MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
May 1, 2014
MARY L AND
'{lcolm BaJd,;ge
L ~~l~onal QulityAward
7 #010AwardRecipient
TheHonorableCherri Branson, Councilmember
Montgomery County Council
StellaB. Werner Council OfficeBuilding
I 00MarylandA venue
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Dear Ms. Branson:
This is inresponsetoyour memorandumof April 28, 2014, regardingdata fromtheMontgomery County
Public Schools (MCPS) Schools at a Glance. Inyour memorandumtoCounty Council President Craig
RiceandCouncilmember Phil Andrews, youindicatedthat thedata providedinSchools at a Glance does
not show "a clear connection betweenpersonnel cost per student andFARMS [FreeandReduced-price
Meals System] rates." Y oufurther stated, "I expected tofinda clear patternwith fundingandstaffing
ratios ateach high school beingthegreatest whereFARMS rates arethelargest andagradual reductionin
spendingas FARMS rates stepdown."
When I responded toyour question during theEducation Committee meeting onApril 28, 2014, and
suggested that theinformation about expenditures for individual schools is available inSchools at a
Glance, I was not clear that'tms mrormauon mcruoes au' special eoucanon programsrarrfiig, inciuumg
thoseprograms which servestudents fromoutsidetheschool cluster. Special educationprogramfunding
cansignificantly distort theschool-by-school per pupil calculation because.of.tbe.wav.jn __ whih.srtt>fjaL
educationprograms, students, andresources areassigned to schools. For example, thefollowing chart
highlights thedisparities betweenschools thatresult insignificant per pupil cost differences as aresult of
special educationstaffing.
Special EducationStaff Total Staff Percentof Total
RockvilleHighSchool 48.1 163.8 29.4%
SpringbrookHighSchool 34.0 185.6 18.3
MontgomeryBlair High 31.4 27 5.4 11.4
Walter JohnsonHighSchool 60.0 232.2 25.8
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As youcandeducefromthetableabove, aschoolwideper-pupil calculationthatincludes special education
fundingfor self-containedprograms makes school costcomparisons difficult.
Funding Schools
Our staffmgandfundingof schools is differentiated basedontheneeds of students sothat schools with
greater needs areallocatedmorestaffingandadditional resources. This letter provides further information
toexplain how this isdone.
Officeof theChief OperatingOfficer
850 HungerfordDrive, Room 149Rockville, Maryland20850 301-279-3626
TheHonorable Cherri Branson
2
May 1, 2014
Wehavea long-standing commitment tofundour schools according totheneeds of thestudents ineach
school. This process is basedonthefollowingfour principles:
1. Consistent-schools with similar needs receivesimilar resources
2. Transparent--everyone understands how andwhy decisions aboutallocations aremade
3. Equitable-schools with greater needs receivegreater resources
4. Flexible-adjustments canbemadetomeettheneeds of individual schools, programs, andstudents
All schools areallocated "base staffing," which is determined by a variety of enrollment andprogram
factors. For somepositions, thestaffing is thesame(e.g., every school is allocated oneprincipal). For
other positions, staffing is based onenrollment (e.g., classroomteachers arebased onthenumber of
students). Inadditiontostaffing, other resourceallocations, such as extracurricular stipends, materials,
textbooks, andclerical support, aremadebasedonprograms andenrollment.
Inadditionto"basestaffing," allocations areprovidedtoschools basedonneeds of theschool, including
staff andother allocations. EnclosureA provides atableof thestaffingallocations madetoschools based
onneeds. Thesepositions include:
e Focus teachers-allocated to schools with higher FARMS enrollment to reduce class size in
English andmathematics classes. Formula is-6ased'ontA'.KlV1.S-and 'enrotlment.
.Academic intervention teachers-allocated to schools with higher FARMS enrollment to lower
class sizeandaddress theachievement gap. Formula is basedonFARMS andenrollment.
Alternative programs teachers=-schoolg.wirh.hjcher J?ARM<.\~nrnJ1mf.'nt .mobilijv .tetenrion-~wi
suspensionrates receivegreater allocations.
Special program teachers-allocated to schools to establish specific programs and provide
additional supporttostudents.
English for Speakers of Other L anguages (ESOL ) teachers andparaeducators-allocated toschools
tosupport instructionof ESOL students.
As"showninthetableandnotedabove, thesepositions are'anocateotoschools viith greater needs.Tlhere is
adistinct correlationbetweenschools with ahigher FARMS rateandthestaffingallocationabovethebase
staffing,
Inaddition tostaffing, ~!-b.'i'~, rrsru\.':res.... .:lJ;f'.. .:iJlx3i.t'd.tQ.cg,h%\!,~., l'\}'sgl.rm. Y\'i'ells.... i::.!WfoS!.\.':f' ... IL ~ru1jili's ....
examples of someof thesesupports andsomeof theprograms offeredandfundedatschools. For example:
High School Intervention to Graduation funds are used to provide additional support and
programming for students whohavenot beensuccessful incorecontent areas. Notetheamounts
inthetablearefor Fiscal Y ear (FY ) 2014as FY 2015 funds havenot beenallocated yet
Minority achievement funds for after-school programs ($100,000 budgeted in FY 2014 and
$150,000 budgetedinFY 2015) toimplement programs tosupportBlack andL atinostudents andto
address theachievement gapbetweenthesestudents andtheir WhiteandAsianpeers.
Mini-grants toprovidesupportfor drama, newspaper, andyearbook.
TheCareer L atticeprogramincludedintheFY 2015 budget is intendedtohelp attract andretain
highly qualifiedteachers inour most impactedschools. Participants intheCareer L atticeprogram
receive supplemental pay and assume greater levels of responsibility for improving student
learning, both insideandoutsidetheclassroom.
TheHonorable Cherri Branson 3 May 1, 2014
Achieving Collegiate Excellence andSuccess (ACES) is a collaborative programamongMCPS,
Montgomery College, andtheUniversities at Shady Grove. ACE~:.;focuses on identifying and
supportingstudents whoareunderrepresented inhigher educationandthosewhomay bethefirst in
their family toattendcollege.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (A Y ID) is a college-readiness systemdesigned to
increaseschoolwide learningandperformance by accelerating student learningthrough research-
basedmethods of effectiveinstruction.
Additionally, thereareother programs weoffer at each school that areshownonEnclosure B, including
PositiveBehavioral Interventions andSupport (PBIS). This chart alsoshows that whenweinitiatethe
Career L atticeprogramnext year, itwill befundedat schools with thegreatest need. MCPS has a long-
standing commitment to equity, as evidenced inthat it is oneof our corevalues. Demographics have
changedthroughout thecounty, andwecontinuetoincreaseour efforts toprovidesupport for students with
thegreatest needs. Our approach todifferentiatedfundingtomeettheneeds of students is at theheart of
how decisions aremade. Werecognizethat improvingachievement andclosingthegap only canoccur if
wecontinuetowork notonly onfundingformulas, butalsoonhow thedollars areusedineach andevery
school. Wecontinuetoimproveour programs andpractices toaddress theachievement gap andimprove
achievement for all our students.
Ihavecontactedyour officetoset up a timefor us tomeet toreview this information. Iwill beableto
providefurther explanationof our fundingformulas andstrategies andanswer any additional questions you
may have. Ilook forwardtomeetingwith yousoon.
Sincerely,
da;t~
Chief OperatingOfficer
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L AB:lsh
Enclosures
Copy to:
Montgomery County Councilmernbers
Montgomery County Boardof EducationMembers .
Dr. Starr
Dr. Schiavino-Narvaez
Dr. Statham
Dr. Zuckerman
Enclosure A
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Wheaton HS 1,336 59% 2.2 2.8 1.0 0.4 0.2 1.6 6.8 2.00 17.00 $ 806,175 $ 603 $ 1,549,720 $ 1,160
John F. Kennedy HS 1,581 54% 2.6 3.0 1.0 1.4 1.0 2.0 5.2 0.75 16.95 $ 1,081,454 $ 684 $ 1,620,816 $ 1,025
Watkins Mill HS 1,449 50% 1.8 3.0 1.0 0.6 0.8 1.2 4.8 1.25 14.45 $ 825,838 $ 570 $ 1,344,626 $ 928
Northwood HS
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1,497 48% 1.6 3.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 6.2 1.25 16.25 $ 865,163 $ 578 $ 1,521,591 $ 1,016
Gaithersburg HS 2,081 44% 2.0 4.2 1.0 1.6 1.0 1.0 9.0 2.00 21.80 $ 1,061,791 $ 510 $ 2,021,627 $ 971
Springbrook HS 1,749 44% 1.6 3.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 4.6 1.25 17.25 $ 1,120,780 $ 641 $ 1,619,905 $ 926
Albert Einstein HS 1,651 42% 1.0 3.4 1.0 0.4 0.6 3.0 4..0 1.25 14.65 $ 924,152 $ 560 $ 1,364,289 $ 826
Montgomery Blair HS 2,790 37% 1.8 4.8 1.0 0.6 0.4 4.2 10.2 2.75 25.75 $ 1,258,419 $ 451 $"'2,364,361 $ 847
Seneca Valley HS ' 1,275 35% 1.0 2.6 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.6 3.8 1.25 13.05 $ 786,512 $ 617 $- 1,206,986 $ 947
James Hubert Blake HS ' 1,694 35% 1.4 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.4 1.6 0.4 6.60 $ 609,547 $ 360 $- 648,872 $ 383
Paint Branch HS < 1,947 35% 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.0 0.6 1.8 0.8 7.60 $ 668,535 $ 343 $- 747,186 $ 384
Col. Zadok A. Magruder HS 1,595 33% 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.4 0.6 0.2 2.0 0.75 7.95 $ 511,233 $ 321 $- 735,990 $ 461
Rockville HS 1,305 30% 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.6 1.6 3.4 1.25 9.45 $ 471,907 $ 362 $- 853,056 $ 654
Clarksburg HS 1,959 29% 0.8 1.2 0.8 1.4 0.4 0.6 2.4 0.75 8.35 $ 511,233 $ 261 $_ 775,315 $ 396
Northwest HS~ 2,011 27% 0.8 1.2 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.4 0.0 5.20 $ 511,233 $ 254 $- 511,233 $ 254
Quince Orchard HS J 1,878 22% 0.6 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.6 3.6 1.25 8.65 $ 373,593 $ 199 $- 774,405 $ 412
Richard Montgomery HS 2,166 19% 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.6 4.6 1.25 8.65 $ 275,279 $ 127 $- 774,405 $ 358
Damascus HS 1,231 16% 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.0 1.20 $ 117,977 $ 96 $- 117,977 $ 96
Sherwood HS z 1,980 15% 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.6 5.8 0.75 9.15 $ 255,616 $ 129 $- 853,966 $ 431
Bethesda-Chevy ChaseHS 1,872 11% 0.4 0.2 1.0 1.6 2.8 1.25 7.25 $ 314,605 $ 168 $- 636,765 $ 340
Walter Johnson HS 2,237 8% 0.4 0.2 0.4 3.6 0.75 5.35 $ 98,314 $ 44 $- 480,373 $ 215
Poolesville HS 1,202 7% 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.60 $ 58,988 $ 49 $- 58,988 $ 49
Winston Churchill HS 2,093 5% 'II 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.0 1.20 $ 117,977 $ 56 $- 117,977 $ 56
Thomas S. Wootton HS 2,259 5%
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0.4 0.2 1.2 0.4 1.2 3.40 $ 216,291 $ 96 $- 334,268 $ 148
Walt Whitman HS 1,921 2%
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0.4 0.4 0.6 2.6 0.75 4.75 $ 137,640 $ 72 $- 421,385 $ 219
,... -
1- Seneca Valley esoi, center also serves Northwest students -
2- Sherwood ESOL~enter also serves Montgomery Blake and Paint Branchstudents -
3- Quince Orchard ESOLcenter also serves Poolesville students -
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Enclosure B
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Wheaton HS $ 10,108 $ 68,388 $ 49,500 x x x
John F. Kennedy HS $ 3,596 $ 69,822 x x x x
Watkins Mill HS $ 4,658 $ 69,822 x x x x
Northwood HS
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$ 5,752 $ 69,822 x x x
Gaithersburg HS $ 7,126 $ 69,822 x x x
Springbrook HS $ 6,880 $ 59,286 x x x
Albert Einstein HS $ 2,996 $ 69,822 x x x
Montgomery Blair HS $ 6,280 $ 59,040 x x x
SenecaValley HS
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$ 3,108 $ 65,190 x x x x
Ja11esHubert Blake HS z $ 4,800 $ 56,580
Ptjnt Branch HS z $ 8,236 $ 69,822 x
C<. ZadokA. Magruder HS $ 3,000 $ 61,008
R<tkville HS $ 15,948 x x x
Cl rksburg HS $ 3,702 $ 57,072 x x
Ne.i'thwestHS" $ 3,290 $ 34,686
Q1 neeOrchard HS ;j
$ 3,290 $ 10,782
Ri.~hardMontgomery HS $ 18,942 x
Dzjnascus HS $ 1,500 $ 9,306
St~rwood HS"' $ 1,008 $ 20,130
Bi. hesda-ChevyChase HS $ 1,208 $ 9,306
w;1terJohnson HS $ 1,554 $ 10,782
Pc~lesville HS $ 770
w~ston Churchill HS
rnernasS. Wootton HS $ 1,500
w ItWhitman HS ...
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