Montgomery County’s Board of Education members are expected to sign off today on a long-awaited $10 million middle school reform plan that increases academic rigor and standardizes teaching quality districtwide.
The board last month tentatively approved the policy that paves the way for the reform. Yet it delayed the final vote to allow the trio of new members to have extra time with the proposal.
Linda Ferrell, director of middle school instructional achievement, has told The Examiner that the initiative began years ago following a 2004 school system audit that pointed to deficiencies with parental involvement and after-school programs.
“We primarily learned from the audit that there was nothing consistent in our 36 middle schools, from school schedules to course offerings,” Ferrell said. “Parents also shared major concerns about the lack of rigor in subject areas and about academic performance.”
To address these areas, highlights of the reform include: an increased number of electives offerings in arts and technology; an internship program for aspiring middle school principals; the hiring of new mathematics and literacy content specialists; a surge in the number of guidance counselors; and the establishment of an academy to teach parents how to use school resources and help students excel.
According to the official report about the reform, the plan will be phased in over the next three school years. The first year — next fall — recommended improvements would be implemented in five schools. During the next two years, the number of schools included will depend upon the amount of county money allocated in the budget.
For the fiscal2008 budget, Superintendent Jerry Weast is requesting that $2.5 million go toward middle school reform.
Weast said in a memo to the board about the plans that “time is of the essence” for approving enhancements to middle school education.
“By implementing middle school reform, the bridge between elementary school and high school will be strengthened,” he wrote.
