The High Road Schools and Academies of Maryland specialize in serving students facing learning, language, and social challenges.  As part of a network of schools comprising one of the leading specialized education companies in the country, the High Road School of Southern Maryland puts over two decades of experience to work to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for students who can best reach their potential in an alternative setting. Since we first opened our doors in May 2003, our school has focused on the distinct needs of each leaner, which is why we custom‐tailor a unique Individualized Education Program (IEP) to each student and then closely monitor the student’s progress and skills acquisition, fine‐tuning the IEP along the way, as warranted.

The High Road School of Southern Maryland serves students and families in the Tri-County Area (Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert County).  We provide education services to students referred from Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and King George (VA) Counties.  It is our intended purpose to present our students with opportunities to succeed academically, socially and emotionally.  

The High Road School of Southern Maryland proudly highlights the greatest strengths of our program, like small class sizes, interactive one‐on‐one instruction, and personalized academic and behavioral interventions. Students requiring supplementary services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, or counseling, receive anything and everything they need here, for our overarching goal is to help them achieve success in all facets of their lives — in the classroom, at home, and in the community.  We therefore expertly address every challenge we encounter, ultimately working toward optimum outcomes for each student in our care.

To that end, in addition to a rigorous academic program (in accordance with the guideline and curriculum of the student’s home school district) and a comprehensive behavior management system, our program also provides students to participate in extracurricular activities including athletic teams (flag football, basketball & kickball) and a state-wide Fine Arts Festival.

Graduation 2010

Graduation Ceremonies are the perfect opportunity to celebrate past accomplishments and future aspirations.  On June 8, 2010, the Prince George’s Ballroom (Pinebrook, MD) was host to the High Road Schools of Southern Maryland Regional Graduation.  The nearly 50 graduates that comprised of the Class of 2010 filled the ballroom with excitement, pride and hope along with over 400 family and guests on a very hot June evening.

Witnessing nearly 50 students In special education (with a variety of emotional and learning disabilities) earn their high school diploma is cause enough for celebration.  However, the additional achievements of the students are what really make the Class of 2010 very special.
The graduating class along with their family and invited guests were treated to 3 very special speakers.  Ms. Maryah Jenkins, a Graduate of 2010, Mrs. Veronica Washington, serving as keynote speaker and Dr. Michael Kaufman, President and CEO of SESI.  Ms. Jenkins spoke to her fellow classmates with a warm heart about all they have accomplished so far and what is possible beyond high school.

Mrs. Veronica Washington served as the keynote speaker to the graduating class.  During her address, Mrs. Washington stressed the importance of hard work, sound decision making and focus as keys to success now that the next chapter in their lives is set to begin.  As the former Director of Non-Public Schools for Baltimore City, Mrs. Washington was passionately able to draw her from experiences to motivate the young graduates.

As the closing Speaker, Dr. Michael Kaufman also imparted motivational words of encouragement for both the graduating class and the entire audience.  Dr. Kaufman skillfully summed up the significance this special day and how important it was to be able enjoy life not matter what obstacles you many encounter.  He concluded by officially confirming the Graduating Class of 2010 by having each graduate move their tassel from the right to the left.

Spotlight on Our Schools

The High Road Schools located in the state of Maryland (are a member of the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities commonly referred to as MANSEF (www.mansef.org). MANSEF is a state wide association with over 90 member schools.  In the Spring Edition of the MANSEF Newsletter, our schools were featured on the front cover.  To check out the entire article, please click the following link:

Regional Reading Program

Since 2008, Ms. Chantelle Gordon has been the Reading Specialist for the High Road Schools of the Southern Maryland Region (Beltsville, Capitol Heights and La Plata).  Her primary responsibilities as the reading specialist include:

providing research based assessments to students requiring reading remediation using informal reading inventories and formal reading assessments

providing support to classroom teachers and directors on current reading topics and strategies

working one-on-one with students to provide assistants to those students who may be reading below their grade level 

assessing the reading strengths and needs of students; communicate findings to classroom teachers, parents, and directors in order to develop an effective reading program.

Ms. Gordon travels between 4 schools providing services to students referred to her by the school staff.
A typical reading sessions consists of:

one-on-one for individualized service
30-45 minutes on average (up to two times a week)
practicing reading aloud for increased fluency

A typical session is structured in the following manner:

Session begins vocabulary review using flash cards, making words, or various word work games. (approximately 10 minutes)

The session continues with pre-reading strategies (i.e. webbing, making predictions) or phonics work depending on the individual reading needs of the student. (approximately 10 minutes)

The session concludes with the student reading text from be a book, a short story, or an article once again depending on the current progress and needs of the student. (approximately 10 minutes).

In addition, a variety of strategies are implemented these might include reading games that tend to focus on word work and vocabulary review.  Students are able to learn or brush up on existing skills without even realizing it. 

Current Reading Strategies Most Commonly Implemented by Ms. Gordon includes:

Read Alouds (to increase fluency)
These can be -timed readings and/or repeated readings.  The student is asked to read aloud from a selected text below grade level to practice fluency; also to increase student motivation to read and increase confidence!

Fry Phrases (to increase sight word recognition and fluency)
Fry sight words are written on index cards in short 3 word phrases, the student reads the phrases aloud practicing intonation.

Webbing (for pre-reading strategies & to check prior knowledge of a subject)
The student will build upon word recognition based on a certain topic or main word.

Functional Life Skills Program

The High Road School of Southern Maryland is pleased to introduce a brand-new educational program for select high-school-aged students whose particular needs fall outside of the parameters of the public school system. This custom-tailored program has been designed exclusively for students whose cognitive level may or may not disallow earning a diploma. 

Basically, we’ve shaped a new program to meet a pressing and growing need in our community—a comprehensive system of traditional classes, hands-on tutorials, instructional sessions, and on- and off-site activities focused on teaching academically challenged students how to function in the real world at their highest possible level. To achieve this goal, our qualified staff expertly guides young adults through our practical-oriented, functional-based program, comprised of a five-pronged approach to life skills training. 

Academic Curriculum
The High Road School of Southern Maryland follows the curriculum for grades 6–12 in the Charles County Public School System, but certain adjustments are made to better suit the program attendees’ capabilities and objectives. First, Alternate MSA Content Standards are employed for students who are not seeking to graduate with a high school diploma. Second, we’ve devised a unique and highly effective system of rotational instruction that provides individualized attention to each student’s personal academic level in the areas of reading, writing, and arithmetic. And although the academics arm of the program also includes other core subjects like science and social studies, the basics are taught with an eye toward optimally transferring their relevance and applicability outside the classroom to future work and home environments.

Vocational Training
Specific vocational skills training begins simply, using basic vocational kits with which instructional methods are broken down by task analysis to instill the concept of quality task completion. Students then proceed to direct participation in school-based jobs, created expressly for this purpose. Students are taught job interview skills and learn about job profiles and expectations, as well as the importance of responsibility and reliability in the workplace. Simultaneously, they become familiar and comfortable with using the variety of equipment in our transition room and in performing prescribed vocational tasks around the building. Developing our list of community partners with whom we work to enhance the on-the-job portion of our vocational training is an ongoing effort. Students with lower skill levels will gain community-based job training in assigned groups, while those displaying higher skill levels can be independently placed and monitored by our transition staff.

Behavioral & Social Skills
The primary aim in this arena is to instill a deep sense of responsibility for one’s actions in our students. Part of this goal entails enabling them to recognize the distinction between the things they can do and those they cannot. Staff incorporates modeling and role-playing into the socialization curriculum to demonstrate desired actions and targeted skill levels. We use four types of reinforcement to stimulate skills acquisition and to promote appropriate behaviors and attitudes: social reinforcement (for example, positive feedback); object reinforcement (tangible rewards); activity reinforcement (granting them the right to participate in or refrain from certain planned activities); and primary reinforcement (e.g., food, drink).

Community Immersion
Perhaps the most interactive branch of our program is the off-site community-based training, for we’ve compiled an expansive collection of settings and experiences in which young adults can take the skills they’ve learned in our school and directly apply them to real-life contexts. We accompany students into the community to reinforce these skills; to expose them to people, places, and activities they will encounter in their actual adult lives; and to create hands-on, real-time situations where they can practice accomplishing common tasks — for example, using public transportation, selecting the right type of store to purchase given items, and maintaining a bank account. Recreation and leisure activities also play a role here — such as bowling or skating field trips—so that students will be encouraged to find creative and beneficial ways to spend their free time. All community excursions are geared toward present student needs, proclivities, and proficiencies.

Independent Living Instruction
The ultimate goal of the program is to lead these students toward a successful and fulfilling adult life of independence, autonomy, self-sufficiency, and self-respect. As such, this crucial component of our curriculum emphasizes anything and everything young people need to know about living in the real world responsibly, maturely, and courteously, equipped with as many skills as they can master and as much practical know-how as possible. These units therefore concentrate on such lessons as planning for and finding adequate housing; learning how to navigate classified ads for apartments, for jobs, and for goods and services; discovering how to locate and explore the various agencies that can lend them support; and how to budget their finances. Self-advocacy is stressed at all times, both throughout the course of the program and once the student begins a life of independent living.

High Road Sports

The High Road Schools are committed to providing services, programs and activities that provide opportunities for students to grow both inside and outside of the classroom.  For several years the High Road Schools have had an Inter-High Road School Sports league.

The 10 schools throughout Maryland including Baltimore, Capitol Heights, Lanham, and Beltsville & La Plata compete throughout the school year in three sports.

Fall – Flag Football
Winter – Basketball
Spring – Kickball

These teams provide an opportunity for our students to gain knowledge and skills in team sports and sportsmanship.  Only students (on blue level) that have demonstrated the ability to make sound decisions can participate in practices and games.  The league provides students a chance to interact with student from other High Road Schools and to show school pride for their own.

Each sport season has its own playoff and crown champions for that season.  In flag football, the playoffs are in a bowl format similar to the NCAA.  Naturally, we have our own form of March Madness to crown our Basketball Champions.

Each year, all the schools get together for a Sports Banquet where the students are celebrated for their athletic performance and sportsmanship.  All participating students receive a participation award at the banquet.

For more information about our Sports League Programs, please contact your child’s school and ask for the team coach.

Holy Engraver!

The High Road School of Southern Maryland has a new addition sure to impress.  The Transition Services Program recently added a laser engraver.  This high tech piece of machinery does it all.  It engraves on metals, plastics, woods.  It engraves on business card holders, keychain, door signage, plaques and much more!

Not only does this new machine make great products, it also provides new in-school jobs for our students.  Please keep your eyes posted for our new fall brochure which will include all the our new engraved items.  If you would like something sooner, please call our Transition Program @ 301-392-6377.

The Transition Programs of the High Road Schools of Southern Maryland (locations in Beltsville, Capitol Heights, Lanham & La Plata) are designed to provide students an opportunity to prepare for independent living after graduation.  To achieve these objectives, there are many components of our Transition Programs.

Students learn a variety of occupational skills such as interview techniques, resume writing and career exploration.  To achieve maximum success, students are exposed a variety of careers, jobs and skill sets.   In addition, orienting our students to the world of retail sales and customer service provides valuable experiences that will benefit them in any future career.
Each of our schools, offer as part of our program a Promotional Items Department.  Students have at the fingertips several technical machines which can customize a wide variety of items such as mouse pads, t-shirts and tote bags.

In an effort to promote the great work of our students, the High Road Schools of Southern Maryland are proud to introduce our region-wide Production Catalog.  At affordable prices and great quality you can purchase personalized t-shirts for your upcoming high school reunion or tote bags commemorating your family picnic.  With the holidays coming, you may need to be stocking stuffers such as key chains, mouse pads or coffee mugs.  Our schools even offer gift baskets containing an assortment of our products.

The students are preparing for a very busy holiday season so please don’t delay in placing your order. Please feel free to download a copy of our 2010 Brochure or contact our Customer Service Center at (301) 210-4860, our Mr. Kevin Mattison, Transition Coordinator of the High Road Upper School of Prince George’s County, will be able to direct you to any one of our Customer Service Representatives.

Spring 2010 In Review

As we turn the page onto the 2010-2011 school year, let's take a quick look back at the great events that took place throughout last spring.

Prom 2010

2010 Charity Volleyball Tournament

2010 Regional Career Fair

Fine Arts Festival