It employs the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program in K–6 and a project based learning model in grades 6–8.

[13] Previous superintendents include: Anne Arundel County Public Schools made headlines in March 2013 when school officials suspended 7-year-old Josh Welch for chewing a Pop-Tart pastry into a shape they thought resembled a gun and pretending to shoot his classmates.

This was not the first time AACPS had dealt with this situation in that way, as 2 years earlier, a similarly aged student by the name of Sean House was suspended for the same reason.

[22][23] Shortly after this ruling, the parents' suit was closed by mediation in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals with an "undisclosed settlement".

Sex education in AACPS had made headlines significant controversy, particularly regarding the inclusion of lessons on LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

In response for LGBTQ+ rights, AACPS has made efforts to include more inclusive content in its sex education curriculum.

However, this shift has faced resistance from some parents and community groups who argue that discussions on topics such as gender identity and same-sex relationships are inappropriate for children, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels.