Back in 1869, when the Orange County Public School district was first established, core lessons were centered around the “three Rs”: reading, writing and arithmetic. Today, OCPS students learn many more subjects, taking classes in a wide variety of curriculum from laser photonics to psychology, statistics to sculpture, aerospace engineering to the Arabic language.
As Superintendent Barbara Jenkins often tells members of the community, OCPS schools are preparing today’s students with the information and skills they will need for tomorrow’s jobs, many of which don’t even yet exist. Specialized curriculum and teachers with real-world experience can foster a student's talent or interest.
One of the biggest changes, of course, is the introduction of computers to classrooms. Starting in 2013, OCPS introduced LaunchED, the digital learning program. It is an immersive and interactive learning experience offered throughout the district. Digital learning combines technology, digital content and instruction to strengthen a student's learning experience. LaunchED provides students access to world-class digital tools and resources that allow them to be collaborative, connected, critical thinkers and innovative problem solvers.
And while many school districts across the county have been forced by budget cuts to forego arts classes, OCPS has been able to continue to invest in the arts thanks to voters who continue to fund the one mill tax and community partners that work hard to ensure access to the many arts opportunities across the county.
Between offerings of AP, IB and Cambridge courses, OCPS also has established 44 magnet programs, providing choices for families at every age level across the county.
Spotlight magnet programs for 2020-2021 include:
- Edgewater High’s Center for Future Educators: growing our own workforce with students interested in becoming teachers
- Maxey Elementary’s Visual and Performing Arts program: offering a new option for our youngest students interested in the arts
- Lakeview Middle’s The World Language Academy: promoting biliteracy for English speakers in Spanish or French
When it comes to the "three Rs", OCPS continues to excel. Language Arts classes focus on foundational skills, informational and literary text, writing, speaking and listening, and language. OCPS educators believe ALL children can learn mathematics, and rich, rigorous mathematics instruction is provided to all students. There’s another R very popular in our schools today: robotics! From classrooms to after school programs, OCPS student teams compete in regional, national and even international robotics forums.