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MCPS
Curriculum
Montgomery County Board of EducationNovember 9, 2021
Presentation Outline
Office of Teaching, Learning, and Schools:
Curriculum Updates
• COMAR Graduation Requirements
• Financial Literacy
• Pilot Courses
2
MCPS
Curriculum and Instructional Programs Updates
Equity Lens Impact Questions
1. For whom does this practice/decision serve or neglect? 2. Whose voices are dominating/lacking from the
conversation? 3. What adverse impacts or unintended consequences could
result from this decision? 4. What steps are in place for ongoing data collection and
reflection of the outcomes? 5. How diverse are the stakeholders leading the
implementation?
MCPS
High School Graduation Requirements for Class of 2025
Curriculum UpdatesMCPS
Recent Changes to MSDE Graduation Requirements
Beginning with the Class of 2025:
• Health education increase from 0.5 to 1.0 credit
• Increase from 3 to 4 credits required for mathematics
• World language credits must be the same language
• Expansion of technology education to include computer
science and engineering5
HS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
How Does This Impact MCPS Students?
• Based on the changes, MCPS now exceeds the state minimum
graduation requirement
• MCPS requires 1.0 credit for physical education, the state requires
a minimum 0.5 credit
• Impacts current ninth grade students who already have begun
accumulating credits 6
HS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
Stakeholders Input
7
Stakeholders Represented
• Students
• School-based Staff
• Principals
• Administrators
• Teachers
• Counselors
• Central Services Staff
• Parents/Guardians
• Community Members
HS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
8
Class of 2025: Option A
Content MSDE MCPS
English 4 4
Fine Arts 1 1
Health Education 1 1
Mathematics 4 4
Physical Education 0.5 1
Science 3 3
Social Studies 3 3
Technology Education 1 1
Electives 2 (WL)2.5 Remaining
2 (WL)2.5 Remaining
Total 22 22.5
Option A: Keep 0.5 additional MCPS high school physical education graduation requirement.
Students in MCPS would need 22.5 credits to graduate (MSDE requires 22 credits)
Class of 2025: Option AHS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
9
Class of 2025: Option B
Content MSDE MCPS
English 4 4
Fine Arts 1 1
Health Education 1 1
Mathematics 4 4
Physical Education 0.5 0.5
Science 3 3
Social Studies 3 3
Technology Education 1 1
Electives 2 (WL)2.5 Remaining
2 (WL)2.5 Remaining
Total 22 22
Option B: Reduce MCPS physical education graduation credit requirement by 0.5, maintaining 22 credits total
Class of 2025: Option BHS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
10
Class of 2025: Option C
Content MSDE MCPS
English 4 4
Fine Arts 1 1
Health Education 1 1
Mathematics 4 4
Physical Education 0.5 1
Science 3 3
Social Studies 3 3
Technology Education 1 1
Electives 2 (WL)2.5 Remaining
2 (WL)2 Remaining
Total 22 22
Option C: Reduce the MCPS electives requirement by 0.5, maintaining 22 credits total. Physical education would remain at 1.0 credit.
Class of 2025: Option CHS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
Patterns in Stakeholder Input
11
• Maintain 22 credit minimum requirement
• Consider impact on current ninth grade students
• Divided stakeholder support for options B and C
• Supportive of opportunities for increased student choice
• Advocacy in favor of a focus on student physical fitness
and well-being
HS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
Recommendation
For the Class of 2025:
Reduce the MCPS electives requirement by 0.5 credit, maintaining
22 credits total. Physical education would remain at 1.0 credit.
• Revisit as we explore the resolution to require Financial
Literacy as a high school graduation requirement.
12
HS Graduation RequirementsClass of 2025
Discussion/Action
MCPS
Financial Literacy
MCPS Curriculum Updates
• Maryland State Curriculum for Personal Financial Literacy Education established elementary, middle, and high school standards.
• In MCPS standards are taught in:
• Grades 3 and 5 social studies
• Grade 7 social studies (Finance Park)
• Grade 10 National, State, and Local Government15
FinancialLiteracy
MSDE COMAR Regulation (2010)
Formation of Work Group
• Spring 2021 Student advocacy to the Board of Education to expand financial literacy education.
• Spring 2021-Fall 2021 Workgroup was charged with establishing current state and crafting recommendations.
Members included students, teachers, central staff, and financial literacy organizations
16
FinancialLiteracy
Current Status
The Work Group determined:
• Personal Finance elective is offered at six high schools.
• There is strong student interest in an elective course being available at all high schools.
17
FinancialLiteracy
Recommendations
1. Explore possibility of adding 0.5 graduation requirement including development of curriculum and professional learning.
2. Annual student survey following NSL financial literacy modules to gather data for course improvement.
3. Financial Literacy course included in course bulletin.
4. Financial Literacy Coordinator to implement recommendations.
18
MCPS
Next Steps:
• Review work group recommendations and identify actions that will be taken.
• Examine the feasibility of a graduation requirement. This will include gathering feedback from students, parents, teachers.
• Share the results of feasibility study and actions in response to the work group’s recommendations (January 2022).
MCPS
Discussion
MCPS
Approval for Pilot Courses
MCPS
• Pilot courses allow students to bring forward areas of interest.
• Pilot courses allow MCPS to constantly respond to student interest, current issues, and develop leadership among our students.
Recommendation:• Six new non-core high school pilot courses• Three continuing in the pilot process• Seven exiting the pilot process
Approval for Pilot CoursesMCPS
Course Name: Proposed by
Shakespeare, Race, and Gender Northwood High School
Principles of Agricultural Science—Natural Resources
and Ecology (NRE)
Northwood and Sherwood high schools
Positive Psychology Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walter Johnson, and
Thomas S. Wootton high schools
Asian/Pacific Islander/Desi/American Studies
(APIDA)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Montgomery Blair,
Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Richard
Montgomery, Watkins Mill High School,
and Walt Whitman high schools
Holocaust Studies Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Environmental Justice Walt Whitman High School
Pilot Courses Proposed for Pilot Development
Course Name: Proposed by
Analysis of Equity/Identity in STEM (formerly
titled Race, Gender and STEM)
Montgomery Blair High School
Introduction to Social Justice (Leadership, Equity,
Inclusion and Social Justice [LENS] Seminar)
Walt Whitman High School
Ethnic Studies Poolesville High School
LGBTQ+ Studies Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Montgomery Blair,
James Hubert Blake, Winston Churchill,
Albert Einstein, Northwest, Northwood,
Richard Montgomery, Paint Branch,
Seneca Valley, Watkins Mill, and Walt Whitman
high schools
Pilot Courses Courses Remaining in the Pilot Course Development Process
Pilot Courses Recommended Courses For Approval
Courses Offered Only at Authorized High Schools with Specialized Programs—The following courses
successfully completed the pilot process after previous Board of Education review and approval to pilot and
are proposed for final approval as restricted courses.
● Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources A/B (AGB2015A/B)—Sherwood
and Northwood high schools, Damascus High School (opt-in school)
● Fundamentals of App Development A/B (ITC2066A/B)—Walter Johnson High School
● Advanced App Development 2 A/B (ITC2067A/B)—Walter Johnson High School
● Jazz Lab Band A/B ( ART2150A/B)—James Hubert Blake and Albert Einstein high schools
Active Course Available to be Offered in All High Schools—The following courses successfully
completed the pilot process after earlier Board of Education review and approval and are proposed
for final approval as an active course.
● American History through Film (SOC2089)— All high schools
● Political Psychology and Behavior (SOC2088)— All high schools
Discussion/Action
MCPS