[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6241397,"mediaKeyId","3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d","parentId",3255962,"title","FCPS to roll out new sixth‑ and seventh‑grade social‑studies frameworks; district emphasizes civic skills and student programs","audioSeconds",2992,"startMs",4256000,"endMs",7248000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d&start=4256&end=7248","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d/thumbnail_4256000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241397/Maryland/FCPS-to-roll-out-new-sixth-and-seventhgrade-socialstudies-frameworks-district-emphasizes-civic-skills-and-student-programs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241397-1c46013e751133d202febca9fa09283a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176641&Signature=Zb512Wpoa26xX7qF~N4yQVitgnPSrcsCUeWp3akLB7sOKo2BkeRyb8oaTuk4A9MOyFcCa2i1iOzD1W~OgWIjD~dIVhykHSz5AkQRW15N2CIVjN1jI08QXEkmHO2Lt8H8QkXiuAQU2L-~8GAglp1iQjoVDCPAOY0B9WAj9MfOGY2Ff-BebYYQpuf-82zEzzPUFYoH4rxYPNJVVFggjWnlzjB6QVWyyJlIW4xY5QwAdR-YWpqmH1f4xsMqhPz6MxEERb69k3AG2oU88S9HFUWs5Dh95Epu0eV8SzN1E29ipsc~el5o3uwph-7KnAAjPWEMLlYuFbawx~nz4d2hVnVlIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Frederick County Public Schools","date","2025-05-09T17:07:15Z","article","Dr. Colin Bernard, curriculum supervisor for social studies and student leadership, presented the district’s social‑studies curriculum work and related student programs, outlining curriculum alignment, assessment changes and extracurricular civic opportunities.

Bernard said Maryland’s state frameworks define six social‑studies standards and that FCPS is embedding environmental and financial literacy where the standards require them. He described a content and skills approach that emphasizes disciplinary literacy — reading, writing and source analysis — and presented a timeline for revised middle‑school coursework: FCPS plans to implement the new sixth‑grade geography‑centered framework in 2026 and the new seventh‑grade framework in 2027 to allow a phased roll‑out that aligns with students moving through the pipeline.

On assessment, Bernard said government (the civics/government end‑of‑course assessment) is now an end‑of‑course MCAP assessment and that the assessment was included as 20 percent of the overall course grade in the most recent administration. The social‑studies team also uses district benchmarks — evidence‑based argument sets (EBAs) that mirror MCAP document‑based tasks — and an eleventh‑grade research project in modern world history that requires annotated bibliographies and source evaluation.

Bernard described numerous student programs and community partnerships that supplement classroom learning: a county Envirothon (Catoctin High won county competition and will advance to Maryland Envirothon), Climate Youth Institute chapters at several high schools, a county Law Day and Civics & Law Academy with the Bar Association of Frederick County, Mock Trial in partnership with Maryland Bar and local judiciary, Model United Nations hosted with Hood College support, National History Day coordination with Rose Hill Manor, and a Maryland General Assembly page program that sends seniors to Annapolis. He also reviewed the Frederick County Association of Student Councils (FCASC), which runs four general assemblies and elects an executive board and a student member of the Board of Education through an electoral‑college style system.

Committee members raised concerns about civic knowledge and the constitution. Bernard said the curriculum introduces foundational civic concepts in early grades (K–3: rules, freedom, equality) and introduces the U.S. Constitution by third grade, with more in‑depth work on the founding documents and amendments in fourth and fifth grades and continued spiral through middle and high school. On potentially sensitive or controversial topics, Bernard referenced district Policy 516 and its implementing regulation to stress curricular connection, developmental appropriateness and multiple perspectives. He said, “We present. We do not promote. We teach students how to think. How look at this document. How do you know it's credible? How can you corroborate the information in it?”

Bernard also noted the state’s upcoming guidance on high‑quality instructional materials for social studies; FCPS supervisors have provided feedback to the Maryland State Department of Education and expect the state rubric to guide future material selection. No policy adoptions were decided at the meeting; the presentation was informational and the district invited further questions and follow up by email.

Speakers highlighted that the social‑studies program connects classroom content to extracurricular experiences and community partners, and they requested continued emphasis on disciplinary literacy, source evaluation and civic knowledge across grade levels.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Curriculum and Instruction Committee Meeting May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","FCPS described K–12 social‑studies curriculum alignment with state frameworks, a phased rollout of new sixth‑ and seventh‑grade geography‑centered frameworks, changes to high‑school assessment weighting and a suite of extracurricular student programs including Model UN, Mock Trial and the county student‑council association.","taxTitle","Frederick County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",14207,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6241402,"FCPS creates sustainability leadership team, wins Chesapeake Bay Trust grant and expands green‑school efforts",1575,2674000,4249000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d&start=2674&end=4249","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d/thumbnail_2674000.jpg","/articles/6241402/Maryland/FCPS-creates-sustainability-leadership-team-wins-Chesapeake-Bay-Trust-grant-and-expands-greenschool-efforts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241402-795d2ccba58bcb14be1b9d3d09432dc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176641&Signature=FuHFB0T4gJDzCSv85oU3GMOtAp6ZgiMHF-lYGR6BZbkpFxkjA6MhsFjQaz-TCtIU0JCbRfs3a-~OqU8BWl16b2ipYEIGMFE-PPTKKCFaZwD4LMcfUq1ZbEbEA3nHy9aDgN6PBYYGMJgbLqKe0Yp4~Slpy8ePA8gngMT7O3tZwAifA7ONNIYfqs5EnrFRGSfc73RB4Y78TN5G95DqWdntuOm1zso9x9Gt~lP074OHjNG~py~eLEXfv5WtlbvN2XL2XYxkoUqFAkTet0b0BCyMixEKFUX7Sryn-nZnPeqQw0X~oG8NaGP1SuskkQUIXBGVM4MeYjvD6YhUPRqIInrWGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Curriculum & Instruction Committee heard a multi‑department update on environmental literacy and sustainability in Frederick County Public Schools, led by curriculum staff and the district’s sustainability and facilities representatives. Colleen Beal announced, “We were awarded a $40,000 Chesapeake Bay Trust environmental education grant,” which the district said will fund curriculum planning, teacher capacity building and partnership coordination.

District presenters described the effort as a coordinated response to community requests and to a Mobilize Frederick presentation to the Board of Education. Staff said the work touches multiple functional areas — facilities and operations (custodial, food service and grounds), curriculum and instruction, and external community partners — and requires coordinated procedures so schools can implement gardens, composting, food recovery and recycling without creating unsustainable maintenance burdens.

The presentation listed existing programs and partnerships: the county’s Outdoor School for fifth and sixth graders; Envirothon, with Catoctin High School winning the county competition; several Climate Youth Institute chapters at Urbana, Catoctin, Oakdale and Frederick high schools; expanding green teams and green schools (six new green schools added on Earth Day and two renewals), and central‑office recycling signage and reinvigoration.

Facilities staff emphasized practical requirements for school projects: custodial and maintenance workloads, mower access, utility‑line clearances and food‑safety rules for cafeteria composting. Dawn Ashbecker, sustainability specialist, said recycling must be coordinated with custodial and teachers and described recycling “as a team sport.” The district and Frederick County Solid Waste & Recycling also noted that county audits at the transfer station monitor contamination levels; presenters said the county’s contamination rate had recently been about 10 percent, and that recyclables are screened and processed at the transfer station before shipment to processors.

Committee members discussed operational constraints (who will maintain gardens long term, volunteer reliance, and how to align nutrition/food services with composting and food recovery). Staff said they are drafting standard procedures to help schools understand requirements and expectations up front and that the Chesapeake Bay Trust grant will support a systemwide sustainability plan, teacher professional learning and strengthened community partnerships.

Presenters described next steps as: continuing to grow the number of green schools, integrating environmental literacy into K–12 curriculum (COMAR requires environmental literacy standards), expanding CTE agribusiness pathways and coordinating with Frederick County government on recycling and solid‑waste programs. No formal motions or votes on program adoption were taken during the meeting; staff asked schools and community partners to use the established partnership processes while procedures are finalized.

Speakers noted existing community partners (Mobilize Frederick, Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, local farms and university liaisons) and requested that schools consult facilities and nutrition staff early in project planning to avoid later maintenance or health‑safety problems. The district said staff will finalize standard procedures and continue to support schools as implementation proceeds.","FCPS presented a new cross‑department sustainability effort after community requests; the district is coordinating curriculum, facilities and community partners, won a $40,000 Chesapeake Bay Trust grant and is developing procedures for gardens, composting and recycling.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6241407,"Frederick County Public Schools outlines expanded gifted-and-talented identification, notes staff reductions",2573,76000,2649000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d&start=76&end=2649","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255962-ced666f99449903df5d34d04bf49156d/thumbnail_76000.jpg","/articles/6241407/Maryland/Frederick-County-Public-Schools-outlines-expanded-gifted-and-talented-identification-notes-staff-reductions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241407-bb8f0d5a593d73f7a9e0be169a6a51d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176641&Signature=AdxRV3sm6idL4vD060uukYqxJ8qkmKw2JWRFgy1vx~3bAC8u3fW6MONmv6fR9MgsWfuav~NmCTjYm2tF1zuwS0cnCgmzxdln-6ETBQpK9BaHaPyN5bg~Hdt7az8Y8Kl0~Zu4x74ngo7ZZAqAqN9gHNjyZQEs3N3LnbcoOnQUVCznlNp98VzEz0Cz4qubmKMKpH0tSmF3o758tdA7XcCSo06OswCT~Q8-mnN~Kn1xpdfnY5U2Dg9YXYAZbaFS4A0DvN9ghiqNzCGGkBMI3rpKoPcHxeP8wcGrrM141mACyFL3lGh0cLZuNch8V9TLUVpWBAeOuhlGBBaHCiDY5ItxbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Jessica Reinhart, supervisor of advanced academics for Frederick County Public Schools, briefed the Curriculum & Instruction Committee on the school system’s gifted-and‑talented (GT) identification and services, saying the presentation was intended “to provide you with updates regarding gifted and talented programming in Frederick County Public Schools.”

The update described how FCPS has aligned local practice with the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and state reporting requirements: universal screening using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is administered in grades 2 and 5; formal GT services begin in grade 3; and the district uses multiple measures (ability, performance and potential) to identify students. Dr. Reinhart said the district’s first cohort that was screened universally in early grades are the current rising ninth graders (screened in 2018–19). The presentation noted districtwide GT identification at about 20.4 percent of students (stated in the presentation) and a baseline expectation that at least 5 percent of students be identified at each elementary and middle school.

The district described its service model: early talent‑development for pre‑K–2 (the GEARS program), GT cluster grouping in grades 3–5 at every elementary school, tiered supports including just‑in‑time differentiation and targeted small‑group instruction, middle‑school honors and accelerated math pathways, and high‑school options such as honors, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, early college and International Baccalaureate at Urbana High School. Dr. Reinhart highlighted school and teacher supports including itinerant advanced‑academics teacher specialists, professional learning, and parent outreach sessions that provide resources (including a shared Google folder and materials from the National Association for Gifted Children).

The presentation included data on subgroup representation and noted ongoing equity work. Committee members pressed the district on representation gaps: for example, the presentation showed Black/African American students make up roughly 14 percent of FCPS enrollment but about 10 percent of the GT identified population (figures discussed aloud during the meeting). Reinhart said the district “endeavor[s] to mirror that as closely as possible” and emphasized partnerships with the multilingual education office and special education teams to improve access for multilingual learners and students with disabilities.

Board members and committee participants asked about screening for multilingual learners, how the district distinguishes high achievement from giftedness, and supports for students who are identified but underachieve. Reinhart said the CogAT administered in grade 2 is language‑neutral and that identification looks for domain‑specific strengths; she added, “We don't un gift a student. What we do is we we watch them,” explaining that students who are struggling continue to be monitored rather than removed from services outright.

Budget and staffing changes were a focus. Reinhart and other staff explained that, after the FY25 budget process, several advanced‑academics teacher specialist positions were shifted and the district moved to a centrally managed itinerant model. The presentation and subsequent clarification reported that 13 positions were reconfigured during the prior budget cycle; currently the district has specialists assigned to serve multiple schools (described in the meeting as eight specialists serving middle schools and nine serving elementary schools). Staff said those specialists are centrally coded but work in schools; that centralization reduced school‑based allocations while keeping specialists in school buildings to provide shoulder‑to‑shoulder coaching, data analysis and occasional tier‑2 pullouts where needed.

Speakers and commenters raised instructional concerns from families: some parents reported GT work felt like “more work” rather than a faster pace or different depth; teachers and parents asked how cluster models and “just‑in‑time” differentiation look in practice. Reinhart said cluster grouping aims to reduce within‑classroom heterogeneity so teachers can better tailor instruction and noted that advanced academic resources (including “quest cards” and “dive deeper” prompts) are available for teachers to use during small‑group instruction or whole‑group differentiation.

The presentation also noted school recognition and outreach: Ballenger Creek Elementary School received the EGATE (Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education) designation after a rigorous portfolio review, and the district continues parent information sessions and professional learning for teachers.

No formal policy changes or votes on program design were taken at the meeting; the only committee vote recorded during the session was approval of the April meeting minutes. Committee members said they will continue to review program data, watch subgroup representation, and follow up on staffing and budget questions during the district’s budget process.

For more information, the district cited COMAR and the district’s ESSA consolidated reporting responsibilities and encouraged parents to contact the Office of Advanced Academics for specific school‑level questions or concerns.","FCPS presented program updates required by Maryland regulations, including universal screening using the CogAT, cluster grouping in grades 3–5, expanded high‑school pathways and parent outreach; presenters also described a recent centralization and net reduction of advanced-academics specialist positions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

FCPS to roll out new sixth‑ and seventh‑grade social‑studies frameworks; district emphasizes civic skills and student programs

FCPS creates sustainability leadership team, wins Chesapeake Bay Trust grant and expands green‑school efforts

Frederick County Public Schools outlines expanded gifted-and-talented identification, notes staff reductions