To identify the steps for monitoring and exiting students enrolled in the middle school Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) and high school Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) specialty programs and who are experiencing attendance, academic or behavioral difficulty in school.
The Prince George's County Board of Education firmly believes that the academic achievement of all students is paramount. Student academic achievement is supported by providing equitable access to a high-quality education and resources to guarantee that every child graduating from the Prince George's County Public School System is college and career ready. (Board Policy 0118)
The Board of Education is dedicated to support programs of choice that are designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) specialty programs in CPA and VPA offer challenging and innovative instructional content for students who are interested in a uniquely focused or specialized curriculum. Entry into the CPA and VPA programs is managed through an application and audition process.
It is essential for students to attain satisfactory levels of proficiency in required courses in the student's core subjects, designated major and other courses that comprise the specialty program. A student's continuation in the specialty program will depend upon the successful demonstration of satisfactory proficiencies in required courses and adherence to this Administrative Procedure and the PGCPS Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.
At the beginning of each school year, the participating student and the parent must sign a CPA and VPA program agreement to uphold the standards of the specialty program. See Attachment A.
All CPA/VPA programs adhere to general procedures pertaining to promotion, retention, and acceleration of students following Administrative Procedure 5123.2, See Administrative Procedure 6148 Lottery and Audition Administration and Selection Procedures, for additional guidance.
Transfers
Transfers between CPA/VPA schools may be permitted if a student moves out of a boundary area and the requested school has unfilled seats at the same grade level after considering placements for all eligible, in-boundary applicants.
Requests must be made in writing to the Department of Pupil Accounting after the first round of lottery placements.
If approved, transportation will be provided.
Academic Difficulties
A student in the CPA/VPA program is considered to be experiencing academic difficulty if he/she does not attain and maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA), or higher in one or more of the required courses. Whenever it is determined that a student is in need of academic assistance, the school-based Program Coordinator will provide written notification of that determination to the administrators and parents/guardians and offer the following assistance:
Academic assistance will be initiated at the end of any marking period in which the student experiences academic difficulty, as identified by the teacher of record, and will include a parent conference and strategic intervention plan provided by the School Intervention Team (SIT), in collaboration with the parent/guardian. For more information on the development of the intervention plan, see Administrative Procedure 5124 , SIT; Student Support Team (SST).
At any time, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, administrators/coordinators, or emancipated students, may request a review of the student's grades.
Students who have received academic assistance and continue to earn a grade point average below 2.0 in required courses will be referred to the SST for review of the student's intervention plan and additional factors for the team's consideration and recommendation. The SST will review collected evidence to document concerns, assess the needs of the student, and monitor the effectiveness of subsequent interventions. Teachers, parents, staff, and students themselves can request the assistance of the SST. See Administrative Procedure 5124, Student Intervention Team (SIT); Student Support Team (SST)
Academic Withdrawal
Students who have received documented academic support for a minimum of 4-6 weeks and were unsuccessful in consistently improving academic achievement will be referred to the SST for further strategies and/or interventions. The program coordinator/SST chair or principal's designee will provide written notification to the parent that the student has been referred to SST.
If withdrawal is the recommendation, the school principal must submit a written request, with supporting documentation, for removal from the program to the Chief of School Support and Leadership.
Once a recommendation for withdrawal is approved by the Chief of School Support and Leadership, the principal will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the decision to return the student to his/her boundary school at the end of the grading semester of the present school year.
A student may return to his/her boundary school between the first and third quarter. Should the quarter be the fourth grading period, the student will begin their school year in regular attendance at the boundary school at the beginning of the next school year. The student's withdrawal papers are to be sent to the student's boundary school.
The principal will send a copy of the withdrawal letter to the Department of Pupil Accounting. The student will be removed from the program file.
Voluntary Withdrawal
If a student is voluntarily withdrawn, the parent/guardian will sign the CPA/VPA Program Voluntary Withdrawal form (Attachment B).
Any student voluntarily withdrawn from the program forfeits enrollment in the program. Re-entry to the CPA/VPA program within ten (10) days may be permitted on application to the Department of Pupil Accounting, who will consult with the school to see if space is still available. Only in extraordinary circumstances will reentry be permitted more than ten (10) days after a withdrawal.
Parents/Guardians will receive a letter from the principal to complete a withdrawal process that includes a brief exit interview with the CPA/VPA school-based Program Coordinator and a 30-minute withdrawal appointment with the Registrar. A sample letter is attached (Attachment C).
If the withdrawal is related to a recommended transfer, the principal will send a copy of the withdrawal letter to the Department of Pupil Accounting. The student will be removed from the program file.
The school counselor/registrar will advise the parent on withdrawal and registration processes (see Administrative Procedure 5111, Registration and Withdrawal of Students).
Behavioral Difficulties
A student is considered to be experiencing behavioral difficulty when: exhibiting disciplinary conduct that significantly disrupts the educational environment, indicates the student's unwillingness to continue participation in the CPA/VPA program, or causing actual or potential harm to other students, staff or him/herself.
Whenever it is determined that a student is in need of behavioral intervention, written notification of that determination will be provided to the parents/guardians.
At any time, parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, administrators/coordinators may request a behavioral review of a student's conduct.
Behavioral support initiated by administrators, program coordinators, and/or Professional School Counselors will include a parent conference, strategic intervention provided by the SIT/SST and written intervention plan.
Due to the high level of responsibility afforded CPA/VPA students and the unique settings in which they are taught, certain behaviors may be grounds for a student forfeiting their placement in the program. The SIT/SST and school principal will weigh the unique factors of each case and range of interventions, management strategies and responses needed in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
The SIT/SST will reconvene as appropriate to discuss students' progress.
Behavioral Withdrawal
If substantial improvement has not been made on a student's behavior plan, the principal shall consult with the school-based Program Coordinator to make a decision regarding the student's status in the program and notify the parent, Instructional Director, and Pupil Accounting of the decision, as needed.
A student may be subject to immediate removal from the specialty programs for documented behavioral violations listed as Response Level 4 or 5 in Administrative Procedure 10101, Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
A student may also be subject to removal if interventions have not yielded positive results and/or rectified repeated behaviors listed as Response Level 2 or 3 in Administrative Procedure 10101, Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
If withdrawal is the recommendation of the principal and Program Coordinator, documentation to include progress monitoring notes, and all other documentation must accompany the written request for removal from the program and be forwarded to the Instructional Director and Chief of School Support Leadership.
If withdrawal is recommended and approved by the Chief of School Support and Leadership, the principal will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the decision to return the student to his/her boundary school at the end of the grading semester of the present school year. The principal will send a copy of the withdrawal letter to the Department of Pupil Accounting.
The student will be removed from the program file.
The Professional School Counselor/Registrar will advise the parent/guardian on withdrawal and registration processes (see Administrative Procedure 5111, Registration and Withdrawal of Students).
Attendance Issues
Refer to Administrative Procedure 5113, Student Attendance, Absence and Truancy regarding attendance policies.
Due to the high level of required directed instruction and independent practice expected of every participating student, a student's attendance at required rehearsals, practices, events, activities and performances is mandatory for successful completion of the CPA/VPA program. Missing multiple (3) mandatory rehearsals/practices, events or activities as required by the CPA/VPA program is grounds for referral to SIT. CPA/VPA programs may require that participants attend events/activities that take place after normal school hours.
If a student is absent for ten (10) consecutive days due to an unlawful absence, he or she will be automatically withdrawn and may not be re-enrolled in the CPA/VPA program.
If a family has to travel internationally due to an unexpected emergency, a letter must be submitted to Pupil Accounting. Pupil Accounting will work with the school principal to determine if the student will be able to re-enter the program.
Whenever it is determined that a student's attendance requires intervention, written notification of that determination will be provided to the parents/guardians.
Notification to parents/guardians, by the teacher via email or phone call, is required regarding consecutive or chronic absences is provided if the student has missed three (3) school days in a quarter. The parents should be called or emailed by the teacher.
School Administrators, Program Coordinators, and teachers may request a review of student's attendance in PGCPS Student Information System (SIS) under the following circumstances:
A student incurs eight (8) unlawful absences from a class in a quarter, fifteen (15) unlawful days in a semester or twenty (20) or more unlawful absences from school in a year, or misses three (3) mandatory practices, events or activities as required by the CPA/VPA Program.
Attendance interventions initiated by Administrators, school-based Program Coordinators, and/or Professional School Counselors will include a parent conference, and strategic intervention provided by the SIT.
Attendance Withdrawal
Students who have received attendance intervention and were unsuccessful in consistently improving attendance will be referred to the principal and school-based Program Coordinator for a final decision.
If withdrawal is the recommendation of the SIT, documentation must accompany the written request for removal from the program and be forwarded to the Chief of School Support and Leadership or designee, Associate Superintendent, and Instructional Director for review
Withdrawal supporting documentation must include: (1) the student's withdrawal letter; (2) the student's action plan, including a description of intervention efforts that were unsuccessful; and (3) any other documentation pertaining to the student's withdrawal (e.g., report card, behavioral plan, attendance record, etc.).
If a recommendation for withdrawal is approved by the Chief of School Support and Leadership, the principal will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the decision to return the student to his/her boundary school at the end of the grading semester of the present school year. The principal will send a copy of the withdrawal letter to the Department of Pupil Accounting. A copy will be in the student's program file inside the cumulative folder.
The student will be removed from the program file.
The Professional School Counselor/Registrar will advise the parent on withdrawal and registration processes (see Administrative Procedure 5111, Registration and Withdrawal of Students).
Appeals
The Chief of School Support and Leadership shall make determinations regarding removal from the program under this Administrative Procedure. If the parent or guardian requests further review, the Office of Appeals serves as the Superintendent designee.
A parent/guardian who wishes to appeal a withdrawal decision must submit a written appeal to the Office of Appeals within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the decision. The student is enrolled at their boundary school pending the decision of the appeal. The parent/guardian should indicate the reason for seeking a review of the decision and may include additional information for consideration.
The Office of Appeals will determine if there was a material departure from the policies and procedures by the program coordinator, principal or Instructional Director which adversely impacted the appellant.
An appeal from the decision by the Office of Appeals to the Board of Education must be made in writing and received by the Board Office within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the decision letter by the Office of Appeals, acting as the Superintendent's designee.
If there is additional information in the appeal of the Board of Education, the Office of Appeals will be given an opportunity to respond in writing and shall provide a copy of its response to the appellant before the Board of Education considers the appeal.
The Board of Education's decision shall be final and rendered in writing.
In an effort to ensure that the enrollment and appeals processes are implemented the following monitoring tools and processes will be utilized annually.
These procedures originate with the Division of Academics, Department of Creative and Performing Arts and will be updated as needed.
This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 6144.1, dated July 1, 2016
July 1, 2024
