Montgomery County Public Schools

Spanish-speaking representatives from area colleges and Wheaton High School staff members shared information with students and their families from throughout the Wheaton cluster Dec. 2 at a college information night for Latino parents and students. Graduates, teachers, administrators and college representatives were on hand to talk with parents and students about preparing for college and the application process.

Shirley Brandman was unanimously elected president and Patricia O’Neill was unanimously elected vice president of the Board of Education at its Dec. 9 meeting. Both new officers will serve for one year in those positions. Brandman is serving her first term on the Board and was previously vice president. O’Neill was first elected to the Board in 1998 and has served three times as Board president and three times previously as vice president.

The first annual literacy night at Barnsley Elementary School was a great success. More than 800 students and their families came out to hear stories read by staff and guest readers, make games to take home, and enjoy a pizza dinner and ongoing book raffle. The event focused on how families can support literacy by reading and playing games at home.

MCPS students set new records in 2008 for the number of Advanced Placement (AP) exams taken and the number of exams that earned a 3 or higher, a level generally accepted for college credit. These steady gains are across all student subgroups. Since 2003, there has been an increase of 53 percent in the number of AP exams taken, and the number of AP exams earning a 3 or higher has increased 43 percent.

Three MCPS high schools have been ranked among America’s 100 best high schools in the latest U.S. News & World Report. Walt Whitman was named 44th in the nation, Thomas S. Wootton was ranked 54th and Winston Churchill was ranked 57th. They were the only three schools in Maryland to receive gold medal rankings, which are based on academic and enrollment data from 21,069 public high schools.

The Board of Education's business meeting will be webcast live starting at 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 9. You need the free Windows MediaPlayer on your computer to view the meeting.

Students entering grade 9-12 next year can plan their 2009–10 course schedule online.  The Online High School Course Bulletin includes a description of all courses, a four-year planning worksheet, and a local course catalog for each high school. Students can search by course title, type, discipline and keywords.

Clerk of the Court Loretta Knight swears in Board of Education members Laura Berthiaume (District 2), Christopher Barclay (District 4) and Phil Kauffman (At-Large). The three members were selected by voters in the Nov. 4 general election. Barclay has served on the Board since December 2006, and Berthiaume and Kauffman are serving their first term. The Board will elect new officers at its Dec. 9 meeting.