Pre-Governor's School Program

Pre-Governor's School

The Pre-Governor's School is a preparatory program through which students will experience an accelerated mathematics and science course sequence.

Students will have an opportunity to develop technical writing capacity and meet several graduation requirements to prepare them for success should they attend The Governor's School at Innovation Park (GS@IP) in their 11th and 12th grade year.

In order for students to be prepared for college-level study at GS@IP, it is important that they have a strong, yet accelerated platform in the study of math and science. The instructional design of the Pre-Governor's School program integrates strands in biology, chemistry, and physics, with mathematics, concepts of engineering, and laboratory research.

Students participating in the Pre-Governor's School will maintain year end grades of B or better in their core subject areas (language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science). Students will be encouraged to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance (or AP Economics) graduation requirement in 11th grade. Students will also be required to undergo some authentic research in support of the GS@IP application process. Students who choose not to attend GS@IP during 11th and 12th grade will have opportunities to study advanced (college-level) course work with an emphasis in math, science, and engineering.

Key elements of the program include:

Students will be supported through the simultaneous study of two math courses in ninth grade, and functions/trigonometry (or higher mathematics course) by the end of 10th grade.
Students will study two science courses in 10th grade to allow for the completion of SOL Physics before 11th grade.
A dedicated school counselor will support Pre-Governor's School students to ensure appropriate course selection in preparation for the various academic pathways available at GS@IP, and work with students during their four years of study.
Students will take an eighth class during grades nine and 10 (HPE I and HPE II through Virtual Prince William, unless otherwise approved by the Pre-Governor's School Coordinator). This allows students to meet an additional graduation requirement before joining GS@IP.
Pre-Governor's School students will be strategically grouped to support the accelerated study of math and science in 9th and 10th grade.

Note: Applications for this program are open for rising 9th grade students.

Program Type

Transfer Program – Students participating in this program will transfer to the program location for all courses and activities. Express Bus Transportation is available to accepted students living outside the program location boundaries through Specialty Program Transportation.

Rising ninth grade students interested in the Pre-Governor's School program for school year 2024-25 may choose to apply to attend either program location. (Osbourn Park High School or Freedom High School.)

Key Things to Consider:

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, rising ninth grade students applying for the Pre-Governor's School program will attend at the program location zoned for their attendance area. This practice is consistent with all specialty programs.
Students accepted to begin in the 2024-25 school year will remain at their selected site for the duration of the program.
Students currently in the Pre-Governor's school program at Osbourn Park will remain at that location.
Specialty transportation will be provided to both locations.