Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Program Of Studies topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews Program of Studies draft with new CTE courses and credit clarifications
Summary
Administration presented draft program-of-studies changes including new CTE offerings (turf grass management, small animal care, medical coding and billing, entrepreneurship) and proposed middle-school criteria for high-school credit; several items remain draft pending state guidance.
The board reviewed proposed updates to the WCPS Program of Studies, including additions to career and technical education and clarifications for middle-school coursework that may count for high-school credit.
Mr. Dour presented the draft, highlighting that credential-testing language and some core-credit rules were revised and that several items depend on forthcoming state guidance. He said new CTE additions under consideration include turf grass management, small animal care, medical coding and billing, and entrepreneurship to expand school-based enterprise opportunities.
Members asked for transparency: multiple board members requested that the eligibility criteria required for middle-school students to take and earn high-school credit be listed directly in the program of studies and on each school’s curriculum web page. Questions also focused on dual-enrollment courses (which are increasingly offered online) and whether availability of in-person sections (for subjects such as calculus) depends on personnel and demand.
Mr. Dour said some changes farther in the draft relate to high-quality work-based learning options and an anticipated reduction in categories to apprenticeship, internship, clinical experience and school-based enterprise. The board did not adopt the draft at the meeting and asked staff to return with clarified language and specific eligibility text for middle-school credit.
