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HCPSS / POLICIES

Policy 2020 Implementation Procedures - Policy Development and Adoption

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. General

  1. The Superintendent/designee will coordinate Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) policy development, revision, and modification processes. This includes the development, review, and presentation of proposals for policy and implementation procedures to be considered by the Board of Education of Howard County (Board).

  2. Accountability for the substantive components and content of policy and implementation procedure proposals lies with the designated HCPSS content experts, Standing Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) members, and appropriate department administrators. All proposals are presented to the Superintendent’s Cabinet and/or Executive Leadership Team for examination and comment.

  3. The Superintendent will designate a Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group (SSPG), which includes at least one member from each division, to review the oldest policies at least annually. The Policy Office and SSPG will recommend what action, if any, will be taken on each policy.

II. Policy Development, Revision, and Modification Proposal Development

  1. Requests for policy development, revision, or modification from the Board will be directed to the Superintendent/designee, who will coordinate HCPSS employee preparation of a draft policy language.

  2. Development, revision, or modification of a policy or implementation procedures proposal may be initiated by an administrator or supervisor with the approval of the Superintendent/designee.

  3. The Superintendent/designee may contact an administrator or supervisor to request that a policy on a particular topic be developed, revised, or modified.

  4. For those policies deemed by the SSPG as needing comprehensive examination:

    1. The Policy Office will prepare a policy analysis that will be presented to the Board for each policy that goes through modification or comprehensive examination.

    2. The Superintendent/designee will ensure that the policy analysis is submitted to the Office of General Counsel for examination and comment prior to its first reading at a regularly scheduled Board meeting and/or Board Policy Committee meeting.

    3. The Superintendent/designee will post the development/revision timelines on the Board’s document management platform for each policy under a comprehensive examination.

    4. SPAC meetings will be convened. The Superintendent/designee will ensure that representatives from the community and other HCPSS stakeholder groups will be invited to serve on the committee; others will be invited as guests. Multiple policies may be discussed at each meeting. Example of invitees include but are not limited to a representative from:

      1. HCPSS Bargaining Units

      2. The Community Advisory Council (CAC)

      3. Superintendent Advisory Groups

      4. General Resident (After the selection of one general resident, another general resident may be selected for every additional 10 resident interest forms received per policy being reviewed.)

      5. Other formal community organizations with knowledge and interest.

        To obtain the greatest committee participation, the offering of a range of meeting times is expected. Additionally, multiple meeting strategies including virtual, electronic reviews, and information collection questionnaires are encouraged when appropriate.

    5. The SPAC chair will submit a draft of a new or revised policy to the Superintendent/designee.

    6. The Superintendent/designee will notify the public on the HCPSS standard communication channels about the committee and remind the public about opportunities for providing input.

    7. After the first reading, the Board may decide the policy should have an optional review by the Board’s Policy Committee. This optional review will ensure that the draft of the new or revised policy is inclusive of the general Board as well as the Board’s Policy Committee.

    8. At the end of the public comment period, the Superintendent/designee will present a draft of the new or revised policy to the Board for its second reading. This draft will include considerations from the public as well as any general consensus from the Board of Education.

    9. With Board Policy Committee approval, new policies that are mandated by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) will not require feedback from the SPAC when the policies are technical in nature or not specific to students. A special policy committee of experts will be formed, and the policy development process will continue as outlined in Policy, III.C.1.

  5. Those policies determined as needing a modification do not require review by SPAC. In these situations:

    1. The Superintendent/designee will coordinate the proper staff to complete the modification. The Superintendent/designee may also seek public comment for changes not required by state or federal legislation and/or guidance.

    2. A draft of the modified policy will be submitted to the Superintendent/designee.

    3. The Superintendent/designee will ensure that the policy draft is distributed to the Office of General Counsel and Executive Leadership Team for examination and comment.

    4. Policy presentation:

      1. The Superintendent/designee will present the modified policy to the Board’s Policy Committee for its first reading.

      2. The policy will be presented for action during its second reading at a regularly scheduled Board meeting.

    5. The Superintendent/designee will notify the public on the HCPSS standard communication channels about the completed modifications to the policy.

III. Implementation Procedures

  1. If necessary, implementation procedures for a new Board policy will be developed concurrent with that policy.

  2. Implementation procedures for a policy under revision or modification will be evaluated and updated as part of the policy revision process.

  3. All implementation procedures are under the purview of the Superintendent and will include a metrics/accountability section, if applicable, that details measurable data to determine if the goals of the policy are being met, and a monitoring section to note the Division or Office responsible for overseeing that the procedures are being executed as intended.

  4. After considering input from the Executive Leadership Team, the Superintendent will adopt the updated implementation procedures. Implementation procedures recommended by the Superintendent will be submitted to the Board concurrent with the corresponding draft policy.

  5. Implementation procedures adopted by the Superintendent that are modified without changes to a corresponding policy will be provided to the Board as an information item at a regularly scheduled Board meeting.

  6. The Superintendent/designee will notify the public on the HCPSS standard communication channels about the adopted modifications to the implementation procedures.

IV. Monitoring

Policy 2020 implementation procedures will be overseen by the Office of General Counsel.

V. History

ADOPTED: January 22, 2004

REVIEWED:

MODIFIED:

REVISED:

  • April 27, 2006

  • January 26, 2012

  • September 5, 2019

  • March 26, 2026

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2026

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.