Secondary Education
Secondary Education includes the oversight in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating instructional programs for social studies, mathematics, science, English and reading in grades 6 through 12. In addition, the secondary education director is responsible for STEM programming and supports initiatives of secondary instructional supervisors and middle and high school building administrators.
Secondary Education includes the following departments below. For more information, contact the appropriate department supervisor.
Career & Technical Education
Our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs give students 21st-century skills to prepare them for the workplace and a smooth transition to college.
What Students Experience
Students in CTE courses work with current and emerging technologies, participate in work-based learning opportunities, and enjoy extended classroom experiences that bring each class to life. Local business and community partners work closely with our instructors to develop curriculum that prepares students for successful careers in their chosen fields.
After Graduation
Students who complete an occupational program can continue their training at two- or four-year colleges, enter an apprenticeship program, or go directly into the workforce.
Why CTE Matters
Today's employers want to hire entry-level employees who can hit the ground running — that's where career and technical education comes in. CTE combines academic and technical skills with the knowledge and training students need to succeed in today's job market. It doesn't replace traditional academics; it complements them by helping students develop practical skills they can use immediately. High-quality CTE programs connect high school and college courses in a logical sequence, align curriculum with industry standards, and provide hands-on, work-based learning experiences where students apply what they've learned.
Visit our Career and Technical Education page.
Contact
Joseph Brewer | Supervisor of Career & Technical Education and World Languages | [email protected]
English/Language Arts
The Supervisor of Secondary English, Reading, and Language Arts provides administrative and instructional leadership in the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of effective programs in reading, and English for grades six through twelve. In addition to regular English and reading curricula, the supervisor is also responsible for journalism, reading intervention, on-line remediation, and AP and dual enrollment programs.
This supervisor oversees the secondary school counselors and secondary gifted & talented programs.
MSDE Reading/Language Arts Standards
Contact
Dr. Sarah Welsh, | Supervisor of English/Language Arts | [email protected]
Fine Arts
The Fine Arts program provides students with performance experiences in music, visual art, theater, and dance. The study of fine arts develops the skills and concepts that establish the basis for creativity, self-expression, and performance. A variety of school, county, and state activities are open to students who participate. For more information, contact the Fine Arts office.
MSDE State Arts Standards & Regulations
Media Arts Standards
Music Standards
Theatre Standards
Visual Arts Standards
Contact
Jeff Avey | Supervisor of Fine Arts & Library Media | j[email protected]
Health & Physical Education
Allegany County Public Schools promotes and protects the inclusion of all students in Physical Education in grades Pre-K through Grade 8.
Course 711 – Physical Education is required for graduation. It introduces students to a basic program of physical fitness, team sports, and individual lifetime recreational activities, emphasizing physical skills, knowledge of movement and rules, and a positive self-image related to social and emotional behavior.
Course 481 – Comprehensive Health Education is a semester course required for graduation. It provides valid information about living a healthy lifestyle and helps students incorporate decision-making, refusal, and goal-setting skills across topics including Nutrition and Fitness; Personal and Consumer Health; Mental and Emotional Health; Disease Prevention; Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco; Family Life and Human Sexuality; and Safety and Injury Prevention. Students also receive instruction in the American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR program, including the use of an AED.
High school elective classes give students opportunities to develop individual and team skills for better health and fitness.
MSDE Standards-Based Physical Education
Physical Education for Students with Disabilities
The Fitness and Athletic Equity Act asks local school systems to promote and protect the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream physical education.
The Board of Education believes in offering physical education and athletic programs to all students, and it is Board policy that all students with disabilities have equivalent opportunities to participate in mainstream physical education and interscholastic athletic programs, with appropriate and reasonable accommodations provided.
All ACPS students are assigned to courses based on 100% full inclusion by grade level, not by clinical level, and are then provided support services where needed and as indicated on their IEP or 504 plan.
Adaptive Physical Education is an option for students who cannot meet grade-level outcomes because their needs require a different physical education program than their peers.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has released A Guide for Serving Students with Disabilities in Physical Education. This resource can be used to assist with decision making in regard to providing quality physical education opportunities to students with disabilities.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has released "A Guide for Serving Students with Disabilities in Physical Education" to assist with decision-making about quality physical education for students with disabilities.
Parents can find helpful links and resources related to Adaptive Physical Education and other topics related to disabilities and support services by logging on to: https://elevates.marylandpublicschools.org/
For more information about Adaptive Physical Education or the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream physical education, contact:
Tracey Leonard | Supervisor of Health, Physical Education, & Athletics | 301-759-2404
Dr. Wendy Main | Director of Special Education & Student Services | 301-759-2064
Hands-Only CPR
The Maryland graduation requirement states that, beginning with students entering grade 9 in the 2015–2016 school year, a student must complete instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that includes the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), as part of the health or physical education curriculum, to graduate from a public high school.
ACPS meets this requirement through a CPR in Schools program in which all students enrolled in 481 – Comprehensive Health learn Hands-Only CPR.
For more information about Hands-Only CPR or the health curriculum, contact Tracey Leonard or visit the American Heart Association website.
Contact
Tracey Leonard | Supervisor of Health, Physical Education, & Athletics | [email protected]
Mathematics (6–12)
In 2010, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and these standards were implemented in all Maryland public schools in the 2013-14 school year. The standards are consistent, high-quality academic goals that define the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level in order to graduate from high school fully prepared to enter college and the workforce. The Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards (MDCCRS) are the basis of the curriculum which establishes what students need to learn.
Through the development of grade level frameworks, educators across the state have identified and determined the essential skills and knowledge that students must know and be able to do to meet each standard. These frameworks help teachers create lesson plans, guide their instruction, and differentiate their teaching to the specific needs of their students.
Students will be assessed in mathematics using the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP). MCAP assessments are not traditional multiple-choice tests. The assessments test writing skills in each grade, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students will take MCAP assessments on computers, allowing the teachers to see results quickly and adjust classroom instruction to meet the needs of the students.
In mathematics, students will develop a foundation of mathematical skills and learning from kindergarten through 12th grade, giving them the building blocks to understand why and how math works in the real world. Students will still memorize math facts, but they will also be asked to show their understanding by explaining in writing how they solved math problems.
It is the goal for all students to be College and Career Ready (CCR) in mathematics by the end of grade 10. Maryland institutions of higher education have adopted mathematics pathways which align with certificate and degree programs. The ACPS secondary mathematics program is designed to prepare students to be successful with each of these pathways.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics — Family Guide for Helping School Students in Math
Contact
Dr. Stephen Thompson | Supervisor of Mathematics | [email protected]
Science (6–12)
The Allegany County Public School System science curriculum provides the organization and structure for what a student is to know and be able to do by the end of a course. The basis for each high school curriculum is identified for Earth/Space Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science. Maryland will begin the process of transitioning to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
System Beliefs about Science
- Science is for all students.
- All students must have the opportunity to attain high levels of scientific literacy. Scientific literacy means being able to use scientific knowledge and ways of thinking in daily life. Scientific literacy ensures the ability of our students to participate fully as informed citizens and decision-makers in a scientific and technological world.
- Learning science is an active process.
- Students learn science by describing objects and events and asking questions.
- Students learn science by acquiring knowledge and building explanations of natural phenomena.
- Students learn science by testing those explanations in many different ways, and communicating their ideas to others. This allows students to actively develop an understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills.
- The goal of science is for students to recognize that science is more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of investigating.
- Students have the opportunity to examine the impact science has and will continue to have on society.
Tree Farm
Tree-mendous Maryland, a program of the Maryland Forest Service, aims to help citizens restore tree cover on public land and community open space in Maryland. To date, they have assisted more than 3,000 towns and communities, parks, and schools planting trees and shrubs to help clean the water, clean the air, and keep Maryland towns and cities inviting, livable, and environmentally viable places to live.
Tree-mendous Maryland’s goal is to help Maryland residents have access to affordable trees to plant on their public lands, including at schools, in state and community parks, local open spaces, street trees,and more.
Find more information on this program at the Tree-Mendous Maryland Website.
Envirothon
- the affect individual actions have on environmental problems;
- the interactions and inter dependencies of our environment;
- current environmental issues;
- the agencies available to assist them in resource protection matters;
- the need to become environmentally aware, action-oriented adults.
James "Bo" Evans | Supervisor of Science | [email protected]
Social Studies
MSDE Social Studies Vision & Mission
Vision:
Social studies in Maryland will produce students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be empowered, informed, and socially responsible participants in our nation's democracy.
Mission:
The Maryland State Department of Education will build capacity for high-quality social studies teaching and learning at all grade levels by providing leadership, guidance, and support to local school systems.
State Standards and Frameworks
State standards are adopted by the State Board of Education in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and are reviewed at least every eight years under the Regulatory Review and Evaluation Act (State Government Article §§ 10-130–10-139, Annotated Code of Maryland). Standards define what students should know and be able to do in a core content area. Maryland's social studies standards were last reviewed in 2018 and approved by the State Board of Education in 2020 (COMAR 13A.04.08).
Maryland Social Studies Standards (MSSS)
Grades 6 & 7 Social Studies
Grade 8 U.S. History I
Grade 9 U.S. History II
Grade 10 American Government
Grade 11 World History
Teacher Resources
- National Archives Teacher Resources
- National Archives Analysis Worksheets
- National Geographic Classroom Resources
- Stanford History Education Group
- National Council for the Social Studies Teaching Resources
- Newsela Social Studies
- Maryland Historical Society Classroom Resources
World Language
Biliterate vs. Bilingual
While "biliterate" and "bilingual" are related, they are not the same. Bilingual students can speak two languages; biliterate students can read, write, and comprehend content in two languages. Biliterate students understand how to use cultural context, grammatical systems, vocabulary, and written symbols to communicate effectively. Biliterate students are often bilingual, but many bilingual students are not necessarily biliterate. Our world language programs strive to educate students to be both biliterate and bilingual, so they communicate effectively and are culturally responsive in a second language.
ACPS's vision is to help students recognize the value of their academic success and see the tangible benefits of being biliterate citizens.
Contact
Joseph Brewer | Supervisor of Career & Technical Education and World Languages | [email protected]
