Watkins Mill High, Montgomery Village Middle, Watkins Mill Elementary Among 10 'Innovation Schools'

Three schools in Montgomery Village—Watkins Mill Elementary, Montgomery Village Middle, and Watkins Mill High—were picked to help pilot a new program from Montgomery County Public Schools that will provide an extra layer of central office support to underperforming schools. 

Officials culled various data to determine the schools that needed help, including key measures at certain grade levels, like whether students are reading as they should by 3rd grade and whether 5th and 8th graders have the reading and math skills that prepare them for the next level.

Watkins Mill High School principal Scott Murphy told Patch the innovation program is welcomed at his school.

"I really think it's a good thing," Murphy said. "I'm really excited about the support. I really think it will put Watkins Mill High School and the Watkins Mill cluster in position to accelerate our progress."

MCPS spokesperson Dana Tofig said it was not intentional for a cluster of schools to be selected—Watkins Mill Elementary feeds Montgomery Village Middle, which feeds Watkins Mill High—but it does provide an opportunity to align the work at all grade levels.

"All the Innovation Schools, including those in the Watkins Mill cluster, have dedicated themselves to school improvement, have strong staff and leadership in place, and have worked to really engage their community in their school improvement efforts," Tofig told Patch in an email. "This is really important and prepares them to make even greater gains in the near future."

Murphy said he expects the program to provide additional support for work they are already doing. 

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Watkins Mill has seen significant growth in IB enrollment and students' success in that program, Murphy said.

"[But] the challenges are real. Not all of our kids are using high level programs or achieving a high level of success," Murphy said. 

"The way I see it is any support provided by the central office will be to compliment or 'grease the wheels' of work that we're already doing," Murphy said. "It's not a new program, new initiative, new goal, just kind of the foundation being the IB core and our school improvement efforts around that."

The full list of schools:

• Clopper Mill Elementary
• Strathmore Elementary
• Watkins Mill Elementary
• Argyle Middle
• A. Mario Loiederman Middle
• Montgomery Village Middle
• John F. Kennedy High
• Springbrook High
• Watkins Mill High
• The alternative programs

"The 10 Innovation Schools have already shown a commitment to school improvement and have the staff and leadership in place to accelerate that progress," Superintendent Joshua Starr said in a statement. "These schools will serve as a model for how collaborative work, with one another and with central office, can lead to great outcomes for our students."

A new position, called the Chief Improvement Officer, will work directly with principals and the schools' leadership teams, according to Deputy Superintendent Beth Schiavino-Narvaez.

"We're limiting the number of schools so that (the improvement officer) can be on the ground working shoulder-to-shoulder with the leadership team on their school improvement strategies," Schiavino-Narvaez previously told Patch.

Murphy said he still needs to meet with the Chief Improvement Officer for a school assessment, and he anticipates the role being about strategic planning and professional development. 

Patch Editor Whitney Teal contributed to this report.