A new whole-school signature program integrating technology into all courses of study at Clarksburg High School and an International Baccalaureate program at Rockville High School will provide enhanced opportunities for students at two Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) high schools, starting next fall.

“The whole-school signature model and International Baccalaureate program are two important pathways to rigorous academics,” said Superintendent Jerry D. Weast. “MCPS continues to expand high-level opportunities such as these that will challenge our students and prepare them well for the future.”

The new Clarksburg High School will begin its first year with a new signature program, Project Management through Integrated Technology (PMIT). Rockville High School will implement an International Baccalaureate (IB) program during the 2006-2007 academic year.

The Clarksburg PMIT will be a whole-school signature program in which technology will be integrated into all courses. Every student, either individually or in small groups, will be expected to complete a capstone project during his or her senior year. The project will replicate aspects of the Gemstone Program at the University of Maryland, College Park--a groundbreaking program now in its 10th year that integrates technological and social issues into team research projects.

The IB program at Rockville High School will begin in August 2006. Admission will be limited to students who attend the school. The program will provide opportunities for enhanced rigor at Rockville.

Rockville will join four other high schools--Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Albert Einstein, Springbrook and Watkins Mill--in offering IB programs that serve their local areas. A countywide IB program at Richard Montgomery High School is open to highly gifted students through a competitive application process. In addition, middle school IB programs are available for students who are enrolled at Julius West and Westland middle schools, and College Gardens Elementary School is a candidate for a primary years IB program.