Did you know that just a few minutes of preparation can dramatically reduce your chances of falling victim to cyber threats? In recognition of Internet Safety Month, we’re spotlighting practical tips every staff member can use to strengthen their digital defenses—at school, at home, and on the go.

This helpful article from the National Cybersecurity Alliance outlines 10 essential strategies to protect your information and devices. Learn how to:

• Create long and unique passwords

• Use trusted password managers

• Enable multi-factor authentication

• Avoid phishing scams 

• Discover the importance of software updates 

• Back up your data using the 3-2-1 rule

• Check your app privacy settings

• Be mindful of what you share online

Cybersecurity can be simple and low-cost. Free tools and quick steps—like enabling auto-updates or reporting phishing—can protect you at school or home year-round.

SGGCR and Transcript Timelines

SGGCR and Transcript Timelines are available for the 2025-2026 school year. View the timeline here.

Spring/Summer Synergy Dates and Deadlines

This document will be helpful to continue tracking deadlines throughout the summer. Check it out here!

Additional Synergy Modules Available for Schools

These Synergy modules are available for schools that would like to add them:

• • • • Elementary: Tardy Check-In/Early Dismissal

      • Secondary: Digital Hall Pass, KioskVUE, Locker Management, Tardy Check-In/Early Dismissal

For details, please contact Emily Cole Bayer at Emily_L_ColeBayer@mcpsmd.org.

Resource Links:

• Digital Hall Pass: Flyer and Guide

• KioskVUE: Guide

• Locker Management: Flyer and Guide

• Tardy Check-In/Early Dismissal: Flyer and Guide

New District K-8 Monitoring Summary Dashboard

This interactive dashboard allows users to compare selected cluster(s) and school(s) Reading and Math achievement data with MCPS system-wide achievement.  Data is available in graph form and in exportable table form.

• • • • • Featured comparable data points include:

          • • Reading and Math assessment data 

            • Prior school year MCAP results

            • Prior school year MSDE Report Card data (percentile ranks, earned percentage and star rating) 

New K-9 Monitoring Dashboard 

This dashboard provides interactive real-time literacy and math data for the current (2024-2025) and prior (2023-2024) school years.  

• • • • • New features include:

• • • MSDE Report Card data including percentile ranks, earned percentage and star rating

    • Math and Reading growth summaries for 50th percentile or above (based on selected assessment)

Additional Resources:

• Memorandum

• Support Guide

• Overview Tech Short 

• K-2 Quick Guide 

• 3-9 Quick Guide

• FAQ

Student Data Resource Reminder

• The School Leadership Resources document includes links to many of the new MCPS dashboards.  All dashboard links are also available in the MCPS Resources folder of your Chrome browser.

High School Graduation Validation Dashboard and Checklist

• High School principals, registrars, counselors, and Graduation Validation Teams must complete all Graduation Validation Checklist tasks and submit the Checklist Completion Attestation Form. These tasks are critical to verifying that all eligible students meet the necessary graduation requirements.  

Additional Resources:

• • • • • Flyer

        • Video

        • Guide

        • Training Slides

Currently, many Downloads folders are quite large and their original purpose was to serve as a temporary storage location for internet browsers. To help manage space on MCPS servers more effectively, the contents for school based H:\downloads folder will be moved back to its default location within your temporary user profile.

To ensure there is ample time to save important files, the contents of your current Downloads folder will move to a new archive folder.

Check out the Downloads Folder Relocation Quick Guide for more details.