1. What is home and hospital teaching?
Home and hospital teaching is instructional support on school assignments a student misses due to a verified physical or emotional condition.
2. Who is eligible for home teaching services?
A student may be eligible for the following reasons: a physical condition, pregnancy, an emotional condition, or a chronic health condition that requires a student to be absent from in-person school on an intermittent basis. Only students enrolled in the Prince George's County Public Schools are eligible. Ineligible students include those who are homeschooled or parentally placed in private or parochial schools. Excluded are students in home-based programs operated through the Office of Children, Youth and Families; the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program for the birth through 2-year-old disabled population.
3. How does a parent/caretaker apply for home and hospital teaching services?
The Parent/Caretaker needs to contact the Professional School Counselor at the student's school of enrollment.
4. What paperwork is required to determine eligibility for services?
Initial Contact and Referral (DSS-21) form is completed by the Professional School Counselor with the parent present.
Physician’s Verification (DSS-22)- Form completed by a student's physician or certified nurse practitioner verifying the physical condition of a student who will medically require an absence of 20 or more school days.
Psychologist’s/Psychiatrist's Verification (DSS-22A)- Form completed by a student's certified psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner verifying the emotional condition of a student who will medically require an absence of 20 or more days.
Treatment Plan- Personalized student plan provided by the student's certified psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. This plan permits collaboration between the client, school-based mental health team, and private mental health provider. This is only submitted for requests for an emotional condition.
Transition Plan- Personalized student plan developed by the school team in collaboration with the student's parent/caretaker, and student (if appropriate) to aid a student approved for home and hospital teaching in transitioning back to the school during home and hospital support. This is only submitted for requests for an emotional condition.
School Psychologist Review Tool- Reference document designed to assist the School Psychologist with reviewing the parent/guardian submitted documents for home and hospital requests due to an emotional Condition. This is only submitted for requests for an emotional condition.
The Professional School Counselor submits all required documentation to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching via the provided form. The Professional School Counselor may email home.hospital@pgcps.org if they are unable to locate the form on the website.
5. Where are students taught?
Students are taught in the home, at the hospital (as appropriate), or in another location, such as a library, if the student is working on transitioning back to school.
6. What are students taught during home and hospital teaching?
Students receive assistance on assignments missed during the school day. The classroom teachers of record are responsible for providing assignments to the assigned home/hospital teacher for students approved for home and hospital teaching. Grading and entering grades is the responsibility of the classroom teachers of record.
7. What are the home & hospital teacher's qualifications?
Maryland regulations require home & hospital teachers to have a bachelor's degree. Therefore, the teacher may not be certified in the area being taught to the student.
8. Will my student be taught by a certified teacher?
While some home & hospital teachers hold a teaching certification, secondary home & hospital teachers may not be certified in all instructional areas. Maryland regulations require home & hospital teachers to have a bachelor's degree. Home and hospital teaching does not replicate classroom instruction or Online Academy programming.
9. How many hours of services will the student receive?
Full-time medically qualified home & hospital teaching students receive a minimum of 6 hours a week. Home and hospital teaching is not daily classroom instruction. Intermittent medically qualified home & hospital teaching students receive a minimum of 3 hours a week. Home and hospital teaching is not daily classroom instruction.
10. Who provides the textbooks, assignments, and materials?
The student's school of enrollment is responsible for providing all books, assignments, and instructional materials for the duration of home and hospital teaching.
11. How are students graded?
All assignments are submitted to the student's classroom teachers for review and grading.
12. What are the parents' responsibilities when home & hospital teaching is provided in the home?
A responsible adult must be present in the home during all home teaching sessions. The parent/caretaker is responsible for obtaining the student's textbooks from the school, and the parent/caretaker should ensure the student is available, on time, and prepared for instruction.
13. When does home teaching begin?
Teaching support will begin within ten (10) school days of approval of home and hospital teaching.
14. What if the student’s medical condition requires an extension of home and hospital services?
Extensions may be granted, not to exceed 60 calendar days. For continuation of services, the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) requires a review and re-verification of need at least every 60 calendar days after the original determination or sooner. The parent/caretaker must provide updated documentation from the appropriate medical provider (See #4 for required paperwork). There are additional requirements for students requesting an extension for an emotional condition.
15. Can a pregnant student receive services?
Yes. The student may receive services for six to eight weeks postpartum.
16. Who is responsible for keeping the Physician’s Verification (either the DSS-22 or the DSS-22A) current?
The student's parent or guardian shall submit an updated DSS-22 or DSS-22A from the appropriate medical provider verifying that the physical or emotional condition continues to prevent the student from participating in daily classroom instruction at school. The Office of Home & Hospital Teaching will notify the parent/caretaker and school team fifteen days before the initial verification documentation is scheduled to expire.
