High Road Academy of Howard County
High Road Academy began in 1998, and the focus of the program is the mission of remediation; and the main goal, whenever possible and applicable, is to return students to the least restrictive environment (LRE) at their home schools. We take great pride in the fact that we have been able to maintain an average annual return rate of 30% of our total school population. Better yet, follow-up data indicates that High Road Academy students who have returned to their home schools continue to achieve and meet the challenges in the mainstream classrooms.
Population Served:
High Road Academy of Howard County is able to serve up to approximately ninety boys and girls between the approximate ages of 7-21. In addition to primarily serving students with learning disabilities, High Road Academy of Howard County provides services for students who have been diagnosed with disabilities in related areas: Other Health Impairment, Speech & Language Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, Autism or Emotional Disability. The IEP, however, MUST be academically focused without an undue emphasis on the social/emotional or behavioral needs of the student. Students attending High Road Academy of Howard County are eligible to participate in activities with non-disabled peers at the home school as appropriate. Students with limited English proficiency will be admitted to the program after careful consideration of the nature of the learning disability and appropriateness of the program to meet the individual needs of the student.
Program Administration:
The High Road Academy of Howard County is administered by an Administrative Head/Education Director who is responsible for its operation. In addition, there is an Associate Director to assist in fulfilling duties related to oversight and management of school operations. High Road Academy employs the following staff: Certified Special Education Teachers, Assistant Teachers, 1:1 Aides, Social Workers, Speech Language Pathologist, Contracted Occupational Therapist, Consulting Nurse, Office Manager, Assessment Coordinator, Transition Coordinator and IEP Coordinator. Additional support and oversight will be provided by the President of Specialized Education of MD, Inc., Regional Vice President, Senior Director of Academics and Regional Director.
Each class is staffed by one full-time Certified Special Education Teacher and one full-time Assistant Teacher with a student to teacher ratio of 9:1.
High Road Academy of Howard County is a Type I full day Special Education and related services program for students with specific learning disabilities in Elementary School (grades 3 through 8) and Secondary School (grades 9 through 12). The focus of the program is the development and implementation of highly individualized learning programs to meet the needs of each student. The programs are developed in accordance with the IEP and all available assessment data. While all academic areas will be addressed through the High Road program, the greatest emphasis is placed on the design and implementation of specialized multi-sensory reading programs. All students will be afforded a minimum of 30 school days of diagnostic/prescriptive teaching to ascertain the best methodologies to target for the student in all academic areas. Ultimately, many students return to less restrictive settings within their local school systems as a result of significant academic progress.
By focusing on key areas — academics, behavior modifications, support services, and transition / life planning services — we are able to meet the individual needs of all students through these varied approaches to instruction. Through collaboration with a student’s IEP team, we are able to choose the most appropriate learning model based on a given student’s present levels of performance, social capabilities, motor coordination, and ability to learn in a group setting.
Utilizing four specific instructional rotations, students are assessed academically, gain self-regulation skills, learn with district-aligned academic curriculums, and utilize integrated technology.
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Barbara Hill
High Road Academy of Howard County
2023-2024 Campus Winner
