AACPS outlines expansion and access plans for college and career readiness programs

At a public workshop of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Board of Education, district leaders described the work of a newly formed Division of College and Career Readiness and detailed program growth, outreach and next steps for expanding student access.

Assistant Superintendent Kevin Hamlin, who leads the division, said the office was created after a phase 2 reorganization to bring advanced studies, magnet, CTE and related programs “all under one umbrella.” He told the board that the division will align programs to the district strategic plan and the system’s Portrait of a Graduate as state definitions for college and career readiness change.

Hamlin summarized program missions, participation data and improvement goals across four offices: preK–12 advanced learning, magnet programs, career and technical education (including two Centers of Applied Technology), and work‑based learning. He said the division recently hired three directors who were school principals and will focus on program improvement and outreach.

Why it matters: The reorganization centralizes many programs that feed postsecondary pathways — Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), AVID, magnet and career and technical education (CTE) — and aims to increase equitable access for students countywide. Board members pressed staff about capacity, outreach and how the division will reduce barriers for underrepresented students.

Key details and evidence presented

- Service learning: Students must complete 75 service‑learning hours to graduate; hours start being embedded in curriculum in grade 5 and schools track the graduation requirement. A district portal also lets students document additional hours for college and scholarship applications, staff said.

- Advanced Placement and assessments: Staff reported growth in AP participation and outcomes, including more than 12,000 AP exams administered across 36 courses last year and a rise in the percentage of exams scored 3 or higher. AACPS students accounted for “over 65 percent” of the state’s PSAT 8/9 test‑takers after the district began administering it broadly.

- AVID and IB: AVID programming has expanded (in place in middle and high schools since 2003) and the IB continuum serves about 12,000 students at 19 schools; the class of 2024’s IB cohort earned more than $25 million in scholarships, staff said.

- CTE and Centers of Applied Technology: The district operates two Centers of Applied Technology (North and South) offering more than 35 programs and industry credentials; CTE courses are available at comprehensive schools and the centers. Staff said more than 50 CTE completer programs exist across the district and that students may earn industry certifications and college credits.

- Early College Access Program (ECAP): Through a partnership with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), qualifying students may begin college coursework (often starting in grade 11); staff reported that over 91 percent of ECAP students earned a grade of C or better in the recent fall term. ECAP enrollment has increased substantially and the division plans to pilot offering core college courses (for example, English 101) on high school campuses to remove access barriers.

- Apprenticeships and work‑based learning: The district is expanding apprenticeships and internships. Staff said the chief barrier is finding local employers willing to register as apprenticeship sponsors; the district is working with the Maryland Department of Labor and noted that some partners such as MDOT have been intermittent in their ability to register as sites.

Board questions and follow-ups

Board members repeatedly asked how the division will reach underrepresented students and relieve capacity constraints at magnet and CTE programs. Staff said outreach and marketing are being increased, that some high‑demand programs will be offered at comprehensive high schools to relieve Center overflow, and that the timing of a magnet schools audit was coordinated so recommendations would be available before the redistricting recommendation is finalized.

Hamlin said he will deliver a five‑year plan for gifted and talented program improvements by the end of the school year and that the division will invite parents and advocates into that planning process. Staff also described piloting college courses on site where transportation or travel to the community college has been a barrier for students.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to enter closed session to discuss personnel matters and to consult with counsel for legal advice (motion text in transcript). Mover: not specified in the record; second: not specified. Outcome: approved by consensus (motion carried). Note: the transcript records a consensus decision to enter closed session; no vote tally by name was recorded in the public record.

Ending

Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell and Assistant Superintendent Kevin Hamlin thanked staff and partners and invited further questions; staff emphasized they will use audit findings and community feedback to refine program seats, outreach and pilot plans to increase countywide access to college and career pathways.