LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The St. Mary’s County Board of Education approved revisions to the High School Program of Studies for the 2025-2026 school year during its meeting on Feb. 5, 2025. The changes include new courses, course deletions, and curriculum updates to align with the Maryland Blueprint for Education.
Lisa Bachner, chief academic officer, presented the proposed revisions, which include new course offerings, name changes, updates, deletions, and prerequisite modifications to support college and career readiness (CCR).
“This is the second reading of the High School Program of Studies,” Bachner said. “I presented the first reading on Jan. 9, followed by a public hearing on Jan. 22. There was no public input at the meeting or submitted in writing, and now I am here today to present the final revisions for approval.”
Key Changes
New Courses
- 3D Animation and Video Game Design – Bridges the gap between drafting and graphic communications.
- 9th Grade Literacy Lab – Supports students transitioning from middle school to high school English.
- College and Career Readiness English Recovery and Seminar – Helps students recover credit for freshman English.
Course Name Changes
- American Literature B → English 11 – Renamed to “English 11: Transition to College and Career Readiness.”
Course Updates
- Mythology – Now available to both 11th and 12th graders.
- American Literature – Split into two courses:
- American Literature I: 1750-1890
- American Literature II: 1890-present
- British and World Literature – Split into two courses:
- British and World Literature I: 750-1625
- British and World Literature II: 1625-present
- AP U.S. History – Now open to 10th-12th graders instead of just seniors.
- CCR Seminar – Adjusted to allow flexible scheduling for students needing support.
- Digital Audio and Podcasting – Now open to 9th graders.
Course Deletions
- English 9/90 – No longer offered; replaced by Freshman Academy.
- Guitar 2 – Merged with Guitar 1 for repeated credit.
Course Description Revisions
- Photography 1 – Updates language to remove outdated terminology.
- Digital Art 1 & 2 – Revised to align with industry standards.
- Air Force JROTC – Updated to reflect program changes.
New Repeated Credit Options
- Wellness Walking
During the discussion, Board Member Josh R. Guy raised a question about the new 3D Animation and Video Game Design course.
“I had someone reach out to me regarding the 3D Animation and Video Game class,” Guy said. “I thought it was a great idea because one of the largest game companies is actually based in Bethesda, Maryland. There’s demand for it, but they were concerned that students would have a lot of access to gaming consoles in class. Is that going to be the case?”
Bachner clarified the intent of the course, saying, “No, it’s more of a coding class.”
Career and technical education (CTE) courses such as 3D Animation and Video Game Design and Digital Audio and Podcasting will first be introduced at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center before expanding to comprehensive high schools.
See updated course details here.
See the full PDF presentation here.
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