Page 41 - Garrett County 2021-2022 Visitors Guide

School, students learn to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time- bound (SMART) financial goals, along
with important basics about investing and identity theft.
Work readiness is an important focus
for GCPS. In January 2020, GCPS, the
Garrett County Department of Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of VirtualJobShadow. com, a new online platform for students and teachers at both the county’s high schools. The site provides access to hundreds of day-in-the-life videos that show people performing different jobs, giving students valuable insight into potential career options. In addition, students can access a resume builder, goal-setting tools and listings of area jobs, internships and apprenticeships. The platform also contains lesson builders and sample lesson plans for teachers.
Another career program established in partnership with the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the Work Ethic Diploma Program, which began in the 2018-19 school year and has graduated a total of 75 students.
Students participating in the program must earn points in a number of categories prized by employers: discipline, attendance, work experience, community service, overall grade point average, teamwork and more. Students who earn a Work Ethic Diploma are guaranteed job interviews and higher wages at the 36 participating employers. For more information, go to visitdeepcreek.com/ pages/workethicdiploma.
Another important component of GCPS’ work-readiness focus is the career and technical education (CTE) elective curriculum. It is intended to prepare students for jobs
in Garrett County and in burgeoning career fields everywhere. The district’s CTE programs are integrated into the comprehensive high school program and available to all students who choose them through the same process as other electives. Garrett County graduates may choose to complete a CTE curriculum in one of these interest areas:
• Agricultural Production
• Allied Health
• Automotive Mechanic
• Biomedical Sciences
• Business, Management & Finance
• Carpentry
• Computer Science
• Food Production & Service
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Pre-Engineering
The school system is working on offering additional focus areas in future school years,
Source: Maryland State Department of Education 2019 Maryland Report Cards with Star Ratings and Garrett County Public Schools
Public Schools at a Glance (Table 1)
Garrett County
MD
Student Enrollment (2019)
3,842
896,837
Cost/Pupil (2019):
$15,180
$15,848
Attendance Rate (All Grades) (2019):
93.8%
93.5%
Drop-out Rate (Grades 9-12) (2019):
3.04%
8.42%
4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate (2019):
92.4%
86.9%
Percent of high school graduates enrolled in college within 16 months of graduation (2019)
66.7%
69.0%
Maryland Accountability Scores (2019):
Five-star Schools (highest score)
0
189
Four-star Schools
10
535
Three-star Schools
2
435
Two-star Schools
0
135
One-star Schools
0
24
SAT Mean Scores (Class of 2019):
Average Composite
1,088
1,049
Total Test Takers
112
41,660
ACT Mean Scores (Class of 2019):
COMPOSITE
23
22
Total Test Takers
19
13,422
AP Scores (2019):
COMPOSITE (% scoring 3,4,or 5)
56.3
66.7
Total Test Takers
188
57,866
including a biomedical pathway.
Garrett’s high schools also have many competitive athletic teams, including in wrestling and basketball. Northern Garrett High School’s girls’ cross country team won the 1A Maryland State Championship in November 2019, with five girls finishing in the top 20. The Southern Garrett High School wrestling team won its third consecutive duals state championship in 2020.
Higher Education
Many of Garrett County’s high school graduates choose to continue their education at Garrett College (garrettcollege.edu).
It’s a decision that pays off: through the Garrett County Scholarship, every high school graduate in the county is eligible for a full- tuition scholarship to pursue any full-time
academic degree or certificate program at Garrett College. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 to retain the scholarship.
The college also serves as a resource to adults who wish to take non-credit courses
to boost their professional skills or explore new interests. To ensure even those without a scholarship would find attendance affordable, Garrett College reduced its tuition rate by 9% for the 2020-21 academic year.
Garrett College’s main campus is located in McHenry, with outreach centers in Accident, Oakland and Grantsville. Through both its credit and non-credit programs, the college serves more than 5,000 students each year. The instructor-to-student ratio is 13:1.
Through a dual-enrollment program, GCPS students can take classes that offer both high school and college credit. The courses can
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