Middle School Service-Learning Instructional Framework

Students have enormous energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence that they will devote to our commlll1ities when they are asked and given the opportunity. Schools are now doing the asking and they are creating opportunities, both in courses and as part of their extracurricular activities. Students have weather stripped and rehabilitated houses and tended animals at the zoo. They have planted marsh grass to save the Chesapeake Bay and tested streams for pollutants. They have created plays about drug and alcohol abuse and put on fashion shows for senior citizens. These are not simply nice things to do. They contribute to an individual\u27s development of the strong, active character crucial to a vibrant national life. Student service is now an item on the national agenda. President Bush has initiated the Points of Light Foundation to promote his belief that any definition of a successful life must include serving others. Senators Edward Kennedy and Barbara Mikulski were instrumental in obtaining passage of the National and Commlll1ity Service Act The best test of a program, however, is the actions taken at the local level. Maryland, which has often been called America in miniature, has the opportunity to demonstrate just how good a service program can be

Next Steps: A School District\u27s Guide to the Essential Elements of Service-Learning

We are pleased to share a new tool for service-learning. Next Steps: A School District\u27s Guide to the Essential Elements of Service-Learning is an excellent guide for state level or school district administrators as they create or improve their service-learning program, regardless of their previous experience in service-learning. Students make a tremendous difference in their schools and communities when they are given the opportunity to use their enthusiasm, energy and ideas to problem solve and contribute to the common good. Maryland was the first state to require that all students participate in service-learning to graduate from public high school. Educators and community leaders agreed that service-learning allowed students to use knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to meet the needs of their communities. They also found service-learning to be a highly effective teaching method, allowing students to demonstrate classroom learning in an authentic setting. Since 1992 when we began this educational reform, Maryland\u27s 24 school districts have used Next Steps to strategically plan to strengthen district level infrastructure in order to support quality service-learning experiences for our learners. The experience of creating and revising the delivery of our service-learning programs make our state a leader in the field of service-learning. We are confident that you will benefit from the lessons we have learned. We want to thank the service-learning leaders from around Maryland and across the nation who worked with the Maryland Student Service Alliance to develop this document

Perspective: Influencing Systemic Change

Dr. Lowery comes to FutureReady Columbus from the Maryland State Department of Education, where she served as state superintendent of schools. Under her leadership, Maryland has consistently finished among the nation’s top performing state school systems, according to Education Week’s Quality Counts, the most comprehensive assessment of the state of American education.https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/leadhour/1010/thumbnail.jp

An analysis of state and local alignment of teacher evaluation in Maryland

This study explored the components of Maryland\u27s newly-implemented teacher evaluation framework and compared state requirements with evaluations to three local school systems\u27 evaluation procedures. The study sought to investigate the relationship between three evaluation protocols in comparison to the state requirements.;Three local school districts were selected based on their student population served and the availability of their evaluation documents. Howard County Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and Montgomery County Public Schools were selected. State evaluation documents were also included in the study, coming from the Maryland State Department of Education. Evaluation documents underwent a qualitative data analysis using computer coding software and were checked manually repeatedly.;It was hypothesized that the local school district evaluation documents would not be in compliance with the state\u27s evaluation procedures. However, it was concluded that this was, in fact, not the case. The school districts used in the study each differed in their means of developing the professional practice of teachers, but remained true to the Danielson evaluation model that the state of Maryland utilized. Further study is needed to explore the initial implementation of these evaluation procedures

Industrial Hemp Remains Illegal to Cultivate In Maryland Until Final Regulations and Research Programs Finalized

In 2016, the Maryland General Assembly first passed legislation allowing for the development of an Industrial Hemp Pilot Program in the state. That program was recently updated this year by House Bill (HB) 698 to allow farmers contracting with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) or Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) in Maryland to grow industrial hemp for research purposes. Production of hemp under the program must further either agricultural or academic research. While HB 698 becomes effective on July 1, MDA is currently developing regulations and applications required under this new law and IHE have not had sufficient time to develop research programs for industrial hemp production, which conform to the regulations. Until then, any grower attempting to produce industrial hemp in Maryland is still producing it illegally and faces potential criminal penalties.Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland Extension, Agriculture Law Education Initiative, and Maryland Department of Agricultur

Legal Risk Management Solutions for Community Supported Agriculture in Maryland

Highlights the results of a survey conducted in the summer of 2014 by Maryland Department of Ag looking at the use of contracts and other risk management tools utilized by CSA operators in Maryland. The report also highlights workshops and materials developed by the Department of Agricultural and Resource and the Ag Law Education Initiative conducted in the winter of 2015. Finally, the report highlights state programs that verify CSA operators in California

A study of professional development, research, practices, and policies to prepare inservice teachers in new technologies: implications for training standards in new technologies

This study examines the efficacy of technology standards, policies and practices driving the Center for Technology in Education\u27s (CTE) training and support efforts provided to inservice educators in the State of Maryland;In 1986, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) partnered with CTE to provide training for teachers in new technologies to achieve educational reform goals, access to professional development and technical support. Five primary factors were examined (1) knowledge and awareness, (2) professional development, (3) technical assistance, (4) information dissemination, and (5) availability of new technology;The research was designed to evaluate the above factors to answer the question of how CTE\u27s training and support services support existing technology standards to ensure Maryland educators have access to programs for their continued improvement to meet new high-quality teaching standards using new technologies (assistive and instructional);A decision-oriented research and evaluation employed integrating qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998; McMillan & Schumacher, 1997);Examination of current standards for three teacher groups\u27 technology training revealed priorities are not focused on technology professional development for inservice teachers. However, research does indicate the groups share a need for basic training in foundation skills for understanding and using new technologies. The most significant finding in the study is compelling evidence that the most critical weakness does not exist in ISTE or Maryland\u27s recommended technology standards, but in technology assistance at local levels;Although barriers related to the aging teacher population, minority representation in technology environments and access to telecommunications in rural and metropolitan schools did emerge, educators in this study reported very high levels of comfort with learning new technologies and skills application levels in the basic foundations;Based on the limitations of the study, the researcher recommends extending the investigation by using the preliminary findings to restate the questions posited in this study

Perceived Challenges of High-Stakes Assessments to High School Career and Technology Education Programs in Maryland

Abstract Title of dissertation: PERCEIVED CHALLENGES OF HIGH-STAKES ASSESSMENTS TO HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MARYLAND David W. Thomas, Doctor of Education, 2004 Dissertation directed by: Professor Robert Croninger Department of Education Many states are now requiring students to pass high-stakes assessments to earn a high school diploma. Even though the primary expectation of high-stakes testing is increased academic achievement for students in specific subject areas, many worthwhile high school programs are ignored by this testing initiative. This case study examined the perceived challenges of high-stakes testing to vocational/career and technology education in Maryland and the responses to the challenges of the assessment program by schools representing the three models of delivery of career and technology (CTE) education in Maryland (technical high schools, community high schools with embedded CTE programs and technical centers). The research was conducted through interviews at the Maryland State Department of Education and with local CTE directors, high school principals, and academic and CTE department chairs in four local school districts in Maryland, and discovered challenges to CTE programs in the following areas: scheduling students in CTE classes, redirecting resources away from CTE to tested areas, altering the mission of CTE programs, and also an overall low level of concern due to the newness of the testing program. Strategies to cope with the challenges were identified as: aligning CTE curriculum with tested areas, mirroring tests in CTE courses to the high school assessment tests, modifying school schedules, and taking minimal or no significant actions. The research also revealed a high level of familiarity with the testing program and more significant actions implemented to address the challenges of the assessments at the community high school with the CTE component and at the comprehensive technical high school than at the tech centers. Recommendations include similar research looking at challenges to other untested curriculum areas, tracking trends in CTE course enrollment and follow-up studies conducted after several years of high-stakes assessments to determine actual impact on career and technology education programs

The Bridge Plan for Academic Validation: A Case Study at Central High School

Abstract Title of Document: The Bridge Plan for Academic Validation: A Case Study at Central High School Brein Bashore Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Directed By:Dr. Jing Lin, Department of Education Leadership, Higher Education and International Education University of Maryland, College Park Across the nation, we continue to see an achievement gap between African American and Hispanic students and White and Asian students. This achievement gap is demonstrated by lower test scores among African American and Hispanic students as well as a lower number of these students graduating high school. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), as its name suggests, attempts to ensure that all students are able to achieve on standardized tests by 2014. However, under NCLB, what was required of students was left to the discretion of each individual state. Maryland's testing requirements went into effect for students who began high school in 2005 or later. With thousands of students yet to meet these requirements at the start of their senior year (2008-2009 school year), Maryland decided to create an alternate pathway for students to meet these testing requirements. This program, called The Bridge Plan for Academic Validation, allows students who are unable to pass the High School Assessment exams to complete one or more projects in order to meet the state testing requirements. Central High School is currently one of the worst performing high schools in New Town Public Schools in New Town, Maryland and has consistently been one of the schools with the greatest participation in the Bridge Plan in the state of Maryland. Throughout my research, I explored the following three questions. First, I wanted to better understand why The Bridge Plan for Academic Validation was developed as an alternative to statewide testing requirements. Second, I wanted to understand how Bridge was implemented at Central High School. Finally, I wanted to analyze the impact of Bridge on students, particularly at Central High School. I conducted a qualitative case study using document analysis, interview and observation. I used political and symbolic frameworks, as well as a critical perspective to frame my research. The findings from this study support the research on disparity in test scores among students as a result of differences in race, economic status, social capital and cultural capital

Comprehensive services for students with serious emotional disturbance: An analysis of state legislation and policy

The purpose of this study was to examine state legislation and policy related to comprehensive, integrated services for students with serious emotional disturbance. Legislation and policy documents from nine states, Virginia (the pilot study), Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin, were examined. These documents were compared to a set of components extracted from the literature as recommended practice. The document analysis was confirmed through telephone interviews with state-level policymakers in each state\u27s department of education, department of mental health, and/or department of children\u27s services. Support documents were also examined to establish a history for each initiative and describe the model of service delivery created by each state\u27s legislation.;Results indicated a core set of four components common to all 9 states studied: family focused services, full array of services, individualized services and an interagency collaborative structure. Two additional components were found to be present in the legislation of many of the states studied. Community-based services was found in seven states and flexible funding was found in six states. Three components were not found in the legislation of any of the nine states studied: co-location of services, unconditional care, and wraparound services. The degree of congruence between each state\u27s legislation and the set of components ranged from 61% for New Jersey to 30% for Vermont