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Announcement: Actions of the State Board, June 23, 2015

For Immediate Release                             Contact: William Reinhard, 410-767-0486

Baltimore, MD (July 2, 2015)


June 23, 2015 State Board of Education Meeting


At the June 23rd meeting of the Maryland State Board of Education, the following actions were taken:

  • Voted to confirm 362 candidates from twelve local school systems to participate in the 2015-2016 Fee Incentive Program established for public school teachers seeking certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

  • Adopted amendments to COMAR 13A.11.01, .04, .08 Programs for Adults with Disabilities. Amendments in Chapter .01, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, were made to: 1) update the sliding scale used to determine financial participation of eligible individuals in cost of services, and 2) update and incorporate by reference the Division's fee schedule. Amendments in Chapter .04, Business Enterprise Program for the Blind, were made to be consistent with other regulations in COMAR, 34CFR395, and current business practices. Amendments in Chapter .08, Workforce and Technology Center, were made to provide technical updates and clarification regarding administration and service provision.

  • Adopted COMAR 13A.02.05 Maintenance of Effort as amended. The amendments were made in response to Chapter 6 of the 2012 legislative session which altered the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) law. The new law requires counties to apply for a waiver, alters the MOE penalty, creates two new types of waiver requests, and refines the MOE process. The adopted regulatory changes update the MOE regulations so that the regulations are in line with statute.

  • Voted to provide local school systems the option of offering the Partnership for the Assessment of College and Careers (PARCC) English 9, PARCC English 11, PARCC Geometry, and PARCC Algebra II to students enrolled in those courses. This option would be effective with the 2015-2016 school year.

  • Appointed Linda Eberhart and Guffrie Smith to represent the State Board of Education on the workgroup established by Senate Bill 635. The workgroup is charged with developing an alternative teacher certification program for areas experiencing critical teacher shortages.

  • Authorized the State Superintendent to submit Maryland's State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators to the United States Department of Education. The plan sets out steps Maryland will take to ensure that "poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers."

  • Bid farewell to Board member and current Board President Dr. Mary Kay Finan and Student Board Member Steven Priester. Dr. Finan was first appointed to the State Board in July 2007 and reappointed in July 2011. During her second term on the Board, Dr. Finan was elected Vice President of the Board four times and assumed the Presidency of the Board in May 2015. Mr. Priester is a graduate of Manchester Valley High School in Carroll County and this fall will begin studies in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.




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