Special Programs Offered At Frederick High Schools

By MARGE NEAL

The Frederick News-Post

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- In each of Frederick County's 10 comprehensive public high schools, students are enrolled in traditional courses ranging from English and history to art and music.

But tucked away in each school is at least one specialized program in which students can enroll.

These programs, known as academies, allow students to begin concentrating on a particular area of study while still in high school.

Sometimes, academies lead a student to a particular major in college and ultimately jobs in the fields for which the seeds were planted in high school. And sometimes, these courses show students they are not as interested in a topic as they once thought.

Experimentation in high school saves time and money when it comes to college choices, many educators believe.

Brunswick High School is home to the Teaching Academy, open to students interested in education careers.

Last year, seven students who took part in the academy in 2005, the first year it was open, were hired to teach for the school system, according to academy director Joyce Lenzo.

The teaching academy started as a result of the school's successful Child Development program, which placed top students in mentoring and internship programs in Brunswick's feeder elementary schools, Lenzo said.

She estimated that 47 of her former students now teach for FCPS.

"We benefit from that program being good," Bonitatibus said.

A wide variety of student interests are met through the academy system. Students with an interest in the outdoors can enroll at Catoctin High's Environmental Academy. Those considering military careers are drawn to the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at Linganore High.

A pre-engineering program is offered at Oakdale and Tuscarora high schools, and a commercially branded pre-engineering program called Project Lead the Way is under way at Linganore and Walkersville high schools.

Urbana High School offers the International Baccalaureate program. The academically challenging course leads to a qualification widely recognized by the world's leading universities, according to the course description on the school system's website.

"Our IB goal is to increase the number of students who actually get the IB diploma," Bonitatibus said. "Students must take the prescribed course work and then take a series of tests. If they pass, they get the IB diploma."

Oakdale High, the county's newest, is the home of the Leadership Academy. The program's goal is to empower tomorrow's leaders today, according to its course description.

The Academy of Finance at the Career and Technology Center immerses students in the world of financial studies, according to Principal Greg Solberg.

Students spend half their school day for two years studying core components of finance, such as banking and credit, international finance, securities operations and financial planning, Solberg said.

"As a two-year cadre with one instructor, it is much easier for students to get the big picture in terms of how interrelated the various components are," Solberg said.

Students who complete the program with a grade of B or better can receive up to 15 college credits for their work from colleges including Frederick Community College and Mount St. Mary's University.

That saves a significant amount of tuition, and saves the student a semester of time, Solberg said.The academy system is just one component of a high school education that leads to well-prepared, well-rounded students, Bonitatibus said.

On the high school menu are service learning opportunities, work-study programs, internships and honors and advanced placement courses. Students can dual enroll in college while still in high school, and they have wide choices in sports and extracurricular activities.

"High school is such a wonderful time to test all of these areas -- academics, talents, interests, hobbies -- these are gold mines for our students," Bonitatibus said. "And we know that when kids are connected to their school and community, they're more apt to be successful."

Information from: The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, http://www.fredericknewspost.com

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