When Jerry Weast became superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in 1999, he acknowledged what many residents of the district had been ignoring-the fact that it had, in effect, become two separate systems.  Areas in the western and the northern parts of the county remained some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the United States, but poverty and an influx of immigrants were very much altering the character of the parts of the school system closest to Washington D.C., which lies just south of Montgomery County.  

  The Washington D.C. region continues to act as a magnet to immigrants.  About 9,000 of the system's almost 13,000 students with limited English proficiency are enrolled from pre-K through second grade.  Altogether, MCPS has students from 163 countries, many of whom live in homes in which they hear little or no English spoken except on a television set.  Achievement in Montgomery County's public schools reflected these demographic differences.  Weast, an energetic and candid man who was previously a superintendent in North Carolina, made it his mission to boost outcomes throughout the school system.

Montgomery County's Early Success Performance Plan, designed to address gaps in achievement, was a product of Weast's belief that the youngest students require a foundation for learning so that they will flourish in the upper elementary grades, secondary school, and beyond.  The plan focuses on the crucial period from Prekindergarten to Third Grade.  The school board and superintendent made a bold decision to allocate higher levels of funding for targeted schools that enrolled students at risk for low educational achievement.  They believed that certain children, particularly in the early grades, need more time and resources to attain their academic potential.  Their goal was for students to read on grade level by the third grade.

Openness has been an important element in the school system's attempt to improve outcomes.  MCPS has communicated its vision and goals to staff, parents, and government officials in public forums and other events, as well as through radio and television broadcasts in languages in addition to English.  Web sites in seven languages are part of the process of reaching out to all families.  Gatherings of educators and community members helped bring issues of race and scholastic achievement to the fore.  The district has examined achievement statistics in periodic reports, taking note of figures for various sub-groups. 

MCPS cannot coast on its accomplishments, however impressive the outcomes may be.  Student mobility continues to plague the schools as families move frequently, especially as a result of soaring housing expenses in an area of the country with one of the highest costs of living.  Moreover, despite the mansions of Potomac and glittery shops of Bethesda, Montgomery County has persistent poverty among some of its families.  Many of these youngsters lack the social capital that bolsters other students in the school system.