Carroll County Public Schools officials have said that $11.2 million in new, Blueprint-related funding earmarked to support compensatory education students has been spent in a targeted effort to improve student behavior and academic success at eight elementary, four middle and two high schools with high percentages of students who receive compensatory education services.
“While we recognize elementary behavior is on the uptick everywhere, in compensatory education schools we’re seeing a small decrease in the behaviors, while we’re seeing an increase in the non-compensatory education schools,” Director of Student Services Karl Streaker said during a presentation to the school board last month.
The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, passed by the state legislature in 2020, increases funding for compensatory education, special education and English learner students, but mandates that funding be spent as prescribed.
According to the Maryland State Department of Education, the pandemic changed how students received accommodations and services from public schools; students who did not receive the special education services they required “may be entitled to compensatory education/recovery services” to “make up for skills or progress lost during the pandemic.” These services are determined by the local school system, taking each child’s needs and circumstances into consideration.
“I think our biggest issue is going to be that we’re going to have schools that are not [compensatory education] schools that we need more supports in and Blueprint doesn’t necessarily allow that or support that right now,” Streaker said.
Each elementary school targeted for compensatory education funding — Cranberry Station, Elmer Wolfe, Robert Moton, Runnymede, Spring Garden, Taneytown, Westminster and William Winchester — now has a full-time behavior support specialist, full-time math resource teachers, mental health therapist support, additional mentor teachers, an additional instructional assistant, additional intervention teachers, and additional support for pupil personnel workers.
According to the presentation, Elmer Wolfe, Robert Moton and Taneytown elementary schools also now have a full-time school psychologist, and Taneytown also has an additional assistant principal.
Taneytown Elementary School is also a Blueprint-designated community school, based on the school’s concentration of poverty, and will receive additional funding.
“The needs of our students, especially our youngest learners, have changed and are evolving,” Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Nick Shockney said.
Each middle school targeted for compensatory education funding — East, West, Northwest and North Carroll — now has a summer transition program for sixth graders, an after-school tutoring program with transportation, a full-time math resource teacher, an additional part-time mentor teacher, an additional part-time mentor behavior coach, additional support for pupil personnel workers, and support for new and non-tenured teachers. According to the presentation East, Northwest and North Carroll middle schools also now have an additional school counselor, while East also has an additional assistant principal.
North Carroll Middle School benefits from the school system’s partnership with the Carroll County Boys and Girls Club, Shockney said.
Francis Scott Key and Winters Mill high schools are also receiving targeted compensatory education funding. Each school now has an additional school counselor, and additional mental health therapist, a part-time secondary mentor behavior coach, additional support for pupil personnel workers and four new staff to develop the personalized learning environment program at each school. According to the presentation, Francis Scott Key received an additional assistant principal.
“We’ve seen positive gains in schools with both the number of major discipline referrals and a reduction in suspensions, when it comes to the schools where we’ve targeted those compensatory education funds,” Shockney said.
There have been a total of 1,994 major discipline referrals and 11 suspensions issued to elementary school students at schools receiving compensatory education support from September through the end of February, according to the school system. That compares to 1,864 referrals and 14 suspensions issued to elementary students at compensatory education support schools during the same timeframe last school year, before Blueprint-related funding for additional resources began.
There were 1,271 referrals and 151 suspensions issued to middle school students at schools receiving compensatory education support, as of Feb. 28, down from 1,570 referrals and 240 suspensions for middle schoolers at those schools this time last year.
Major discipline referrals issued to county high schoolers at schools receiving compensatory education support dropped from 866 to 578 during the last year, while high school suspensions at Francis Scott Key and Winters Mill fell from 161 to 114 during the last year, according to the presentation.
Director of Elementary Schools Christy Farver said providing students with academic resources helps improve student behavior.
“They’re trying to hit on avoiding frustration for students so they’re successful in the classroom,” Farver said. “So, they don’t develop [negative] behaviors.”
Superintendent Cynthia McCabe said the school system will analyze the outcome of the fiscal 2024 compensatory education funding allocation to develop and implement programs to improve behavioral outcomes for all students.
“Historically, at the elementary school [level], many of our behavioral challenges are in the lower grades, and we find that it’s when they first come to us that we have many of the most struggles,” McCabe said. “I would say each year we see more and more students with complex struggles coming to us.”
