Frederick County schools have made major gains in narrowing the achievement gaps between black students and all students in the last eight years, and are lauded across the state for their efforts.

That was the message county educators received Monday during a forum on Frederick County’s progress, challenges and plans for eliminating achievement gaps for minority students, including those from low-income families, black students, English Language Learners and special education students.

Organized by the Frederick County Teachers Association, the event brought together teachers, school administrators, PTA representatives, community advocates for minority achievement, as well as representatives of the Maryland State Department of Education, United Way of Frederick County and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.

Michial Gill, a minority achievement coordinator with the Maryland Department of Education, said he was impressed by the community-wide effort in Frederick County to narrow gas.

Specifically, he pointed to Eliminating the Achievement Gaps — a unique coalition and community organization that was created in Frederick County in 2003 with the goal of helping boost minority student achievement in the county.

The group — which includes community members, Frederick County business representatives, school system officials, teachers and parents — has been working diligently over the past eight years to reach its goals by supporting minority families and fostering initiatives that help students move forward.

Gill praised those efforts, and said the state has only started moving in that direction in the last three years. “Frederick County has always been ahead of the curve,” he said. “They don’t see it as something that is only the responsibility of the school system.”

Though a gap still exists, the number of black students who score as advanced on state reading and math tests has increased 200 percent and 260 percent respectively, according to numbers presented Monday.

But there is still more work to do, says Maria Whittemore, who is the minority achievement coordinator for Frederick County schools.

“Our most persistent gap in achievement still lies in African-American male students,” said Whittemore, who believes that schools must continue their efforts to boost performance of that group of students.

Schools also need to study the number of black students who participate in accelerated programs and encourage more of them to participate in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes, Whittemore said.

“We really need to be gearing our students to step into these courses,” she said.

Gary Brennan, president of the teachers’ association, encouraged participants to use the forum as an opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and develop strategies to boost minority student achievement. “Our point is to get people together,” he said.

Gill gave a presentation, based on focus groups conducted with students statewide, that advised educators to build relationships with their minority students, make an effort to understand what is going on in each student’s life, and to never give up on challenging students with advanced work.

“Students want to feel challenged,” Gill told educators. “If we give kids high expectations, kids usually rise to the occasion.”

Marsha Meekins, a member of the Frederick County Teachers Association, agreed. She said Frederick County has been seen as an example by other counties and encouraged everyone who attended the event to continue looking for new ways to help propel minority students forward.

“We are on our way and I am very proud with what we have going on in this county,” she said.

mraycheva@gazette.net