HAGERSTOWN, Md. –– More than 1,400 Washington County Public Schools students joined summer learning programs in 2026, and the programs delivered clear results. Elementary students improved their math skills, and 22 high school students finished the credits needed to graduate.
Daniel Fowler, supervisor of school management at WCPS, presented the summer program results to the Washington County Board of Education. He connected the report to enrollment, attendance, academic performance, credit completion, transportation and program costs, linking these results to the district’s broader summer learning effort.
The summer program provided academic support for elementary students, original-credit and credit-recovery courses for high schoolers and transition programs for students entering high school.
Fowler thanked teachers, administrators, transportation staff, food and nutrition staff, IT staff, health services staff and everyone else in the district who made the programs possible.
Elementary summer program served 704 students
The WCPS elementary summer program ran from July 6 to July 30. At 13 locations, 14 elementary schools participated in the program.
Students received breakfast and lunch, and transportation services helped them get to and from the programs. The elementary school program was financed entirely through Title I funds and concentration-of-poverty grants, rather than the district’s general fund.
The program targeted children from kindergarten through fifth grade who needed extra academic support in English language arts and mathematics. Each day, the students had 70 minutes of English language arts and 70 minutes of mathematics. WCPS usually groups students by grade level. However, when there were too many students to keep the 12-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, students were grouped based on specific learning gaps.
A total of 704 students took part in the elementary program. Average attendance was 79.58 percent, and the WCPS elementary program spent about $226,696 on grants.
Assessments show mathematics growth
Pre- and post-assessment results presented to the board showed that most elementary students improved their mathematics skills. These results helped illustrate how the elementary program supported student progress during the summer and tied the assessment data to the program’s impact.
Scores went up for students in grades three to five. About 70 percent saw an increase, with an average rise of 19.04 percent. In grades kindergarten through fifth grade, about 68.74 percent of students saw their scores rise, with average progress of about 17.07 percent.
The district planned to use fall assessments to learn more about students’ academic progress after the summer program, including reading performance. The DIBELS assessment period in the fall will run from Sept. 14 to Oct. 5, and CAPY testing is scheduled from Sept. 14 to Oct. 23, extending the picture of student progress.
These results were also expected to provide more information about students’ reading performance.
Board questions student grouping
Board members asked if WCPS could determine whether students perform better when grouped by grade level or by their specific academic needs.
Fowler explained that it would be hard to answer because students began the summer program at different achievement levels. A student who starts far below grade level might make a lot of progress but still have a lower overall score than a student who began closer to grade level.
Fowler said it is important to consider both regular attendance and lesson participation when measuring students’ progress. He also noted that math results improved slightly compared to the previous year, while the district was still waiting for more reading data from the fall assessments, which will add to the picture of summer progress.
High school students recover and earn credits
The WCPS summer program for high school students was held at South Hagerstown High School. The district provided $250,000 from its general fund for the high school credit program. Students could recover credits for courses they previously failed or take certain courses to earn original credit.
WCPS provided five original-credit courses and 16 repeat-credit courses, making a total of 33 sections.
Students in original-credit courses could participate in a full instructional day. Students in credit recovery could earn two credits by taking one course in the morning and another in the afternoon. Edmentum also offered a self-paced option.
Freshman transition program offered at three schools
WCPS also offered a freshman transition program at the high schools in North Hagerstown, South Hagerstown and Williamsport. The program’s main goal was to give ninth-graders extra preparation before starting high school. Students could get familiar with the school, meet staff, and learn about academic and behavioral expectations before ninth grade began. They could also earn a credit in advanced study skills. WCPS allocated $50,000 from its general fund for the freshman transition program.
WCPS budgeted $300,000 for the two programs, including $250,000 for the high school credit program. Total combined expenditures amounted to about $297,000, as shown in the figures presented during the meeting, linking the budget to the program results.
22 students completed graduation requirements
About 631 students took part in WCPS high school summer programs. The average attendance was roughly 72 percent. Students tried 394 original credits and completed 347, for a completion rate of about 88 percent. Another 341 repeat credits were attempted, and 282 were completed, for about 83 percent. For some students, these credits were especially important.
Twenty-two students accumulated enough credits by taking summer courses to meet the remaining requirements for graduation. WCPS held a graduation ceremony to recognize the students and their achievements, linking the credit programs to a concrete outcome.
Transportation costs draw board questions
Transportation was also a major part of the summer program. Grants financed basic transportation, while the district’s general fund paid for transportation linked to its high school summer programs and Extended School Year services.
Extended School Year services offer continued educational programming to students found to have disabilities under their individualized education programs. The officials told the board that transportation expenses from the general fund exceeded the amount originally budgeted for transportation, about $127,000.
Fowler suggested that one possible reason is that more students became eligible for Extended School Year transportation. He emphasized that this was only an assumption and had not been confirmed as the reason transportation costs were higher than expected. WCPS plans to consider transportation costs when organizing future summer programs, connecting this issue to future planning.
Summer learning provides multiple paths for students
The presentation showed the different ways summer programs help students at each grade level. For elementary students, the focus was on strengthening their basic English language arts and math skills before the new school year.
For high school students, summer programs offered chances to recover failed credits, earn original credits, prepare for ninth grade, and, for 22 students, finish the requirements needed to graduate. These options connected the high school programs to the broader summer learning effort and to student outcomes already reported.
The district will keep evaluating student performance as fall assessment results come in. At the same time, the summer programs continue to show multiple paths to student success, connecting earlier results to ongoing review.
