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Washington County public schools preview 2025–26 high school program of studies
Summary
District officials reviewed the 2025–26 high school Program of Studies, confirming graduation credit requirements, new state AP and endorsement options, and planned timelines for board approval and a separate middle-school rollout.
Washington County Public Schools officials reviewed the draft 2025–26 high school Program of Studies during a board work session, saying the packet is on track for formal approval at the board's January public meeting.
The program, presenters said, keeps the district's graduation requirement at 24 credits and reiterates course requirements including four credits of English and math, specific science and social studies credits, and one credit each in PE, health, fine arts and technology. Students must also earn at least one "completer" such as a world-language/UMD completer or a Career and Technology Education (CTE) completer.
The Program of Studies packets incorporate QR codes linking to fuller material on the district website and are presented in a condensed format intended to help ninth-grade students and families find the most relevant information quickly.
District leaders described college- and career-readiness (CCR) rules used at the end of 10th grade: students can meet CCR either by (1) an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher plus a proficient Algebra 1 score on MCAP (750 or higher) or a final grade of A, B or C in Algebra 1; or (2) proficient scores (750 or higher) on both English 10 and Algebra 1 MCAP assessments. Officials said students who earn CCR by 10th grade qualify for additional post-CCR pathways during 11th and 12th grade, while students who do not earn CCR must be offered additional supports in junior and senior years until they achieve CCR status.
Officials highlighted program pathways available across the district: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (application in eighth grade; five IB courses minimum and a minimum point total to earn the diploma) at North Hagerstown High School; Advanced Placement Capstone and AP Research offerings at several high schools; and a new statewide Maryland AP option that requires at least two AP courses in two content areas, a grade of C or higher in the AP courses and a score of 3 or higher on at least three AP exams.
Adam Perry, supervisor of Career and Technical Education, described structural changes coming from the Maryland State Department of Education affecting CTE sequences: the concentrator course will move from a third-course status to the second course in a sequence, which shortens the exploratory window in the early sequence but creates options such as substituting an apprenticeship for a later course. The district said it will respond by introducing pre-program electives that let students sample technical pathways without immediately committing to a sequenced concentrator.
Leaders also noted endorsements appearing on transcripts: for 2024–25 graduates, a CCR endorsement or a CTE completer endorsement will be applied where students meet the stated requirements. Starting in 2025–26, additional endorsements aligned to STEM; business and industry; multidisciplinary studies; public service; and arts and humanities will be available when students complete a CTE pathway and pass an industry-recognized credential.
District staff said the middle-school Program of Studies is being redesigned to mimic the new high-school layout; middle-school approval will be brought separately to the board in February.
Officials repeatedly emphasized that the work session was informational and that no board action was requested at that meeting.
"This program of studies today is the work session," the presentation noted. "We've reviewed this at Curriculum and Instruction in December, and then we are on pace for January at our Board of Education public meeting for approval."
