By Alies Muskin
Thursday, August 23, 2007

Recent achievements by Montgomery County public schools are due in part to the energetic and courageous agenda put forth by Jerry Weast eight years ago. Increasing and reallocating resources to improve student achievement are at the heart of Weast's success. During his third term as superintendent, Weast is in a position to provide direction to ensure that Montgomery schools can maintain and build on these successes for many years to come.

The school system Weast inherited was less than a world-class system for some students. Weast analyzed the operation and presented data that revealed weaknesses and gaps in achievement and services, particularly for low-income students and students of color. The Calls to Action and strategic plans he has overseen have demonstrated a commitment to addressing the needs of children in low-performing schools while raising the bar for all students.

All-day kindergarten is now in place throughout the county. Class sizes are smaller, especially in elementary schools, and high school students have more college preparatory programs available to them. Teachers have more professional development opportunities than they had in the past.

The most dramatic successes have come from the emphasis on literacy in the primary grades. According to MCPS, 88 percent of students entering first grade in 2006 were reading grade-level text or above, compared with 39 percent in 2001. Literacy teachers for middle and high school students are another example of MCPS's acknowledgment of the need to bolster reading skills. Focusing on early literacy, together with initiatives to reform middle school, will certainly change the landscape in years to come.

In math, acceleration of instruction in the elementary grades has resulted in an increasing number of eighth-grade students taking geometry. Among eighth-grade students last year, 49 percent took algebra, an increase of 13 percent since 1999. Mastering algebra by ninth grade is widely considered a good predictor of whether a student will be ready for college or a career upon graduation.

However, about one-third of the students who take algebra in ninth grade will not pass. The significant improvements seen in primary education have not been matched in secondary schools. Only 70 percent of our 10th-graders are meeting state reading standards, and math is only a little better at 77 percent.

High school participation rates in honors, advanced placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge and on-site college partnerships have soared, and in some schools the rates surpass state and national averages. Performances based on passing rates, however, are not as impressive, especially for students of color and those receiving free and reduced meals.

Far too many high school students leave without a diploma, and with the new state requirement that students must pass High School Assessments in biology, algebra, government and English, we may see lower graduation rates as well as an increased number of students taking more than four years to complete high school. Although these are problems for students from all demographic backgrounds, they are most acute for low-income children and children of color, pointing to a significant achievement gap that remains in Montgomery County.

The next few years will require true leadership to keep attention focused on the students who are not yet successful and on the things we need to do to make sure that they can start their adult lives ready to take on the responsibilities of citizenship.

Intensified, creative leadership will be needed to analyze student performance with greater precision and to identify differentiated supports to help students reach for higher academic challenges, stay engaged and be successful.

For example, experts across the country point to the connection students and families have to schools as a key to success. One of the immediate challenges is to create a common vision and culture around academic success. Institutional change calls for true partnerships between parents, teachers and administrators that are brought about by valuing the perspectives offered by each of these stakeholders. To do so will require listening to all stakeholders, strengthening family-school relationships, and preparing staff to meet the academic, mental health and social needs of today's students.

The groundwork has been laid for all students to excel. But to really secure his legacy, Weast needs to show his leadership and tackle problems that are deeply rooted not only in Montgomery County schools but in most U.S. schools. Innovation, intervention, adaptation and a commitment to implementing midcourse corrections are needed to make a sustained difference. To prepare for the future will require a finer level of analysis and more sophisticated and comprehensive assistance for teachers so that they can help every student succeed.

With its resources and commitment to public education, Montgomery County is uniquely situated to address lingering difficulties and -- just as we did eight years ago -- have courageous discussions about improving student achievement.