HCPS Blueprint

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is currently creating outcome measurements for Blueprint implementation that will impact our work and how progress is measured internally and between our peer local education agencies. The AIB is seeking feedback on draft outcomes, and we are calling on all HCPS experts, community partners, and stakeholders to review these draft outcomes and provide your comments! Proposed outcomes for pillar 1 (Early Childhood), 2 (Elevating Educators), & 3 (North Star/CCR) are available HERE. A feedback form is available HERE. Thank you for taking the time to engage with the proposed outcomes, as this will be critical in our future.

Below represents the work of more than 150 committee members, plus more in work groups and even more in the day-to-day work. It is a tremendous effort and Harford County Public Schools has a lot to be proud of. See the full document HERE.

Angela Rose, North Star

President & CEO, Harford County Chamber of Commerce

Angela Rose resides in Harford County with her husband and two daughters. Angela has worked with the Harford County Chamber since 2014 and is passionate about the success of the business community in our county. Angela is proud to be a North Star committee member because a quality education is a vital component in shaping the next generations of a talented workforce. Participation in the North Star committee allows the business community to have a voice (input) in the real-world experiences needed to be a valuable employee or business leader.

Janelle Schmidt, Early Childhood

Director of Auxiliary Programs, Harford Day School

Harford County Directors Association, Interim President

Janelle Schmidt has worked in early education and schools out programming (after school care and summer camp) for over 20 years. She began her career at Friends School Baltimore where she discovered her passion for early childhood and is now at Harford Day School as the Director of Auxiliary Programs. She is thrilled to be a part of the Blueprint Early Childhood Committee as we work to make Early Childhood a top priority in the state!

A Successful Thrive by Five Provider and Family Summit

Harford County Public Schools Early Childhood Department and Parent Academy are proud to have sponsored the third annual Thrive by Five Provider and Family Summit. This summit hosted a wide array of session topics related to school readiness and parental supports. While attending the summit, families and providers received information, resources, and giveaways to support their child(ren). A sample of the session topics: Navigating Resources for Families of Children with Disabilities, Bedtime Routines, Supporting Your Child’s Emotions, Getting Connected to HCPS and School Readiness, Supporting Non-English-Speaking Families (Presentation in Spanish), Finding Quality Child Care, Importance of Reading. Harford County Public Schools Early Childhood Department and Parent Academy are looking forward to sponsoring the next Thrive by Five Provider and Family Summit in April of 2024 during the Week of the Young Child.

Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Division of Early Childhood Prekindergarten Expansion Grant

HCPS is pleased to announce it received from the Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood a $1,218,943.00 grant to continue the full-day prekindergarten program at four of its elementary schools for the upcoming 2023-24 school year: Dublin Elementary School, Havre de Grace Elementary School, Meadowvale Elementary School and North Bend Elementary School. Children who are four years old by September 1 and reside in the attendance area for Dublin Elementary School, Havre de Grace Elementary School, Meadowvale Elementary School and North Bend Elementary School will have the opportunity to attend full-day prekindergarten at their school.

While attending the full-day program, four-year-olds will be immersed in learning experiences to help them develop and maintain the basic skills necessary for successful school performance. The goal of the program is to provide appropriate activities that address the literacy, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical needs of young children. The curriculum is theme-based, and all content areas are integrated throughout the program.

2023 Service Recognition Honorees

HCPS recently held its Annual Employee Service Recognition program honoring our 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 years of service honorees. This year, roughly 10% of our entire workforce received a service recognition honor. Two hundred and four (204) staff members have achieved 5 years of service with HCPS, and 292 staff members have completed 10, 20, 30, and 40 amazing years serving our students. Collectively, all of this year’s honorees have contributed 6,180 years of service to our students and school system. Please join us in congratulating these employees for reaching milestone years of service in 2023.

CELEBRATING THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR!

Michael Brogley, C. Milton Wright High School

Michael Brogley, social studies teacher at C. Milton Wright High School with 15 years of esteemed teaching experience, was named the 2023 Harford County Public Schools Teacher of the Year during a surprise announcement at the Celebration of Excellence in Education event on April 12, 2023. The event was held at Harford Technical High School’s Amoss Center with nearly 500 invited guests from all over the county, including school system leaders, administrators, and staff; former and current educators; students; family members and friends; elected officials; and community sponsors. Mr. Brogley holds a master’s degree in Instruction, Curriculum, and Assessment from Walden University and received his Secondary Education certification from Towson University. Mr. Brogley was a 2017 HCPS Teacher of the Year Finalist who has dedicated his career to community building inside and outside of the classroom as adviser to his school’s National Honor Society, creator and founder of C. Milton Wright High School’s Stand Up for Autism fundraiser, coordinator of the HCPS Student Page Program, and member of C. Milton Wright High School’s School Performance and Achievement Team.

Celebrating the First HCPS Apprentices

On Wednesday, May 17, we had 15 seniors complete the Apprenticeship Maryland Program, the first 15 in HCPS history! Students were presented their state certificate of completion from the mentor that worked with them on the job. Mentors also spoke about the outstanding student work ethic and detailed the different tasks that students worked on during their apprenticeship. Students were employed in the following industries: Auto (mechanic), Early Childhood Education, Carpentry, IT, and Welding.

Celebrating the Harford Youth Workforce Investment Program

On Monday, May 15, we celebrated our students who completed the Harford Youth Workforce Investment program. This year, students had the opportunity to take one of the following courses: Construction Skills, Logistics (Supply Chain) Professional, Office Job Skills, and Introduction to Social Media Marketing. Our students earned a collective 48 NCCER badges (construction), four Certified Logistics Associate certifications, eight Microsoft Outlook Associate certifications, three Microsoft Excel Associate certifications, two Microsoft PowerPoint Associate certifications, and two students earned the Microsoft Office Specialist certification. During the evening celebration students received certificates to mark their achievement and were gifted Harford Community College shirts, donated by the college. We wish these students much success in their post-secondary endeavors!

Joppatowne High School P-TECH Mock Interviews

Listen in as students, staff, and business partners talk about the amazing mock interview day held for students in the P-TECH program at Joppatowne High School.

Virtual Reality Career Exploration

Through the Blueprint partnership between the Susquehanna Workforce Network, HCPS, and HCC, HCPS staff previewed virtual reality technology that will enable middle and high school students to explore a variety of career fields. Seen here, Mike O’Brien, Executive Director of Middle and High School Performance, and Katie Ridgway, Director of Strategic Initiatives, are both changing the oil of a car through this expansive and exciting technology.

Sixth Grade Early Warning Indicator

The Early Warning Indicator workgroup has released the next grade band tool as a result of the initial Blueprint requirement for ninth grade on track measures!

Graduation Requirement Changes

The Maryland High School Graduation Task Force was first convened in January 2018 at the request of the State Board and the State Superintendent of Schools. The Task Force was charged with making recommendations to the State Board and the State Superintendent on the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Chapter 13A.03.02 Graduation Requirements for Public High Schools in Maryland. Specifically, the Task Force was asked to focus on three areas: credit and program requirements (number of credits, subject areas, and other requirements), assessments, and options for awarding high school diplomas. All decisions were informed by current research, data, and experts in the field. The recommended amendments to credits, beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2021-2022, included an increase in the number of credits required for graduation from 21 to 22, an increase in the number of credits in mathematics from 3 to 4, and an increase in the number of credits in health from one-half credit to one full credit.

Within HCPS, we initiated conversations around the same time with our stakeholders regarding the local school system requirements, which is guided by the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Chapter 13A.03.02.09(B)(2). Since 2005-06, Harford County Public Schools has required students to earn 26 credits to graduate with a high school diploma. This initiative, which fell under the local Comprehensive Secondary School Reform (CSSRP), required students to earn the credits identified by MSDE for a diploma plus an additional ½ credit in Physical Education, 4 credits indicating a pathway if a student was not enrolled in a Career and Technical Education Program (CTE), and up to 26 elective credits.

Students achieving graduate outcomes have continued to demonstrate growth since work began locally in 2018 combined with the launch of the HCPS North Star Initiative. The implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the development of the Harford Youth Workforce Investment Program, and the beginning of Harford County’s Apprenticeship Maryland Program continue to enhance student opportunities for college and career preparation prior to high school graduation.

HCPS solicited feedback from stakeholders since beginning this work four years ago. High School Principals, High School Counselors, Blueprint North Star Sub Committee, Harford Business Education Roundtable, HCPS Executive Leadership and Senior Staff, and Parent Advisory Members reviewed proposals and recommendations for changes to the local graduation requirements. The proposal of changing graduation requirements was brought to the HCPS Board of Education in November of 2022 and was placed on HCPS.org for public comment. Feedback received demonstrated support for eliminating the local graduation pathway requirement, as this helps to reduce barriers for students, and increase opportunities for early college, apprenticeships, non-credit dual enrollment programs, and workforce development for all interested students.

As reflected in the new High School Graduation Requirements Procedure, beginning in the fall of 2023, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students will no longer have the local pathway requirement for graduation. In addition to the Maryland Graduation Requirements, Harford County students will still be required to earn 26 total credits, and an additional ½ credit of Physical Education. Students in the 12th grade during the 2023-2024 school year will be able to complete their current program of study without interruption.

HCPS’ Community Schools would like the honor of your feedback!

Successful districts with Community Schools:

• Develop a shared vision and strategy for Community Schools
• Communicate the vision for and commitment to Community Schools
  
  

HCPS is working to create vision state for Community Schools in the district; which one resonates with you? Fill the survey out HERE.

Option 1: Harford County Community Schools engage communities, families, and partners to create places of hope, equity, belonging, empowerment and excellence that ready students for a fulfilling future.

Option 2: Harford County Community Schools empower families, communities, and partners to come together in the journey of developing resilient, engaged, and prepared students.

Wellness Needs Assessment

In the fall of the 2022-2023 school year, Student Support Services collaborated with the Department of Research and Program Evaluation to conduct a Wellness Needs Assessment with students from grades 1 thru 12. Nearly 27,000 responses were received to the assessment, which is a significant response rate of 78%. An executive summary of the report is on the HCPS website, and a comprehensive report with additional details will be posted to the HCPS website when it is complete. The goal of this report is to help HCPS leaders develop interventions that support specific needs of students, and to effectively allocate mental health resources to schools based on the data.

Care Solace: Connecting HCPS Families to Mental Health Services

HCPS has selected Care Solace, an organization determined to calm the chaos of mental health care coordination, to expand access to community mental health and substance use treatment providers for students, staff, and their families. Care Solace provides a Care Companion™ team who can quickly and confidentially find available providers in the community. Care Solace also equips school systems with a customized online tool that gives community members a way to anonymously search for community-based providers matched to their needs.

Your Mind Matters!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in this Real Talk segment, Mary Beth Stapleton talks with HCPS and community mental health experts to learn how parents can support their children’s mental health and get help if needed and about a wonderful, free family wellness event happening on Friday, May 19, 2023, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium (873 Long Drive, Aberdeen, MD 21001). For more information, please visit www.harfordmentalhealth.org.

Family Wellness Night at Ripken Stadium

Thank you to all the HCPS departments and offices that participated in the Your Mind Matters event at Ripken Stadium this past Friday. It was a wonderful time connecting with our community and supporting families with mental health and wellness resources and activities. Thank you to our co-sponsors who partnered with HCPS to make this such a special night: the Office on Mental Health, the Klein Family Harford Crisis Center, and the Harford County Health Department. Take a look at the fun had by all who attended!

Advocacy to the MSDE regarding the HCPS Budget & Blueprint

Advocacy to the AIB regarding the HCPS Budget & Blueprint

Where are we with Implementation?

See our current and upcoming milestones HERE.

Contacts & More Information

• Director of Strategic Initiatives: Katie.Ridgway@hcps.org
• Strategic Initiatives Administrative Assistant: Ashley.Bowley@hcps.org
• Elevating Educators Sub-committee HCPS Co-chair: Rebecca.Gault@hcps.org
• Student Supports Sub-committee HCPS Co-chair: Bernard.Hennigan@hcps.org
• North Star Sub-committee HCPS Co-chair: Mike.OBrien@hcps.org
• Early Childhood Sub-committee HCPS Co-chair: Heather.Kutcher@hcps.org

June 10, 2023