Each student at Twain Middle School will take seven classes each semester plus a Learning Seminar Advisory period.  Five of the seven periods are filled with courses that are required for all students: English, math, social studies, science, and physical education. The remaining two periods are filled with a combination of year-long and/or semester courses from the following departments: visual or performing arts, business and information technology, family and consumer science, world languages, leadership, and engineering.

To supplement the regular education curriculum, several courses are offered to give students additional support in developing English and math skills necessary for success at the high school level. Twain Middle School also provides ESOL and Special Education classes to support students’ academic needs. 

Course Catalogs (website)

• View the rising 7th Grade course catalog
• View the rising 8th Grade course catalog
• View the Edison High School Rising Freshmen course catalog

Course Catalogs (pdf)

• 7th and 8th Grade course descriptions

Twain Middle School Curriculum Night

We are excited to welcome our rising 7th grade parents (currently 6th grade parents) to the Mark Twain Middle School Curriculum Night on Monday, January 13, 2025 starting at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place in the Cafeteria.

This is an informative event (applicable to parents of all rising 7th grade students) and will include presentations from the following departments at 6:00 p.m.: Electives, English, ESOL, Health & PE, IB Program, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, Student Services, and World Languages.  Presentations will conclude at 7:00 p.m.

At 7:00 p.m., parents of rising 7th grade AAP (Advanced Academic Program) Level IV eligible students are invited to join us in the Cafeteria for an Advanced Academics information session.

Additionally, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall, there will be a special presentation about the AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) program. Parents of students who have been recommended by their current teachers for AVID will be receiving a personal invitation prior to the event. You do not have to be invited to attend. 

Please feel free to contact Stephen Fitzgerald, Director of Student Services, if you have any questions.

Find information about our Electives Classes as well as the Electives Video on our Electives Overview page.

FCPS honors courses, available to middle and high school students, are based on extensions of the FCPS Program of Studies. Students may self-select one or more honors courses in areas that match their academic interests or strengths. Extensions based on the Parallel Curriculum Model add depth and complexity to student learning experiences. To learn more about the parallel curriculum model, please reference Carol Ann Tomlinson’s The Parallel Curriculum: A Design to Develop Learner Potential and Challenge Advanced Learners (2009). Students in honors courses frequently use abstract, critical thinking approaches through inquiry-based projects to extend and deepen understanding of the content. Honors courses prepare students for future success in the next step of their academic journey.

In middle school mathematics, an honors course accelerates the student to the next grade level. To learn more about specific honors courses, check the individual course descriptions in our FCPS course catalog.

Mathematics Honor Classes

Mathematics 7 Honors is open enrollment for all students. This course is an acceleration of mathematics curriculum which requires students to master the content assessed on the Mathematics 8 SOL assessment. Students who have not completed Advanced Mathematics 6 may need support and/or require additional effort and study to be successful. Both Mathematics 7 and Mathematics 7 Honors prepare students for Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Honors in Grade 8.

Algebra I Honors is open enrollment for all 8th grade students; however, there are specific requirements for enrollment in Algebra I Honors in 7th grade:

• Successful completion of the Advanced Mathematics Grade 6 curriculum or a year-long accelerated mathematics program
• Score at or above the 91st percentile on the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test (IAAT)
• Score a pass advanced (500 or above) on the grade 7 mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) test

Coming Soon

We look forward to seeing Rising 7th grade parents at our Parent Coffee on June 4, 2025 at 9 am.  Should you miss the event, the presentation will be linked here by June 6.