Anne Arundel County School system will begin paying for student assessment costs

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY — Anne Arundel County Schools announced it will begin to pay a large portion of exam, assessment and certification costs for high school students this spring.

This announcement comes shortly after the announcing that students who enter the dual enrollment program are no longer charged tuition and fees.

RELATED: Anne Arundel County students in dual enrollment program no longer charged tuition and fees

“This is a means to support the implementation of College and Career Ready pathways as outlined in the Blueprint, and it will vastly increase opportunities for and encourage students to explore additional avenues that best align with their high school plans,” Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell said.

With the new plan in place, AACPS will pay for:

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) ASSESSMENTS

• the full cost of up to 2 AP assessments for ninth- and 10^th-grade students, who are not eligible to meet College and Career Ready (CCR) criteria as outlined in the Blueprint.
• The full cost of up to 2 AP assessments for 11^th– and 12^th-grade students who have not yet met CCR criteria.
• the full cost of all AP assessments for 11^th– and 12^th-grade students who have met CCR criteria.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) DIPLOMA PROGRAMME ASSESSMENTS

• 50 percent of the cost of International Baccalaureate (IB) assessments for all 11^th– and 12th grade students in the IB Diploma Programme, IB Diploma Course Programme, or IB Career-related Programme who have not met CCR criteria (9^th– and 10^th-grade students do not take IB Diploma Programme assessments).
• The full cost of all IB assessments for 11^th– and 12^th-grade students in the IB Diploma Programme, IB Diploma Course Programme, or IB Career-related Programme who have met CCR criteria.

CTE CERTIFICATION ASSESSMENTS

• 50 percent of certification assessment costs for 10^th-grade students who are not yet eligible to meet CCR criteria.
• 50 percent of certification assessment costs for 11^th– and 12^th-grade students who have not yet met CCR criteria.
• The full cost of all certification assessments 11^th– and 12^th-grade students who have met CCR criteria.

Families who have already paid for all or part of assessment costs and who meet any of the criteria will be provided a refund of those costs.