Calvert County staff outline pre‑K expansion, behavior supports and data plans at board retreat
January 31, 2026 | Calvert County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
At the retreat, Calvert County Public Schools staff gave a consolidated update on academic and operational priorities for the coming year, highlighting an expansion in pre‑K capacity, new behavior supports, approved MCAP plans for math and ELA, and operational performance measures.
Pre‑K and behavior supports: Chief Academic Officer Jackie Jacobs said the district added four pre‑K classrooms this school year; those classrooms were previously run through Head Start but are now included in the district’s per‑pupil allocation. On student behavior, Jacobs said the district has a behavior health team that meets monthly to guide restorative practices, and described steps taken when classrooms are evacuated for dysregulated behavior: "We provided guidance on the decision making of whether or not the child is removed or the rest of the class is removed," she said, noting that staff now track incidents electronically and use the data to design supports.
MCAP, instruction and scheduling: Jacobs described approved comprehensive plans for MCAP interventions and an MTSS approach to strengthen tier 1 instruction and target tier 2/3 supports. The team is piloting progress‑monitoring tools (Panorama) next year and examining middle school schedules to meet Maryland’s mathematics‑time expectations.
Operations and KPIs: Chief Operations Officer Susan Johnson said the district focused this year on establishing key performance indicators for each department and implementing tools to produce regular reports on staffing, facilities and bus operations. A new bus‑planning program will track deadhead miles and improve routing efficiency; other back‑office reporting will make vacancy and staffing metrics easier to monitor.
Budget and next steps: Staff said some proposed academic strategies carry a cost and have been reflected in budget planning. Superintendent Newsome said staff would provide the board with a breakdown of recommended funding by category in coming days.
The updates were presented as informational items to guide later governance conversations on strategy and budgeting.
Pre‑K and behavior supports: Chief Academic Officer Jackie Jacobs said the district added four pre‑K classrooms this school year; those classrooms were previously run through Head Start but are now included in the district’s per‑pupil allocation. On student behavior, Jacobs said the district has a behavior health team that meets monthly to guide restorative practices, and described steps taken when classrooms are evacuated for dysregulated behavior: "We provided guidance on the decision making of whether or not the child is removed or the rest of the class is removed," she said, noting that staff now track incidents electronically and use the data to design supports.
MCAP, instruction and scheduling: Jacobs described approved comprehensive plans for MCAP interventions and an MTSS approach to strengthen tier 1 instruction and target tier 2/3 supports. The team is piloting progress‑monitoring tools (Panorama) next year and examining middle school schedules to meet Maryland’s mathematics‑time expectations.
Operations and KPIs: Chief Operations Officer Susan Johnson said the district focused this year on establishing key performance indicators for each department and implementing tools to produce regular reports on staffing, facilities and bus operations. A new bus‑planning program will track deadhead miles and improve routing efficiency; other back‑office reporting will make vacancy and staffing metrics easier to monitor.
Budget and next steps: Staff said some proposed academic strategies carry a cost and have been reflected in budget planning. Superintendent Newsome said staff would provide the board with a breakdown of recommended funding by category in coming days.
The updates were presented as informational items to guide later governance conversations on strategy and budgeting.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
