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MSDE Announcement: State Board Actions, July 26, 2016

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

Baltimore, MD (July 29, 2016)

At the July 26, 2016 meeting of the Maryland State Board of Education, the following actions were taken:

  • Held the annual election of officers and elected Andrew R. Smarick President of the State Board. Dr. S. James Gates, Jr. was elected Vice President for a second term.
     
  • Considered the Commission on Assessments’ recommendation to change the HSA biology assessment from a high school graduation requirement to a participation graduation requirement for school year 2016-2017 because the biology HSA was not aligned to the curriculum currently being taught.  The Board voted to include the change in the graduation requirements regulations that were pending publication in the Maryland Register.  They will be published in the Maryland Register for public comment in late August or early September.

  • Granted permission to publish amendments to Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.05.01 Provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education.  The amendments provide updates to: (1) terminology; (2) statutory or regulatory citations; and (3) cross references to the regulations that govern Maryland Infants and Toddlers Programs.

  • Granted permission to adopt new regulations under a new chapter 13A.05.12 Hearing Aid Loan Bank (HALB).  The purpose of HALB is to lend hearing aids on a temporary basis to a parent or legal guardian of an eligible child (under age 3) to ensure he or she will have maximum auditory input during the critical period of language learning.

  • Approved the discontinuation of school building projects to comply with the Maryland Public School Standards for Telecommunications Distribution Systems because the Standards have become outdated. The wired and wireless technology currently being installed by school systems supersedes the requirements and nature of the Standards.

  • Approved changing the August State Board meeting dates.  The State Board will now hold an informational/study session on Monday, August 22nd, and the full day monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 23rd.

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