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Fiscal Year 2020 → Question 1
ANSWER:
Middle College and Early College Program Overview and Criteria
MCPS and Montgomery College (MC) have partnered to provide Dual Enrollment opportunities to college ready students from all MCPS high schools. These opportunities include Middle and Early College program options. Middle College programs are housed on the high school campus at the following locations: Clarksburg (PTECH), Northwest, and Northwood high schools. Early College programs are housed exclusively on the MC Campus. Both Middle and Early College programs provide participating students the opportunity of earning their Maryland State High School Diploma while simultaneously earning credits towards an Associate Degree in a specific content area from MC. However, the structure and eligibility criteria for each vary slightly.
Middle College
Students in the Middle College program earn college credit through a combination of options including the College Board Advanced Placement test scores, College-Level Examination Program examinations, and/or MC courses for which they qualify and successfully complete. Students are supported through a progressive transition from a traditional high school experience to a college-like experience on the high school campus, and finally to full college coursework and experience on the college campus.
Student interest is the main criteria for all Middle College programs. Previously, access has been open to all rising Grade 9 students whose home high school is either Clarksburg, Northwest, or Northwood based on the specific program location. Clarksburg’s PTECH program was open to students from surrounding schools in the fall of 2017. In the fall of 2018, the Middle College programs at Northwest and Northwood high schools expanded access to students whose home schools are within their respective regions. As a result, limited seats are made available for each program to interested rising Grade 9 students from schools as noted below:
If there is more interest than seats for either program, a lottery is conducted.
Early College
Early College programs are open to rising Grade 11 students throughout the school district. Students are enrolled full time at MC and take all college courses on the MC campus during Grades 11 and 12. Students are supported by dedicated Early College program staff and have access to all MC services and academic supports. Students remain connected to their home school counselor, and may participate in all home high school extracurricular activities.
To participate in the Early College program, students must (at least) meet the following criteria:
Additional MC requirements related to college readiness specific to course and/or degree programs must also be met before final acceptance into the Early College program. If there are more qualified students than available seats, a lottery is conducted.
Communication to Community about Middle College and Early College Programs
Community members are informed about each program through a variety of mechanisms. Parents and students are specifically targeted and information shared throughout the year regarding Middle College program and Early College program opportunity and access. Information is shared via:
Middle College and Early College Program Demographic and Associated Home Schools
Currently there are a total of 326 students participating in the Middle and Early College programs. Enrollment data and students demographics associated with the programs are listed in Table 1. Data regarding original high school home schools are noted in Table 2.
Table 1 — Student Demographic Data of Current Middle College and Early College Programs as of 12-17-18
Programs
Current Degree options
9
10
11
12
Total Enroll-ments
FARMS
Non-FARMS
Females
Males
Asian
Black/African American
Hispanic
Two or More Races
White
PTECH at Clarksburg
AAS, Network and Information Technologies
61
(100%)
n/a
16
(26%)
45
(74%)
20
(33%)
41
(67%)
14
(23%)
4
(7%)
7
(11%)
Middle College at Northwest
AA, Engineering
18
(30%)
(15%)
(16%)
51
(84%)
19
(31%)
42
(69%)
21
(34%)
15
(25%)
6
(10%)
3
(5%)
Middle College at Northwood
AA, General Studies
(STEM, HACL, SSHA, INTG)*
83
(52%)
43
(27%)
(13%)
13
(8%)
160
50
110
106
(66%)
54
(12%)
40
(32%)
5
(3%)
(28%)
Early College on MC Rockville Campus
AS, Mathematics track program
AAT, Secondary Math
44
(20%)
35
(80%)
(36%)
28
(64%)
8
(18%)
17
(39%)
Totals
(% of total enrollment)
5 Degree Options
164
(50%)
(19%)
79
(24%)
22
326
85
241
161
(49%)
165
(51%)
64
86
76
*General Studies core options:
Table 2 — Home School of Students Currently Enrolled in Middle and Early College Programs
2018–2019
#
Home High School by Program
Total
1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
2
Montgomery Blair High School
James Hubert Blake High School
Winston Churchill High School
Clarksburg High School
47
Damascus High School
Albert Einstein High School
0
Gaithersburg High School
Walter Johnson High School
John F. Kennedy High School
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Richard Montgomery High School
Northwest High School
62
Northwood High School
Paint Branch High School
Poolesville High School
Quince Orchard High School
Rockville High School
Seneca Valley High School
Sherwood High School
Springbrook High School
Watkins Mill High School
23
Wheaton High School
24
Walt Whitman High School
25
Thomas S. Wootton High School
TOTAL