Окружной школьный округ Монтгомери, Мэриленд: История и современность

Public school district in Maryland, US

Vice President:Lynne Harris
| governing agency = Maryland State Department of Education
| schools = 211 For the 2022–23 school year, the district had about 160,554 students taught by about 13,994 teachers, 86.4 percent of whom had a master's degree or equivalent. As of February 2024, the acting superintendent of schools is Matthew Bailey , the district’s chief operating officer. The board of education includes a student member, elected by all secondary students, who votes on all issues except punishment for individuals; in 2023–24, the student board member is Sami Saeed. In 2010, MCPS was awarded a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Only private schools existed in Montgomery County until 1860, when the public school district was established for white children. The outbreak of the Civil War the following year brought raids by both Union and Confederate forces on local schools, which ultimately closed from 1862 until 1864. In 1872, the Maryland General Assembly appropriated state money to open schools for children of color. The county established a segregated school system. In 1892, the county opened its first high school, Rockville High School, which graduated its first class of 12 seniors graduated in 1897. (In 1927, Rockville Colored High School would open, after which the older whites only school changed its name to Richard Montgomery High School.) A second high school, Gaithersburg High School, was established in 1904. In the 1900s, the school budget started to see the effects of suburbanization. In 1908, there were 6,483 students and a budget of $76,000. The school system saw more growth in 1912 after the United States Congress passed a "non resident" law that excluded Montgomery County school children from enrolling in Washington, D. C. schools, which were known for their higher quality. By 1921, the school budget had grown to more than $316,000. A woman was appointed to the board in 1920: Mrs. A. Dawson Trumble, who served a five year term that led to a steady succession of female members.

In the early 1950s, elementary students of color attended one of four elementary schoolsLinden, Ken Gar, Takoma Park, and River Roadall of which were considered substandard. Older students of color attended Lincoln Junior High School and George Washington Carver High School in Rockville. Montgomery County completed the integration of its schools in 1960–1961. MCPS saw enrollment numbers peak in 1972 when they reached 127,912. However, enrollment decreased over the next ten years, hitting a low of 91,030 in 1983. This prompted the closure of 60 schools. However, with more than 96,000 students and 13,000 staff members in 155 schools in 1986, the school system was still one of the 20 largest in the nation. The amendment received some media attention. Criticism of the amendment came from a variety of sources, including Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Congressman John Delaney. For the 2022–2023 school year, the district has 210 schools and an enrollment of 160,554 students. On February 2, 2024, Monifa McKnight, the first black woman to serve as superintendent of Montgomery County schools, resigned under pressure from the school board "amid questions about how the district handled sexual harassment, bullying and other allegations involving a former principal," as the Washington Post put it.

The MCPS student population has continued to grow over the years. The district saw a record enrollment of 160,564 students at the start of the 2022–2023 school year. MCPS serves a diverse student body, with 32.8% Hispanic, 25.8% White, 21.8% Black, 14.3% Asian, .1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 5.0% two or more races. Graduates from the class of 2018 earned $364 million in college scholarships, an increase of more than $14 million over the previous year. The class of 2017 outperformed their peers in the state of Maryland, and the nation as a whole, on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, based on AP Cohort Results released by the College Board. In 2017, more than 7,000 MCPS graduates (66%) took one or more AP exams. The percentage of students receiving a college ready score of 3 or higher on at least one exam rose to 52%, higher than the 31% of the public school graduates in Maryland and 23% of the national graduates. The total number of AP tests taken declined from 41,048 in 2019 to 31,750 in 2021. Passing scores increased from 71.5% in 2019 to 75.1% in 2020; however, they declined again in 2021 to 68.1%.

MCPS has established certain criteria for students to graduate high school. Students must achieve 22 credits to graduate, with each semester course worth 0.5 credits. The necessary credits include, among others, the following requirements for the class of 2025:
4 credits — English. 4 credits — Math: At least 1 Algebra and 1 Geometry. 3 credits — Science: At least 1 Life science (e. g., Biology) and 1 Physical science. 3 credits — Social studies: 1 credit each of Government, U. S. history, and World history. 1 credit — Technology: Students can choose among Computer Science, Engineering, or other technology related courses. Other credit requirements include: Physical Education, Health Education, Fine arts, and Electives. In addition to these credit requirements, other requirements for graduation include four years of enrollment, student service learning, and assessments. The district has emphasized preparing students for both college and career. In April 2018, the College Board and Project Lead the Way awarded more than 3,000 students in the U. S. for their accomplishments in the 2016–2017 school year. Compared to other school districts, MCPS had the most students who'd earned the AP + PLTW Student Achievements, followed by districts in Illinois and Texas, and its neighboring Howard County Public School System in Maryland. Wheaton High School, which focuses on project based learning, had the second most students with the achievement, behind Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Illinois. Every high school offers courses linked to a variety of careers. A program implemented at Magruder High School during the 2018–2019 school year allows students to get a head start on careers in aviation. In May 2018, students from Northwest High School were the first in the district to graduate with a two year degree in general engineering from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma. In May 2018, five Northwood High School students were the first MCPS students to complete the Middle College Program at their school, which allowed them to earn an associate degree from Montgomery College as well as a high school diploma. MCPS is one of the few school districts in the nation that offers comprehensive services at the elementary, middle, and high school levels for twice exceptional students. Twice exceptional students have a unique profile of significant strengths and weaknessesthey are gifted and talented and also meet the criteria for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan. Twice exceptional students access accelerated and enriched instruction with appropriate support and services at their local school, a magnet/choice program, or a special education discrete service. Language immersion programs are offered at several elementary and middle schools.

MCPS consists of 211 schools: 137 elementary schools, 40 middle schools, 27 high schools, 5 special schools, 1 early childhood learning center, and 1 alternative education program. The district has 39 National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that recognizes public and private schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The school system piloted an extended school year at two elementary schoolsArcola and Roscoe Nix elementary schoolsduring the 2018–2019 school year. The plan aims to help economically disadvantaged students, who lose the most ground during long summer breaks. As of 2022, the program is still in effect at these schools. The school began July 6 for the 2022–2023 school year, giving students an additional 30 days of school. The county says this extended schedule provides students interactive learning and social/emotional growth.

Name Location Principal Mascot NamesakeBethesda Chevy Chase High School Bethesda Shelton L. Mooney BaronsMontgomery Blair High SchoolFour Corners Renay C. Johnson BlazersPostmaster General Montgomery BlairJames Hubert Blake High SchoolColesville Shanay A. Snead BengalsMusician James Hubert BlakeWinston Churchill High School Potomac John W. Taylor BulldogsBritish Prime Minister Winston ChurchillClarksburg High School Clarksburg Edward K. Owusu CoyotesDamascus High School Damascus Kevin D. Yates HornetsThomas Edison High School of Technology (10 12)Wheaton Heather CariasInventor Thomas EdisonAlbert Einstein High School Kensington Mark Brown Titans scientist Albert EinsteinGaithersburg High School Gaithersburg Cary D. Dimmick TrojansWalter Johnson High School Bethesda Nicole Morgan (interim) Wildcats Baseball player Walter Perry JohnsonJohn F. Kennedy High SchoolGlenmont Joe L. Rubens Jr. CavaliersPresident John F. KennedyColonel Zadok A. Magruder High School Rockville Leroy C. Evans Colonels Colonel Zadok MagruderRichard Montgomery High School Rockville Alicia M. Deeny Rockets General Richard MontgomeryNorthwest High School Germantown Scott E. Smith JaguarsNorthwood High SchoolSilver Spring Jonathan L. GarrickGladiatorsPaint Branch High SchoolBurtonsville Afie A. Mirshah NayarPanthersPoolesville High SchoolPoolesville Mark A. CarothersFalconsQuince Orchard High School Gaithersburg Elizabeth L. Thomas CougarsRockville High School Rockville Rhoshanda M. Pyles RamsSeneca Valley High School Germantown Ricardo E. Hernandez EaglesSherwood High School Sandy Spring Timothy D. Britton WarriorsSpringbrook High SchoolWhite Oak Stephanie P. ValentineBlue DevilsWatkins Mill High School Gaithersburg Carol L. Goddard WolverinesWheaton High SchoolWheaton Joshua H. MunseyKnightsWalt Whitman High SchoolBethesda Robert W. DoddVikingsPoet Walt WhitmanThomas Sprigg Wootton High School Rockville Douglas E. Nelson Patriots Founder of Montgomery County, Thomas Sprigg Wootton