HAGERSTOWN, Md. — At a recent Board of Education work session, Washington County Public Schools officials reviewed student achievement, college and career readiness, and virtual learning plans. They highlighted record Advanced Placement results and additional career credentials but noted that state assessment scores have largely remained the same.
The session covered plans for the 2026-27 school year. Topics included updates to virtual instruction, elementary literacy, state assessment results, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, dual enrollment, career and technical education, and the move to a new state testing system.
Inclement weather virtual learning plan discontinued
Officials opened the meeting with a review of two virtual learning plans. Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Proulx told the board that WCPS will no longer use its inclement-weather virtual instruction plan for the 2026-27 school year. Officials said the district can no longer use the plan because fewer Chromebooks are available to elementary students. The plan had allowed the school system to use virtual instruction when schools closed due to severe weather.
The district will continue to maintain its broader virtual education plan, which is required by the Maryland State Department of Education in emergencies that prevent in-person instruction.
Officials cited a past situation at Williamsport High School as an example of when the emergency plan might be needed. The plan can be used for one school or several and is intended for longer closures, not brief disruptions. The plan took effect in May 2024 and must be updated and submitted to the state regularly. WCPS sent an updated version in June and is awaiting feedback from the state superintendent.
The board planned to approve the plan at the August 18 meeting, but administrators said the vote might be delayed if the state requests changes first. The plan covers student learning goals, staff work schedules, daily virtual class times, support for students with IEPs or Section 504 plans, meal options, public updates, and steps for returning to in-person classes.
Officials said the emergency virtual plan is designed for circumstances in which a school could be closed for more than 14 days.
They explained that the plan is intentionally broad, since each emergency might require a different response. For example, the Williamsport situation led to a plan tailored to that school.
Elementary literacy shows progress
Next, the board reviewed college and career-readiness data shared by the district’s academic leaders.
Officials started by sharing literacy results for kindergarten through second grade, measured by the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment. The assessment is given several times throughout the school year and becomes increasingly challenging as students progress.
By the end of the year, nearly 70 percent of kindergarten students were performing at or above benchmark. Approximately 65 percent of first-graders and 62 percent of second-graders reached the same level.
Administrators emphasized that students are expected to demonstrate continued growth throughout the school year, meaning a student who maintains the same numerical performance could still fall into a lower category if the expected benchmark rises.
State assessment scores remain largely stagnant
The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program results for grades three through eight showed only small improvements.
Officials said English language arts scores have mostly stayed the same, with the biggest gains seen in middle school. Grades four and five were noted as especially challenging.
Math scores have also stayed about the same for the past three years.
Administrators said students at Level 2 can often answer questions correctly but are not considered proficient because they may have trouble explaining their thinking. To reach Level 3, students must show a deeper understanding and explain their answers.
District leaders admitted that the lack of significant changes in scores remains a concern.
“We know that our data has remained stagnant,” officials told the board as they outlined plans for improvement.
The district plans to improve basic classroom teaching, increase instructional coaching, encourage teachers to plan together, and use data more effectively to identify learning gaps.
Administrators also want to strengthen the district’s support system and provide more targeted help based on each student’s needs.
Several Washington County schools rank among Maryland’s best
Even though districtwide results were mostly flat, officials pointed out several schools that ranked among the best in Maryland. Smithsburg Middle School was one of the most notable examples.
The school posted an eighth-grade English language arts proficiency rate of 80.8 percent, placing it 17th among approximately 339 schools statewide and within the top 5 percent.
Smithsburg Middle also posted a 51.2 percent proficiency rate in eighth-grade mathematics, which officials said ranked second in Maryland and was also within the state’s top 5 percent.
Administrators showed the gap between English and math scores to highlight that math is a challenge across the state.
Smithsburg Middle and Clear Spring Middle each posted Algebra I proficiency levels of at least 95 percent.
Northern Middle School also reached at least 95 percent proficiency in geometry, placing it among a small group of schools statewide to reach that level.
Board members also pointed to improvements at Springfield Middle School and E. Russell Hicks Middle School.
One board member said these two schools used to be seen as challenging places to work, but now some of their subjects rank in the state’s top 10.
These comments led to praise for the teachers, administrators, specialists, and support staff who helped achieve these results.
Maryland replacing MCAP with new MSTAR assessment
Students will soon see a big change in statewide testing.
The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program will eventually be replaced by the Maryland System of Testing Academic Readiness, known as MSTAR.
Officials said the new assessment will first be implemented in grades three through eight during the 2026-27 school year.
MSTAR is expected to have shorter tests, more accurate results, better accessibility, and improved online reports for teachers and families.
High school students will transition to the new system more gradually.
MCAP will remain in place for some high school students as existing cohorts move through the system, while incoming students transition to the new assessments.
Officials said the first MSTAR results might take longer to be released because standards need to be established during the first year.
The district might not see those results until September or October next year, or even later.
AP pass rate reaches 25-year high
Advanced Placement performance was one of the highlights of the presentation.
Officials said that while fewer students are taking AP courses, more students are taking multiple AP exams.
At the same time, dual-credit participation has expanded.
Administrators said this trend shows students are choosing the advanced academic path that aligns with their future plans, not that academic standards are dropping.
Students who want to go to private colleges or schools outside Maryland may choose AP courses, while those planning to attend a University System of Maryland school or community college may prefer dual-credit courses.
WCPS reported an overall AP pass rate of 68.8 percent, which officials said is the highest in 25 years.
The previous year’s rate was 68.7 percent.
Boonsboro, Clear Spring, North Hagerstown, and Smithsburg high schools also reached their highest AP pass rates according to district records.
Some AP subjects significantly exceeded state averages.
WCPS recorded a 90 percent pass rate in AP Precalculus compared with 79 percent statewide.
The district’s AP Research pass rate was 88 percent compared with 83 percent statewide.
AP English Literature posted a 78 percent district pass rate compared with 71 percent statewide.
Officials said most colleges give credit for AP scores of 4 or 5, but whether a 3 counts depends on the college and the student’s major.
International Baccalaureate students post strong results
Washington County also offers International Baccalaureate programs at Northern Middle School and North Hagerstown High School.
Northern Middle and North Hagerstown offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program for students in grades six to ten.
Students in grades 11 and 12 can take the diploma and career-related IB programs.
Unlike AP, where each exam score can earn college credit, IB diploma candidates need at least 24 points across six assessments.
Last year, 78 percent of IB diploma students also earned their WCPS Maryland diploma.
The district said all students in the career-related IB program earned their diploma.
Career-related IB students have different requirements, including passing an industry exam and certain IB assessments.
More than 2,200 students take dual-credit courses
Dual-credit courses are still a big part of the district’s college prep strategy.
In the 2025-26 school year, 2,237 students took at least one dual-credit course. This was 61 fewer students than the year before. However, students took over 200 more courses, bringing the total to 6,885.
Officials said dual-credit participation jumped in 2023-24 and has stayed about the same for the past two years.
The district said more students taking dual credit helps explain why fewer are enrolling in AP, since students are choosing the path that fits their college plans. Students continue to do well in these courses.
Whether students took dual-credit classes at a WCPS school or at Hagerstown Community College, more than 90 percent passed. The most popular dual-credit courses are English 101, psychology, sociology, English composition 102, and statistics. English 101 alone had about 300 more students than in the 2024-25 school year.
Administrators said these courses are popular because they often transfer to Maryland colleges and sometimes to schools in nearby states.
Postsecondary continuation reaches historic level
One of the most important numbers shared at the meeting was about what WCPS students do after graduation.
In the past, about 52 to nearly 60 percent of Washington County graduates have gone on to some kind of postsecondary education.
Administrators pointed out that postsecondary enrollment encompasses more than just attending a four-year university.
Students might attend Hagerstown Community College, enroll in certificate programs, work toward two-year degrees, or enroll in other career-focused programs.
The district tracks this data using clearinghouse information that follows students’ enrollment in Maryland. The Class of 2024 showed a big change.
Officials said 80 percent of the class went on to postsecondary education or training, a record high for the district.
This result put Washington County in second place in Maryland, according to the meeting data.
Administrators said this shows that more dual-credit, career and technical education, apprenticeships, and other programs are helping students continue their education after high school.
District leaders said the goal is not to make every student get a bachelor’s degree.
Instead, officials said most students need some education or career training after high school to earn a steady income.
Career and technical education continues expanding
Career and technical education was another big topic at the work session.
Officials said students can have successful careers with certificates, two-year degrees, apprenticeships, and industry credentials, without needing a four-year college degree.
WCPS career and technical programs follow industry standards and offer internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning.
Last year, culinary arts became one of the district’s top career and technical programs, replacing business management and marketing.
More students joined each of the district’s top five career pathway programs.
Officials also stressed that industry-recognized credentials are becoming more important.
Students earned 804 industry-recognized credentials in 2025-26, up from 702 the year before.
Students can earn credentials in areas like automotive, HVAC, information technology, and nursing.
These programs allow students to graduate with qualifications that help them get a job or continue their career training right away.
The district’s long-term goal is for 45 percent of students to finish an apprenticeship or earn an industry credential by 2030-31.
Administrators said students can also be “dual completers,” meeting both college-prep and career and technical education requirements.
College and career programs offered at no cost to students
Officials reminded the board that AP, IB, dual-credit classes, and approved industry credentials are free for WCPS students.
These opportunities are funded through Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future education law.
Industry-recognized credentials are not selected solely by the school system.
A workforce development board with community and business members helps pick credentials that employers value, while Maryland decides which ones get state approval.
Administrators said that expanding these opportunities since 2024 has led to more students taking dual-credit courses and earning industry credentials.
Board raises concerns about focusing too heavily on test scores
During the discussion, board members asked how the district can raise test scores without focusing too much on students just below the proficiency line.
One board member, a former teacher, remembered seeing schools focus on students close to proficiency, since raising their scores could quickly boost school performance.
The member asked how WCPS can avoid this while still supporting students who are further behind or need more challenging work.
Administrators said teachers should focus on each student’s needs, not just one statewide test.
They also said it’s important to consider many factors, such as state tests, advanced classes, college enrollment, and other academic indicators, to get a full picture of student achievement.
Board members also supported expanding technical education and apprenticeships, saying many students used to think a four-year college was the only way to a good career.
The work session ended with administrators and board members recognizing both the district’s successes and areas that still need work.
Even though state English and math scores remain a concern, officials highlighted record AP results, strong dual-credit success, more career credentials, top-performing schools and a record number of students continuing their education after graduation as signs that more students are leaving Washington County schools with good options for their futures.
