Instructional Departments

In middle schools, a team of language arts, math, science, and social studies teachers is responsible for the educational progress of a group of students. This team of teachers plans the instructional day, coordinates activities, teaches interdisciplinary topics, and meets with parents. This approach promotes a sense of community among students and staff, and gives teachers more time to work individually with students.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has one scheduling model for middle schools. All students in sixth through eighth grade take core courses in:

	Language arts
	Math
	Social studies
	Science

They also take year-long physical education/health. Students receive 86 minutes each of language arts and mathematics instruction daily. Students receive 86 minutes of science and social studies instruction on alternate days. Students in eighth grade who take a foreign language (Spanish 1 or French 1) will take language arts and foreign language on an alternating daily schedule. Students may choose their encore classes from art, family and consumer sciences, foreign language, music, AVID, reading support, and technology education. Every middle school student must take at least one fine arts class (art, band, chorus, general music, or strings) every year.