Public Schools Extracurricular Activity Eligibility Requirements Change

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, there will be a change in the academic eligibility requirements for students participating in extracurricular activities in .

During the 2011 session of the Maryland State Legislature, House Bill 364 - Student Participation in High School Sports - Minimum Academic Requirements - Proposed Standards was enacted. This law requires the State Board of Education to recommend minimum academic eligibility standards for students participating in interscholastic athletics.

To facilitate that process, the Maryland State Department of Education established an advisory committee to review current local and other state practices and provide the State Board of Education with suggested standards to recommend to local school systems. The adopted recommendation stated that high school students participating in interscholastic athletics shall demonstrate a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or equivalent according to each local school system’s grading criteria. 

Carroll County’s academic standard for participation in extracurricular activities was below recommended standards. A committee consisting of administrators, coaches, teachers, advisors, parents, and students convened and recommended a new minimum academic standard of a weighted grade point average of 2.0, with no grade of F.

This standard will be implemented in the 2012-13 school year. Eligibility for the fall of 2012 will be determined by the old standard. The new standard will be applied beginning with the issuance of the first report card on Nov. 8, 2012.

Any high school student wishing to participate in extracurricular activities (sports, clubs, leadership positions) must meet minimum eligibility standards in three areas: academics, attendance, and conduct. 

All incoming ninth grade students are considered automatically eligible for the first marking period. After that time, their eligibility status is determined by their achievement and actions during their time in high school.

This information was taken from a Board of Education news release.