Instructional update: Allegany outlines CTE expansion, AP growth and new dual‑enrollment options for 2025–26
February 18, 2024 | Allegany County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland
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Doctor Caldwell presented the board with a programmatic overview of high‑school programs of study for the 2025–26 school year, emphasizing career and technical education, AP course expansion and broader dual‑enrollment opportunities.
Caldwell described the Career Center’s 14 program areas, internships and specialized pathways. She said the PTAC IT networking pathway—started in February 2017—lets students pursue a two‑year college credential in cybersecurity before graduating high school. She also described a manufacturing engineering technology program that can provide students up to 39 college credits while in high school and the AMP (Apprenticeship Maryland) program that includes paid work experience and about 450 hours of work‑based learning.
On agricultural education, Caldwell outlined a 9–12 sequence (Intro to Ag & Natural Resources; Animal Vet Science; Plant Science & Greenhouse Operations) and a new year‑long capstone course called Agricultural Science and Operations that functions as a senior capstone and supports FFA participation.
Caldwell said the district will adopt the Maryland AP Option to allow students to take up to five AP courses and pursue AP completer status. She provided lag data from Feb. 2024 showing 20 AP Scholars, nine AP Scholars with honors and 16 AP Scholars with distinction, and said the district has seen a multiyear upward trend in AP exam scores tied in part to a required in‑class final exam worth 10% of the course grade.
The district also plans to expand dual enrollment to grade 11 for eligible, high‑achieving students; Caldwell said students could take up to 12 credit hours per semester and potentially earn a two‑year degree by graduation if they pursue a heavy course load. Caldwell highlighted the Bobcat Academy pilot at Frostburg State University for 11th graders and said she will return next month with evaluation data from a college orientation pilot called Habits for Success.
Board members praised the breadth of offerings. Mister Green later summarized local advisory council updates tied to IRCs (industry‑recognized credentials), noting a strategic goal to have 45% of graduates complete an apprenticeship or IRC by the 2030–31 school year; he said current CTE enrollment is about 26% and the district will continue outreach and pilot programs to raise participation.
The presentation closed with scheduling reminders: counselors will visit grades 8–11 in late February, students will select courses online, and the district will run schedule builds in March to align staffing with demand.
Caldwell described the Career Center’s 14 program areas, internships and specialized pathways. She said the PTAC IT networking pathway—started in February 2017—lets students pursue a two‑year college credential in cybersecurity before graduating high school. She also described a manufacturing engineering technology program that can provide students up to 39 college credits while in high school and the AMP (Apprenticeship Maryland) program that includes paid work experience and about 450 hours of work‑based learning.
On agricultural education, Caldwell outlined a 9–12 sequence (Intro to Ag & Natural Resources; Animal Vet Science; Plant Science & Greenhouse Operations) and a new year‑long capstone course called Agricultural Science and Operations that functions as a senior capstone and supports FFA participation.
Caldwell said the district will adopt the Maryland AP Option to allow students to take up to five AP courses and pursue AP completer status. She provided lag data from Feb. 2024 showing 20 AP Scholars, nine AP Scholars with honors and 16 AP Scholars with distinction, and said the district has seen a multiyear upward trend in AP exam scores tied in part to a required in‑class final exam worth 10% of the course grade.
The district also plans to expand dual enrollment to grade 11 for eligible, high‑achieving students; Caldwell said students could take up to 12 credit hours per semester and potentially earn a two‑year degree by graduation if they pursue a heavy course load. Caldwell highlighted the Bobcat Academy pilot at Frostburg State University for 11th graders and said she will return next month with evaluation data from a college orientation pilot called Habits for Success.
Board members praised the breadth of offerings. Mister Green later summarized local advisory council updates tied to IRCs (industry‑recognized credentials), noting a strategic goal to have 45% of graduates complete an apprenticeship or IRC by the 2030–31 school year; he said current CTE enrollment is about 26% and the district will continue outreach and pilot programs to raise participation.
The presentation closed with scheduling reminders: counselors will visit grades 8–11 in late February, students will select courses online, and the district will run schedule builds in March to align staffing with demand.
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