Special Instructional Programs 

America's Choice - Community of learning 

America’s Choice is a comprehensive school reform design aimed at creating coherent, standards-based instructional systems to boost student achievement.  In the 2010-11, 1 middle school and 10 elementary schools implemented the intensive design, which includes a workshop model in literacy and math, as well as science in middle schools, school-wide literacy activities such as Principal’s Book of the Month and 25 Book Campaign, and intervention programs to support students needing extra support in literacy and thematics.

America’s Choice stresses a strong leadership team, professional learning communities, parent and community involvement, instructional systems aligned to clear standards, and analysis of student work as a continual basis for improving and adjusting instruction. On the 2010 MSA, three America’s Choice schools made double-digit gains in mathematics. Taken over two years, some schools have made as much as a 25 point gain in mathematics and a 20 point gain in reading. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT - AP 

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers students the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses while they are still in high school. Students must take and pass a course exam in order to receive college credit. Many of the AP courses offered by The College Board are available to students in PGCPS. Students who take AP courses in high school perform better in college and are more likely to earn a college degree. PGCPS has an open-door policy for AP courses and encourages all students to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in academically challenging courses.

AP course enrollment increased by 25% as schools used data from PSAT, AP Potential™, and the AP Bridge Academy to encourage more students to participate in AP courses. The number of students taking the exams has also increased. The 2009 AP exams were provided at no cost to students enrolled in the courses. The following eight AP courses (Biology, English Language, English Literature, Human Geography, Government and Politics: United States, Psychology, Statistics, and World History) are offered in each high school in addition to other AP courses selected by individual schools. Teachers continued to participate in the Advanced Placement professional development opportunities while the College Board mentors provided guidance in course instruction and exam preparation.

AVID - (Advancement via individual determination determination )

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an in-school academic support program designed for students in grade 4-12.  Its mission is to prepare students with average success in school for four-year college eligibility.  The core component of the program is the AVID elective course where students receive guidance, academic training and tutorial support as they strive to achieve in the most rigorous classes.

AVID is currently implemented in 17 middle schools and 6 high schools in PGCPS.  In 2009, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Grant, supported implementation in four of the middle schools, and this funding is designed to follow the students into high school.

Montessori

Montessori schools provide an interdisciplinary, discovery-based approach to learning, presented sequentially over the years a child spends in the program.Children are placed in multi-age classrooms. Three to six-year-olds are guided in developing coordination, concentration, a sense of order, and independence. Six to nine-year-olds and nine to twelve-year-olds learn through interdisciplinary, hands-on learning activities. Middle school students are offered experiences designed to help them delve into the interconnections of ideas and events.  In meeting the PGCPS Master Plan goal of 100% proficiency on MSA by 2017, the Montessori schools have consistently made AYP, and scored in the top quarter of all PGCPS schools on MSA reading for SY2010. 

SAT  www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html

Created by The College Board, the SAT is the benchmark standardized assessment of the critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills students have developed over time and that are necessary for success in college.  In each area students may receive a maximum score of 800 points, with the total possible score being 2,400 points. Mean scores for PGCPS and the state of Maryland are located in the data charts. The official administration of the SAT takes approximately 4 hours. PGCPS provided the following options to help students prepare to be successful on the SAT: 

• Each high school offered an SAT preparation elective course for students enrolled in grades 11 and 12.

• All high school students were able to access The Official SAT Online Preparation Course through the College Board’s Web site.  Students received access codes from their guidance counselors or SAT coordinators.

• An online SAT preparation program was available through the PGCPS Web site. To access the Triumph College Admissions (TCA) program, go to www.pgcps.org, click on “Students” at the top of the page. On the “Students” page, go to “Student’s Resources” and click on the “SAT Prep” link. On the “SAT Prep” page, locate the student’s school and use the student’s school logon information to access the TCA prep program.