The AACPS AXIS - Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Twitter: AACPS‫@‏‬AACountySchools
January 30, 2015
AACPS Graduation Rate Climbs; System
Shows Sharp Gains in Student Groups
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) continued to
surpass the state four-year graduation rate for the Class of
2014, and the district saw significant improvement in the
graduation rate for several racial and ethnic student groups,
students who receive special education services, and those who
receive free and reduced-price meals, according to data
released by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Belle Grove Earns National Title 1 Honor
Tiny Belle Grove Elementary School has hit it big.
www.facebook.com/aacps
Miscellaneous Items
St. Michaels Running
Festival
Earn A McDaniel Master’s
at AACPS
Annual Expo at GBHS
Slated for April 22
Tweet of the Week:
I'm in Avid!!!! This class
has been my #1 class to
get into Now I'm in it!!
One of Anne Arundel County’s smallest
elementary schools, with just over 265
students, leapt into the national spotlight when it was named a National
Title I Distinguished School for the 2014-2015 school year. The school,
which was honored for its sustained academic progress, is the only one in
Maryland and one of just 38 across the United States to be honored.
Northeast HS Signature Program Earns Gold Achievement
Status from AHA
The Human Performance Signature Program is proud to once again recognize Northeast High
School as a Gold Fit-Friendly Worksite. The American Heart Association (AHA) criteria were met
through a demonstrated commitment to providing a healthy workplace for employees.
Northeast High School will receive recognition on the AHA’s website,
www.heart.org/FFWrecognition, and local recognition by the American Heart Association at events
and in communications materials supporting the recognition program.
Severna Park HS’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Tickets Go on Sale Soon
Announcing Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival XXVI: Rockin’ out of this World! March 6-7, March 13-14, and
March 20-21 at 7:30 p.m. and March 8 and March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday,
February 2, 2015, online at www.sphsdrama.com or in the SPHS Main Office. Blast off!
Crofton Elementary School Celebrates First Diversity Day
On January 22, Crofton Elementary School held its first Celebrating Diversity Day. The purpose of
the event was for the students to reflect on how all people contribute to society and how that
diversity enriches everyone’s life. Parent volunteers from the community volunteered to
participate in this event. Parents spoke about what diversity meant to each of them. Through
books, video links, and PowerPoint, they also shared information about a historic person in history
who was a “first” in their field. Some figures
highlighted were President Barack Obama,
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and
youth baseball star Mone' Davis. The goal is for
students to begin to see the diversity not only in
the community, but all around them.
Photo, from left to right: Jacqueline Perdue, Rashida Queen, Mia
Harris, Hannah Roth, Jennifer Wilbur, Tricia Mischler, Natifia
Mullings, Ethan Ming, Roberta Langworthy, Nicole Riggs, Robert
Landry, Rubi Myers, Ashley Allen, Luke Sopha, Toni Peterson,
Irene Easter, Angelette Aviles, Gary Steen, Jr., Esau Venzen, Carol
Streeter, Waverly McKnight, Steven Leigh, Michael Duru.
Professional Development Opportunities
MSDE College & Career Summer Conferences - Master Teacher Presenters Needed
MSDE is offering another series of free regional conferences for teachers, administrators, and
central office personnel during the early summer of 2015. These free College and Career
Readiness (CCR) Conferences will be held in five regions around the state; dates and locations are
noted in the attachment. MSDE is once again hiring Master Teachers as presenters for the
conferences.
Minimum qualifications are listed below.
Applications are due to the Division of Professional Growth and Development via email at
PGD@aacps.org by February 13, 2015.
Teachers should carefully review the application requirements and schedule for trainings and the
conferences to ensure they are qualified and available on the designated dates.
Master Teacher Candidate Requirements:
A candidate for this position should have experience and comfort in presenting to school
leaders and/or Maryland educators. The candidate should possess working knowledge of
Maryland College- and Career- Ready Standards; curriculum development and instructional
practices; school improvement initiatives; as well as skill in presenting district staff
development programs; and identifying key points and summarizing information in a clear
and concise format.


Minimum Required Qualifications:

Master’s degree or Advanced Professional Certificate

Successful teaching or co-teaching and /or administrative experience at the
appropriate level

Understanding of the instructional shifts and working knowledge of the Maryland
College- and Career- Ready Standards

Evidence of providing professional learning at the school, district, state, and/or
national level

Understanding of adult learning theory
Additional Qualifications:

Experience in delivering content to district and/or school leaders

Possession of or eligibility for a Maryland Administrator I Certificate

Participation in previous MSDE Educator Effectiveness Academies (EEAs) and/or
College and Career Readiness Conferences

Knowledge of the principles and practices of public education administration

See pages 10 and 11 of the attached application regarding additional content specific
qualifications.
If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Zamora at azamora@aacps.org or 410-7218304.
SPRING 2015-MSDE Online Professional Development Courses
Offered by the Maryland State Department of Education and MPT Thinkport
Spring Specials! New MSDE courses will be piloted during Spring 2015. In addition to the
assigned coursework, these pilots require participants to reflect on course technology and content.
As a result, participants will not pay the standard fee. Instead, they will pay only the $25
registration fee and a 3% bank assessment fee.
Due to limited space, educators may only enroll and participate in one pilot course.
There will only be one open section for each course, so register early! The spring pilot courses are
listed below. Please look inside the booklet (click link below) for course descriptions and
registration details. http://goo.gl/ausiVb
Registration for pilots began on Wednesday, January 14
• Practical Application of ELA Methods (Primary) K-2
• Practical Application of ELA Methods (Intermediate) 3-5
• Supporting Data Dialogue in the Classroom through the Classroom-Focused Improvement
Process (CFIP)
• Digital Portfolios for STEM
NEW! Use your credit card to pay for your MSDE courses
Registration for ALL MSDE courses will close at midnight on Wednesday, February 11, 2015.
Upcoming National Board Certification Information Meetings
Staff Development Center Carver - Auditorium
2671 Carver Road
Gambrills, MD 21054
Please sign up on ERO for the session you would like to attend.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515001
Thursday, February 12, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515002
Monday, February 23, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515003
Wednesday, March 5, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515004
Wednesday, March 11, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515005
Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515006
Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515007
Thursday, April 9, 2015, 4:30 p.m., SRN 9340515008
Application Deadline for Full Candidacy
Your completed application packet must reach Angela Reisler, NBCT at the NBC Office/HR/Board of
Education of Anne Arundel County, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 no later than: Friday,
May 1, 2015, at 5 p.m.
For more information about the revised NBC program check out
https://intranet.aacps.org/Dept/HR/Pages/NBC.aspx
2015 Title I/AAA Summer Programs Staff Application
The Title I Summer School Teacher Application is now available for elementary school teachers
and teacher assistants (TA). Dates are July 6-30 at various Title I and AAA elementary schools
across the county (locations are pending). Hours vary slightly, but on average run from 8 a.m. to
1 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. The purpose of the Title I/AAA summer program is to
provide remediation in the areas of reading and math in a fun, engaging way for students in
grades K-5. The program includes breakfast and lunch for students and instructional field
trips. Teachers are paid $25/hour and TAs receive $12.50/hour. Please contact the Title I Office
for more information or just fill out the application and turn it in to the Title I Office.
Spring Professional Development Online Courses
Do you want to earn CPD credit from the comfort of your home? Do you like the flexibility of
online courses? Do you love to learn new things?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, be on the lookout for MSDE’s booklet of spring
online professional development courses. The booklet is available now! Courses offered include,
but are not limited to, adaptive PE, Gifted & Talented, English/Language Arts, STEM, and the list
goes on!
Spring Specials may be available for only a nonrefundable $25 registration fee plus a 3% online
service fee. Spring specials were advertised in December in an addendum to the Spring Booklet.
Announcing the 2015 College and Career Readiness Conferences:
Due to the overwhelming success of the 2014 Summer Conferences, MSDE will be holding the
2015 College and Career Readiness Conferences. Since only five regional conferences are planned,
space is at a premium and registration is required, so watch for emails and check the MSDE
Blackboard site for registration details. Registration will open soon and all Pre-K to 20 educators
from the classroom to the Board Room are invited to this professional learning opportunity.
Please save the dates!
Western Maryland - June 18-19: Hagerstown Community College
Southern Maryland - June 23-24: North Point High School
Eastern Maryland - June 25-26: Easton High School
Central Maryland - June 30-July 1: Reservoir High School
Northern Maryland - July 8-9: Edgewood High School
International Parents
Applications Accepted for IPCLA
Just a friendly reminder that the Office of School & Family Partnerships is accepting applications
for its annual International Parent & Community Leadership Academy (IPCLA). The goals
of the IPCLA are to improve communication with international families and to diversify the pool of
leaders in schools and the community in order to support the academic achievement of
international students.
The application is available in English, Spanish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese and is
due on February 13. There is also a one-page overview of the program in English and Spanish.
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