[A. Presentation of Harford County Public Schools Family and Community Engagement, Dr. Dyann Mack, Deputy Superintendent for Academics, Ms. Mary Beth Stapleton, Manager of Family and Community Partnerships, and Mr. Jack Getz, Senior Software Developer ]

DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT FOR ACADEMICS. ITEM A IS PRESENTATION OF FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE WHOEVER YOU HAVE PRESENTING. AND THEN DO YOU WANT TO COME SIT UP HERE AS WELL OR I CAN IT MIGHT BE EASIER FOR THE CAMERA. AND YOU CAN WE'LL JUST PULL UP ANOTHER SEAT. LET'S. CAN WE JUST MAYBE PULL UP JUST. OKAY. JUST SORRY. JUST. SO WE CAN ALL SCOOT DOWN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELCOME, WELCOME. SO TODAY WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH FALLS UNDER BOARD GOAL NUMBER TWO WITH ME, I HAVE MISS MARYBETH STAPLETON, MANAGER OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND MR. JACK GETZ, SENIOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MACK. THE NATIONAL PTA STANDARDS FOR FAMILY AND SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS DRIVES THE WORK FOR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN OUR WORK WITH FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WE KNOW THAT ENGAGING PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE PARTNERS IN THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS IS THE PRIORITY FOR ALL OF CPS. IN ORDER FOR PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING, HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ESSENTIAL AND MUST BE PROVIDED. PARTNER AND COMMUNITY AND PARENTS MUST BE VIEWED AS ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN ORDER FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR EVERY STUDENT. SO IN ORDER TO GUIDE THIS WORK, WE USE THE NATIONAL PTA STANDARDS FOR FAMILY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS. ON THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE SIX STANDARDS THAT THE NATIONAL PTA USES TO GUIDE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT'S WELCOMING ALL FAMILIES INTO OUR SCHOOL, MAKING SURE THAT SCHOOL HOUSE IS OPEN AND ENGAGING, AND REALLY JUST HELPFUL TO PARENTS WITH THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE LENS, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY AND THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE IS MORE TWO WAY THAN ONE WAY, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THAT PARENT TEACHER CONNECTION IS HAPPENING AND THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE REACHING OUT TO PARENTS AS WELL. EFFECTIVELY, WE'RE SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS. SO WE'RE REALLY EQUIPPING PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO ENGAGE THEIR CHILDREN IN THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS. HOW DO THEY SUPPORT THEM AT HOME? HOW DO WE SPEAK UP FOR EVERY CHILD AND ADVOCATE? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE SHARE POWER IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE? SO THAT MAKES SURE MAKING SURE WE HAVE OUR PTA AND OUR PARENT LEADERS AS PART OF THE DECISION MAKING. AND HOW ARE WE COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. SO ALL OF THOSE STANDARDS ARE WHAT WE USE TO GUIDE BOTH CENTRAL AND SCHOOL BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE USES THESE STANDARDS AS OUR WORK WITH SCHOOL BASED AND CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. AND IN OUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THREE OF THOSE STANDARDS WELCOMING ALL FAMILIES, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY, AND SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS AS THE COMMUNITY WORKS ALONGSIDE OF OUR PARENTS AND OUR PARENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIAISONS, OUR TITLE ONE OFFICES, OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL SPECIALISTS, WE WORK TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMING AND PARTNERS TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS, UNDERSTANDING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE LENS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REALLY HELPS US BUILD TRUST WITH THE PARENT, THE TEACHER, AND THE SCHOOL LEADERS SO THAT WE'RE MOVING STUDENTS FORWARD TOWARDS THAT NORTH STAR GOAL. DOCTOR MAC WELCOMING ALL FAMILIES. OUR SCHOOLS TAKE PRIDE IN MAKING SURE THAT EACH ONE OF OUR FAMILIES FEEL SEEN, VALUED AND HEARD. EXCUSE ME? RELATIONSHIPS ARE AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO AS EDUCATORS, AND THAT IS EVIDENT AS YOU WATCH OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS GREET OUR FAMILIES EACH AND EVERY DAY,

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WHETHER IT IS BY BECAUSE OF, A SCHOOL MEMBER HAS WELCOMED THEIR FAMILIES AND BY NAME, OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE GONE TO SEE A FAMILY EVENT AFTER HOURS. OUR HCP'S EDUCATORS ARE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING BUSINESS. WHEN YOU WALK INTO OUR BUILDINGS, YOU CAN SEE AND FEEL THE SENSE OF PRIDE THAT WE HAVE FOR WHAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. YOU WILL SEE AND FIND FACES OF OUR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT OUR BUILDINGS. YOU WILL SEE THEIR STUDENT WORK. YOU WILL SEE THE FLAGS THAT REPRESENT THE COUNTRIES THAT THEY'RE FROM, AND YOU WILL SEE THE VARIOUS RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST OUR FAMILIES. WHILE SOME SCHOOLS HAVE TRADITIONAL BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE TRANSITIONED TO RESOURCE FAIRS. AND IN THOSE RESOURCE FAIRS, WHAT YOU WILL SEE ARE COMMUNITY PARTNERS COMING TOGETHER TO SHOW OUR FAMILIES WHAT THEY HAVE TO ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCE THAT OUR HARFORD COUNTY PARENTS HAVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU WILL ALSO SEE OPPORTUNITIES AT THESE RESOURCE FAIRS FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO HIGHLIGHT THE SUPPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION TO OUR BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, OUR SCHOOLS AT EACH LEVEL HOLD ORIENTATIONS FOR OUR FAMILIES. WHETHER IT IS A PUPPY PREP AT FOREST HILL ELEMENTARY TO WELCOME THE KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS, OR THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS PROVIDE TO WELCOME IN OUR SECONDARY STUDENTS, YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE WELCOMED AND PROVIDED THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IN ADDITION TO OUR BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS HOST MAGNET SCHOOL, OPEN HOUSES, DUAL ENROLLMENT OPEN HOUSES, AND NIGHTS IN COLLABORATION WITH HCC, AND THEN FAFSA NIGHTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP OUR FAMILIES GET READY FOR THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS. MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE MILITARY CONNECTED. ROY WILLIAMS IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND LIAISON THAT WORKS COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE SCHOOL AND WITH THE FAMILY SO THAT THEY HAVE THE JUST RIGHT RESOURCES. ROY WILLIAMS HAS ALSO CREATED A SCHOOL BASED LIAISON, AND THEY UTILIZE THE HUSBAND OF A PARAEDUCATOR WHO IS RETIRED MILITARY PERSONNEL. AND THEY ALSO HAVE CREATED STUDENT AMBASSADORS THAT SUPPORT OUR MILITARY CONNECTED FAMILIES AS THEY JOIN THE ROY WILLIAMS FAMILY, OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PARENTS. THEY RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM THE MOMENT THAT THEY WALK INTO OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, THEY ARE A PART OF A COMMUNITY WHERE WE OFFER TRANSLATION SERVICES AND OTHER RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE HOME SCHOOL CONNECTION.

ADDITIONALLY, OUR ELL TEACHERS HOST ELL BLOCK PARTIES THAT ENHANCES THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR ELL STUDENTS TO BE A PART OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. AND FINALLY, FOR OUR FAMILIES WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, WE HAVE PARTNERS FOR SUCCESS. WE HAVE TWO COORDINATORS THAT SUPPORT THIS WORK, AND THESE COORDINATORS WORK DIRECTLY WITH PARENTS TO CONNECT THEM WITH RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR STUDENTS. THE PARENT COORDINATORS CONSULT WITH PARENTS AND SUPPORT THEM WITH ISSUES RELATED TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESS, AND HELP THEM TO SUPPORT HEALTHY PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. SO WHEN WE SPEAK TO COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY, IT'S THAT TWO WAY COMMUNICATION THAT WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT PARENT TEACHER COMMUNICATION. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO COMMUNICATE BEST WITH TODAY'S PARENTS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS THAT PARENTS PREFER. AND SO WE ASK OUR SCHOOLS TO ASK OUR PARENTS WHAT THEIR PREFERENCES ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, SO THAT THEY CAN REALLY SUPPORT THOSE HOMESCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS WITH HIGH QUALITY OUTREACH AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. EFFECTIVE TWO WAY COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT OUR SCHOOLS REALLY TALK WITH PARENTS ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCES, WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR, WHEN THEY WANT TO HEAR IT, IN WHAT FORMAT.

SO THAT COULD BE EMAILS, THAT COULD BE TEXT MESSAGES, THAT COULD BE SOME APPS THAT SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS USE. BUT IT'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CHOICES THAT PARENTS ASK FOR AND OUR SCHOOLS ACCOMMODATE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN BECOME MORE AND MORE POPULAR IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS THE USE OF VIDEOS. AND SO OFTENTIMES YOU WILL SEE THE PRINCIPAL, SOMETIMES SCHOOL TEAMS USING A VIDEO FORMAT TO COMMUNICATE THE TRADITIONAL NEWSLETTER THAT MAY GO HOME. IF YOU'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU OFTEN SEE THE PRESENCE OF OUR SCHOOLS IN THE HAPPENINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. OUR SCHOOL TEAMS ARE ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEY'RE FINDING UNIQUE AND CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTING WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN THE SCHOOL HOUSE, AS WELL AS KEEPING OUR FAMILIES INFORMED AS A SYSTEM. WE HAVE ASKED HTTPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMPLEMENTS OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE. ASK

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HCBS IS A RESOURCE WHERE FAMILIES CAN GET ANSWERS TO SOME OF THOSE OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS AND SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL RELATED CHALLENGES. OUR SYSTEM WIDE COMMUNICATION IS AVAILABLE SO THAT FAMILIES CAN RECEIVE CALLS, EMAILS, AND THAT IS OUR PRIMARY WAY OF KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS INFORMED. SO AS I MENTIONED, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE IDENTIFIES THE NEEDS TO COMMUNICATE TO FAMILIES BY REVIEWING WHAT WE CALL WEEKLY QUERIES. AND SO WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT WEBSITE TRAFFIC WE'RE RECEIVING EACH WEEKEND, REALLY THE PRIOR WEEK, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF THE MESSAGING FOR FAMILIES SO WE CAN REALLY PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY, A QUERY THAT WE RECEIVED WAS ABOUT THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS NIGHT COMING UP, AND THAT WAS THE HIGHEST INTEREST THAT WE HAD. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT EFFECTIVELY AND TRACKING THAT. AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE REALLY DECIDED THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO WE REALLY DID HAVE SUPPORT FROM JACK AND HIS TEAM TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A WAY TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S BEEN A REALLY SUCCESSFUL NEW ADDITION THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CELEBRATIONS IN PLACE, AND THAT WE'RE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HONORING BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

AND SO I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOL AWARD EVENTS AND THE MOST VALUABLE PARENT EVENTS. THOSE ARE SO MUCH FUN. WE'RE SO THANKFUL TO CHICK FIL A FOR SPONSORING THOSE EVENTS FOR US. AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS REALLY ELEVATE WHAT BEST PRACTICES LOOK LIKE ACROSS THE DISTRICT. AND SO THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE HAS USED A RUBRIC, AGAIN, USING THOSE PTA STANDARDS TO REALLY ASSESS THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOMINATED. ARE THEY REACHING THAT GOLD STAR STANDARD AROUND PARENT ENGAGEMENT. AND SO THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CELEBRATED THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED QUARTERLY, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ALSO THAT RECENTLY OUR SUPERINTENDENT WAS RECOGNIZED.

DOCTOR BALSAM WAS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR THIS WORK IN INNOVATION AND CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS AND REALLY SHARING THOSE BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. WHEN HE RECEIVED THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CHANGEMAKER AWARD. LEARN WITH ME IS AN INITIATIVE THAT BEGAN IN 2019, AND IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FAMILIES TO COME INTO OUR CLASSROOMS AND HAVE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES LEARNING RIGHT BESIDE THEIR CHILD, ALL ACROSS OUR COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR, FAMILIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN WITH THEIR CHILD AND SEE THE GREAT WORK THAT IS OCCURRING IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THIS YEAR, WE WORKED WITH OUR PROGRAMMERS AND TECHNOLOGY TO SEND OUT REPORT CARDS VIA EMAIL. IN ADDITION TO THE PAPER COPIES THAT SCHOOLS COULD USE IF THEY OPT TO. OUR FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR REPORT CARD OF THEIR STUDENT VIA EMAIL, AS WELL AS ON THE HOME ACCESS CENTER. WE'VE ALSO EXPANDED ACCESS TO CANVAS FOR OUR FAMILIES, AS WELL AS PROVIDING IREADY REPORTS, WHICH IS AN ASSESSMENT THAT IS USED TO ASSESS OUR STUDENTS IN THE AREA OF READING AND MATH. EACH OF THESE INITIATIVES ENHANCE PARENT ACCESS TO OUR CURRICULUM, AS WELL AS TIMELY GRADES AND AS WELL AS THEIR ASSESSMENT DATA.

THE HOME SCHOOL CONNECTION IS ALSO STRENGTHENED THIS YEAR THROUGH THE WORK OF THE ELEMENTARY OFFICE AND OUR HOSTING OF PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR TEACHERS UNION, WE CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE PARENTS TO COME TOGETHER AND COLLABORATE TO CELEBRATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUCCESS, AS WELL AS THE CHALLENGES IN BOTH OF THOSE AREAS. IT IS ALSO DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THOSE THE FEEDBACK THAT FAMILIES MIGHT NEED TO KNOW HOW THEY MIGHT SUPPORT THEIR STUDENT RESOURCES WERE PROVIDED TO FAMILIES BEFORE THE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE SO THAT THEY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, AND SO THAT THEY COULD BECOME A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THAT CONFERENCE. BY THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER, 12,900 OF OUR STUDENTS, PARENTS OR GUARDIANS PARTICIPATED IN OUR CONFERENCE.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT 71% OF OUR STUDENT, OUR FAMILIES ALREADY PARTICIPATE BY THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER. FOR OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, THE CONFERENCE NIGHT IS ALSO AVAILABLE AND IT IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. SO WE HEAR FROM PARENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT ABOUT THE NEED FOR SUPPORT FOR PARENTING. AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS BUILT THE PARENT ACADEMY AS A RESOURCE FOR PARENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. A COUPLE OF THOSE RESOURCES INCLUDE THE PARENT ACADEMY, REAL TALKS, WHERE I SIT DOWN WITH KEY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND TALK ABOUT STRATEGIES, INFORMATION,

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ANYTHING PARENTS NEED TO DO TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN BE SUCCESSFUL. WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP THAT'S NEW THIS YEAR WITH PARENT GUIDANCE ORG, AND THEY'VE BEEN OFFERING MONTHLY LUNCH AND LEARNS OR DINE AND LEARNS THAT ARE VIRTUAL EVENTS THAT PARENTS CAN JOIN AND LEARN ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC. WE DID SURVEY PARENTS TO ASK WHAT TOPICS THEY WERE INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DESIGN PROGRAMING AROUND THOSE INTERESTS, AND WE'VE HAD QUITE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PARENTS JOIN US, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT THIS YEAR. WE ALSO HAVE A MONTHLY PARENT CONNECTION NEWSLETTER, SO WE PUT IN THERE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TIPS AND TRICKS PARENTS CAN HAVE IN PLACE TO REALLY SUPPORT THAT HOMESCHOOL PARTNERSHIP AND HOW TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SCHOOLING. WE HAVE A PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL. THOSE ARE MEMBERS OF REPRESENTING ACROSS THE DISTRICT, PARENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING OUR PTAS, TO TALK ABOUT WITH OUR SCHOOL LEADERS. WHAT ARE SOME PRESSING ISSUES THAT WE NEED FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS ON? AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN MANY DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS WITH KEY LEADERS ABOUT STRATEGIES THAT THAT NEEDED PARENT FEEDBACK AND NEEDED PARENT INPUT. WE ALSO HAVE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO THAT'S A PARENT COMMITTEE THAT'S DESIGNED JUST FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. PARENTS, PARENTS WHO WHO REALLY WANT TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, AGAIN, TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, MEETING MONTHLY VIA ZOOM WITH IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND EVENTS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. EACH MEETING INCLUDES A GUEST SPEAKER WITH A PRESENTATION AIMED AT SUPPORTING PARENTS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. AND THEY HAVE A CHAIR THAT'S A LIAISON WITH THE STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL AND DISSEMINATES INFORMATION FROM THESE MEETINGS. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT HELP OUR STUDENTS SUCCESS. SO IN MY OFFICE, WORKING WITH OTHER OFFICES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, CLOSELY WITH THE PTA AND OTHER PARENT LEADER GROUPS, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE PARTNERS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WITH THE OFFICE OF PURCHASING, MY OFFICE CREATED A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. SO IF A PARTNER IS INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR WORK AND SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS, THEY SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL TO SHOW US THAT THEY HAVE A 501 C3 OR A LICENSED BUSINESS. THEY HAVE INSURANCE. ALL THOSE PIECES THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE. WE REVIEW THAT APPLICATION WITH AN INNER OFFICE WORK GROUP CALLED THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE. AND WHAT WE DO IS MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OF THE SYSTEM OR SCHOOLS, AND WE REALLY TRY TO PLUG IN THOSE PARTNERS WHERE THOSE NEEDS ARE, ARE, ARE MOST APPARENT. AND SO WE WORK WITH SCHOOL BASED LEADERS TO PLUG THEM IN TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE LASSOS, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PARENTS. THEY REALLY DO DESIGN PROGRAMING. THAT'S SPECIAL TO THOSE PARENTS THAT CAN REALLY HELP AND SUPPORT THEM ALONG THE WAY. WE HAVE THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, SO WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO. WE ALSO HAVE SOME MENTORING PROGRAMS WITH MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING, INCLUDING YOUNG MEN ON TOUR AT ABERDEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WILLPOWER AT MAGNOLIA ELEMENTARY, HALLS CROSS AND EDGEWOOD MIDDLE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DOCTOR DAVIS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME OUTCOME MEASURES FOR MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE MENTORING PROGRAMS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNING THOSE OUTCOMES WITH THE SCHOOL'S GOALS WITH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. AS FAR AS MAKING PROGRESS, WE DO HAVE A SURVEY THAT WE PUT OUT EVERY SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND IT REALLY DOES PROVIDE A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT PARENTS ARE EXPERIENCING TO GET THAT FEEDBACK AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2023, AND MY OFFICE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OFFICE OF RESEARCH, AS WELL AS THE PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL, RELEASED THIS ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.

WE REALLY WANT TO ASSESS PROGRESS IN ENGAGEMENT AND PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC PROGRESS AS WELL. SO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHEN WE'VE DONE THE SURVEY, WE'VE ASKED TWO OVERARCHING QUESTIONS. WE HAVE MANY QUESTIONS WITHIN THE SURVEY, BUT THESE ARE THE TWO THAT WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO HIGHLIGHT THIS EVENING. THE FIRST QUESTION IS MY CHILD'S SCHOOL MAKES IT EASY FOR PARENTS TO ATTEND MEETINGS AND OR WORKSHOPS. AND THE SECOND IS HCPS ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. IN 2023, WE HAD OVER 4800 RESPONSES. IN 2024, WE HAD OVER ABOUT 1500 RESPONSES. SO FOR THOSE TWO QUESTIONS, MY CHILD'S SCHOOL MAKES IT EASY FOR PARENTS TO ATTEND MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS.

IT GREW SLIGHTLY FROM 62% IN 2023 TO 64% IN 2024. AND WHAT WE DID HERE IS TAKE THAT ROYAL BLUE COLOR AND ORANGE COLOR AND COMBINE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S STRONGLY AGREE AND AGREE. AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE 2023 2024 HCP ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO ACTIVELY, ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. IT GREW FROM 52% IN 2023 TO 60% IN 2024, SO THE RESULTS ARE USED

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TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS IN PLANNING ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE NEXT YEAR AND REALLY TRY TO CONTINUE TO ENHANCE TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS WITH FAMILIES FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO MOVING FORWARD IN THIS WORK, JUST SOME THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ARE COMING. WE HAVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, WE HAVE AN ACADEMIC PLAYBOOK FOR YOU TO SEE THE FIRST PAGE THAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AS A RESOURCE FOR PARENTS. SO THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR TRANSITIONS. AND WE HEAR FROM PARENTS THAT'S REALLY ESSENTIAL AS WE'RE ONBOARDING OUR FAMILIES AND ONBOARDING OUR SIXTH GRADE FAMILIES AND ONBOARDING OUR NINTH GRADE FAMILIES, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO HELP THEIR CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL. SO COMING SOON NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WE'VE CREATED AN ACADEMIC PLAYBOOK. WE HAVE ONE FOR KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES THAT WILL BE ENTERING. AND THEN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EDUCATION SERVICES, WE HAVE ONE FOR SIXTH GRADE FAMILIES AS WELL. SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND HELP PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S COMING NEXT SO THAT THEY CAN REALLY PLAN AND KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR INFORMATION, HOW TO ACCESS QR CODES, TO GET ON TO THAT WEBSITE AND REALLY GET THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED ON THEIR REAL TIME IN THEIR BUSY DAY. BUT THIS WILL HELP WITH TRANSITIONS, AND IT WILL BE HANDED OUT THE BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT AND OPEN HOUSES. AND WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THAT PARENTS REALLY ENJOY THAT DOCUMENT AND CAN USE IT AND ENGAGE WITH IT THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. OUR SCHOOLS ALSO VALUE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VOLUNTEERS AND RECOGNIZE THEM AS VITAL PARTNERS TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF OUR OUR SAFETY AND OUR CULTURE THAT WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE ADULTS IN THE IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE THAT ARE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS AND SUPPORTING OUR STAFF. SO WE'RE WORKING ON REVISING AND UPDATING A VOLUNTEER POLICY THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WHICH WOULD REALLY ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING STAFF WITH GUIDELINES ON HOW TO SCREEN, TRAIN AND SUPERVISE OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS. JUST THINK A MINUTE ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER SERVICE INCLUDES OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND CELEBRATING THEIR SUPPORT. A NEW PARTNERSHIP WEBSITE WILL SERVE AS A TOOL FOR ATTRACTING AND SECURING COMMUNITY PARTNERS BY PROVIDING A CENTRALIZED, PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE LOCATION THAT SHOWCASES PARTNERS AND HELPS OUR SCHOOL IDENTIFY APPROVED PARTNERS AND CURRENT BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE COLLABORATING WITH. IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS ABOUT OUR PUBLIC FACING SCHOOL WEBSITES, WE ARE TRANSITIONING TO A NEW SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM. THIS COMBINES OUR MASS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM WITH THE SCHOOL WEBSITES.

THIS ALLOWS SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION TO USE ONE APP TO SUBMIT TO THE SCHOOL WEBSITE, TO PHONE, TO EMAIL AND TO SMS. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION WILL NO LONGER NEED TO GO TO MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS TO SUBMIT PERTINENT INFORMATION TO THE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY. ALL CONTENT POSTED IS AUTOMATICALLY CHECKED FOR ADA COMPLIANCE AND ACCESSIBILITY. ANOTHER VERY POSITIVE BENEFIT TO THIS TRANSITION IS CONSISTENCY ACROSS SCHOOLS. WE ARE PROVIDING GUARDRAILS IN THE TEMPLATES TO THE WEBSITES, SO AS PARENTS WILL HAVE CONSISTENT AND FAMILIAR EXPERIENCE WHEN TRYING TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ACROSS THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE ENROLLED, WE ALSO ENSURE THAT THE NEW PLATFORMS ARE PERIODICALLY AUDITED FOR UP TO DATE CONTENT AT EACH SCHOOL.

BOTH. BOTH OF THESE INITIATIVES HAVE STEMMED FROM MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF CONVERSATIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE TRUSTED PATH, WHICH IS A NEW DOCUMENT THAT I'LL LET DOCTOR MACK SPEAK TO. THANK YOU. THE TRUSTED PATH DOCUMENT WILL GO OUT TO SCHOOLS PROBABLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, AND IT'S DESIGNED TO CONNECT THE PARENT AND THE CHILD WITH THEIR BACKUP PLAN IN THE EVENT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT OCCURS AFTER WE RELEASE THE CHILD FROM SCHOOL, THE CHILD ARRIVES HOME AND THEN THEY REALIZE MOM IS NOT THERE OR DAD IS NOT THERE. THE GUARDIAN IS NOT THERE. AND SO IT REALLY PROVIDES SOME EXPLICIT DIRECTIONS FOR THE FAMILIES TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND TALK WITH THEIR CHILD ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH MOM AND DAD OR THEIR GUARDIAN IS NOT THERE. AND SO IT ASKS THEM TO IDENTIFY A TRUSTED ADULT THAT THEY CAN GO TO IF THEY GET HOME AND THEY SEE THAT IT JUST DOESN'T QUITE LOOK RIGHT, IT ASKS THEM TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WHERE THAT SAFE PLACE IS, PROVIDES THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THAT SAFE ADULT, AND JUST GIVES THE FAMILY SOME DIRECTIONS FOR JUST HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CHILD KNOWS THIS INFORMATION. ASK THE FAMILY TO PRACTICE THIS LOCATION. IT'S KIND OF LIKE PRACTICING YOUR FIRE DRILL IN YOUR HOME SO YOU KNOW YOUR EXITS. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THEY GET OFF THAT SCHOOL BUS, OR IF

[00:25:01]

THEY GET HOME AND MOM AND DAD AND THE GUARDIAN IS NOT THERE. AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT AS WE ENTERED THE SPRING. WE KNOW THERE'S BEEN MANY SHIFTS IN FAMILY DYNAMICS AND IN JOBS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT CAN DISRUPT HOUSEHOLDS. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT THEY GET HOME, AND THINGS DON'T LOOK JUST RIGHT. SO FINALLY, JUST POINTING YOU TO SOME RESOURCES IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK ON YOUR OWN. WE HAVE PARENT ACADEMY, AS I MENTIONED ON THE WEB, WITH MANY DIFFERENT WEBINARS AND WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES THAT PARENTS CAN ENGAGE IN. AND WE ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU TO SEE. THE ASQ HTTPS IS ALWAYS THERE FOR PARENTS. IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING AN ANSWER TO FROM THE SCHOOL. SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING EVERY PARENT, EVERY FAMILY, EVERY DAY. THAT'S THE FOCUS OF THE WORK, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON NOW AND THROUGHOUT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. GREAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. JUST A FEW QUICK OBSERVATIONS BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD. FIRST OF ALL, JUST TO REITERATE, THIS IS ONE OF THE BOARD'S TOP THREE PRIORITIES. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH FAMILIES. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE YEAR OVER YEAR RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS COMING BACK POSITIVELY.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR TWO REASONS. ONE IS WE SAW THIS SLIP A LITTLE BIT OVER COVID FOR NATURAL REASONS. THINGS LIKE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES DIDN'T HAPPEN AND THEY WERE A LITTLE SLOW TO COME BACK. SO GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THOSE PROGRAMS. AND THEN SECOND, I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NO BETTER AND FASTER WAY TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE OF OUR OF OUR STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS THAN TO HAVE THE PARENTS DEEPLY INVOLVED. SO THIS IS TRULY A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WITH THE PARENTS TO QUICK FOLLOW UPS. AND FOR AT SOME POINT LATER, YOU DON'T YOU MAY NOT HAVE THESE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, BUT ON THE SURVEY, IF YOU COULD SLICE THAT INFORMATION ON THE DISAGREES AND STRONGLY DISAGREES AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY PATTERN TRENDS IN THERE FOR PARTICULAR SCHOOLS THAT WE MAY NEED TO REACH OUT TO AND IMPLEMENT CERTAIN PROGRAMS THERE THAT MIGHT NEED SOME HELP. AND THEN SECOND, ON THE REPORT CARDS, I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE REPORT CARDS BEING ELECTRONIC. IN MOST CASES. I THINK THAT THERE'S STILL A GAP WITH MANY PARENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO RETRIEVE THEM OR NOT BEING PROFICIENT. YOU KNOW, WITH COMPUTERS. I WELCOME THAT CONVERSATION FOR THE BOARD. I'M A BIG FAN OF, YOU KNOW, THE PARENTS ARE EXPECTING IT TO COME HOME IN A PIECE OF PAPER. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. BUT AGAIN, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE STATISTICS ON THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT. WE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATION A LOT.

COMMUNICATION IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO IN ANY ORGANIZATION. AND I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO JILLIAN OVER THERE AND HER TEAM. YOU KNOW, IF YOU MISS SOMETHING LIKE IT'S ON YOU, LIKE SHE PUTS IT OUT EIGHT DIFFERENT WAYS TEXT, EMAIL, PHONE CALL, LIKE A PIGEON WITH A MESSAGE. SO YOU GUYS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AND YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT STUDIO DOWNSTAIRS. AND I THINK PEOPLE LIKE TO ENGAGE, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONICALLY WITH, WITH VIDEOS AND IMAGES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. THE ONE THING I DO THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNICATION IS LEVERAGING AI AS 2025. THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD TOOLS OUT THERE THAT CAN TAKE A LOT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN OFF OF PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF PLATFORMS THAT COULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT, THAT ARE REALLY GREAT, THEY'RE REALLY SMART, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING MORE PEOPLE. WE'RE GETTING FEWER PEOPLE. AND SO THE MORE BURDEN WE CAN TAKE OFF THE STAFF, THE BETTER THAT'LL BE FOR EVERYBODY. SO THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.

THANK YOU. WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU. SO TWO THINGS REAL QUICK. ONE IS IT LOOKS LIKE THE SURVEY NUMBER WAS DOWN ALMOST HALF. SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

WHY WHY THERE WERE THAT MANY LESS PEOPLE TAKING THE SURVEY. IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE'RE DOING TO COURSE CORRECT IT THIS YEAR, IS IT JUST A MATTER OF PEOPLE JUST NOT DOING IT? IT WAS ACTUALLY YEAH, IT WAS DISSEMINATED A BIT LATER THAN WE WOULD HAVE LIKED LAST YEAR.

OKAY. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THAT THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET IT OUT A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. WE HAVE A TIMELINE LIKE THIS YEAR. YES. IN FACT, LAST YEAR IT WAS ALMOST TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WHEN WE WHEN WE SENT IT OUT. SO WE'RE HOPING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET IT OUT. YEAH. AND THEN ALSO TALKING WITH THE PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL ON REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT A BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, QR CODES AND ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF WAYS TO GET IT OUT WITH FLIERS AND QR CODES SEEMS TO BE THE BEST WAY. AND ALSO FOR MY WORK ENGAGING THE PARENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LIAISONS A BIT MORE AND THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL SPECIALISTS TO PUSH IT OUT AS WELL. SO BOOTS ON THE GROUND. YEAH, AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT MILITARY FAMILIES, WHICH IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. AND THEN I JUST STARTED TO THINK ABOUT MILITARY SPOUSES THAT ARE TEACHERS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO TO PARTICULARLY RECRUIT THAT OR IF WE ENGAGE WITH THAT LIAISON AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MILITARY SPOUSE TEACHERS. I KNOW SOME OF THEM MOVE AWAY AND THEN COME BACK AND THEY'VE

[00:30:05]

TALKED ABOUT LOSING THEIR, YOU KNOW, SENIORITY OR WHATEVER BECAUSE THEY WENT TO A DIFFERENT DUTY STATION. SO JUST MAYBE ANOTHER TIME WE CAN SYNC ON YOUR THOUGHTS ON ON HOW WE TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR. I HAVE A NEW PARTNER THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH UPROOTED. AND THEY ARE IT'S A IT'S A MILITARY SPOUSE THAT STARTED IT. AND SHE REALLY IS AN ADVOCATE FOR THAT. SO WE REALLY DO. TO YOUR POINT, WANT TO DO MORE OUTREACH FOR MILITARY SPOUSES. AND WE HAVE HAD INDIVIDUAL SITUATIONS WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT. BUT I THINK A MORE KIND OF STRATEGIC OUTREACH WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY HELPFUL FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. YEAH. AND THEN MY CHILD STILL COMES HOME WITH A PRINTED REPORT CARD. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A SCHOOL SPECIFIC THING OR IF THEIR HOMEROOM TEACHER HAS IT, BUT HE STILL COMES HOME WITH WHETHER I GET IT OR NOT.

SOMETIMES IT'S CRUMPLED UP IN HIS BACKPACK, BUT BUT HE COMES HOME WITH ONE, SO YEAH, YEAH, WE IN TECHNOLOGY WE DON'T PROHIBIT THAT. YEAH, WE WANTED TO DO THE EMAIL AS A HELP FOR THOSE PARENTS THAT HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING INTO HACC. AND WE LOOKED AT STATISTICS AND IT VARIED A LOT ACROSS DIFFERENT SCHOOL REGIONS. SO WE WANTED TO HELP THOSE PARENTS THAT MAYBE AREN'T AS TECH SAVVY, BUT THEY THEY HAVE THEIR EMAIL IN OUR SYSTEM. SO THEY GET THAT. SO WE GET AN EMAIL TOO. LIKE THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. YEAH. SO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF REPLIES FROM DO NOT REPLY THANKING US. SO THANK YOU. QUICK QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. IS THERE A REPORT ON THE SURVEY THAT WE CAN SEE OR THE DATA. YES. I CAN GET YOU A LINK TO THE REPORT. AND IN THAT REPORT THERE'S ACTUAL COMMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY PARENTS. WE HAVE MANY, MANY PARENTS, HUNDREDS OF PARENTS WHO ACTUALLY SAT DOWN AND WROTE EXTENSIVE RESPONSES ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE. AND SO WE CAN CERTAINLY SEND THAT REPORT TO YOU AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE THOSE COMMENTS AS WELL. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU SEND THAT TO THE WHOLE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN ALL SEE THEM, PLEASE? YEAH, I JUST I HAVE ONE QUESTION. SO SOME OF THE PARENTS IN MY AREA AND CONSTITUENTS HAVE REMOVED THEIR CHILDREN FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, AND I AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DOING ALL, ALL OF THIS. SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE LIMITED TO PARENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL. THE NEWSLETTERS, I'M SURE, JUST GO OUT TO PARENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO ENGAGE WITH PARENTS THAT MAY AT SOME POINT WANT TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL? SO I KNOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WE DO HAVE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO PUSH OUT INFORMATION. WE'RE ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN ACCESS. SO WE HAVE THE PARENT ACADEMY, WHICH HAS THE PARENT CONNECTION NEWSLETTER AND INFORMATION ON THAT THAT'S UPDATED FREQUENTLY DAILY. SO THERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT THEY COULD ACCESS THE INFORMATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, PERHAPS. CAN THEY GET ON DISTRIBUTION FOR THE NEWSLETTERS AND STUFF LIKE PARENTS CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE ACCESS TO AS WELL. AND SO THAT WHEN IT GOES OUT TO PARENTS, THEY'RE ALSO INCLUDED. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE POSSIBLY LOOKED AT? WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MASS COMMUNICATION IS SET UP THROUGH OUR EMAIL SYSTEM.

SO MAYBE JACK AND I CAN HUDDLE AROUND THAT AND TRY TO SEE HOW WE COULD FIGURE THAT OUT. THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMUNITY SIGN UP OPTION FOR THAT. BUT YEAH, WE NEED TO PROBABLY ADVOCATE FOR THAT. AND I'M THINKING OF ONE PARTICULAR CONSTITUENT WHO WAS ABLE TO WORK IT OUT BECAUSE OF REMOTE REMOTE WORKING OPTIONS THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO WORK OUT WITH HER EMPLOYER. AND THAT MAY BE GETTING TAKEN AWAY. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR PARENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING I THOUGHT I'D ASK ABOUT. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. FIRST, I WANT TO TAKE A SECOND AND CONGRATULATE MR. KATZ FOR WINNING THE TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR. SO THANK YOU. PULL YOUR. FOR THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WEBSITE. THEY SAID THE SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM. WHAT IS IT THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING USED. SO RIGHT NOW WE SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE BUILT A PORTAL THAT WASN'T VERY USER FRIENDLY. SO IF YOU GO ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL SEE BASICALLY A PARTNER CAN PUT IN A REQUEST FOR INTEREST AND THAT WILL COME TO MY OFFICE. AND IT'S A BIT OF A CUMBERSOME PROCESS. SO JACK AND HIS MR. GAETZ AND HIS TEAM ARE BUILDING A BETTER USER FRIENDLY PORTAL SO THAT WE CAN REALLY JUST HAVE THEM IN, VET THEM QUICKER, AND THEN REALLY PUT THEM IN IN PUBLIC FACING WAY WHEN THEY ARE PARTNERING. THERE ARE SO MANY PARTNERS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ALWAYS CLEAR. WE REALLY REALIZED THAT WITH THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TASK FORCE, SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE ON THE WEBSITE SO THAT ALL THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE WHO IS PARTNERING WITH US. OKAY, JUST JUST ADD TO THAT THE CURRENT

[00:35:01]

SYSTEM IS, WAS WAS OVERENGINEERED. SO IT WAS VERY, VERY CUMBERSOME TO USE. SO WHAT WE FOUND OVER TIME IS THAT IT ALMOST BECAME DEFUNCT. SO WE WANT TO GET YOU AN ACCURATE LIST OF PARTNERS THROUGH THAT SYSTEM. IT WON'T BE ACCURATE. MAYBE A DECADE AGO IT MIGHT BE. WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY EASY FOR THE SCHOOLS TO USE, AND THAT'S INTERNALLY BEING DEVELOPED WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM. AWESOME. THANK YOU. AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR THE NEW SCHOOL WEBSITES. IS THERE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? IS THAT SCHOOL BASED? WHERE'S THE FUNDING FROM THOSE BEING REBUILT COMING FROM AS WELL? THAT'S COVERED AT CENTRAL OFFICE. BUT IT IS COMBINED INTO ONE SYSTEM NOW. BEFORE IT WAS TO TWO SEPARATE COMPANIES. SO THERE THERE ARE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT UNDER ONE CONTRACT. OKAY. AND IS THAT ALREADY FUNDED OR IS THAT AN ASK THAT'S COMING TO THE BOARD. IT'S ALREADY COME FUNDED. YEAH, IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED. IT'S ALREADY BEEN YEAH. WE'RE IN IMPLEMENTATION RIGHT NOW. IT WILL GO LIVE JULY 1ST OKAY. THANK YOU. FOR THE NEW SCHOOL WEBSITES. WILL IT BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE ALL THE LIKE NOT JUST THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT LIKE A LOT OF THE WEBSITES THAT ARE UTILIZED WITH OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS AS WELL, LIKE SCHOOL CASH ONLINE, MY SCHOOL BUCKS PAY TO PLAY GO FANS AND HOME ACCESS. LIKE THESE ARE ALL WEBSITES THAT PEOPLE COMMONLY USE, BUT THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, ALL DIFFERENT SIGN INS, WHICH CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR THE PARENTS. SO IS THIS SOMEWHERE THAT IT CAN BE JUST A SINGLE LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS? YES. SO IN THE NEW SCHOOL SCHOOL WEBSITES THERE'S GOING TO BE QUICK ICONS. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT SHOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE. AND AS THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ASKS FOR MORE ICONS THERE, WE'LL PUT THEM THERE. BUT YEAH, IT WILL BE HACK AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON LAUNCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE SURVEYS. IT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT THAT THE ONE STRONGLY DISAGREE. THE PERCENTAGE HASN'T CHANGED OVER THE TWO YEARS. ARE YOU GETTING THE SAME KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE DISAGREEING WITH OR IS IT SOMETHING NEW? I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S A CONSISTENT THEME. AND THAT'S JUST AROUND INFORMATION COMING HOME AND REALLY HAVING THAT ONGOING CONNECTION WITH THEIR, THEIR CHILD'S TEACHER. SO WHEN WE GO THROUGH THOSE COMMENTS, AT TIMES THAT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING BUBBLING UP. BUT WE ARE IMPROVING IN THAT WITH SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND REALLY BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT OUTREACH FOR PARENTS. SO WHEN WE DO REPORT ON IT AGAIN, CAN WE KIND OF GET SOME OF THOSE THINGS ESPECIALLY STRONGLY DISAGREE? YES. THANK YOU. SURE. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. JUST ONE FINAL THING. MELISSA HIGHLIGHTED IT. BUT JACK SITTING HERE ONE EARLIER THIS YEAR TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR. AND DESPITE THAT YOU'RE SITTING HERE CLICKING THE POWERPOINT THE WHOLE TIME. YOU'D BE LIKE CODING IN PYTHON SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT I HAVE A LETTER HERE A LETTER HERE CONGRATULATING YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF THE FLOOR. SO THANK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANKS,

[B. Presentation of Harford County Public Schools North Star Graduate Outcomes: Preparing Students for College, Career, and Life, Mr. Mike O'Brien, Assistant Superintendent for Education Services, Mr. Yakoubou Ousmanou, Manager of Research and Program Evaluation, and Ms. LaWanda Brown, Supervisor of School Counseling ]

GUYS. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM B PRESENTATION OF NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOMES PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MR. MIKE O'BRIEN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR EDUCATION SERVICES. MR. USMAN MANAGER OF RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. AND MISS BROWN, SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING. WELCOME. YEAH, RIGHT I DOUBT THAT. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING. BOARD PRESIDENT. BOYNTON. VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN. SUPERINTENDENT WILSON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS MIKE O'BRIEN. AND TONIGHT, MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL BE PRESENTING THE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOMES FROM THE CLASS OF 2024 WITH ME TONIGHT ARE YAKUBU USMAN, A MANAGER OF RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. ALSO, MY COLLEAGUE LAWANDA BROWN, SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING. WHILE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING SOME EXCITING WORK IN THE DISTRICT TONIGHT AND HIGHLIGHTING TWO SPECIFIC SCHOOLS, WE DO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK OF EACH ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS IN MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS STUDENT OUTCOMES, ALWAYS CELEBRATE DOCTOR BOLSON. HE REALLY HAS BEEN LASER FOCUSED SINCE COMING TO THE DISTRICT ON THE NORTH STAR WORK, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD WORK TO SHARE TONIGHT. THIS WORK GOES FROM EVERY TEACHER, ADMINISTRATOR, SCHOOL COUNSELOR, THAT OF THE SECRETARIES IN OUR SCHOOLS. REALLY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THIS WORK. MR. USMANU WILL BEGIN WITH

[00:40:05]

OUR FIRST SLIDE. THANK YOU, MISS O'BRIEN. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR BALSAM. SO REALLY, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOME, WE NEED WE NEEDED TO GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE NORTH STAR INITIATIVE. SO THE NORTH STAR INITIATIVE WAS BORN IN 2019 FROM A SIMPLE BUT REALLY POWERFUL VISION FROM DOCTOR BALSAM. SO THE VISION WAS REALLY TO BRING THE GAP BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS, WHEN WHAT WE MEAN BY POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS IS THAT INCLUDE COLLEGES AND CAREER TRAINING OPPORTUNITY. SO THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH HARFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HCPS HAVE CREATED PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT AND INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO THAT'S WHAT THE NORTH STAR INITIATIVE IS ABOUT, AND IT'S TIED TO THE GRADUATION OUTCOME. SO THE KEY COMPONENT OF NORTH STAR, REALLY YOU CAN THINK OF IT IN TWO CATEGORIES THE ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY AND THE REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE. SO FOR THE ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HIGH LEVEL COURSES LIKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT OR AP, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE OR IB. THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE IS ONLY IN ONE HIGH SCHOOL AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. BUT WE ARE ALSO TALKING ABOUT DUAL ENROLLMENT AND EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM. LAWANDA REMINDED ME ABOUT THAT PROGRAM LIKE TEN PLUS OR P-TECH. THOSE ARE PART OF THE ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE IN THE OTHER COMPONENT. THESE INCLUDE APPRENTICESHIP, THE MARYLAND SEAL OF BILITERACY OR THE ASVAB. THE ASVAB IS REALLY THE MILITARY VOCATIONAL APTITUDE TEST, WHICH IS FREE AND COMPREHENSIVE. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. SO. NORTH STAR IS NOT JUST ABOUT CHECKING BOXES REALLY. IT'S ABOUT GIVING TANGIBLE PROOF OF CAREER READINESS FOR WHAT COME NEXT TO OUR STUDENT. THAT'S WHAT NORTHSTAR INITIATIVE IS ABOUT. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO LET'S LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE. SO DOCTOR BALSAM LIKE TO REMIND US ABOUT THE THREE EMPLOYEE ENLISTED AND ENROLLED. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH REAL OUTCOMES. WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO WORK OR MILITARY SERVICES OR HIGHER EDUCATION. SO ANY STUDENT WHO MEET THIS NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOME WILL BE READY TO BE EMPLOYED, ENLISTED OR ENROLLED. SO EMPLOY WITH INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL LIKE HVAC LICENSURE OR IT CERTIFICATION.

THEY CAN STEP DIRECTLY INTO CAREER WITH COMPETITIVE WITH COMPETITIVE WAGES WILL GIVE SOME EXAMPLE. THEY CAN BE ENLISTED PREPARE FOR MILITARY SERVICES WITH SKILL AND CERTIFICATION.

AFTER PASSING THE ASVAB WHICH WE TRACK THAT, GIVE THEM A HEAD START, OR THEY CAN BE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE. THEY WILL BE COLLEGE READY THANKS TO CREDIT THAT THEY WILL EARN THROUGH IB OR AP, DUAL ENROLLMENT OR EARLY COLLEGE. SO BUT PREPARATION ALSO START REALLY EARLY. YOU KNOW, A KEY FOCUS IS GIVEN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE INTERESTS. SO BY HIGH SCHOOL THEY ARE MAKING INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT THE CTE PATHWAYS, COLLEGE PREP OR EXPLORING MILITARY OPTIONS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MILITARY OPTION OR ENLISTING IN MILITARY, IT INCLUDES EVEN THE CIVILIAN SIDE OF THE MILITARY. OKAY, SO IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO COME BACK. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, A STUDENT WHO DISCOVER A PASSION FOR CYBERSECURITY IN SEVENTH GRADE, LET'S SAY THAT STUDENT COULD GRADUATE WITH BOTH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND A COMPUTER SCIENCE CERTIFICATION. THAT'S THE POWER OF NORTH STAR. OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WHERE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS OUTCOME, TRANSLATE INTO REAL SAVINGS FOR PARENTS. SO DOCTOR BALSAM LIKE TO CALL THEM THE THREE BUCKETS. OKAY. WHEN I MET I OKAY. WHEN I MET WITH HIM IN 2009 WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. HE ALWAYS REMINDED US YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THEM IN BUCKET BUCKET ONE. SO WE CHANGE THEM TO OUTCOME ONE, OUTCOME TWO, AND OUTCOME OUTCOME THREE. I'M GOING TO GO OVER THAT. SO LET'S FOCUS ON OUTCOME ONE NOW OKAY. SO OUTCOME ONE IS ABOUT OUR STUDENT. YOU KNOW WHO

[00:45:01]

ARE IN AP IB COURSES. YOU KNOW HAVING CREDIT YOU KNOW. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT RIGOR IT'S ALSO ABOUT SAVING. WE ALL KNOW THE VALUE OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE. YOU KNOW IT PREPARED THEM FOR COLLEGE. BUT IT ALSO ALLOWED THEM TO A FAMILY TO SAVE MONEY.

BIG SAVINGS ACTUALLY. SO IF YOU SCORE A THREE OR HIGHER, A SCORE OF THREE OR HIGHER ON AP EXAM OR A FOUR OR HIGHER ON IB EXAM, YOU CAN EARN STUDENT CAN EARN COLLEGE CREDIT. AT MOST COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP POTENTIALLY SAVING THEM 10,000 OR MORE PER YEAR BY GRADUATING EARLY. AN EXAMPLE THAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS IF AN ESC STUDENT EARNS SIX AP CREDITS, RIGHT? THAT STUDENT COULD SKIP A FULL SEMESTER OF GEN ED COURSES, SAVING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 6 TO $15,000, DEPENDING ON COLLEGE. THIS DATA IS COMING DIRECTLY FROM COLLEGE BOARD. THEY PROVIDED THAT IN 2023, SO CTE PATHWAY LIKE NURSING OR IT ALSO OFFER CREDIT AND CERTIFICATION THAT REDUCE TRAINING COSTS FOR POST-GRADUATES. WE ALSO HAVE ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS WITH MANY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT OFFER ARTICULATED CREDIT TO OUR STUDENTS. ONE EXAMPLE IS OUR PROJECT LEAD THE WAY. SO THAT'S OUTCOME ONE AP, IB, CTE COLLEGE CREDIT WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL OKAY, SO WE TRACK THAT IF YOU MEET ONE OF THESE OUTCOME YOU MEET THE NORTHSTAR GRADUATE OUTCOME WITHIN THAT. SO WE ALSO HAVE OUTCOME TWO. OUTCOME TWO IS PRIMARILY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PASSING JUST ONE OR MORE DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL. THIS GUARANTEE THAT THEY CAN TRANSFER THEIR CREDIT AT HCC, HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND EVEN BEYOND COMPLETING AN EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM IN HC SUCH AS TEMPLARS OR P-TECH, ALSO ALLOW A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE TO COMPLETE A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY DEGREE IN JUST TWO ADDITIONAL YEARS. OKAY, THEN WE GO TO OUR THREE, WHICH IS THE INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL. SO THIS IS WHERE WE TRACK CERTIFICATIONS LIKE THE MARYLAND SEAL OF BILITERACY FOR BILINGUAL STUDENT. THAT'S THE STANDARD IN MARYLAND TO BE PROFICIENT. IN IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGE. WE HAVE ASVAB, WHICH IS THE MILITARY TEST THAT I MENTIONED. THIS OPEN CAREER WITHOUT DEBT, YOU KNOW, AND CERTIFICATION, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN LEAD TO A $50,000 JOB RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. MR. O'BRIEN WAS SHARING WITH ME THAT HE HAS A FAMILY MEMBER WHO WHO ENLISTED IN MILITARY AND WAS EARNING $50,000 JOB RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. SO BOTTOM LINE, NORTH STAR HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT INTO COLLEGE SAVINGS AND CAREER EARNING, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON FAMILY. OKAY. SO WHEN WE TRACK THE DATA, RIGHT, WE LOOK AT A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO MEET ANY OF THE NORTH STAR OUTCOME, WHETHER IT'S OUTCOME ONE TWO, THREE, SOME OF THEM MEET IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES. WE HAVE MULTIPLE.

THAT'S VERY RARE. BUT THERE ARE STUDENTS, SO WE COUNT THEM IF THEY MEET. AND YOU CAN SEE THE DATA ON YOUR SCREEN THERE. SO IN 2014, IN 2024 WE HAD 2604 STUDENT, 2023, 2467, 2022, 2520.

SO IN 2024, 64% OF OUR GRADUATES WHO GRADUATED MET AT LEAST ONE OF OUR OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, OUTCOME ONE, 2 OR 3. OKAY. WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHO OFFICIALLY GRADUATED SO YOU CAN GRADUATE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DIPLOMA. IF MSD DOES NOT COUNT YOU AS GRADUATE, WE DON'T INCLUDE YOU. DOCTOR FOLSOM WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. I KEEP TELLING HIM WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE. HE SAID NO, JUST THE OFFICIAL GRADUATE. HE KEEP REPEATING THAT TO ME. SO WE ARE COUNTING THE OFFICIAL GRADUATE. OKAY. AND WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, AS YOU CAN SEE, FROM 57%, FROM 57% TO 64, IN JUST A FEW YEARS BECAUSE OF THIS LASER FOCUS. SO THIS THIS FIGURE REALLY REPRESENTS REAL STUDENT. SO THE 1666 GRADUATE IN 2024. THEY EARN COLLEGE CREDIT AND INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL OR BOTH. AND THIS DATA IS FOR STUDENTS WHO OFFICIALLY GRADUATED AND VERIFIED BY MSD. SO BEHIND THIS NUMBER I REALLY REAL STUDENT STORIES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUTURE ENGINEER EARNING PROJECT LEAD THE WAY CERTIFICATION

[00:50:05]

TRANSFORMATIVE STEM IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND BILINGUAL STUDENT WHO STUDENT WHO ARE ACHIEVING THE SEAL OF BILITERACY. STUDENT WHO ARE COMPLETING THE ASVAB CERTIFICATION TO ENLIST IN MILITARY, AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT IS DRIVING THIS GROWTH? YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY TARGETED INVESTMENT IN PROGRAM LIKE DUAL ENROLLMENT CTE COUPLED WITH EARLY INTERVENTION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. YOU WILL SEE YOU ARE NOW LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT DATA, BUT YOU WILL SEE THE EXAMPLE OF SCHOOL DOCTOR BRIAN WILL WILL GIVE YOU THOSE EXAMPLES. SO AT THE DISTRICT DATA, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WE WENT UP, AS I MENTIONED, FROM 57%, FROM 57% IN 2023 TO 64% OF OUR STUDENT EARNING AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, MEETING AT LEAST ONE OF THE OUTCOME. SO FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT, WE HAD 38% IN 2024 WHO MET THE OUTCOME FOR INDUSTRY CREDENTIAL, WE HAVE 33%. THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE. SO THIS THIS PROGRESS THAT YOU SEE ARE NOT REALLY ACCIDENTAL. IT IS THE RESULT OF DELIBERATE STRATEGY FROM DOCTOR BALSAM, FROM STUDENT WHO ARE PUTTING THE EFFORT. OUR PRINCIPAL, TEACHERS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, MULTIPLE OFFICES AND PARTNERSHIP WITH SCC AND ALSO THE WORKFORCE ENTITIES SUCH AS THE SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK. SO NOW I'M PLEASED TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR ESTEEMED ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, MR. O'BRIEN, WHO WILL SHOWCASE THE OUTSTANDING PROGRESS AT TWO SCHOOL, ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND FORDSON HIGH SCHOOL. THE DATA HE WILL SHARE WILL REALLY DEMONSTRATE HOW WE ARE TURNING NORTHSTAR VISION OF DOCTOR BELSON INTO REALLY MEASURABLE STUDENT SUCCESS. SO, DOCTOR, MR. O'BRIEN WILL TALK ABOUT HOW WE ARE EQUIPPING SCHOOL TO REALLY SUSTAIN THIS MOMENTUM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THAT WAS A VERY EASY DOCTORATE. USMAN. THANK YOU FOR GIVING THE AWARDING THAT TO ME. APPRECIATE THAT. I THOUGHT I DID THAT. IF WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL'S REMARKABLE PROGRESS FROM 2022 TO 2024, ABERDEEN HAS SHOWN CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT ACROSS ALL THE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOMES, WHICH IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK OF THEIR STUDENTS AND STAFF. IN 2024, AN IMPRESSIVE 77% OF ABERDEEN GRADUATES MET AT LEAST ONE AND IN MANY CASES, MULTIPLE NORTH STAR OUTCOMES, WHICH IS A 29 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE SINCE 2022. FOR OUTCOME ONE, 49% EARNED COLLEGE CREDIT THROUGH AP OR CTE, WHICH IS A 10% INCREASE SINCE 2022. FOR OUTCOME TWO, 31% EARN COLLEGE CREDIT THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT, A 17% INCREASE SINCE 2022. OUTCOME THREE EVEN MORE EXCITING, 48% OF STUDENTS EARNED AN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL THROUGH ASVAB APPRENTICESHIP AND THE MARYLAND SEAL OF BILITERACY. THAT'S AN IMPRESSIVE 37% POINT INCREASE. SINCE 2022. THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN A MODEL FOR THIS SORT OF IMPROVEMENT FROM US. WHAT MAKES ABERDEEN STORY SO SPECIAL IS REALLY THEIR SUSTAINED GROWTH YEAR AFTER YEAR IN ALL OUTCOMES. UNLIKE SOME SCHOOLS THAT MIGHT SEE FLUCTUATION, ABERDEEN HAS DEMONSTRATED STEADY IMPROVEMENT ACROSS ALL OUTCOMES SINCE 2022.

THIS CONSISTENCY TELLS US THAT THEIR APPROACH IS TRULY WORKING. IT'S NOT JUST ONE LUCKY YEAR, BUT BUILDING SYSTEMS FOR REAL RESULTS. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT INCLUDED PRINCIPAL MICHAEL QUIGG, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS ANGIE TASHA, GLENN HAAS, RICHARD MCCARTHY AND STACY LILES, AND THEIR SPAR TEACHER SPECIALIST CHERYL RICCIO, WHICH REALLY LED THEIR AMAZING RESULTS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL. FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL'S EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE TRAJECTORY. JUST LIKE ABERDEEN, FALLSTON HAS DEMONSTRATED YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH ACROSS ALL NORTH STAR METRICS, SHOWING WHAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN A SCHOOL FULLY EMBRACES THESE OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2024, 75% OF FALLSTON GRADUATES MET AT LEAST AN INMATE. IN MANY CASES, MANY ONE NORTH STAR OUTCOME A REMARKABLE 23% POINT SURGE SINCE 2022. BUT WHAT IS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL IS THEIR BALANCED GROWTH OUTCOME. 147% EARNED AN AP OR CTE CREDIT, WHICH IS A 5% GAIN SINCE 2022. OUTCOME 247% COMPLETED DUAL ENROLLMENT, A 19%

[00:55:09]

POINT JUMP, AND OUTCOME 331% INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS, WHICH IS A 17 POINT RISE. WE DID WANT TO SHOW YOU THESE TWO SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY DID SHOW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, BUT IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS, BOTH OF WHICH MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENT IN THAT COMMUNITY. FALLSTON ISN'T JUST EXCELLING IN ONE AREA. THEY'RE CREATING MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS. THEIR DUAL ENROLLMENT RESULTS PARTICULARLY STAND OUT, WITH NEARLY HALF OF GRADUATES NOW EARNING COLLEGE CREDITS THROUGH HCC PARTNERSHIPS. FALLSTON PROVES THAT WE CAN EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES AND STUDENTS WILL RISE TO MEET THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE FALLSTON GREAT TEAM, PRINCIPAL JOE COLLINS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL STACY ZANGERLE AND ADAM MALINOWSKI AND THEIR FACILITATOR, PATRICK CLARK. SO I GUESS THE QUESTION THEN IS, WELL, HOW ARE THEY DOING THAT? SO WE'LL GO INTO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT. IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A CYCLE CHART THAT YOU HAVE SEEN AS KIND OF OUR LAST SLIDE. AND REALLY ALL OF OUR DATA CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE IT IS IT GROUNDS US IN THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY, STARTING WITH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT. THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS USE FOR PLANNING, ANALYZING DATA, ACTION, PLANNING, PROGRESS MONITORING. OUR EDITOR SERVICES LEADERSHIP TEAM PROVIDES QUARTERLY DATA ANALYSIS MEETINGS WITH KEY SCHOOL PERSONNEL TO ASSIST WITH THE PROCESS AND PROVIDE AN ONGOING FEEDBACK FEEDBACK LOOP TO ALL SCHOOLS. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OTHER PERSON WHO'S NOT HERE, BUT SHE IS IN THE AUDIENCE. I'D ASK MISS SARAH SACHS, WILL YOU STAND UP FOR JUST A SECOND? SO. SO SARAH WORKS WITH ALL 54 OF OUR SCHOOLS ON THIS SPAR WORK, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL WORK, THIS WORK AND THE QUARTERLY DATA VISITS THAT SHE LEADS IS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE. SO SHE IS BEHIND THE SCENES WORKING WITH EVERY SCHOOL, INCLUDING OUR HIGH SCHOOL. SO THANK YOU, SARAH. IN ADDITION TO SPAR, WE HAVE DATA DASHBOARDS CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION, LED BY MR. USMAN, AND THAT TRACKS PROGRESS FOR STUDENTS IN REAL TIME. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE LAGGING DATA, SO WE CAN LOOK AT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, WE CONTINUE TO WORK AT GETTING CURRENT PROGRESS, CURRENT STUDENTS WITH REAL TIME DATA AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACILITATE. WE HAVE TO, OF COURSE, DISCUSS HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH US HAS BEEN FANTASTIC FROM THE BEGINNING, CONTINUES TO BE IMPROVES EVERY YEAR, AND WE MEET WITH THEM VERY FREQUENTLY. FINALLY, HOW DID FALLSTON AND ABERDEEN HIGH CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS SO GREATLY? IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO ONE MAIN REASON, AND THAT MAIN REASON ARE TH PLANS FOR STUDENTS. SCHOOLS WORKED DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LEVEL AS EARLY AS NINTH GRADE TO HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP A PLAN THAT WILL ULTIMATELY HELP THEM TO MEET A GRADUATE OUTCOME BEFORE THE END OF GRADE 12. IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THAT BETTER. I AM SO EXCITED TO INTRODUCE MISS LAWANDA BROWN. SHE HAS REALLY SPEARHEADED WHAT WE CALL OUR ICAP PROGRAM. THIS IS THE PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO TAKE US, TAKE US TO THE NEXT STEP AND THE NEXT LEVEL OF RESULTS WHERE WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HELP EVERY SCHOOL GET DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LEVEL TO HELP THEM MEET THE GRADUATE OUTCOME.

SO WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS WORK. AND LAWANDA, THANK YOU. I COULD HAVE SHARED. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO I CAN BE BRIEF. I GET REALLY EXCITED WHEN I THINK ABOUT ICAP. WELL, FORMERLY ICAP, IT IS NOW REBRANDED AS LAUNCH. I GET EXCITED, SO I'M TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF CALM. SO AS EDUCATORS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT EACH STUDENT BEGINS HIS OR HER EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY WITH UNIQUE STRENGTHS, CHALLENGES, AND ASPIRATIONS. CURRENTLY, WE PROVIDE FOCUSED ATTENTION AND RESOURCES TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE QUALIFIED FOR FARMS AND FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. UNDERSTANDING THAT TARGETED INTERVENTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ACCOMPLISH SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES. BUILDING

[01:00:07]

UPON THIS FOUNDATION OF PERSONALIZED ATTENTION, WE ARE THRILLED TO INTRODUCE LAUNCH, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ICAP, MORE SPECIFICALLY AS AN INDIVIDUAL CAREER AND ACADEMIC PLAN. LAUNCH IS SCHEDULED FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION BEGINNING FALL OF 2025, MEANING THIS COMING SEPTEMBER. AND I'M EXCITED. THIS PROACTIVE TOOL WILL EMPOWER STUDENTS AS EARLY AS SEVENTH GRADE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR FUTURE BY GUIDING THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SETTING MEANINGFUL ACADEMIC AND CAREER GOALS. FURTHERMORE, LAUNCH WILL OPEN DOORS TO EXPLORATION, PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES, VALUABLE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, AND ENRICHING INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES BEYOND ACADEMIC AND CAREER EXPLORATION. LAUNCH WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN CRITICAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ESSENTIAL 21ST CENTURY SKILLS, PREPARING THEM FOR NOT NOT JUST FOR GRADUATION, BUT FOR LIFELONG SUCCESS. BY SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATING THESE INDIVIDUAL LAUNCH PLANS, WE ARE TRANSLATING NORTH STAR'S OVERARCHING VISION FROM CONCRETE, ACTIONABLE PATHWAYS THAT PAVE THE WAY FOR EVERY FOR EVERY STUDENT TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT LAUNCH. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD, YOU MAY WONDER WHAT IS OUR MISSION NOW? AND OUR MISSION IS TO PUSH BEYOND OUR CURRENT 64% SUCCESS RATE. AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? ONE WAY WE CAN GET THERE IS BY FIRST DEEPENING EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS, EXPANDING APPRENTICESHIPS AND HIGH DEMAND FIELDS LIKE IT AND HEALTH CARE, AND CREATING DIRECT PIPELINES FOR CAREERS. SECONDLY, BY INNOVATING EARLIER IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND THAT'S THE EXCITING PART, ESPECIALLY WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL INNOVATION, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE INNOVATION IN THE WAY THAT WE PRESENT THE EDUCATIONAL MODEL TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, BUT THE IDEA THAT THEY GET TO PLAN TO HELP PLAN THAT AND PARENTS COME ALONGSIDE AS WELL. SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHIFT OUR PREPARATION MODEL FROM HIGH SCHOOL, FROM A HIGH SCHOOL FOCUS TO STARTING CAREER EXPLORATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE NEED TO SPARK CURIOSITY SOONER. FOR EXAMPLE, A SEVENTH GRADER DISCOVERING CODING WHILE EARNING A MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION BY GRADUATION. THIS VISION IS THE FUTURE WE ARE BUILDING, ONE WHERE EVERY STUDENT GRADUATES WITH CREDENTIALS, CONFIDENCE AND CLARITY ABOUT THEIR NEXT STEPS. ARE YOU AWARE WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE? AND OF COURSE YOU ARE.

HERE IS WHERE YOU COME IN. TO TRULY REALIZE NORTH STAR'S VISION OF EMPOWERING STUDENTS.

EVERY STUDENT, A COLLECTIVE EFFORT IS ESSENTIAL AND WE EACH HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY FOR OUR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND EDUCATORS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THEM LEVERAGING THE CENTRAL OFFICE DATA, DASHBOARDS AND RESOURCES TO GAIN REAL TIME INSIGHTS INTO STUDENT PROGRESS TOWARDS NORTH STAR OUTCOMES, ENABLING YOU TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS NEEDING SUPPORT AND TO DISCOVER THEIR EVOLVING INTERESTS THROUGH LAUNCH. THROUGH LAUNCH, WE ENCOURAGE OUR FAMILIES TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH THEIR CHILDREN IN EXPLORING NORTH STAR PATHWAYS, INCLUDING CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHICH HAS INCREASED AND ADVANCED COURSES, AND TO VIEW THEIR YEARLY ACADEMIC PLAN IN LAUNCH. SO A STUDENT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, BEGINNING IN SEVENTH GRADE, TO DEVELOP A PLAN AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT PLAN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ONCE COMPLETED, THAT ACADEMIC PLAN WILL BE EMAILED TO PARENTS SO PARENTS CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AND PARENTS AND STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE SCHOOL. OUR INVALUABLE COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE CALLED UPON TO CONTINUE THIS COLLABORATION BY HOSTING INTERNSHIPS OR MENTORING STUDENTS WITHIN CTE PROGRAMS, AND BY WORKING WITH US TO CREATE MORE REAL WORLD LEARNING

[01:05:03]

OPPORTUNITIES. THROUGH LAUNCH, PARENTS WILL RECEIVE COMMUNICATION REGARDING THEIR CHILD'S CAREER, EXPLORATION, EXPLORATION AND YEARLY ACHIEVEMENT PLAN, FOSTERING ONGOING DIALOG AND SUPPORT BY WORKING TOGETHER, SCHOOLS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS CAN ENSURE THAT NORTH STAR'S SUCCESS IS NOT JUST AN ASPIRATION BUT A REALITY FOR EVERY STUDENT. THANK YOU, MR. O'BRIEN. MR. USMAN AND I ARE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU, ESTEEMED DOCTOR. OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

HELLO, TERRY, ON SLIDE FIVE, YOU HAD THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES 26, OH FOUR AND 64% OF THOSE MET AT LEAST ONE NORTH STAR OUTCOME. SO 36% STILL GRADUATED. THEY JUST DID A NORMAL HIGH SCHOOL THING WHERE THEY DIDN'T TAKE ANY DUAL ENROLLMENT OR AP COURSES. IS THAT OKAY? WHY IS THAT BAD? THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE'RE NOT SATISFIED. WE WON'T BE SATISFIED UNTIL WE HAVE 100%. SO EVEN A STUDENT WHO, LET'S SAY, TOOK AN AP CLASS TOOK A RIGOROUS COURSE LOAD BUT DIDN'T TAKE THE TEST OR DIDN'T EARN A THREE, THEY WOULD COUNT AS A PERSON WHO DID NOT ACHIEVE BECAUSE WE ONLY OUR ONLY COUNTING STUDENTS WHO WHO NUMBER ONE TOOK THE TEST. FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN AP CLASS AND PASSED PASSED THE TEST. SO THERE'S. ALL KINDS OF REASONS WHY STUDENTS DIDN'T EARN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THESE OUTCOMES. BUT WITH EACH GRADUATING CLASS, I THINK EACH CLASS UNDERSTANDS WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT. WE VISITED OUR VISITING HIGH SCHOOLS NOW, AND BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING FOR AP TESTS. AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WERE AT NORTH HARFORD A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THEY HAVE 200 MORE TEST TAKERS THAN THEY HAD THE PREVIOUS YEAR IN AP BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY'RE READY TO TAKE THE TEST. AND SO EACH YEAR, LIKE OUR CULTURE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, HAVE CHANGED TO SAY THIS IS IMPORTANT AND THE COUNSELING, THE PROGRAMING, EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS HELPING KIDS AND FAMILIES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHICHEVER PATH THEY DECIDE TO GO. IT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY GOOD PATH. AND SO WE'RE NOT SATISFIED. WE'RE HAPPY THAT WE'RE MAKING GAINS, BUT WE'RE NOT SATISFIED. ACTUALLY, I MIGHT JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT. SO IS IT BECAUSE I THINK I HEARD YOU ASK, YOU KNOW, WHY IS IT, WHY ISN'T IT OKAY JUST TO HAVE A TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? AND I MEAN, THERE'S PLENTY OF DATA. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE DATA SOURCES I'VE BEEN CITING FOR YEARS, BUT IT STILL STANDS, IS, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR JOB IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR ESSENTIALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. AND IDEALLY, THAT MEANS REACHING A CAREER WHERE THEY CAN NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, GET AN ENTRY LEVEL JOB, BUT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE OVER TIME, ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT A FAMILY. I MEAN, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK FOR, METRICS THAT WILL LET US KNOW THAT THAT'S HAPPENING. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A STUDENT. SOME TYPICAL FOUR YEAR COLLEGE OUTCOMES, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF WORKFORCE DATA RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHO'S GETTING INTO SUCCESSFUL CAREERS. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE FOCUS ON THE CREDENTIALS IS KNOWING THAT IT'S NOT JUST OUR OWN ASSESSMENT OF ARE THEY DOING OKAY? THERE'S ACTUALLY AN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED ASSESSMENT THAT THEY'RE TAKING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF US. SO WE HAVE THAT SORT OF EXTERNAL THING TO LET US KNOW THAT SOMEONE ELSE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE READY. WITH REGARD TO AP. FOR EXAMPLE, IN A STUDENT WHO PASSES AN AP TEST, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE WITHIN SIX YEARS JUMPS UP TO 75 TO 80%. THE AVERAGE. PASS RATE, THE AVERAGE DEGREE ATTAINMENT RATE IN COLLEGE IS LIKE 30% OF GRADUATES GET A DEGREE WITHIN SIX YEARS. BUT YOUR AP STUDENTS, IF THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK AT THAT LEVEL, THAT MORE THAN DOUBLES THE LIKELIHOOD OF EARNING THAT DEGREE. SO WE DON'T WANT THEM JUST TO GET TO COLLEGE. WE NEED THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN COLLEGE AND THINGS LIKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND IB PROVIDE AN INDICATOR TO US THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE MORE THAN READY FOR COLLEGE. THE FACT THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE COLLEGE CREDITS ALREADY ON A TRANSCRIPT. AGAIN, JUST LIKE THE INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS, THERE'S AN EXTERNAL SOURCE VALIDATING THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE DONE SOMETHING THAT RECOGNIZES THE SUCCESS THAT THEY'VE HAD. IT'S

[01:10:02]

NOT JUST OUR ASSESSMENT THROUGH THROUGH THE DIPLOMA. AND, YOU KNOW, NEARLY ALL JOBS, MOST JOBS REQUIRE SOME TRAINING BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. AND THERE'S PLENTY OF DATA AROUND THIS, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH, I MEAN, THERE ARE PLENTY OF ANECDOTAL SITUATIONS WHERE A STUDENT WHO, YOU KNOW, A STUDENT CAN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, GO STRAIGHT INTO WORK, AND IN MANY CASES DO VERY WELL.

BUT ON AVERAGE, THAT'S NOT THE CASE. YOU KNOW, LIFETIME EARNINGS FOR SOMEONE WITH SOME POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IS STILL MORE THAN $1 MILLION OVER THE LIFETIME, GREATER THAN SOMEONE WHO JUST HAS A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. SO EVEN THOUGH THERE'S INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO DO VERY WELL, BUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO VERY WELL GOING STRAIGHT INTO CAREERS ARE OFTEN GOING INTO THINGS LIKE TRADES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHICH WE'RE ALSO ENSURING WE'RE PREPARING PEOPLE FOR BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS ARE ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEIR PLAN ISN'T TO GO TO COLLEGE, WHICH MORE AND MORE STUDENTS ARE CHOOSING TO NOT GO TO COLLEGE, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL GOING STRAIGHT INTO WORK, AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE WITH THAT. JUST GOT THE COUNT.

WE'RE OVER 300 APPRENTICES. I THINK WE'RE AT 306 TODAY. WE'VE HAD MORE THAN A THOUSAND INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS THIS YEAR. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT LAGGING DATA FROM LAST YEAR'S GRADUATES. WE EXPECT THESE NUMBERS ALL TO GO UP FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S I GUESS WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IS DON'T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. TAKE THE COLLEGE'S WORD FOR IT.

TAKE THE INDUSTRY ASSESSMENTS WORD FOR IT, TAKE YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO ARE GRANTING THESE CREDITS. IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THEY'RE DOING WITH US. I KNOW THAT WAS A LONG ANSWER, BUT IT'S WONDERFUL. IT'S YOU KNOW, ALL THE EFFORTS ARE GREAT. IT'S A MATTER OF BUCKETS. WE HAVE WE STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, 50% READING SCORES AND LOWER GRADES. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS FOR THE TWO ENDS OF THE BELL CURVE. THIS IS THE TOP END. WE JUST HEARD THE PACE FOR THE YOU KNOW A LOT OF THAT IS FOCUSED ON LOWERING MAKING SURE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE MIDDLE 60%.

HOWEVER, YOU STILL HAVE KIDS AT LOWER GRADES WHO YOU KNOW ARE NOT READING AND DOING MATH. AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF BUCKETS. I SEE A LOT OF EFFORT IN DOING MATH ON THE STATE TESTS, WHICH WE CAN TALK ABOUT. BUT THE POINT IS, IF THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL THERE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PUSH TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT IS HERE. THEY'RE DEMONSTRATING THE TYPE OF SUCCESS THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEKING FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO A SNAPSHOT OF AN ASSESSMENT IN ONE YEAR. THAT'S A STARTING PLACE FOR US. YEAH. WE WILL SEE THOSE PERCENTAGES CONTINUE TO GROW. AND WE STILL HAVE 34, SORRY, 36% OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVEN'T HIT THE STANDARD YET.

BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHY MR. O'BRIEN'S BEEN SAYING OUR GOAL IS 100% HITTING NORTH STAR, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXPECTATION FOR THE WHOLE TIME YOU'RE IN SCHOOL, BY THE END, WE WANT TO KNOW THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY LEAVE US. YEAH, THEY HAVE VARYING YOU KNOW, STUDENTS EXCEL AT DIFFERENT PACES. SOME DO BETTER EARLIER, SOME DO BETTER LATER. AND AS WE GROW THOSE SCORES IN THE EARLIER GRADES, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO SEE THESE GO UP ALSO. AND I'M SURE YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT AGAIN WE HAVE A CONSTRAINED BUDGET. WE'RE CUTTING X POSITIONS IN CLASSROOMS. AND I JUST ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT. IF I MAY.

GO AHEAD. NO, I IF I MAY JUST ADD ONE THING TO A DOCTOR AND SAY WHAT WE NEED TO REALIZE IS THAT THE NORTH STAR OUTCOME, WE ARE SETTING THE BAR VERY HIGH. OKAY. SO EVEN THOSE 36% WHO DIDN'T MEET THE OUTCOME DOESN'T MEAN THAT WHEN THEY GO TO COLLEGE, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS IF THE MEETING OUTCOME, THE SUCCESS WILL BE EVEN HIGHER IN COLLEGE. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? EVEN THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS NOW INCORPORATING SOME OF OUR NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOME INTO THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. WE WERE THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE SETTING THE BAR VERY HIGH. NOW THE STATE IS USING THAT IN THE PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR.

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. SO THEY ARE GOING TO INCLUDE APPRENTICESHIP, WHICH WE'VE BEEN DOING. THEY ARE GOING TO INCLUDE AP, IB, WHICH WE'VE BEEN DOING. SO THE BAR IS HIGH FOR US. SO OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU SET THE BAR THIS HIGH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE 100%. YOU NEED TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE IN SCHOOL THAT MIGHT TALK ABOUT. SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THOSE 36% WHO GRADUATE ARE NOT WHO ARE NOT MEETING THE OUTCOME ARE NOT GOING TO DO WELL. THEY WILL DO WELL. IT MAY TAKE THEM SIX YEARS TO GRADUATE, BUT WE WANT THEM TO REACH THAT GOAL. I GUESS I'M SITTING ON MY EDGE HERE BECAUSE I GUESS I HAVE A PHILOSOPHICAL INPUT IN QUESTION. SO IN MY LIFE, 60 YEARS OF IT, I'VE FOUND THAT THERE ARE NORTH STAR PEOPLE AND THERE ARE NON NORTH STAR PEOPLE.

I HAPPEN TO BE A NON NORTH STAR PERSON. I BUT I'VE HAD FRIENDS, OUR PASTOR AT OUR CHURCH, HE

[01:15:06]

KNEW AT FIVE YEARS OLD WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. HE KNEW HE WANTED TO BE A PRIEST. I HAD A FRIEND WHO SHE WAS A OB GYN. SHE KNEW AT FIVE YEARS OLD THAT SHE WANTED TO BE A WOMEN'S DOCTOR.

SHE WANTED TO DELIVER BABIES. SHE KNEW. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO'S NOT IN NORTH STAR.

PERSON. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO DO, AND I WAS ALSO VERY AND STILL AM VERY BULLHEADED. AND I SAID TO THE PEOPLE AT MY HIGH SCHOOL, I'M NOT GOING TO GET PIGEONHOLED INTO GOING TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, YOU'RE BRIGHT. LOOK AT THE TEST SCORES. YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE. YOU KNOW, I'M JUST NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, JUST GET PIGEONHOLED INTO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO. AND SO THEY MADE ME PICK OUT A FEW DIFFERENT TRACKS. AND HONESTLY, I SO I HAD TO PICK THREE AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS QUALIFIED TO GET INTO COLLEGE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE, OKAY, WE'LL DO THAT. LIKE, WHAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM THING THAT I HAVE TO DO TO GET INTO COLLEGE? SO, YOU KNOW, AND BUT ANYWAY, IN SAYING THAT, LIKE A LOT OF THE OTHER THINGS, LIKE I DID OFFICE PREP, YOU KNOW, MAN, I'M ORGANIZED AND I CAN TYPE AND THOSE THINGS LIKE, REALLY HELPED ME GET THROUGH COLLEGE. THEY HELPED ME EXCEL IN A LOT OF THINGS. AND I HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR, 32 YEARS. AND THE WHOLE TIME I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, TEACHERS ASKED ME, DIANE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? I'M LIKE, I DON'T HAVEN'T DECIDED YET. AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I WALKED ACROSS GET MY DEGREE THAT I TOLD THEM. I SAID, OKAY. I DECIDED, YOU KNOW. AND THEY WERE PLEASED THAT I DECIDED TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY APTITUDE WAS. AND IT JUST KIND OF CAME EASY FOR ME. SO I GUESS I BUT EVEN WHEN I GOT TO COLLEGE, I DO. I HAD A DUAL ENROLLMENT. I WAS I WANTED TO BE A PSYCHOLOGIST AND I FOUND THERE WAS A LOT OF MEMORIZATION AND ENGINEERING WAS A LOT EASIER. SO ANYWAY, LIKE WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE NON NORTH STAR STUDENTS NOW? YOU KNOW, DOCTOR BOLTON TALKED ABOUT WELL THE DATA SHOWS THAT IF YOU PASS THE AP TEST YOU HAVE A TEN TIMES MORE LIKELIHOOD OF GRADUATING COLLEGE. WELL I HAVE TWO OUTLIERS THAT I'VE RAISED OKAY. THEY GOT FIVES AND FOURS ON THEIR AP TEST. AND YOU KNOW ONE OF THEM'S STILL STRUGGLING TO GET THROUGH COLLEGE. THE OTHER ONE TOOK THEM SEVEN YEARS BECAUSE HE WAS JUST NOT MATURE ENOUGH FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW.

SO ANYWAY SO LIKE AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD ESPECIALLY FOR MY YOUNGER SON TO GET EXPOSURE TO MORE THINGS RATHER THAN TO GET PIGEONHOLED INTO, YOU KNOW, GOING THE COLLEGE ROUTE BECAUSE HE WAS COLLEGE MATERIAL. I'D LIKE TO JUMP IN. SO THE EXPOSURE TO CAREER IS ACTUALLY A BIG PART OF THE BLUEPRINT AND CAREER EXPLORATION, NOT LIKE A SINGLE CAREER PATHWAY. IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT YOUR CAREER PATHWAY IS, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THOSE PATHWAYS SO THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO YOU. BUT IF WE YOU DON'T, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE AND WE DO PROVIDE THAT IDEA OF CAREER EXPLORATION AND CAREER COACHING AND COUNSELING. THAT IS THE PART OF THE BLUEPRINT THAT IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK AND THE HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHERE WE HAVE CAREER COACHES THAT BEGIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT ARE THERE TO PROVIDE THAT EXPLORATION AND THAT COACHING.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SAYING YOU HAVE TO PICK A CAREER RIGHT NOW. IT'S EXPOSING YOU TO DIFFERENT THINGS. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THAT THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL INNOVATION IS FIELD TRIPS TO DIFFERENT THINGS TO GET THAT EXPOSURE. ONE OF THE JUST TRULY AMAZING THINGS THAT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF IS WHAT MISS BROWN PRESENTED WITH THE INDIVIDUALIZED CAREER PLANNING TOOL, BECAUSE THAT IS INDIVIDUALIZED. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE IN MIND OF WHAT YOU WANT, THEN YOU CAN. YOUR GOALS CAN BE TO EXPLORE OR TO ACCESS SOME OF ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. AND THOSE CAN BE THE GOALS THAT YOU WORK WITH YOUR CAREER COACH, YOUR YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR, AND ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING THAT ARE THERE FOR YOU. JUST TO TOUT TO MISS BROWN'S HORN A LITTLE BIT. SHE AND HER COLLEAGUE, MISS PENSIERO ARE GOING TO PRESENT LAUNCH THIS TOOL TO THE WHOLE STATE ON MAY 20TH IN A PUBLIC MEETING. I CAN MAKE SURE YOU ALL HAVE THE LINK, BECAUSE WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THAT WORK IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. AND I GOT TO PREVIEW THE LAUNCH, I BELIEVE, AT THE MEETING THAT WE HAD AND I AND I THINK IT IS A, A GREAT TOOL. CAN I ASK YOU THOUGH, WHAT

[01:20:03]

IS THE LIKE DO YOU COVER ALL OF THE POSSIBLE CAREERS. AND WE CAN TALK OFFLINE ABOUT THAT, LIKE WE DON'T COVER ALL OF THE POSSIBLE CAREERS. IT IS LITERALLY A. A PLAN THAT INCLUDES CAREER EXPLORATION, BUT IT'S REALLY FOCUSING ON MORE OF ACHIEVEMENT GOALS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE HELP STUDENTS HAVE A BETTER GPA. HOW CAN WE HELP STUDENTS ALSO ATTEND SCHOOL BETTER? AND WE'RE AND THE FOCUS IN ITS CREATION. WHEN I'M LOOKING AT IT, I WAS THINKING OF THAT STUDENT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE. WE HAVE REALLY GOOD SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PERFORM WELL. WE DON'T REALLY NEED A LOT OF SUPPORTS FOR THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE THAT INTRINSIC MOTIVATION. BUT WHERE WE FALTER TO ME IS THAT STUDENT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT PUSH AT HOME AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY CONNECT WITH ANY ONE PERSON IN THE BUILDING. IF WE CAN COME ALONGSIDE THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT EARLY ENOUGH, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND GET THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT TO BEGIN TO ENGAGE IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AND GIVE THEM PEEKS INTO EXPLORATION, CAREER EXPLORATION, AND HAD THEM PERFORM AND GO TO DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, WE CAN EXCITE THAT STUDENT ABOUT LEARNING, WHICH THEN THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO SCHOOL MORE OFTEN. THEIR GPA IS GOING TO BE BETTER. THEY WILL HAVE A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE SCHOOL AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN. OUR ACHIEVEMENT DATA GOES UP. THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT IS LEARNING, AND I KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. YEAH, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, I COULD SEE YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT AS WELL. SO YEAH, I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO REPRESENT US, FOR THE STATE AND TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE OUR VARIOUS FEELINGS ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT, INCLUDING MYSELF. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE PARTS OF THE BLUEPRINT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD IN IT. AND THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, YOU KNOW, PUSH US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT WHAT YOU HAVE JUST ASKED US FOR. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE A QUESTION. SURE. SO MY QUESTION IS KIND OF IN LINE WITH WHAT TERRY IS SAYING. THIS IS AMAZING WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR THE CCR. IT'S WONDERFUL. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STUDENTS THAT CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THESE THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, RIGHT. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HOLD THOSE STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR TIME AND FOR THEIR EDUCATION? I KNOW SO MANY STUDENTS BETWEEN MY OLDEST AND MY SENIOR THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES, THEY'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THESE OPTIONS, AND THEY'RE OFF EVERY OTHER DAY AND THEY SIT HOME, PLAY XBOX ALL DAY. WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER PLAN IN PLACE TO HOLD THESE KIDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. MAYBE ACCOUNTING CLASSES, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LIFE SKILLS CLASSES, TEACHING THEM HOW TO BALANCE A CHECKBOOK, HOW TO DO, YOU KNOW, BASIC SKILLS TO KEEP THEM RIGHT, TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THEM TO SIT AT HOME AND PLAY XBOX, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT PREPARING THEM FOR THE FUTURE, THAT'S NOT PREPARING THEM FOR LIFE OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL, ALLOWING THEM TO SIT HOME AND PLAY XBOX, YOU KNOW, TWO DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN MR. O'BRIEN AND MR. BROWN. YES, THIS THIS. SEO FOR STUDENTS GOING. AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE TALKED TO US ABOUT BEFORE ABOUT REALLY REVAMPING THE SEO FOR STUDENTS ON PART TIME. AND SO THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT OPTION. SO STUDENTS DO APPLY TO GO ON PART TIME THEIR SENIOR YEAR. SO WE'VE CREATED A VERY ROBUST WHAT A JUNIORS TO NOT JUST SENIORS.

THEY'RE JUNIORS THAT DO PART TIME OR THEY DO THE COLLEGE. YEAH. THEY DON'T DO WE DON'T ALLOW PART TIME ATTENDANCE FOR JUNIORS. BUT FOR THE SENIORS, THERE'S A VERY ROBUST APPLICATION THAT INCLUDES MULTIPLE TOUCH POINTS WITH OUR APPRENTICESHIP COORDINATORS MODULES. SO WE'VE COMPLETELY REVAMPED. WE REALLY LISTEN TO YOUR CONCERNS OVER TIME ON THAT.

AND SO THAT THAT'S REALLY EXCITING WORK. WE DID TALK ABOUT IT AT BLUEPRINT AS CO-CHAIR. I THINK YOU WERE THERE IN OUR BLUEPRINT MEETING. WE HAD MR. CARR, WHO WHO SPEARHEADED THAT PRESENT THAT AND IT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW. SO STUDENTS APPLYING FOR PART TIME RIGHT NOW HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROCESS THAT INCLUDES HOURS OF MODULES FROM EVERYTHING FROM ACCOUNTING TO FINANCE TOUCH POINTS WITH THE CAREER COACHES. AND WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY LOOP THEM INTO IF THEY WANT TO GO PART TIME FOR WORK INTO APPRENTICESHIPS. SO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR IS, IS THAT KIND OF YES, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT TRULY ROBUST. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF STUDENTS JUST LEAVING SCHOOL. I I'VE RAISED TWO CHILDREN. DON'T DON'T LIKE THAT. JUST LEAVING SCHOOL WITH

[01:25:02]

NOTHING TO DO. I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE SCHOOL, YOU SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN AN APPRENTICESHIP AND INTERNSHIP, COLLEGE OR SOMETHING. YOU SHOULDN'T JUST BE GOING HOME, JUST SITTING DOWN AND PLAYING GAMES. SO WE HAVE REALLY WORKED ON THAT AND COMMUNICATED THAT TO SCHOOLS, AND THERE ARE LAYERS TO THE APPROVAL PROCESS. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'S TRULY GOING TO TURN IT AROUND. AND OF COURSE, IF EVER YOU FIND THAT IT'S NOT WORKING, JUST LET US KNOW. WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO SEND IT TO THE BOARD, IF THAT'S OKAY. I WOULD LOVE THAT. YES, ABSOLUTELY. JUST, JUST, JUST CAN THE STUDENT HAVE A PART TIME SCHEDULE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION? NO, NO, I WANTED TO BE SURE. NO. THANK YOU GUYS. WHY DO WE OFFER IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? I MEAN, UNLESS THEY. WHY? WHY DO WE OFFER A PART TIME OPTION FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO AN APPRENTICESHIP? WHY WOULD WE OFFER THAT THERE THERE ARE REASONS. I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR HIGHEST ACHIEVERS WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO COLLEGE UNLESS I SAVE SOME MONEY. SO ORIGINALLY IT WAS PROBABLY FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN, BUT EACH HAD A PRETTY GOOD REASON, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO ESTABLISH THAT REASON ON THE ON THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT OPTIONS. AND THEN IT CHANGED, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID. DURING COVID, A LOT OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAD JOBS. AND SINCE THEN, WE FELT LIKE IT WAS A LITTLE MORE OUT OF HAND THAN WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. AND THEY'LL TELL US WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR ON THE APPLICATIONS. I KNOW OF ONE PARTICULAR FAMILY WHERE THE CHILDREN CAN BULLY THE PARENTS INTO SUBMISSION. OKAY, THAT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM, YOU KNOW? SO ANYWAY. AND IT'S NOT IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE A VERY HEADSTRONG CHILD. I HAVE I HAVE TWO THINGS REAL QUICK BECAUSE I KNOW WE GOT GOT TO MOVE ON. SO I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THE OPPORTUNITIES AND I'VE EVEN SEEN IT BETWEEN MY OWN CHILDREN. WHAT WAS AVAILABLE AT ONE CHILD THAT IT'S INCREASED BY THE SECOND. AND I THINK THAT'S A BLUEPRINT AS A PART OF WHY WE SEE THE NUMBERS INCREASING. RIGHT. THE AP TEST IS PAID FOR, I THINK MORE DUAL ENROLLMENT IS PAID FOR, AND I LOVE THAT WE'RE ROLLING IT OUT MORE THAN IN SEVENTH GRADE. BUT NOW WE HAVE THIS KIND OF GAP RIGHT IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLERS. AND I THINK SOME MORE INDIVIDUALIZED. YOU HAVE KIDS, AND I OFTEN HEAR PARENTS WHO ARE TAKING THE AP TEST OR TAKING THE DUAL ENROLLMENT, BUT NO ONE IS TRULY SITTING DOWN WITH MY CHILD AND SAYING, HERE'S YOUR COLLEGE OPTIONS. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO STUDY? SO UNTIL WE CATCH UP WITH THAT SEVENTH GRADE, JUST SOME REAL INDIVIDUALIZED, I THINK ONE ON ONE WITH KIDS TO START TO GET THEM TO THINK WOULD BE GREAT. THE OTHER THING IS DUAL ENROLLMENT. I DON'T SEE MUCH GUIDANCE ON, HEY, THESE ARE THE CLASSES YOU SHOULD BE TAKING. MY OLDEST TOOK A CLASS AT HER COLLEGE AND EVEN ACCEPT, SO IT WOULD BE EVEN BE NICE TO HAVE A LIST OF 95% OF COLLEGES ARE GOING TO TAKE THESE CLASSES. I KNOW YOU CAN'T GET EVERY ONE AND IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY GO, BUT THERE WAS NO LIKE GUIDANCE ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE PICKING. AND HEY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO STUDY? WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD DO THESE CLASSES INSTEAD OF THAT. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AS YOU LOOK TO PICK THOSE CLASSES BECAUSE YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU HAVE FIVE FREE CLASSES. LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT CLASSES FOR YOU THAT YOUR INSTITUTION WILL TAKE. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL INFORMATION. AND MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE JUST GO LOOK AT HDCS WEBSITE AND PICK, WELL OKAY.

RIGHT. AND THEN BY THE TIME YOU GET THERE FOR THE SEMESTER, THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN BE AVAILABLE, RIGHT? CAN THEY ATTEND IN PERSON? DO THEY HAVE TO DO IT ONLINE? THERE'S A LOT THERE I DON'T I THE PARENTS DON'T ALWAYS KNOW LIKE SOME COLLEGES WON'T EVEN THEY WON'T ACCEPT AN AP COURSE. I MEAN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO SCORE AT LEAST A FIVE IN ORDER IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE ACCEPTED. SO, YOU KNOW, MY SON TOOK ALL THE AP COURSES AND HE ONLY THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, ONLY THE FIVES GOT ACCEPTED. SO, YOU KNOW, YEAH, EACH COLLEGE IS DIFFERENT. AND EVEN THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROCESS, WE REALLY TRY TO ASK STUDENTS TO STICK TO YOUR MOST YOUR YOUR GEN EDS. WE DO HAVE A LIST OF COURSES THAT STUDENTS COULD TAKE. AND NOW I MEAN, THE WAY THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE REGISTERED IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN HOW IT WAS EVEN THREE YEARS AGO. WELL, TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAVE A NEW PROCESS OF THE WAY THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE REGISTERED. SO WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT WILL REGISTER OUR STUDENTS, AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO HCC TO REGISTER THEMSELVES. SO THAT HELPS. BUT I'M OPEN TO GIVING MORE INFORMATION AS MUCH AS NEEDED. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT. IT'S I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO PRESENT TO THE STUDENT THAT THEY'RE READY BECAUSE THEY PASSED THE AP, BECAUSE DEPENDING ON THE COLLEGE THEY THEY WENT TO AND THE RIGOR OF THE EDUCATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPOSED TO AT

[01:30:04]

COLLEGE, THEY MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE READY, YOU KNOW, SO LIKE, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, COLLEGE IS A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN HIGH SCHOOL IS. SO JUST GETTING THROUGH THESE WICKETS AND THESE CHECK MARKS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S A GUARANTEED SUCCESS. I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AS A WE ACTUALLY PUBLISH A RESEARCH REPORT ON THE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOME FOR OUR FIRST THREE YEARS. WE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE AP, IB CREDIT OR CTE ARE POTENTIAL COLLEGE CREDITS, WHEREAS THE DUAL ENROLLMENT CREDIT ARE TRANSFERABLE. YOU GET THE CREDIT. SO THE AP, IB AND WE CAN GO BACK AND, YOU KNOW, DO A RESEARCH AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON WHAT STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE IN COLLEGE, WHAT MOST COLLEGES ACCEPT. WE HAVE ALL THOSE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, MISS ALVAREZ. I MEAN, EVEN WITH THE DATA I SHARED, YEAH, THERE ISN'T A GUARANTEE. WE JUST KNOW THAT. AND FRANKLY, FOR ME, THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE COURSE AND TAKING THE TEST BECAUSE ALL COLLEGES DON'T, AS YOU SAID, DON'T GRANT CREDIT THE SAME WAY IN MOST CASES. LET'S SAY YOU GET A FIVE IN THE AP BIOLOGY TEST.

IF YOU BECOME A BIOLOGY MAJOR, MOST COLLEGES AREN'T GOING TO GIVE YOU CREDIT TOWARDS YOUR BIOLOGY DEGREE FOR THAT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW HOW MUCH THAT PLAYS INTO ACCEPTANCE TO COLLEGE, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A MORE SELECTIVE COLLEGE. THEY'RE EXPECTING STUDENTS TO HAVE TO TAKE THE HARDEST COURSES OFFERED TO THEM IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND IN MOST CASES, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT'S THAT'S THE EXPECTATION. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. THERE'S NO GUARANTEE. JUST JUST DOING WELL IN ONE OF THOSE, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT GO INTO HOW A STUDENT SUCCEEDS IN COLLEGE, AND SOME OF IT IS SOCIAL, SOME OF IT IS ACADEMIC, SOME OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, MATURITY, A MILLION OTHER THINGS. AND SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE LIKELIHOOD THAT TAKING THOSE TESTS, I MEAN, VERY CLEARLY CORRELATES. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN CAUSALITY. AND THIS IS PROBABLY MORE OF MY PERSONAL INFORMATION, BUT TO HIS DETRIMENT, I MEAN, HE WAS ACCEPTED AT VERY HIGH END SCHOOLS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WAS A GOOD THING. SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE CLASSES, CLASSES THAT HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE, I THINK ALSO THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THOSE ADVANCED, THOSE AP AND IB COURSES WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL, ALL RESEARCH AGREE THAT THAT WILL PREPARE YOU FOR COLLEGE COURSES, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT IN HIGH SCHOOL. SO WHEN YOU GO TO COLLEGE YOU'LL BE READY. YOU MAY NOT NEED REMEDIAL CLASSES. SO THERE'S STILL A PLUS JUST BY GOING THROUGH THOSE. AND I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THIS TOO MUCH, BUT TO TERRY'S POINT, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN EDUCATION IS LIKE SLIPPING REALLY BAD. SO I MEAN, THEY'RE GOING TO COLLEGE COMPETING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, NOT JUST OTHER STUDENTS IN THE US. SO AND I'M GOING TO STOP THERE BECAUSE I'VE PROBABLY TAKEN UP TOO MUCH TIME. IT'S BEHIND SCHEDULE, BUT WE ARE A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE. I WILL SAY YOU HAD SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS, BUT LITERALLY WHEN I RAN INTO YOU THE PARKING LOT, YOU SAID, AARON, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK A LOT TONIGHT. THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU SAID TO ME. I SAID I WAS LIMITING IT TO THREE QUESTIONS AND I YOU BROKE THAT RULE. LET ME KNOW, LIKE I SAID, BUT ALL GOOD QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. LET ME WERE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS THAT WANTED TO CHIME IN THAT DID NOT SPEAK YET? OTHERWISE WE CAN WE CAN MOVE ON.

OKAY. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE ON A REALLY GOOD PATH. I WISH YOU BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR LAUNCH. I DO AGREE WITH MELISSA. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP THE PART TIME STUFF AND MAYBE LOOK AT ADDING MORE LIFE SKILLS IN THERE, MAYBE EVEN PARTNERING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN ENTREPRENEUR TO TEACH OR TO TALK ABOUT BUSINESS, BRING IN THE CREDIT UNION TO TALK ABOUT FINANCES, THOSE SORTS OF STUFF. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE FURTHER

[C. Discussion of Proposed Changes to 2025-2026 HCPS School Year Calendar and Discussion of Synchronous Weather Days, Dr. Aaron Poynton, Board President and Dr. Sean Bulson, Superintendent of Schools ]

CONVERSATION AROUND THAT. SO THANK YOU AND BEST OF LUCK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM . DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED CHANGES 2025 AND 2026. SCHOOL CALENDAR AND DISCUSSION OF SYNCHRONOUS WEATHER DAYS. SO I HAVE A EXHIBIT THAT I'M GOING TO PASS AROUND ACTUALLY I'LL SEND IT. I'LL SEND IT BOTH WAYS. THAT'S WHAT'S IN THERE. OH YOU GOT IT.

WHAT DO WE GET. YEAH OKAY. THANK YOU MISS CALENDAR. AND THANK YOU. OH IS THAT POSTED. SEE.

POSTED AS WELL OKAY. ALL RIGHT I GUESS LET ME GIVE A FEW INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OVER TO DOCTOR PAULSON. SO OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD IS TO PUBLISH A CALENDAR EACH YEAR. BUT YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. LAWS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. CIRCUMSTANCES ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. WE'RE ALWAYS RECEIVING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE DOING FOR BEST PRACTICES.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE CALENDAR WAS WAS PASSED, IT'S STILL EARLY ENOUGH TO MAKE SOME TWEAKS, POTENTIALLY TO THE CALENDAR, WHICH COULD SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE IT, WHICH WOULD, OF COURSE, WOULD REQUIRE ANOTHER BOARD VOTE. AND ALSO WE NEED TO CIRCLE BACK TO SOMETHING THAT

[01:35:02]