An independent audit of Baltimore County?s school system revealed an “ongoing disconnect” among what standardized assessments require students to know, what?s required in the county?s written curriculum and what?s actually covered in the classroom, officials said.
The report blames disparities on a lack of curriculum leadership and calls for a new position of chief academic officer that will report to Superintendent Joe Hairston. Auditors contracted from Phi Delta Kappa Curriculum Management Services Inc. also recommended an overhaul of curriculum guides to address achievement gaps.
“There is a significant difference between providing instruction and ensuring that every child learns,” Hairston said in a statement. “What they have provided us with is what our school system needs to move forward? an intense but objective assessment of the gaps between what we say and in fact might believe we are doing, and our actual performance.”
The statement released by the school system emphasizes the audit was self-initiated, and recommendations appear to be already under way. Hairston earlier announced the hiring of Sonia Diaz as an associate superintendent to address curriculum issues.
In the statement, auditors ? who visited 157 schools during the first week of December and conducted interviews with Hairston, board of education members, parents and teachers ? indicated they believe improvements are attainable.
“Baltimore County has one of the strongest planning components of any I?ve seen in a very long time,” audit team leader Fenwick English said. “Under the leadership of Dr. Hairston, they are ready to go to the next level.”
County officials did not respond to a request for the report by press time. Auditors will offer an overview of their findings at the Board of Education meeting tonight. The full report will be available online beginning Friday, officials said.
