Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Henrico presents 2026–27 Academic & Career Planning Guide with new courses, CTE expansions and a 'life ready' diploma seal
Summary
HCPS staff proposed new middle- and high-school courses, expanded CTE weighting and a Life Ready Learning diploma seal requiring 80 experiential hours; updates include AP Comparative Government, new dual-enrollment offerings and JROTC counting for half of PE credit. Board asked for clarification on access and staffing.
Henrico County Public Schools staff presented proposed updates to the 2026–27 Academic & Career Planning Guide at the Nov. 13 work session, including new course offerings, pathway changes and program-level credits designed to expand student options.
Taylor Snow, director of secondary teaching and learning, reviewed additions at the middle-school level (Mind Over Math and a new cornerstone elective) and high-school additions that include AP Comparative Government, honors sociology and several dual-enrollment courses such as dual-enrollment biomedical engineering and dual-enrollment art history. Snow said the division plans to allow AP Seminar to count as an English 10 credit under new flexibility from the Virginia Department of Education, which would help students progress toward the AP Capstone diploma.
Mac Beaton, director of workforce and career development, described updates to career-technical education (CTE): 34 new career-focused course offerings added over the last five years, weighted credit to recognize high-quality, work-based learning at the Advanced Career Education centers, and partnerships with employers to support internships and apprenticeships. Beaton said career-and-technical enrollment (measured as duplicated enrollments) grew from about 25,000 in 2020 to nearly 30,000 last year—an increase of roughly 5,000 duplicated enrollments.
The guide also introduces a Life Ready Learning diploma seal that allows students to earn the seal through 80 hours of community service, externships, civic action, school-based enterprises, job shadowing or other qualifying experiences. Staff highlighted that JROTC may be counted as half of the Health and Physical Education credit for graduation, aligning with recent VDOE guidance.
Board members asked about access—whether new high-school courses will be available at every campus—and staffing constraints for dual-enrollment instructors. Staff said the division will pursue asynchronous dual-enrollment options with partner institutions (noting conversations with Reynolds) and that availability will depend on certified staff and student interest. Questions about level-drop policies, gifted-program requirements and how additional credits would be communicated to families were raised; staff said counselors and an ongoing communications plan will support families through the course-request window (Jan. 5–19). The board will be asked to approve the planning guide at an upcoming meeting.
