WJCC adds honors middle-school courses, AP Research, judicial review and two AP CTE courses for 2026-27

Jessica Walter and colleagues presented proposed revisions to the WJCC Program of Studies for 2026'27, stressing accessibility and alignment with the division's Elevate '28 strategic plan. "This resource is designed to support our students and their families as they consider which courses, programs, and options offer the best path toward achieving their goals," Walter said.

Key changes and additions:

- Middle-school honors expansion: WJCC proposes six new honors-level middle school courses (three in science, three in social studies) to provide greater depth and enrichment earlier in the curriculum.
- New AP and advanced offerings at high school: the district proposes adding AP Research (the second course in the AP Seminar series), Judicial Review (a new advanced social-studies course with a mock judicial-capstone component), and revisions to AP course titles to align with College Board wording.
- Career and technical education additions: WJCC adds AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity and updates CTE course descriptions to reflect dual-enrollment opportunities and new VDOE-aligned "high quality work-based learning" structures.

Presenters emphasized that new-course proposals have undergone interdisciplinary review for staffing, facilities and certification and that the course request window for students will open Jan. 14 and close Feb. 6. Board members asked about counseling supports to help families select appropriate pathways; presenters described curriculum fairs and counselor-student planning beginning in January.

Next steps: staff will finalize page numbers and prepare the Program of Studies document for adoption; counselors will run outreach and the course-request timeline in January.