Montgomery County Public Schools | |
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Address | |
850 Hungerford Drive , Montgomery, Maryland, 20850 United States | |
Coordinates | 39°05′41″N77°09′27″W / 39.09484°N 77.15749°WCoordinates: 39°05′41″N77°09′27″W / 39.09484°N 77.15749°W |
District information | |
Type | Public |
Grades | Pre-K–12 (including Head Start)[1] |
Established | 1860; 159 years ago |
Superintendent | Dr. Jack R. Smith |
Deputy Superintendent(s) | School Support and Improvement: Dr. Kimberly Statham[4] |
Business administrator | Chief Operating Officer: Dr. Andrew Zuckerman[5] |
School board | Montgomery County Board of Education |
Chair of the board | President: Shebra L. Evans (District 4)[6] |
Governing agency | Maryland State Department of Education |
Schools | 206[2] |
Budget | US$2.6 billionfiscal year 2019[2] |
NCES District ID | 2400480[3] |
Students and staff | |
Students | 162,680 (2018–2019)[2] |
Teachers | 13,094 (2017–2018)[1] |
Staff | 10,253 (2017–2018)[1] |
Student-teacher ratio | 12:1 (2017–2018) |
Other information | |
Schedule | M-F except county holidays |
Website | montgomeryschoolsmd.org |
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a public school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland. With 206 schools, it is the largest school district in the state of Maryland, and the 14th largest in the United States.[2][1] For the 2017–2018 school year, the district had 13,094 teachers, 86.4 percent of whom had a master’s degree or equivalent, serving 161,936 students at its 205 schools.[1] In 2010, MCPS was awarded a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.[1][7] The county spends approximately half of its annual budget on its public school system.[8] The Board of Education includes a student member who has full voting rights, except in certain cases. The superintendent of schools is Dr. Jack R. Smith.[9][10]
- 1History
The Virginia Department of Education School Division Report Card reports Montgomery County Public Schools as having a student population of 9,795 and 20 schools in the division. Montgomery County Public School Division did not make AYP for the 2009-2010 school year. Montgomery County Public Schools, Virginia is located in the heart of Southwest Virginia near Virginia Tech and Radford University. We are approximately five hours from the D.C./Maryland area. Click the link below to access a list of current job postings for Montgomery County Public Schools in Virginia and the online application.
History[edit]
1800s–1940s[edit]
Until 1860, private schools existed in Montgomery County for those who could afford an education. Montgomery County Public Schools was established in 1860 for white children. The school system got off to a shaky start — the Civil War caused local schools to be disabled, vandalized and closed. Depredations by both Union and Confederate armies caused schools to close in 1862 and they didn't reopen until 1864.[11]
In 1872, the Maryland General Assembly appropriated state money so there could be schools for children of color and the county established a segregated school system.[12]
In 1892, Rockville High School opened; it later was named Richard Montgomery High School. The high school is the oldest in the county. The first class of 12 seniors graduated in 1897.[13]Gaithersburg High School, the second high school to serve the county, was established in 1904.
In the 1900s, the school budget started to see the effects of suburbanization. In 1908, there were 6,483 students and a budget of US$76,000. The school system saw even more growth in 1912 after the United States Congress passed a 'non-resident' law that excluded Montgomery County school children from enrolling in Washington, D.C., schools, which were known for their higher quality. By 1921, the school budget had grown to more than US$316,000.[12]
The county's first Board of Education was named by legislative enactments in 1817; the first Board consisted of nine men.[14] A woman was appointed to the board in 1920, Mrs. A. Dawson Trumble, who served a five-year term that led to a steady succession of female members.[14]
Edwin W. Broome, who was superintendent 1916–1953, combined one-room schoolhouses into multi-room operations at the beginning of his tenure, reducing the number of schools from 108 to 66 by 1949. At that point, school enrollment was over 22,000. When Broome took the job, there were five high schools, all upcounty (the northern portion of the county). He built two secondary schools for Silver Spring and two for Bethesda, and also pushed high schools to add the 12th grade.[11]
1950s–present[edit]
In the early 1950s, elementary students of color attended one of four elementary schools — Linden, Ken-Gar, Takoma Park, and River Road — all of which were considered substandard.[15][16] Older students of color attended Lincoln Junior High School and George Washington Carver High School in Rockville.[15][16] Montgomery County was the one of the first seven counties in Maryland to start to desegregate its public schools, which it began in September 1955, following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States that ordered the desegregation of all schools nationwide.[17][18][19] Montgomery County completed the integration of its schools in 1960–1961.[11]
In 1961, the school system had 85,000 students and a US$70 million budget, and had become the largest system in the Washington suburbs.[11]Prior to 1961, separate schools were maintained for black children. At that time, students from Rockville's George Washington Carver High School were rezoned to the previously all-white schools across the county.[20]
Woodward High School's parking lot, in Bethesda, May 1973, from the U.S. National Archives.
Enrollment topped out around 126,000 in the mid-1970s and dropped to below 100,000 in 1980, causing some schools to close. Enrollment continued to decline through the mid-1980s. However, with more than 96,000 students and 13,000 staff members in 155 schools in 1986, the school system was still one of the 20 largest in the nation.[12] Enrollment was back over 100,000 by 1990.[11]
Dr. Paul L. Vance became the county's first black superintendent in 1991, when there were 107,000 students and 174 schools. When he left in 1999, MCPS had 129,000 students in 185 schools. Over the next 10 years, enrollment grew to more than 150,000.[11]
In 2014, the Board modified the school calendar to remove all references to the Christian and Jewish religious holidays of Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashanah. The amendment was in response to a campaign by the initiative “Equality for Eid” (E4E), which sought for Montgomery County Public School closures on the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.[21][22][23]The amendment received some media attention.[24][25] Criticism of the amendment came from a variety of sources, including Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and CongressmanJohn Delaney.[26]
For the 2018—2019 school year, the district has 206 schools and an enrollment of 162,680 students.[2]
Governance and budget[edit]
MCPS is governed by a Board of Education that provides leadership and oversight for MCPS by setting goals, establishing policies, and committing resources to benefit its student population. The board’s work is guided by its vision, mission, core purpose, and core values.[27]
The eight-member school board includes a student member who middle- and high-school students from across the system elect to a one-year term. David Naimon, the first student member of the board, served during the 1978–1979 school year.[28] The student member has full voting rights, except in certain cases.[28] The student member of the board can vote on matters related to collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets, and school closings, re–openings and boundaries. The student member of the board cannot vote on negative personnel actions. The student member of the board is not paid, but receives a $5,000 college scholarship, student service learning hours, and one honors-level social studies credit.[29]
An MCPS school bus depot in Potomac, March 2010.
MCPS funding comes mostly from Montgomery County (66%) and the State of Maryland (27%), with additional funds from federal government grants (3%), enterprise funds (3%), and other sources (1%).[30]
Students[edit]
The MCPS student population has continued to grow over the years. The district saw a record enrollment of more than 161,000 students at the start of the 2017–2018 school year.[31] MCPS serves a diverse student body, with 31% Hispanic, 28% White, 22% Black, 14% Asian, and 5% two or more races.[32]
Graduates from the class of 2018 earned $364 million in college scholarships, an increase of more than $14 million over the previous year.[33]
The class of 2017 outperformed their peers in the state of Maryland, and the nation as a whole, on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, based on AP Cohort Results released by the College Board. In 2017, more than 7,000 MCPS graduates (66.2%) took one or more AP exams. The percentage of students receiving a college-ready score of 3 or higher on at least one exam rose to 52.1%; this was higher than the 31.2% of the public school graduates in Maryland and 22.8% of the national graduates.[34]
Academics[edit]
During the 2017–2018 school year, the district launched data dashboards to focus on learning, accountability and results. Continuous monitoring of students’ progress ensures that students have timely support, focused interventions, acceleration, and enrichment. Readiness data helps the district to monitor students' progress and plan accordingly.[35]
The district has placed an emphasis on preparing students for both college and career. In April 2018, the College Board and Project Lead the Way awarded more than 3,000 students in the U.S. for their accomplishments in the 2016-2017 academic year. Compared to other school districts, MCPS had the most students who'd earned the AP + PLTW Student Achievements, followed by districts in Illinois and Texas, and its neighboring Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Wheaton High School, which focuses on project-based learning, had the second-most students with the achievement, behind Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois.[36]
Every high school offers courses linked to a variety of careers. A program implemented at Magruder High School during the 2018—2019 school year allows students to get a head start on careers in aviation.[37]
In May 2018, students from Northwest High School were the first in the district to graduate with a two-year degree in general engineering from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma.[38] In May 2018, five Northwood High School students were the first MCPS students to complete the Middle College Program at their school, which allowed them to earn an associate degree from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma.[39]
MCPS is one of the few school districts in the nation that offers comprehensive services at the elementary, middle, and high school level for twice exceptional students. Twice exceptional students have a unique profile of significant strengths and weaknesses — they are gifted and talented and also meet the criteria for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan. Twice exceptional students access accelerated and enriched instruction with appropriate supports and services at their local school, within a magnet/choice program, or within a special education discrete service.[40]
Language immersion programs are offered at several elementary and middle schools.[41]
Schools[edit]
MCPS has 206 schools — 134 elementary schools, 40 middle schools, 25 high schools, 5 special schools, 1 career and technology center, and 1 alternative education program.[42]
MCPS publishes school data annually. Its “Schools at a Glance” document provides information about enrollment, staffing, facilities, programs, outcome measures, and personnel costs for each school.[43]
The district has 39 National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that recognizes public and private schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.[44]
The school system is piloting longer school years at two elementary schools — Arcola and Roscoe Nix elementary schools — during the 2018-2019 school year.[45] The plan aims to help economically disadvantaged students, who lose the most ground during long summer breaks.
Notable alumni[edit]
The school system has several prominent graduates or former attendees, including:
- Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis, who attended Magruder High School;
- journalist Connie Chung, a Montgomery Blair High School graduate;[46]
- director/screenwriter Spike Jonze, who graduated from Walt Whitman High School;[47]
- comedian Lewis Black, who graduated from Springbrook High School;[48]
- journalist John Harwood, who graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School;
- singer Tori Amos, who graduated from Richard Montgomery High School; and
- singer Joan Jett, who attended Wheaton High School.
- Rapper Logic, who attended Gaithersburg High School.
References[edit]
- ^ abcdef'At a Glance — School Year 2017–2018 — Department of Public Information and Web Services — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'(PDF). MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. February 2, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ abcde'About us — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^'Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Montgomery County Public Schools'. National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^'Office of School Support and Improvement — Deputy Superintendent — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^'Office of the Chief Operating Officer — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^'Board of Education — Members — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^'Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^Turque, Bill (April 17, 2013). 'Spending on schools likely to skyrocket'. The Washington Post. p. 1B.
- ^'Dr. Jack Smith Conditionally Appointed as Next Superintendent of Schools'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^'Superintendent of Schools — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ abcdefOffutt, William (Spring 2016). 'The Superintendents of Our Schools'. The Montgomery County Story. Vol. 59. The Montgomery County Historical Society.
- ^ abc'Our History and Government - Montgomery County, MD'(PDF). MontgomeryCountyMD.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^'History of Richard Montgomery High School — About Our School — Quick Links'. Richard Montgomery High School. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ ab'For first time, Montgomery school board will be entirely led by women'. The Washington Post. June 29, 2018. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ abStern, Laurence (June 5, 1955). 'Montgomery Plans Integration in Part'. The Washington Post. ProQuest. p. A9.
- ^ abStern, Laurence (June 18, 1955). '136 Negro Secondary Students Request Transfers to White Schools'. The Washington Post. ProQuest. p. 17.
- ^'Integration in 7 Md. counties: Report two minor incidents'. Baltimore Afro-American. ProQuest. September 17, 1955. p. 14.
- ^'School Bells Call 156,000 Back to Classes Today: Fares Go Up, Too'. The Washington Post. September 12, 1955. p. 1.
- ^'Court Orders School Desegregation On Local Basis'. The Baltimore Sun. ProQuest. June 1, 1955. p. 1.
- ^'From Segregation to Integration: Two Black Teachers Look Back — Integration in Montgomery County was slow, but fairly smooth'. Potomac Almanac. Alexandria, Virginia: The Connection Newspapers. February 14, 2005. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^'CAIR-MD Launches 'Equality for Eid' Campaign for Muslim School Holidays'. CAIR.com. May 1, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^Zuberi, Hena. 'Equality for Eid Activists Ask MoCo Families to Keep Students Home October 15'. The Muslim Link. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^St. George, Donna (November 14, 2014). 'Holidays' names stricken from next year's Montgomery schools calendar'. The Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^Henneberger, Melinda (November 12, 2014). 'No Muslim holiday on Montgomery County school calendar isn't fair or 'PC''. The Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^'Maryland county: No school holiday for Eid ad-Adha, and none for Christmas, Yom Kippur either'. Haaretz. November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^Delaney, John (November 12, 2014). 'Delaney Statement on Montgomery County Board of Education Decision on Religious Holidays' (Press release). Washington, D.C.: CongressmanJohn Delaney. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ^'Board of Education — Members — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ abSt. George, Donna (March 16, 2016). 'Legislation would expand student voting rights on Maryland school board'. The Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^'Ananya Tadikonda To Be Sworn In As Student Member of the Board July 9' (Press release). Rockville, Maryland: Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^MCPS – About MCPS.
- ^St. George, Donna (September 5, 2017). 'School year opens in Maryland with enrollment surge in Montgomery County'. The Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^MCPS – About us
- ^'MCPS Seniors Earn More Than $364 Million in Scholarships' (Press release). Rockville, Maryland: Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^'MCPS Students Lead State and Nation in Advanced Placement Success' (Press release). Rockville, Maryland: Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^'MCPS Data Dashboard — Strategic Planning Committee'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^Rodgers, Bethany (April 23, 2018). 'MCPS Takes First Place in Ranking on College-Preparedness, STEM Career Readiness'. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland: Kohanza Media Ventures. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^Hicks, Mitti (May 15, 2018). 'Magruder High School takes new flight with aviation program'. MyMCMedia. Rockville, Maryland: Montgomery Community Media. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^MCPSTV (May 30, 2018), Northwest MC2 2018 graduates, retrieved August 8, 2018
- ^MCPSTV (May 30, 2018), Northwood High School MC2 2018 Graduates, retrieved August 8, 2018
- ^Twice Exceptional Students and Services, MCPS.
- ^'Montgomery County Public Schools: Special Programs — Foreign Language Immersion Programs'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^MCPS schools, Accessed 5-12-2019.
- ^'At a Glance Reports — Office of Shared Accountability (OSA) — Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD'. MontgomerySchoolsMD.org. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^'Bannockburn and Luxmanor Elementary Schools Selected as Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools' (Press release). Rockville, Maryland: Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^St. George, Donna (December 23, 2017). 'As poverty rises, one Maryland school system tries a longer school year'. The Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. OCLC2269358. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^'Connie Chung — 15 Celebrities Who Grew Up Here'. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland: Kohanza Media Ventures. April 20, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^'Spike Jonze — 15 Celebrities Who Grew Up Here'. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland: Kohanza Media Ventures. April 20, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^'Lewis Black — 15 Celebrities Who Grew Up Here'. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland: Kohanza Media Ventures. April 20, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montgomery County Public Schools. |
- Official website
- MCPS at U.S. News & World Report′s Best High Schools
- MCPS Maps and Geographic Information Systems
- Montgomery County Public Schools at the Wayback Machine (archived December 27, 1996)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montgomery_County_Public_Schools_(Maryland)&oldid=900392328'
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Montgomery County Public Schools is a highly rated, public school district located in Christiansburg, VA. It has 9,674 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. According to state test scores, 76% of students are at least proficient in math and 82% in reading.
Christiansburg, VA 24073
(540) 382-5100
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Montgomery County Public Schools Rankings
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1200
28
Popular CollegesNiche users from this school district are most interested in the following colleges.
Virginia Tech
582 StudentsRadford University
391 StudentsJames Madison University
281 StudentsUniversity of Virginia
258 StudentsNew River Community College
196 StudentsVirginia Commonwealth University
149 StudentsGeorge Mason University
136 StudentsCollege of William & Mary
135 StudentsRoanoke College
109 StudentsLiberty University
101 Students
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Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
9,674
36%
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13 reviews
I have been in the Montgomery County Public Schools my entire school life and the experience has been fantastic. The teachers, students, and faculty have been so amazing and very understanding. The schools prepare their students with great thinking and understanding of what colleges are looking for and expecting of their future students. Being in these schools have made me a better person socially, emotionally, and physically because they help you become open and make you feel so welcomed in their schools. I truly love and will miss not only my high school but also Montgomery county. We may be small but we are very loving and caring and our schools make our students feel safe, happy, and ready for the real world.
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I have enjoyed growing up in this school system. They have done what they could to help with college, from offering college classes for free to working with the local community college so that students may attend the college for free after graduating high school and having a decent GPA. A lot of the teachers go out of their way to be there for their students and work with students to raise grades. As a whole, MCPS works well together. They have shared facilities, come together to support each school when it went through a hard time, and worked to make sure every graduation is on a different day, so our small area doesn't get overwhelmingly crowded. They have also done away with class rank so that students don't feel as much pressure to be 'top of their class,' instead they feel appreciated as a student and feel equal to their peers.
I love the friends and the majority of the teachers there. They are what make attending high school at Christiansburg a very good thing. Problems come about when the school decides to tighten certain policies (such as dress code and parking policies) and are not willing to listen to student opinions on the subject. Where academics are concerned, the majority of core classes are focused on teaching to the standardized test (known as 'Standards of Learning' or 'SOL' for short). Classes tend to be more focused on students passing the test rather than being prepared for life.