FCPS committee reviews new courses and curriculum revisions; board approval to follow

At a Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting, district staff presented seven proposed new secondary courses, a package of career‑and‑technical education (CTE) offerings and a set of curriculum revisions to existing courses.

James Saenz, teacher specialist for secondary social studies, told the committee that Maryland substantially revised the middle‑school social studies framework, and FCPS is proposing newly organized sixth‑ and seventh‑grade social studies courses to align with that change. “The state completely revamped the middle school social studies framework to teach world history with a geography lens,” Saenz said. Staff said the new sixth‑grade course is planned for implementation in the 2026–27 school year, with the reorganized seventh‑grade sequence to follow in 2027–28; the district presented the timeline well in advance to allow for curriculum development and teacher preparation.

Christine Pearl, supervisor of career and technical education, described a new aeronautics and drone operations program developed in partnership with the local NJROTC unit and an aviation organization housed at the county airport. The offering is a three‑course package that culminates in drone‑operator certification; the district expects the NJROTC partnership to supply instructors and help offset equipment and staffing costs. Pearl said the arrangement reduces budgetary barriers that had previously prevented the program’s launch.

Diana Sung, coordinator of dual enrollment and advanced placement, explained that the district is expanding opportunities for dual credit and industry credentials by strengthening partnerships with Frederick Community College (FCC) and local employers. Staff described several CTE “pathways” designed to give students credit both for high school coursework and for industry credentials offered through FCC.

The committee also reviewed a proposed pilot elective in world languages at Oakdale High School titled “Exploring Francophone Cultures,” intended to broaden cultural offerings for students who want world‑language content without immediately entering advanced language sequences.

On curriculum revisions, staff listed updates to existing social studies courses including American Studies I and II (eighth and ninth grades) and elective courses such as Law & Society, Geography, World War II and Economics. Saenz said the revisions respond to changing state frameworks and to the district’s upcoming focus on high‑quality instructional materials (HQIM) in social studies and science; he noted MSDE is beginning to evaluate and publish recommended HQIM for those subjects.

Committee members asked about assessment implications, instructional materials and staffing. Staff said the county will administer two local benchmarks per year in the middle grades and that the new social studies courses are designed to prepare students for the state’s eighth‑grade assessment and the high‑school government assessment. The district anticipates a material and budget investment when it adopts state‑recommended HQIM for social studies and science, and staff described prior textbook and curriculum investments in English and mathematics.

Several members noted opportunities to expand CTE through creative partnerships rather than large‑scale local infrastructure spending. Pearl and Sung described ongoing work with FCC, TechFrederick and local employers to create internship and apprenticeship pathways and to increase dual‑enrollment capacity for students who need college credit or industry credentials.

Staff said the report and proposed course materials will be returned to the full board for approval at the next meeting if the committee supports forwarding them; the committee indicated general support and staff will post the package for the board’s April consideration.

Ending: Staff will refine materials, continue outreach to postsecondary and industry partners and return proposed courses and revisions to the full board for approval.