About 57,000 students will descend on Howard County Public School System campuses Monday, ready to take on the 2026-2027 school year. There are a few changes to school procedures and operations for the year. Here’s what to expect:
Goodbye to midterm exams
In June, the Howard County Board of Education voted to remove midterm exams at middle and high schools, reflecting a shift away from cumulative testing as school districts raise growing concerns about tight calendars, student stress and mental health impacts. With the shift, two scheduled half days on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15 became full days for all students, while Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 are early dismissals for elementary students to hold parent-teacher conferences.
Technology policies
As of Monday, HCPSS high school students lost access to personal Google or Gmail accounts on their school-issued Chromebooks. The school system announced the change to prevent students from bypassing content filters on their devices. These restrictions were already in place for elementary and middle school students.
As districts increasingly implement policies restricting cellphone usage in the classroom, HCPSS’ policy remains the same. Students at all levels must keep cellphones silenced and away from the first bell of the school day to the last. Smartwatches can be worn only to check the time, and they must not be a distraction.
Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun’s website.
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