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Anne Arundel school board adopts new graduation policy adding financial literacy and lowering credit floor to 23
Summary
The Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt Policy IIC, adding a 0.5-credit financial literacy graduation requirement and reducing the district minimum credits from 26 to 23; staff said the change creates schedule flexibility while preserving full course loads for grades 9
The Anne Arundel County Board of Education voted 7-0 to adopt Policy IIC on graduation requirements, approving a 0.5-credit financial literacy mandate and setting the district minimum required credits at 23.
Grace Wilson, director of legislation and policy, told the board the policy was posted for additional public comment after the superintendent proposed substantive regulatory changes to add the financial literacy requirement; staff received 24 additional comments during that period. "This policy was recently posted for an additional public comment period after second reading due to substantive changes proposed to the regulation by the superintendent to add a 0.5 financial literacy graduation requirement for students," Wilson said.
Board members and staff discussed how the change would affect scheduling and electives. Assistant Superintendent Michelle Batten said the 23-credit floor opens scheduling flexibility while maintaining the expectation that freshmen, sophomores and juniors maintain a full course load. "Students will continue to have the opportunity to take 4 courses per day, a day and b day, 8 courses a semester," Batten said, describing program-of-study options.
Several board members raised concerns about Global Community Citizenship (GCC), a course several students criticized as duplicative or unevenly implemented. Student speaker Gabriela Blair told the board she expected GCC to help students explore identity and communication but said, "Why was this class required?" after experiencing classes she described as review rather than deeper work. Board members and staff said GCC will undergo a curriculum update this summer and that student input will be part of any redesign.
Board member (Miss Shawheim) moved to adopt the policy and the motion passed unanimously. The board directed staff to finalize the regulation text and to provide program-of-study materials to schools (staff said printed materials would be available around Jan. 26). The change is a policy adoption; the regulation implementing schedule and program details will be finalized and published by staff.
What happens next: staff will publish the updated program-of-study materials and proceed with curriculum updates for GCC ahead of implementation; the regulation accompanying Policy IIC will be finalized for publication.
