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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) operates six secondary alternative school programs for middle and high school students who are unsuccessful in their home schools for a variety of reasons. All alternative education programs provide positive and effective educational supports and services that address the academic, social, emotional and physical health of adolescents. These Level 2 and Level 3 programs are intervention and prevention services that provide small structured classes, close supervision, direct instruction in behavioral skills, and immediate reinforcement to students. Social skills training is infused into the curriculum. The behavior management systems incorporate proactive strategies for defining, teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviors. In addition to academic and behavioral interventions, the programs also offer counseling, case management services, parent outreach, and frequent progress monitoring. The intent of each program is to help students return to and function effectively in their home comprehensive secondary school.
The instructional staff utilizes and incorporates the same MCPS and MSDE curriculum in the classrooms as teachers in MCPS comprehensive schools.
When a school Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) team identifies a student in need of additional alternative education supports beyond the home school Level 1 program, they should conduct a meeting to determine whether or not the student could benefit from a Alternative Level 2 Program. When considering a referral to a Level 2 program, the CPS team must ensure the following:
- The student has participated in the school’s Level 1 students for a defined period of time (a minimum of one semester) in order to determine the effectiveness of the Level 1 interventions
- The parent/guardian attends the CPS meeting
- The pupil personnel worker (PPW) attends the CPS meeting
- The team must consider authentic functional data/documentation that suggests that previous interventions have been implemented and progress has not been made.
(For details, see MCPS Regulation IOI-RA: Placement Procedures for Alternative Programs; Form 336-55: Referral for Alternative Program Placement).
Alternative Programs (AP) offers a unique collaborative service to assist home schools with returning students which is facilitated by the Alternative Program Transition Teacher. Some students more than others benefit from regular support and resources which can be provided through the home school Level 1 program. As transition plans are developed to return successful students to the comprehensive home school, the Level 1 program should be made available as a consistent, daily support system to the student. The AP transition teacher participates in the CPS meeting with the student, family, and home school staff. Once the student has begins in the school, the AP teacher is available as a liaison to work with the Level 1 teacher to provide ongoing follow-up services. The alternative Level 1 teacher can contact the AP transition teacher at any time for parent/student/staff consultation, student conferences, or participate in Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) team meetings. Throughout the process, the AP transition teacher serves as an advocate for the student to assist teachers with the understanding of the student’s background, history, and the types of approaches that best for work for that student. The AP transition teacher, used in conjunction with the Level 1 teacher ensures a better transition for the returning student, thus students will experience a higher success rate. This collaborative effort has been found to be the most effective method for maximizing student continued success in the educational process in a comprehensive school. |
