Mission Statement

The mission of the Howard County Public School System is to ensure excellence in teaching and learning so that each student will participate responsibly in a diverse and changing world.

In support of its mission the Howard County Public School System will:

• Ensure that each student meets or exceeds rigorous performance and achievement standards.
• Ensure the highest level of performance for all staff.
  
• Develop and implement curriculum and assessments, which are relevant and challenging.
  
• Provide a safe, nurturing, and academically stimulating learning environment.
  
• Create an environment in which students, staff, families, and community members participate and contribute.
  
• Ensure that diversity and commonality are valued.
  
• Ensure that policies, structures, services, and resources support the vision, beliefs, mission, and goals.

School System Goals:

• Goal 1: Each child, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, will meet the rigorous performance standards that have been established. All diploma-bound students will perform on or above grade level in all measured content areas.

• Goal 2: Each school will provide a safe and nurturing school environment that values our diversity and commonality.

School System Targets: In 2008:

• All schools will meet Adequate Yearly Progress.
• All schools will have 70% of all students and all student groups score at proficient or advanced on the reading and mathematics Maryland School Assessment (MSA). 
• All high schools will have 95% of all students and all student groups passing the High School Assessments (Algebra/Data analysis, biology, English 10, and Government).

Mission of the Howard County School Library Media Program

The mission of the Howard County School Library Media Program is to provide opportunities for students and staff to become effective users of ideas and information. Learning and teaching, information access, and program administration are the essential elements of school library media programs. These elements suggest the roles that the library media specialist plays in supporting student learning. The functions and services necessary to the learning and teaching and the information access roles will promote that learning directly; program administration activities offer underlying organization support to the program. The goal areas and objectives for library media specialists are derived from Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (American Library Association, 1998). Library media specialists and administrators are referred to this document for additional information and lists of resources.

Contact: Carol Fritts, Coordinator of Media and Educational Technology
Office of Media and Educational Technology
10920 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-313-7179