1. What is the Annapolis Road Middle School?

The Annapolis Road Middle School is a regional alternative school established by the Maryland State Department of Education. The school provides a high quality and challenging program for middle school-age students who have demonstrated persistently disruptive behavior in the traditional school environment. The Annapolis Road Middle School gives its students the academic and social skills required to return to and succeed in their local public school program. Operated by First Home Care, Inc., under a competitively bid contract with the Maryland State Department of Education, the school has a capacity of 60 students from Prince George's County and the nearby school districts of Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Howard and Montgomery counties.

2. Who will be served at the school?

The school serves middle school-age students who have exhibited repeated disruptive behavior in a public school setting. Enrollment in the Annapolis Road Middle School is voluntary, but the referral and selection criteria include such behaviors as chronic absenteeism, poor academic achievement, frequent referral to counselors and administrators for academic and behavioral problems, and patterns of unsuccessful disciplinary actions. Students are not eligible for the school if they are adjudicated delinquent youth committed to the Department of Juvenile Services or students identified as seriously emotionally disturbed by the special education identification process.

3. Why target middle school youth?

Patterns of chronic disruptive behavior generally emerge and begin to solidify during the late elementary and middle learning years. It is important to modify these behaviors before the students drop out of school or become involved in harmful behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse and other illegal acts. The Annapolis Road Middle School is one of a number of initiatives by the Maryland State Department of Education and local school systems to provide a safer school environment through prevention and early intervention.

4. What are some of the features of this program that make it special?

The school's focus is on developing positive school, social, and interpersonal behaviors and providing disruptive youth with academic, social, and self-management skills necessary for success in their local public schools. Priority is given to skill building in oral communication, cooperative practices, adapting to change, decision making, and understanding human behavior as well as a middle school academic program and support services. The program provides a family-focused approach, a staff develop ment component for local school systems' staff, and articulation and follow-up support programs for students returning to the home school.

• Parents and other caregivers of the students receive training that will help them create successful environments for their children.
• Family, parents, and caregivers of students served are involved in interactive processes related to the students' program and receive training consistent with the outcomes of this program.
• Staff from the alternative school work with parents and siblings at school and at home as needed.
• Staff from the students' home schools receive staff development training in successful practices that work with disruptive students. This training is provided by staff from the alternative school.
• Staff from the alternative school assist the home school in planning and developing transitional plans for the student's return and provide follow-up activities and support.

The school operates on a year-round schedule, including the summer months. In addition to the extended school year, the school provides an extended school day with activities scheduled until 6 p.m. each school day. Additional family and counseling activities are routinely scheduled for evenings and some

5. What happens to students who complete the program?

Students who complete the Annapolis Road Middle School program return to their regular schools. Transition counselors and follow-up activities are part of the overall design of the alternative program for returning students. Each student returns with a personalized "success plan" and all the support needed to see that the return is successful. Students are enrolled in the school for up to one year.

6. How will the Annapolis Road Middle School be evaluated?

The school will be a participant in the Maryland School Performance Program. The State Department of Education will conduct other research and longitudinal studies concerning the program to identify successful practices and approaches and to determine elements of the program that should be replicated in other areas of the state.