Courtesy photo. From left, students Jessie, Malik K. and Malik H. at High Road Upper School of Prince George's County.

Published on: Wednesday, June 15, 2011

By Ann Emberland

High Road Upper School of Prince George’s County may look like an average American high school from the outside, but ordinary it is not.

Going beyond the realm of an ordinary school, the private school in Beltsville for students with learning disabilities and emotional disturbances emphasizes individualized academic instruction, development of social skills, and participation in community involvement.

While other High Road schools, part of Special Education Services Inc., focus on vocational training, unique only to the Upper School is the Transition program that offers students a chance to explore career paths and work towards their goals beyond the walls of the classroom.

“If a student comes in and says they want to be a veterinarian, we give them the opportunity to explore those areas, and we’ll assess their skills in that area,” said Transition Coordinator Kevin Mattison. “We’ll determine what their levels are academically to see how feasible it may be at this point.”

Throughout their four years at the school, students learn basic job skills such as resume building and interviewing. After taking a career assessment in their junior year that matches each student with jobs that fit their specific skill set and interests, students have the opportunity to work outside of the school in their senior year.

“Our school to work, or transition department, has been able to develop partnerships with local area businesses to give our students opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Keith White, senior director of the High Road Upper School.

White also is the secretary of the Greater Beltsville Business Association, and through this relationship, the school has been able to offer students opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and paid employment.

“Everyone here at the school works to support the students in becoming successful adults,” Mattison said. “Our business partnerships that we’ve developed and other partnerships that we’ve developed with other community-based organizations all have invested interest in seeing our kids succeed.”

The first graduating class to utilize the business partnerships graduated on June 6.

However, even before the inception of the Transition program, the Upper School has been producing successful students. Since the beginning of the program in 2005, every eligible senior has graduated from the school.

In small classrooms of no more than nine, students spend one-on-one time with their teachers and on computer-based programs that teach to their precise individual academic level.

White attributes the success of High Road Upper School, in part, to the sense of belonging that the students develop through the personal attention they receive. 

“Our students are not going to be involved if they’re in public school, they’re not going to be on yearbook committee and participate in school spirit week. They’re the students on the outside, the fringe, kind of,” White said. “They come here and they get the real high school experience; they get the prom. They get a lot of those things that our type of student tends to miss out on.”

With a staff that includes five full-time social workers, three transition staff members and three administrators for fewer than 100 students, each student receives specialized learning from a number of outlets.

White says the dedication of the staff members helps drive students to succeed.

“They find a home here with people who understand them,” White said.