TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Public Schools announced Thursday a new pilot program to reintroduce formal cursive writing instruction in 24 elementary schools. The program is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 3, the start of the second academic quarter.
The pilot will run through the end of the 2025-2026 school year and will involve students in grades 2-4. Individual schools may choose to focus on a specific grade or two. Educators will receive training on how to teach the program in October.
Jennifer Craft, executive director for Literacy and Humanities in the BCPS Division of Curriculum and Instruction, stated the pilot aims to “renew the emphasis on cursive writing in our classrooms and explore its benefits more intentionally.”
According to Craft, cursive writing has always been part of the BCPS curriculum but has not been a major focus. She said the pilot seeks to reinforce literacy skills, improve writing fluency and academic confidence, and enhance note-taking, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
The program will focus on foundational skills, including proper pencil grip and fluid motion, ensuring letters begin on a baseline and are connected, and using connecting strokes to reinforce spelling and word-sequence awareness.
Schools participating in the pilot include Arbutus, Chadwick, Chapel Hill, Charlesmont, Chatsworth, Dundalk, Halethorpe, Hawthorne, Hebbville, Hernwood, Hillcrest, Middleborough, Middlesex, New Town, Pinewood, Pleasant Plains, Pot Spring, Randallstown, Scotts Branch, Seventh District, Villa Cresta, Vincent Farm, Watershed Public Charter, and Woodholme elementary schools.
BCPS will collect data on the program’s impact on student achievement and teacher implementation in the spring. Decisions about the pilot’s future will be based on the findings from this year’s program.
The announcement comes as national and local interest in reviving cursive writing instruction grows. Many states dropped formal instruction after it was not included in the 2010 Common Core State Standards. However, about half of U.S. states now require cursive instruction in their public school curriculums.
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