALUATE THAT DATA TO SEE WHO WE NEED TO MEET WITH THE NEXT DAY AND MAYBE DO SOME RETEACHING OR IF ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE IT, WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON. SO THE 8TH GRADE STUDENTS THAT ARE ALGEBRA STUDENTS, WHEN THEY TAKE THE ALGEBRA OF MCAP, ARE THEY INCLUDED IN THE 9TH GRADE TEST RESULTS? WE GET DATA REPORTING FROM LIKE THE WHOLE DISTRICT FOR ALGEBRA. BUT THEN WE DO GET A REPORTING ITEM THAT'S JUST 8TH GRADE ALGEBRA.

OKAY, SO IT DOESN'T HELP THE 9TH GRADE NUMBERS. AND THEN 9TH GRADE LOSES THOSE GIFTED AND TALENTED, I GUESS. WOULD THEY BE CONSIDERED OR ACCELERATED? ACCELERATED.

SO THEY LOSE THE ACCELERATED IN THE TEST. SO THEY'RE IMPACTING TWO DIFFERENT COHORTS. THEY'RE IMPACTING 8TH GRADE SCORES AND THEY'RE IMPACTING WHEN'S THE NEXT SCORE AFTER THAT IS THERE.

AND MAYBE I'LL ADD A LITTLE MORE ALSO THAT CONVERSATION WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ALGEBRA TEST. SO STUDENTS WHO ARE IN EIGHTH GRADE, WHEN WE REPORT THAT, WE REPORT THAT AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.

ONCE THEY MAKE IT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE REPORT THAT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

SO DR. BRINKLEY HAD MENTIONED HOW MANY OF THE 8TH GRADERS TAKE THE ALGEBRA ASSESSMENT IN 8TH GRADE.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE AT ELTON MIDDLE, YOU TAKE IT AT ELTON MIDDLE. THAT'S A PART OF ELTON MIDDLE WHEN WE REPORT IT. AND THEN IF ONCE YOU MAKE IT TO HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S NO LONGER PART OF THAT, THE STUDENT, WE CAN STILL ADD IT IN SOMETHING ELSE.

AS FAR AS GRADUATION REQUIREMENT, WE GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THAT. LIKEWISE, WE GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR BEING COLLEGE AND CAREER READY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT LEVEL YOU'RE AT.

WE COUNT THAT. SO WHENEVER YOU SEE OUR REPORTS, YOU.

YOU'LL SEE A DIFFERENCE.

ON THIS SLIDE HERE, WE HAVE SPARSED OUT GRADE EIGHT. AND ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE ALSO US BREAKING THOSE KIDS OUT AS WELL. SO FOR INSTANCE, HERE, DR.

BLINKLEY, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN KIND OF WHAT THIS CHART SHARES.

SO THIS CHART JUST SHOWS THE NUMBER OF ALGEBRA STUDENTS WHO ARE PROFICIENT BY YEAR STARTING IN 2023.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DID TAKE A DIP IN 2024, BUT THE SCORES HAVE CONTINUED TO INCREASE FOR ALGEBRA 1 AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.

I GUESS I'M ASKED. I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUS. I THINK IT'S NOT REAL DATA IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE STUDENTS IN IT.

I MEAN, YOU'RE TAKING.

THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE A TYPICAL PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT CONNECTION.

ONCE A STUDENT PASSES ALGEBRA 1 MCAP IN 8TH GRADE, IN 8TH GRADE, THE REST OF THE STUDENTS WILL TAKE, WHO TEND TO BE YOUR LOWER ACHIEVERS WILL JUST TAKE THE 8TH GRADE MCAT. AND MEANWHILE THE STUDENT THAT PASSED 8TH GRADE ALGEBRA MCAP WHEN THEY GO TO 9TH GRADE. IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR 9TH GRADE ALGEBRA 1 SCORES, THEY'RE ALSO VERY LOW BECAUSE THE KIDS THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL AREN'T BEING COUNTED IN THAT.

IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT WHATEVER THEY DID IN 8TH GRADE GOT PULLED INTO THAT NUMBER. JUST WHATEVER THERE'S. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS NOW.

EVEN WITH THAT SAID, THEY WERE 8TH GRADERS DOING IT, SO THEY WOULD BE BETTER IN 9TH GRADE DOING IT. YOU WOULD THINK BECAUSE YOU'RE MORE OLDER. EIGHTH GRADERS THAT TEND TO STRUGGLE AS EIGHTH GRADERS WHEN THEY MOVE UP TO NINTH GRADE, TYPICALLY THEY'RE TAKING THE ALGEBRA AND MCAT FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND THE SCORES. IT'S A HARD TEST JUST TO BE HONEST.

SO.

AND THEN THE NEXT TEST AFTER NINTH IS. SO THERE'S NOT ANOTHER. THERE'S NOT ANOTHER COLLEGE AND CAREER READY.

JUST COLLEGE AND CAREER. SO WE NEVER SEE IT COULD BE MP.

YOU DON'T EVER SEE THOSE KIDS GET PULLED BACK INTO THE MIX.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF WAYS. NOT FOR STATE.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO WE LOSE THEM AT EIGHTH GRADE. THE KIDS THAT WOULD TEST THE BEST, MOSTLY AND PROBABLY THE ONES THAT TAKE IT THE MOST SERIOUS AT THAT MOMENT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 8TH POWER NUMBERS I SHOWED TO THE BOARD A MONTH OR TWO AGO, THE AP SCHOLAR NUMBER NUMBERS ARE VERY HIGH.

GUARANTEED YOU COULD BACKWARDS MAP THOSE KIDS.

AND THEY WERE YOUR EIGHTH GRADERS TAKING ALGEBRA ONE, IF NOT SEVENTH GRADE. AND THEY TAKE THE ALGEBRA GEOMETRY HYBRID IN EIGHTH GRADE.

THAT'S WHY IT'S MISLEADING.

AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO CLARIFY. THERE WAS RECENT PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHERE THE SCORES WERE BEING REPORTED.

THE WAY AROUND IT IS TO ASK THOSE 8TH GRADE ALGEBRA KIDS TO DO THEN TAKE IT AGAIN IN NINTH GRADE. AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THOSE KIDS.

THEY HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONTENT ALL YEAR. THEY HAD IT A YEAR PREVIOUS. IT'S NOT FAIR TO THOSE KIDS.

BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EXPLORED.

BUT THAT'S THE WAY AROUND IT. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPENT SOME TIME EXPLAINING THAT TO YOU.

I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.

UNTIL THESE ACTUALLY MEAN SOMETHING TO THE KIDS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THESE SCORES ARE MEANINGFUL ANYWAY BECAUSE MOST OF THEM GO AND GOING THIS DOESN'T MATTER.

I JUST HAVE TO DO THIS TODAY BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME TO DO IT. IT'S NOT IN THERE. IT DOESN'T COUNT TOWARDS THEIR GPA.

[01:15:01]

BUT FOR THEM, FOR THE STUDENT, IT HAS NO BENEFIT TO THEM OR NEGATIVE. IT HAS A BENEFIT. AS IT WOULD.

IT WOULD QUALIFY THEM FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.

THEY WOULD BE CCR. AND THAT OPENS A WORLD TO THEM.

IN 2004, I BROUGHT IN ALL THE 10TH GRADERS AT THE PONT HIGH SCHOOL IN WILMINGTON. AND THE DSTP, WHICH WAS THE MCAP, WAS A 01, 2, 3, 4, 5 PROPOSITION.

AND I TOLD THE KIDS, IF YOU GET A 5 ON THE DSTP, YOU ARE EXEMPT FROM YOUR FINALS.

IF YOU GET A FOUR OR THREE, YOU'LL GET A B ON YOUR FINAL. SO ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS PASS THIS STATE TEST AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE FINAL EXAMS. HIGHEST TESTING YEAR EVER FOR THE SCHOOL.

NOW MEANWHILE, WHEN I DID IT THE NEXT DAY, I GOT A CALL FROM THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SAYING, YOU DID WHAT? THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED IT'S GOING TO WORK. AND IT DID.

BUT GOES TO YOUR POINT IS THAT WHEN YOU TELL A 16, 17 YEAR OLD, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO GO IN AND TRY.

AND I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE UP EXCUSES FOR US HAVING LOWER SCORES, BUT IT'S TRUE. IT JUST MAKES SENSE. BUT IT'S TRUE FOR ALL SYSTEMS, NOT JUST FOR ALL SYSTEMS, NOT JUST SO YEAH, LIKE, AND I KNOW WHENEVER THEY CAME AROUND, WHATEVER IT WAS IN 1995 WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, IT WAS LIKE, WE JUST HAVE TO DO THIS. AND IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A FREE DAY BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T. IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER.

BUT I WOULD LOVE IT. I'D LOVE A. HOLD ON.

I'D LIKE A STARTING QUESTION THAT SAYS, DO YOU, DO YOU CARE THAT YOU'RE TAKING THIS TEST? YES OR NO. AND THEN SEE THE ONES THAT SAY YES, WHAT THEIR SCORES ARE, THE ONES THAT SAY.

THE NEXT AREA WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT ARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THE PERFORMANCE.

THIS IS THE AREA WHERE WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE ILLUSTRATIVE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR IMPLEMENTATION.

SO JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, I DO WANT TO START BY REVIEWING MCAP SCORES.

AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO AN OVERALL PROFICIENCY SCORE AND WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO DISPUTE THAT WE'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE PERFORMING AT PERFICIENT.

HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED TO THE BOARD DURING THE BOARD RETREAT EARLIER THIS SUMMER, OUR ASSESSMENT DATA LED US TO BELIEVE THAT OUR STUDENTS WOULD PERFORM MUCH BETTER ON THE STATE ASSESSMENT THAN THEY DID. AND WE WERE USING THE NWA MAP ASSESSMENT TO GUIDE US.

AND THAT TEST IS NORMED AGAINST MILLIONS OF STUDENTS ACROSS UN UNITED STATES. AND SO WE WERE SURPRISED AT THE RESULTS WHEN THEY CAME BACK.

BUT THERE WERE FACTORS, WE THINK THAT IMPACTED THAT, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS IN 13 SCHOOLS, WE WERE IMPLEMENTING A CURRICULUM FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

SO THESE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. HOWEVER, THERE WERE MARKERS OF GROWTH ACROSS EACH OF THOSE SCHOOLS. IN EACH OF OUR 17 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THERE WERE SPOTS IN THOSE BUILDINGS WHERE THERE WAS PROGRESS.

AND I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT, CAUGHT UP IN THAT OVERALL PROFICIENCY NUMBER.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE A BUILDING LEADER, A CLASSROOM TEACHER, YOU'RE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON HOW YOUR GROUP OF STUDENTS PERFORMED ON THAT ASSESSMENT. AND SO WE DID SEE ACROSS THOSE SETTINGS, YOU KNOW, GROWTH, SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT ARE WORTH NOTING.

RIGHT. SO WE HAD A RISE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN GRADE FIVE MATH PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING BECAUSE GRADE FIVE TENDED TO BE THE AREA WE STRUGGLED WITH THE MOST THIS PAST YEAR IN CECIL MANNER, GRADE 4 INCREASE OF 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS. AND THEN OF COURSE, LEADS WHO WE HAVE WITH US.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO THEIR IMPLEMENTATION. WE HAD GAINS IN GRADE THREE AND IN GRADE FIVE. AND SO LOOKING AT THAT LEEDS ACHIEVEMENT DATA, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING METRIC.

THAT RED ARROW INDICATES WHERE WE BEGAN IMPLEMENTATION OF ILLUSTRATIVE MATHEMATICS.

YOU MAY ALSO BE WONDERING WHY WE SELECTED LEADS TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. OF THE BUILDINGS THAT IMPLEMENTED EARLY.

WE'VE SEEN REALLY CONSISTENT AND HIGH FIDELITY IMPLEMENTATION AT LEEDS.

SO CONSISTENCY IN STAFF LEADERSHIP, ALL THOSE FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE PERFORMANCE OF A SCHOOL BUILDING.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2023, WE BEGAN TO IMPLEMENT THE ILLUSTRATIVE MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM. YOU CAN SEE THE GAINS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE MADE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

AND SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO POINT OUT TO YOU THAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY PROUD OF IS THAT THEY EXCEED THE MARYLAND STATE AVERAGE.

SO FOR US, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IM, WE LOOK AT THE KIND OF THE SCORES THAT WE'RE GETTING CONSISTENT. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

WE BELIEVE THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO GROW FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM, BUT ULTIMATELY FOR OUR TEACHERS, AS YOU'LL HEAR IN A MOMENT, TO BECOME MORE FAMILIAR AND TO IMPLEMENT THAT CURRICULUM EACH DAY. DR. JOHNSON, GOING BACK TO THE CHART WITH THE SCHOOL BRIGHT SPOTS, JUST MAKE SURE I HAVE THIS RIGHT, THAT TWO OF THE BRIGHT SPOTS HIGHLIGHTED RISING SUN ELEMENTARY AND CECIL MANOR.

THOSE ARE FIRST YEAR ILLUSTRATIVE MATH, RIGHT? YES. THANK YOU. SO I KNOW THAT WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS HEAR FROM

[01:20:02]

SO I'M GOING TO STOP TALKING.

I WANT TO THANK OUR TEACHERS AND, AND MS. REISER AS WELL FOR BEING HERE.

WE PUT SOME QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION, BUT CERTAINLY IF THE BOARD HAS SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE TEACHERS TO ANSWER OR SPEAK TO, AND FOR OUR TEACHERS, IF YOU HAVE THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE, CERTAINLY WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. SO AGAIN, I'LL JUST. I'LL STOP AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WANTS TO GET US STARTED, BUT YOU CAN SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

MY NAME IS MICHAELA MARTINDALE. I TEACH SECOND GRADE AT LEEDS. MY JOURNEY WITH ILLUSTRATIVE WAS WITH DR.

LAWSON COMING TO MY CLASSROOM. IT WAS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME.

BUT WHEN WE STARTED ILLUSTRATIVE, I WAS VERY CRITICAL ABOUT IT.

I HAD TAUGHT ENVISIONS FOR NINE YEARS, AND SO STARTING A NEW CURRICULUM WAS A LOT. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ALL YOUR MATERIALS THAT YOU'VE BEEN STORING UP AND ALL THAT.

BUT ILLUSTRATIVE, IT WAS A CHANGE OF HOW I TEACH AND HOW THE STUDENTS LEARN.

AND AFTER MY MINDSET CHANGED AND I STOPPED FEELING LIKE, OH, THIS IS A LOT OF WORK AND THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

AND I KIND OF JUST ACCEPTED LIKE THIS, THIS NEW CURRICULUM. IT JUST WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE WAY THAT THE KIDS WERE COLLABORATING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS.

AND BY THE END OF THAT FIRST YEAR, I WAS LIKE, THIS IS AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

IT REALLY. THE STUDENTS ARE.

I'M MORE OF A FACILITATOR NOW. I'M ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT THE STUDENTS ARE LOOKING AT THEIR WORK, LOOKING AT THEIR CLASSMATES WORK.

THEY'RE KIND OF.

THEY'RE FINDING STRATEGIES ON THEIR OWN, AND IT'S NOT ME FORCING A STRATEGY ON THEM.

IN THE REAL WORLD, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT BRAINS, AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN SECOND GRADE. I'M GONNA SOUND LIKE A SECOND GRADE TEACHER.

WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT BRAINS.

AND ENVISIONS WAS VERY MUCH.

YOU MUST USE A HUNDREDS CHART.

YOU MUST USE A NUMBER LINE IN ORDER TO SOLVE ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION PROBLEMS. ILLUSTRATIVE IS WHAT IS GONNA WORK BEST FOR YOU. LET'S HEAR FROM OUR CLASSMATES AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO, AND LET'S HEAR THE STRATEGIES THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO COME UP UP WITH ON THEIR OWN.

AND LET'S SEE HOW IT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU. IT'S A LOT OF MENTAL MATH. IT'S JUST EFFICIENT STRATEGIES.

YOU CAN'T USE A NUMBER LINE IN THE REAL WORLD. SO LET'S TEACH THEM WAYS THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE MATH IN THE REAL WORLD. SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOUND WITH ILLUSTRATIVE.

SO I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE COMING. I'M IN YEAR 30, SO I'VE TAUGHT SEVERAL MATH PROGRAMS UP UNTIL NOW.

AT THE BEGINNING, ADOPTING IM, IT IS A LOT OF WORK ON THE TEACHER AS FAR AS UNDERSTANDING HOW THE LESSONS ARE SET UP AND WHAT THE GOAL OF EACH LESSON IS.

YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME TO GO IN AND TEACH IT EFFECTIVELY.

BUT HAVING NOW IN THE FOURTH YEAR YEAR AND SEEING THE STUDENTS COMING UP FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, SO I GET HER STUDENTS COME TO ME THIS NEXT YEAR, I AM SEEING A CHANGE IN THE STUDENT BEHAVIOR THAT THEY ENTER MATH WITH A VERY WILLING ATTITUDE.

THEY COME INTO THE ROOM, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT MATH.

THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE ARE DEEPER. THEY'RE USING MORE MATH VOCABULARY. THEY ALSO, IT GIVES AN ENTRY POINT TO EVERY STUDENT.

SO AND NO MATTER WHAT LEVEL YOU'RE AT, WHETHER YOU'RE A GT STUDENT OR A SPECIAL ED STUDENT OR JUST A STUDENT WHO DOESN'T ENJOY MATH IN THE PAST, THEY ALL OF THEM HAVE AN ENTRY POINT.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE WORK. SO THE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER.

AS MICHAELA SAID, IT'S MORE OF A FACILITATOR ROLE, ASKING TARGETED QUESTIONS TO HELP LEAD THE STUDENTS INTO THE CONNECTIONS THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE. AND YOU CAN JUST SEE THE ENGAGEMENT.

THE STUDENTS ARE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE LESSON.

WHEREAS I FEEL LIKE TEACHING ENVISIONS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME WHERE IT WAS TEACHER LED AND THE STUDENTS WERE VERY PASSIVE.

THEY WERE SITTING KIND OF, YOU WERE HOPING THEY WERE ABSORBING.

NOW THEY'RE MORE ENGAGED.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE JUST THE ENGAGEMENT ON THEIR FACE AND THEIR WILLINGNESS AND ALSO THE IDEA THAT I CAN MAKE A MISTAKE AND LEARN FROM IT IS A GREAT THING. SO I THINK AS A BUILDING PRINCIPAL, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT I SAW IN TERMS OF THE TEACHERS, IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR.

BUT WHEN I GOT TO LEEDS, A LOT OF CONVERSATION FROM MY TEACHERS WAS CENTERED AROUND MATH AND WANTING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT DIFFERENT WAS, BUT THEY KNEW THAT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL.

[01:25:04]

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW IMMEDIATELY WAS THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS BUILT IN THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE STUDENTS. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WASN'T RECESS AND LUNCH BEING LIKE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS DURING THE DAY. IT WAS MATH AND FEELING THAT THEY COULD TOGETHER ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST.

SO I ALSO, FROM A STANDPOINT OF AN ADMINISTRATOR WAS JUST REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE TEACHERS HAD THE TIME TO DIVE INTO THE CURRICULUM AND REALLY LEARN IT. SO REALLY MAKING THAT TIME SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE THE SPACE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE CHANGES IN WHAT, HOW THEY USED TO DO IT, TO NOW BE MORE OF A FACILITATOR. SO THAT WAS HUGE IN WHAT WE WERE SEEING WITH OUR STUDENTS.

SO THEY DID, THEY WERE, THEY MADE PROGRESS PRETTY QUICKLY, WHICH WAS SURPRISING FOR, YOU KNOW, A FIRST YEAR IMPLEMENTATION.

THE STUDENTS REALLY GRAVITATED MORE TO THE CHANGE AT FIRST THAN THE TEACHERS.

SO THAT WAS FUN TO WATCH.

IF I CAN ADD WITH ENVISIONS, IT WAS THE SAME THING EVERY SINGLE DAY.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS A SOLVE AND SHARE A VIDEO THAT KIDS JUST TUNED OUT. I TUNED OUT.

IT WAS A VIDEO AND THEN IT WAS GUIDED PRACTICE, INDEPENDENT PRACTICE. EVERY SINGLE DAY IN VISIONS, EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT. SO THAT IS WHERE TEACHERS HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A WORKLOAD BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE MATERIALS FOR THAT DAY.

BUT IT COULD BE A CARD GAME, IT COULD BE. I MEAN THERE IS INDEPENDENT WORK. THERE IS TIMES LIKE THE COOL DOWN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THERE IS THE COOL DOWN THAT WE CAN SEE THEIR WORK AND HOW THEY, IF THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OR NOT.

BUT EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT.

EVERY DAY IS A DIFFERENT ACTIVITY, GROUP, WORK, PARTNERS. IT'S JUST EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT AND IT'S.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY LIKE MATH AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN A GOOD WAY. YOU KNOW, LIKE KIDS WANT THE ROUTINES AND THEY KNOW LIKE, SORRY.

SO OUR WARM UP IS GOING TO BE THE SAME IN SECOND GRADE AS IT IS IN THIRD GRADE. THOSE ROUTINES ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME. SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN THAT REGARD.

BUT THE TYPE OF QUESTIONING AND THE TYPE OF INTERACTIONS THAT THEY HAVE IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT EVERY DAY.

THE OTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS MADE A BIG IMPACT WAS WE WENT FROM 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. SO THE STUDENTS WERE NOW IN INSTRUCTION FOR 60 MINUTES WHICH REALLY ALLOWED THEM TO.

AFTER ACTIVITIES THEY WERE ABLE TO SYNTHESIZE AND CONNECT THINGS FOR STUDENTS WHERE THAT WASN'T HAPPENING IN VISION AS WELL. AND THEY WERE REALLY ABLE TO NOW INVESTIGATE AND EXPLORE WHERE 45 MINUTES OF ENVISION IT WAS. HERE'S HOW TO DO IT.

NOW DO IT. YOU KNOW, WHERE IT WAS JUST MORE ENGAGING FOR THE STUDENTS.

DOES ILLUSTRIV COME WITH? YOU SAID THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET READY AND DOES IT COME WITH MATERIALS OR YOU'RE OUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE MATERIALS THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO USE TO TEACH THEM. SO IT COMES.

WE HAVE WORKBOOKS.

THE STUDENTS HAVE WORKBOOKS THAT THEY CAN DO SOME OF THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS IN, BUT THERE ARE ACTIVITIES WHERE THEY NEED CARDS. THERE MIGHT BE A CARD SORT OR A MATCHING ACTIVITY, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THEY'LL DO IN GROUPS. THOSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BUT IT IS ON THE TEACHER TO GET THEM PRINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, COPY THEM, LAMINATE THEM, HOWEVER YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT TO HAVE PREPARED.

SO THERE IS TIME IN PREPARATION THAT ESPECIALLY YOUR FIRST YEAR, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SAVE THEM TO USE THE NEXT YEAR AND YOU KNOW, BUILD ON THAT.

BUT THERE IS QUITE A BIT AT THE BEGINNING WHERE YOU NEED TO SPEND TIME IN PREPARATION AND JUST LEARNING THE PROGRAM AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DR. JOHNSON, DR.

BRINKLEY, IT'S AN OER. IT'S AN OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE THAT'S FREE COMPARED TO AN ENVISION, THOUGH IT'S NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE COST OF SOME OF

[01:30:01]

AND EVEN BOOKWORMS, WE RUN INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

BOOKWORMS IS ALSO AN OER, BUT THERE ARE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES FOR US TO PRINT AND OR TO PURCHASE SOME PACKETS. SO IT'S NOT TRULY FREE, BUT AGAIN, COMPARED TO YOUR LARGER PUBLISHERS AND YOUR CURRICULUM WRITERS, IT'S VERY INEXPENSIVE.

MY OBSERVATION, HAVING BEEN WITH MS. MARTINDALE FOR I GUESS A SEMESTER AND A HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER, I THINK IT. AND IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET MY HEAD AROUND WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO.

IN FACT, I EVEN WENT UP TO MIKHAIL ONE DAY. I'M LIKE, LOOK, WHEN ARE WE JUST GOING TO TEACH THEM THAT 7 PLUS 4 IS 11? PUT DOWN THE ONE, CARRY THE ONE, BRING IT OVER AND ADD THE DARN THINGS UP AND COME UP WITH THE ANSWER. AND SO THAT'S LIKE A SHORTCUT, I THINK.

IT'S NOT UNLIKE IF YOU'RE DIVIDING FRACTIONS. DON'T ASK WHY. I JUST FLIPPED AND MULTIPLE MULTIPLY.

YOU KNOW THAT SECOND NUMBER, YOU FLIP IT, YOU MULTIPLY THE BABIES ACROSS. WHAT I SAW ILLUSTRATIVE TRY TO DO WAS TO TEACH AND THIS IS HARD TO TEACH NUMBER SENSE. AND I THINK ANYTIME YOU TRY TO TEACH ANY SENSE, TRY TO TEACH SOMEBODY TO HEAR OR SOMEBODY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, LOOK HARDER, LOOK CLOSER.

SOMEBODY THAT GENERALLY GENUINELY DOES NOT HAVE NUMBER SENSE. IT'S REALLY HARD TO TEACH NUMBER SENSE.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IM REALLY TRIES TO DO IS ROUND OUT THE THINKING SO THAT INSTEAD OF MY KIND OF PRIMITIVE, YOU KNOW, SEVEN AND FOUR, PUT DOWN THE ONE, CARRY THE ONE.

IT'S MUCH MORE OF A CLUSTERING BY TENS, CLUSTERING BY ONES, AND HAVE THEM SEE WHY YOU CARRY THE ONE KIND OF THING. AND SO IT TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO GET MY HEAD AROUND WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO. SO IN THIS PROGRAM, YOU THINK IT PROBABLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM, WHEN THE KIDS ARE JUST STARTING, THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE, RIGHT.

FOR THE TEACHERS, BUT ALSO FOR THE KIDS, BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, YOU'RE NOT JUST GOING TO GIVE ME THIS FORMULA ANYMORE. I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHY I AM DOING THIS. SO IT TAKES THEM PROBABLY.

IT'S A WHOLE SWITCH OF THINKING TO DO IT. IT KIND OF THINKS, YOU KNOW, BUT IF THEY'RE STARTING IT IN KINDERGARTEN AND THOSE ROUTINES ARE SET, THEN THEY'RE GONNA KNOW.

THEY'RE GONNA KNOW BY THE TIME THEY'RE IN THIRD GRADE, AND IF THEY START DOING IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE THOSE SAME SIMILAR ROUTINES.

AND IT'S A WAY OF THINKING. THAT'S WHAT I SAID WHEN I HAD TO CHANGE MY MINDSET, THAT I WASN'T.

I'M TEACHING IT. YOU NEED TO DO IT. THAT'S WHEN IT TOOK OFF.

BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME FOR THE KIDS. LIKE, ONCE THEY HAVE THAT MINDSET, THAT'S HOW THEY'RE GONNA LEARN, AND THAT'S HOW THEY PICK IT UP. SO DO YOU EXPECT.

I GUESS. HAVE WE SEEN THAT? LIKE THE FIRST. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE JUST STARTING IT, WE HAVE NEW SCHOOLS STARTING IT, AND THERE'S A THIRD GRADER NOW THEY'RE STARTING IT.

DO WE EXPECT THEM TO HAVE TEST SCORES THAT AREN'T GREAT THE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN WE'LL START SEEING THEM COME UP? THERE'S SUCH A THING AS AN IMPLEMENTATION DIP, SO THAT OFTENTIMES HAPPENS WHEN YOU INITIATE A NEW CURRICULUM.

SO WE COULD EXPECT THAT, AND THAT MAY REPORT SOME OF OUR RESULTS THAT WE'VE SEEN, MAYBE A RESULT OF THAT.

YEAH.

THE ONE THING THAT THIS, SO FAR WE HAVEN'T.

WE DID SEE A DECLINE THIS PAST YEAR.

OKAY. THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF IT, AND JUST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING IS, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND WHY CERTAIN CULTURES ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN MATH, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF EFFORT AND RESILIENCE.

RIGHT.

THEY LEARN TO FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES, AND THEY KEEP TRYING TO, AND THEY HAVE THAT RESILIENCE.

AND I FEEL LIKE THIS PROGRAM LENDS TO THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO LEARN IT KIND OF NOT ON THEIR OWN, BUT THEY'RE HELPING WITH THEIR. YEAH.

SO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S THAT IS PART OF THIS PROGRAM ALSO TO SPEAK TO YOUR ABOUT THE STUDENTS COMING IN AND IT'S GETTING BETTER AS MORE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTY ARE ADOPTING THE SAME CURRICULUM. BUT WE COULD SEE A DIFFERENCE WHEN I WOULD HAVE A STUDENT TRANSFER IN AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IM AND MAYBE THEY HAVE ALREADY THEY HAD IT IN SECOND GRADE AND THEN IN THIRD GRADE AND WE WOULD GET THEM IN AS A NEW STUDENT COMING WHO HADN'T BEEN EXPOSED. YOU COULD SEE A DEFINITE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THEY WERE APPROACHING MATH AND IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THEM INTEGRATED INTO THE OUR CLASSROOM AND INTO OUR SO IT WILL GET BETTER AS THE STUDENTS HAVE MORE EXPOSURE TO IT.

SO RIGHT NOW MY THIRD GRADERS ARE THE FIRST GROUP THAT'S HAD IT IN KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND. SO I'M SEEING IT BUILD UP NOW. LAST YEAR WAS THE HIGHEST SCORE I HAD FOR THIRD GRADE.

THEY DID VERY WELL LAST YEAR, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR SECOND GRADERS. YEAH, THAT WAS EXTREMELY STRONG. I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT CONTINUE.

I'M HOPING WE'RE SEEING A POSITIVE HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM PARENTS ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T HOW I LEARNED AND WHY AREN'T YOU JUST

[01:35:01]

WELL IT'S NOT A SECOND GRADE STANDARD.

SO USUALLY IF I JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THIRD GRADE. BUT THEY I ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND IF THEY ARE DOING IT IN THEIR HEAD THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND HOW MAYBE YOU LEARNED IT ISN'T THE MOST EFFICIENT STRATEGY AND THAT YOUR KID'S BRAIN IS GOING TO PICK THE MOST EFFICIENT STRATEGY THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM. SO JUST BECAUSE YOU DID IT A CERTAIN WAY, LIKE YOUR KID'S BRAIN MIGHT BE DIFFERENT AND THEY MIGHT NEED TO DO FRIENDLY NUMBERS, THEY MIGHT NEED COMPENSATION.

IT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT THEY DO.

SO THAT'S USUALLY MY RESPONSE. SO PIGGYBACK ON THAT YOU JUST SOMETHING I HEARD YEARS AGO, A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE THIS, BUT JUST IN MATH WAS THAT I HAD THE RIGHT ANSWER BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT CORRECTLY.

AND SO I GOT SO I FAILED OR I GOT A NEGATIVE GRADE ON MY TEST BECAUSE I COULDN'T AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SAYING THAT TO ME WERE STUDENTS THAT WERE GOOD AT MATH AND WERE NOT REALLY GOOD ELA STUDENTS.

SO THEY WERE GOOD AT SOLVING A PROBLEM, BUT THEY WEREN'T REALLY GREAT AT WRITING WHY AND HOW THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. SO I SAW MATH STUDENTS STRUGGLING THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS ONE AND SOME OF HER FRIENDS THAT WERE GOOD MATH STUDENTS WHEN THEY STARTED TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY GOT THERE.

SO IS IT DIFFERENT THAN THAT NOW OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO SOMETHING I REALLY LIKE ABOUT ILLUSTRATIVE, NOW, SECOND GRADE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WE'RE JUST KIND OF STARTING THAT REASONING AND WRITING AND THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT ONE THING THAT I REMEMBER FROM ENVISIONS IS YOU HAD TO USE THAT STRATEGY.

NOW WITH ILLUSTRATIVE IT'S AGAIN LIKE DO WHATEVER WORKS. HOW YOU GET THE RIGHT ANSWER AND WHEN YOUR WHY YOU CAN USE YOUR MATH WRITING TO SHOW YOUR WHY. WE RECENTLY MOVED AWAY FROM WRITING GRADES WITH MATH AND WE STILL HAVE THEM, BUT WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM LIKE THOSE COMPLETE SENTENCES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

BUT YOU PROBABLY COULD SPEAK MORE ON JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU SAID. YES, THEY ARE GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITY TO. THEY NEED TO SHOW WORK ON HOW THEY SOLVE IT.

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW A PARTICULAR STRATEGY. IF THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THE CARRYING THE ONE AND THAT'S THE STRATEGY THEY USE AND THEY'RE EFFICIENT AND THEY'RE GETTING THE RIGHT ANSWER, THEY'RE GOING TO PASS THE TEST. IF THEY NEED TO DECOMPOSE AND BREAK NUMBERS APART AND DO THAT, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.

THEY'RE NOT LOCKED INTO ONE STRATEGY. THE PROGRAM DOES SHOW THEM MULTIPLE STRATEGIES AND. AND THEY GET THE OPPORTUNITY.

THE GREAT THING ABOUT ALL THE DISCUSSIONS IS THEY GET TO SEE HOW OTHER STUDENTS ARE COMING UP WITH THEIR STRATEGIES. AND THERE'S SO MUCH TIME SPENT DISCUSSING THAT AND LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW WE CAN GET TO ANSWERS IN THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT ANSWER IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I THINK MOST STUDENTS DO HAVE AN ENTRY POINT.

SO THOSE STUDENTS WHO AREN'T AS GOOD AT EXPLAINING OR FOLLOWING THIS ONE STRATEGY, THEY CAN DO IT IN OTHER WAYS.

I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS AN IMPROVEMENT. WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY ABOUT STUDENTS IS INCREASED ENGAGEMENT, INCREASED ENTHUSIASM.

WHAT ABOUT CREATIVITY? THEY JUST PLAYING THAT TOO. WELL, I THINK IT KIND OF GOES TO WHAT MS. DREICHAR'S WAS SAYING IN TERMS OF THEY'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS AND USE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES. SO THAT IN ITSELF IS VERY CREATIVE.

RIGHT. AND SO WHEN THEY START TO TALK ABOUT THAT, OTHER STUDENTS ARE LIKE, OH, WELL, I DID IT THIS WAY OR.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SOLVING A PROBLEM, THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVE, CREATIVE THOUGHT TO HOW TO GO ABOUT SOLVING A PROBLEM.

I THINK IN TERMS OF FROM A PRINCIPAL'S LENS, WE OFTEN GET. SOMETIMES THE PARENTS WHO CALL AND ARE JUST LIKE, WELL, JUST TEACH THEM THE MATH RIGHT. AND I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY.

I SAT IN A MEETING WITH A PARENT WHO, WHO HAS TRANSFERRED FROM PRIVATE INTO OUR SCHOOL. AND SHE HAS A FIFTH GRADER AND THE FIFTH GRADER IS STRUGGLING WITH MATH. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, SHE KNEW 3 TIMES 10 WAS 30, BUT WHEN YOU GAVE HER 3 TIMES 15, SHE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT THE ANSWER BECAUSE THAT WASN'T, SHE HADN'T MEMORIZED THE ANSWER AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE A STRATEGY TO TRY TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER.

WHERE SOME OF THE STUDENTS WERE LIKE, WELL, YOU COULD DO THREE TIMES 10 IS 30 AND THEN YOU ADD THREE FIVE MORE TIMES AND YOU'LL GET THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW, SO SHE WAS MISSING THE NUMBER SENSE THAT OUR STUDENTS HAD HAD BECAUSE AS MOM SAT THERE AND WE KIND OF TALKED THROUGH EVERYTHING, SHE'S LIKE, YEP. SO THEY WERE

[01:40:02]

AND REALLY WHAT SHE NEEDED WAS TO BE HERE LEARNING MATH FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT I WAS IN PRIVATE SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, SO SHE COULD SEE, JUST IN A 45 MINUTE TIME OF TALKING, THE WEAKNESSES THAT HER CHILD HAD WAS MORE ABOUT NOT HAVING THAT NUMBER SENSE AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT SHE HAD. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE START TO SEE MORE PARENTS NOW.

THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, THEY'LL GET TO LEARNING THE ALGORITHM, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE, DO THE MATH AND USE THE STRATEGY THAT'S BEST FOR THEM. THEY'RE NOT FRUSTRATED. THE KIDS AREN'T FRUSTRATED.

LIKE AS SOON AS THE STUDENT SAID TO HER, OH, YOU COULD DO IT THIS WAY, SHE WAS LIKE, WHERE SHE WAS VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T COME UP WITH THREE, THREE TIMES 15.

RIGHT. SO SHE, YOU COULD SEE THE CHANGE IN HER, LIKE, OH, THAT WOULD WORK.

YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.

AND IN GENERAL, COMPARED TO A CURRICULUM THAT TEACHES A PREFERRED STRATEGY, NOT EVERYONE'S GOOD AT MATH NO MATTER WHAT THE CURRICULUM IS. BUT DO YOU FIND THAT STUDENTS THAT MIGHT STRUGGLE A LITTLE BIT ARE STILL ENGAGED AND WILLING TO LEARN VERSUS I DON'T GET MATH.

AND IT'S OKAY, THANK YOU.

AND I JUST ONE POINT, DR.

JOHNSON, YOU HAD SAID THAT WE DID DIP THIS YEAR IN OUR MATH AND MCAP SCORES, BUT THAT WASN'T ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND SOME OF. AND IT WASN'T ENTIRELY DUE TO IM MATH.

AGREE COMPLETELY.

OKAY, COULD WE ALSO LOOK AT, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS PROBABLY LOOK AT IT, BUT COULD YOU SHOW US AT SOME POINT, OBVIOUSLY NOTHING BUT FOLLOW A CLASS, FOLLOW THE CLASSES INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR.

THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THOSE ARE DIFFERENT CLASS EVERY YEAR. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW THIS THIRD GRADE, THIS COHORT, HOW THEY IN THIRD GRADE, HOW THEY WERE IN FIFTH GRADE AND HOW THEY DID SIXTH GRADE.

JUST KIND OF TO SEE HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO. I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE AS I TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS. SO A LOT OF WHAT OUR LEADS FOLKS TALKED ABOUT AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEXT STEPS FOR ELEMENTARY AND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE'RE RESPONDING TO THOSE REVISED STANDARDS FOR MARYLAND FOR MATH.

AND ALSO THAT SUPPORT FOR IM. AND ALL OF IT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO MAKE CONNECTIONS, WHICH WE'VE TAUGHT ABOUT. IT ENCOURAGES FLEXIBLE THINKING.

STUDENTS ARE MAKING THEIR THINKING VISIBLE, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT. AND ALSO THAT ENGAGEMENT PIECE, SOMETHING THAT WE SAY IN MATH IS PAY ATTENTION TO WHO'S DOING THE TALKING BECAUSE THAT'S WHO'S DOING THE THINKING. AND OUR IM CURRICULUM AND OUR REVISED STANDARDS ARE WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT STUDENTS HAVE TO EXPLAIN THEIR THINKING AND TEACHERS HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT.

AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR TEACHERS, MORE SO TEACHERS THAN STUDENTS IN THE BEGINNING, WE ARE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT PROGRESS BECAUSE OF IT. SO AGAIN, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT FOR REVISED STANDARDS AS WELL. SO THAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR.

THE REVISED STANDARDS ARE K THROUGH 8. THE REVISED STANDARDS DON'T GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL UNTIL 2829. YOU MAY HEAR AROUND THE STATE THAT SOME SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO START THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED ALGEBRA 1 NEXT YEAR.

A FEW LEAS ARE GOING TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO 2829. AND ALSO WE HAVE TO HAVE DR. HAMMER TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER, REVISE OUR ACCELERATION POLICY SO THAT WE'RE INCLUDING STARTING BEGINNING IN THIRD GRADE, WHERE STUDENTS CAN GO INTO ACCELERATED, BUT IF IT'S ACCELERATED FOR THEM, THAT THEY CAN HAVE AN OFF RAMP AS WELL.

SO WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS AS THEY ENTER INTO ACCELERATION AND THEN FINALLY THOSE CCR PATHWAYS WHEN THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL THAT AFTER INTEGRATED ALGEBRA 2, STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE TRADITIONAL CALCULUS TRACK.

THEY CAN DO DATA AND STATISTICS OR THEY CAN DO THE QUANTITATIVE MATH PATHWAY AND ONCE THEY GET PAST INTEGRATED ALGEBRA TOO, THAT THEY WILL HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY BETWEEN THE PATHWAYS IF THEY DECIDE TO GO DOWN ONE PATH AND DECIDE, HEY, I WANT TO TAKE A COURSE OVER HERE, THAT WE BUILD THE COURSES IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY. ALL RIGHT,

[01:45:03]

FOLLOW UP TO WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER. SO WHERE MATH FINALLY CLICKED FOR ME WAS AFTER SCHOOL, IN SCHOOL. I JUST DIDN'T.

I DIDN'T FIND IT WAS A LOT OF THIS EQUALS THIS FOR THIS REASON. AND IT WASN'T REAL WORLD SCENARIOS.

AND THEN WHEN I GOT INTO THE WORKPLACE AND I HAD TO USE IT JUST ON A DAILY BASIS, LIKE ALL THE TIME AND CALCULATING PROFITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN IT ALL STARTED TO REALLY ADD UP AND MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.

ARE YOU SEEING THIS CURRICULUM CREATING MORE REAL WORLD THOUGHTS AND CONVERSATIONS? DOES IT KIND OF. I KNOW YOU'RE IN SECOND AND THIRD GRADE, SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF REAL WORLD THERE. BUT.

BUT LIKE AS WE GO INTO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, POSSIBLY, WOULD IT BE MORE OF THAT TYPE OF CURRICULUM TO WHERE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S REALLY MEANINGFUL IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE RATHER THAN JUST THIS IS A MATH PROBLEM, SOLVE IT? YES, ESPECIALLY. AND AGAIN, ONLY AT THIRD GRADE LEVEL. BUT I KNOW FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE IS GOING TO BUILD ON THAT.

THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE GIVEN ARE GIVEN IN A REAL WORLD CONTEXT. AND THAT'S WHAT ALSO HELPS IT BE MORE INVESTING, INVESTIGATIVE AND THE KIDS TO BUY IN A LITTLE MORE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE WORKING ON AREA, THEY'LL GIVE THEM A SITUATION LIKE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH CARPET WE NEED IN THIS AREA.

AND THE KIDS WILL GET SOME PARAMETERS AND THEY HAVE TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT. AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL BE GETTING OUT TILES AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEM DOWN THEMSELVES AND THEY'LL HAVE IT ON A PAPER AND THEY'LL COUNT THEM OUT.

SO SEEING THAT KIND OF CONNECTION TO THE REAL WORLD REALLY DOES HELP THEM.

AND WE DISCUSS IT IN CLASS AS WELL. I KNOW YOU DID A SNAKE THING THAT THEY LOVED EVEN IN SECOND GRADE. YEAH, SECOND GRADE WE'RE DOING REAL WORLD.

I LOVE IT. I THINK WHEN I, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHEN WE ARE SOLVING PROBLEMS IN OUR HEAD MENTALLY, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S JUST REAL WORLD.

OF COURSE WE HAVE MONEY UNITS, WE HAVE MEASUREMENT UNITS, WE HAVE UNITS FOR OUR TWO DIGIT, THREE DIGIT.

AND I MEAN ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO APPLY IN THE REAL WORLD. AND YOU NEED TO BE EFFICIENT AND YOU NEED TO. YOU SAID WHEN YOU GOT OLDER AND YOU WERE DOING PROFITS, HOW YOU DO MATH IN YOUR HEAD IS HOW WE'RE GONNA TEACH IT IN SECOND AND THIRD GRADE.

WE'RE GONNA LET THEM FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM. AND LIKE, SO IT'S NOT, MAYBE NOT AS A CARPET IN SECOND GRADE, BUT THOSE SKILLS THAT I'M TEACHING OF.

YOU SAID SEVEN PLUS FOUR.

LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA WORK BEST FOR YOU TO GET THAT, THAT ADDITION EQUATION SOLVED. SO IT'S GONNA HELP THEM IN THE REAL WORLD. THOSE ARE THE MATH PROBLEMS. YOU NEED TO KNOW EVERY SINGLE DAY.

YEAH. THE EXAMPLE YOU USED EARLIER, LIKE, BLOCKING IT OUT LIKE YOU DID AND FIGURING THINGS OUT LIKE THAT, I MEAN, THAT CAN BE KIND OF.

THAT'S ONLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, 15 TIMES THREE.

BUT THAT IS. THAT CAN BE USED FOR ALMOST EVERY PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS IN THE REAL WORLD.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, AND I THINK I STRUGGLED. AND THEN LATER IN LIFE, I. WHEN I ACTUALLY, WHEN MY KIDS STARTED TO SHOW ME HOW THEY WERE DOING WORK, I'M LIKE, THAT'S HOW MY BRAIN'S ALWAYS BEEN WORKING, LIKE.

BUT NOBODY EVER EXPLAINED THAT TO ME. SO IT SOUNDS. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING TO PARENTS BECAUSE WHEN MY KIDS FIRST CAME HOME AND MY WIFE WAS HELPING AND IT WASN'T HOW SHE LEARNED, IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING TO BE AN ACTIVE PARENT IN THEIR LEARNING.

SO I THINK THERE'S A BRIDGE THERE POSSIBLY THAT WE NEED TO GAP, BUT SO WE DO A LOT OF MATH NIGHTS. YEAH, THAT'S GREAT. IF YOU'D EVER LIKE TO COME.

I WANT TO COME IN THE CLASSROOM. YES. AND THAT'S EXACTLY AS A STUDENT.

I THINK HE WANTS TO COME IN AS A STUDENT, PROBABLY THIRD GRADE. I MIGHT DO OKAY THERE. BUT IT'S A WAY TO HELP OUR PARENTS, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENINGS, WORKING WITH THEM SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO LEARN THAT FOR SURE.

LIKE, THAT'S WHERE THE MOST OF OUR ISSUES WOULD PROBABLY.

OR CRITICISM WOULD COME, IS THAT IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE KNEW IT ONE WAY, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME IN OUR MIND. YEAH.

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION. SO WE HAVE NOW WE HAVE FOUR.

FOUR BRAND NEW SCHOOLS USING IT. ARE WE USING OUR SEASONED TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO THE NEW, HEY, IT'S SOME.

HANG IN THERE.

THIS IS SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE. I MEAN, ARE WE.

WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM LEEDS IMPLEMENTATION.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AS IT RELATES TO MATERIALS, THAT'S ONE VERY EASY EXAMPLE.

AFTER WE DISCOVERED SOME OF THE PREP WORK THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING A SUBSEQUENT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY FOR OUR OTHER SCHOOLS, WE HAD A MAKE AND TAKE SESSION. SO THEY MADE THOSE MATERIALS TOGETHER RIGHT THEN.

SO AS WE'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY AND WE ARE LEANING ON THEIR EXPERIENCE FOR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE. WE'RE ABSOLUTELY DOING THAT. AND THAT'S WHERE WE COULD USE VOLUNTEERS AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR TEACHERS AND MS. REISER FOR BEING HERE. DR.

BRINKLEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, LADIES. COULD WE GET AN UPDATE MAYBE EVERY THREE, FOUR MONTHS OR SOMETHING.

ESPECIALLY FROM THE FOR NEW SCHOOLS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED.

[01:50:01]

THIS IS WHERE I SEE MY STUDENTS DOING WELL OR STRUGGLING. WE EXPECT SOME DIPS IN THE ASSESSMENT WITH THE FIRST YEAR.

THE SCHOOL IS IMPLEMENTING IT FOR YEAR ONE. BUT COULD WE HAVE THAT SO THAT. SURE.

WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR CAC IF YOU WANT TO IN OCTOBER. OKAY, GOOD. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. MEETING ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.