State expands pathways for College and Career Ready designation; district outlines implications

Trina Simpson, supervisor of assessments and accountability, briefed the Allegany County Board of Education on new Maryland State Department of Education guidance expanding pathways for students to be designated College and Career Ready (CCR).

Simpson said the state has broadened the list of acceptable pathways beyond the earlier reliance on MCAP proficiency. New options include a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 at the end of grade 10 (or a one-year standalone GPA in later grades), a C or higher in two dual-enrollment courses (one must be a math course), qualifying AP/IB exam scores (AP score of 3+, IB score of 4+ with one math assessment), SAT/PSAT/ACT benchmarks (SAT: 480 reading/writing and 530 math; ACT: 18 English and 22 math), performance on alternate DLM assessments for students with IEPs, a Silver or higher on ACT WorkKeys, completion of a registered apprenticeship at the high-school level, or an ASVAB score of 50 or better.

Simpson emphasized that CCR status, once awarded, is permanent and will not be rescinded if a student—s later GPA falls below the threshold. She also clarified the timing for GPA reviews: the first calculation occurs at the end of grade 10, but the district can consider semester-end GPAs thereafter provided courses are posted as final transcript grades.

Board members asked clarifying questions about current systemwide CCR percentages (Simpson said the district was around 56% under prior measures) and how the expanded pathways might affect district CCR counts. Simpson said she would provide updated estimates once the state—s changes are applied to local data.

The briefing was informational; no board action was taken.