Down-County Consortium receives $2 million in federal aid

The Down-County Consortium (DCC), a collection of the five poorest school clusters, including Blair, in Montgomery County, will receive almost $2 million from the United States Department of Education, giving a boost to the alternative-education project that will take effect in DCC schools in two years, according to an announcement by Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD).

The grant, which will provide $1.95 million over three years to the DCC, will be used for the creation of "academies," or "smaller learning communities," (SLC) according to Montgomery County Council Education Committee Chairman Michael Subin.

According to Subin, the DCC, which is composed of Blair, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and Wheaton high schools, is an attempt to boost student performance in the poorest areas of the county by offering an alternative, smaller learning environment. The DCC will also include the old Northwood High School, which is set to re-open in time for the DCC's first year.

Incoming freshmen who reside in the school districts encompassed by the DCC will be able to choose the high school they wish to attend based on academic and career themes. Each high school in the DCC will comprise several career-oriented SLCs. Each SLC will have about 400-600 students, and focus on a certain subject area and its applications. All incoming freshmen will select the academy they wish to attend when they choose their high school.

At Blair, the Math/Science/Computer Science Magnet Program, which draws students from the entire county, will be joined by a Math, Science and Technology Academy. The CAP, already a local program, will be complemented by a Media Literacy Academy. An Entrepreneurship Academy, an Academy of Human Services Professions and an International Studies Academy will also be housed at Blair.

Unlike the CAP and the Magnet, the academies will not require applications and will not have selective admissions processes. All academies will take any students who reside in the consortium districts. Students who reside outside the consortium districts are ineligible to join the academies, although they can still apply to the Magnet. Blair cluster students will still be eligible to apply to the CAP.

At Einstein, an International Baccalaureate program will be created, as will an Academy of Finance and an Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

Kennedy, which already has a Leadership Training Institute, will gain a Multimedia Academy, an Academy of Biology and Geoscience and a Sports Medicine Academy.

Wheaton's Edison Center will be transformed into the Wheaton Acadmies of Technology, which will include an Academy of Information Technology, an Engineering Academy and an Academy of Biotechnology and Medical Careers.

Northwood High School will include the Northwood Academies of Humanities and Community Studies. Themes in these academies include Environmental Studies, Government and Public Advocacy, Community Arts and Design, and Technology and Society.

Although the Consortium is not set to take effect until the 2004-2005 school year, an optional pilot ninth-grade program will be offered at Blair this coming school year. The program will include a class called "Connections" that is designed to ease the transition between middle and high school for the freshmen.