Comprehensive Service Site in FCPS

[Anonymous]

What types of behaviors and situations led your child to a comprehensive service site in FCPS? How long did your child stay at CSS? Was it helpful?

[Anonymous]

CSS programs are for kids that really need a small group for most, if not all, of the day. The classes are small and have a teacher and an instructional assistant all the time. When the students go to large group classes, like PE, the IA goes with them. They have small group art and music classes with a music or art therapists, and often have times to work with those people one on one. There is a social worker and school psychologist just for the CSS program, although one or more of them may be half-time at the CSS. This allows for weekly counseling groups with their class, and individual counseling as needed. There is also a support room staffed by a full-time counselor, who is available for both upset children, and for kids who just need to talk or take a brief break. This person knows all the kids well.
Many students spend part of their day in the general education large classes, either with some special ed support, or without. Many of the kids are AAP eligible, and many of the kids also have LD, ADHD, and/or autism.
The curriculum is the same as general ed, and the teachers are part of the general education grade-level teams.
The student usually are referred because they are not making academic progress in their base schools, because they are missing too much instruction due to their behavior. They are usually half identified as ED, and half as students with autism. These two don't really belong together, as they can have very different needs, but that's how the county does it.
Some kids stay for a year or two, and some stay all the way through high school graduation. Some kids mainstream to general education right away, and some only after about six months, or never.
Many, many kids and parents say that their child is finally successful, feels understood, and has friends. Everyone in the program knows their name and cheers their successes. At the same time, there certainly are stronger programs than others across the county, and measures have been started to make them more uniform and more successful overall.

[Anonymous]

Which are the best CSS sites in FCPS for middle and high school? And by best, I mean experienced staff and support for AAP/ honors/ AP level coursework alongside supports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CSS programs are for kids that really need a small group for most, if not all, of the day. The classes are small and have a teacher and an instructional assistant all the time. When the students go to large group classes, like PE, the IA goes with them. They have small group art and music classes with a music or art therapists, and often have times to work with those people one on one. There is a social worker and school psychologist just for the CSS program, although one or more of them may be half-time at the CSS. This allows for weekly counseling groups with their class, and individual counseling as needed. There is also a support room staffed by a full-time counselor, who is available for both upset children, and for kids who just need to talk or take a brief break. This person knows all the kids well.
Many students spend part of their day in the general education large classes, either with some special ed support, or without. Many of the kids are AAP eligible, and many of the kids also have LD, ADHD, and/or autism.
The curriculum is the same as general ed, and the teachers are part of the general education grade-level teams.
The student usually are referred because they are not making academic progress in their base schools, because they are missing too much instruction due to their behavior. They are usually half identified as ED, and half as students with autism. These two don't really belong together, as they can have very different needs, but that's how the county does it.
Some kids stay for a year or two, and some stay all the way through high school graduation. Some kids mainstream to general education right away, and some only after about six months, or never.
Many, many kids and parents say that their child is finally successful, feels understood, and has friends. Everyone in the program knows their name and cheers their successes. At the same time, there certainly are stronger programs than others across the county, and measures have been started to make them more uniform and more successful overall.

My child went to Eagle View for three years and we never knew a kid to go back to their base school. Then he was sent to private day schools and we keep running into kids he knew at Eagle View at the various day schools. They way overused the seclusion closets and the ratio of 1 teacher, 1 aid to 10 K-3 kids was way too high. The academics were terrible. One teacher was always putting out a fire. The aide had to staff the class. The kids usually missed their general ed time. Their system of points/levels does not work for kids with autism usually.

[Anonymous]

^^Sorry and 18:18 must work at Gatehouse. The curriculum is NOT the same as general ed. That's laughable. LAUGHABLE,. You have 3 or 4 grades of kids at all different levels and 1 teacher in each classroom, and every single child has such severe problems that they get kicked out of their neighborhood school. Its worksheets, worksheets, and more worksheets.

Forgot to mention that almost every child had a super long bus ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CSS programs are for kids that really need a small group for most, if not all, of the day. The classes are small and have a teacher and an instructional assistant all the time. When the students go to large group classes, like PE, the IA goes with them. They have small group art and music classes with a music or art therapists, and often have times to work with those people one on one. There is a social worker and school psychologist just for the CSS program, although one or more of them may be half-time at the CSS. This allows for weekly counseling groups with their class, and individual counseling as needed. There is also a support room staffed by a full-time counselor, who is available for both upset children, and for kids who just need to talk or take a brief break. This person knows all the kids well.
Many students spend part of their day in the general education large classes, either with some special ed support, or without. Many of the kids are AAP eligible, and many of the kids also have LD, ADHD, and/or autism.
The curriculum is the same as general ed, and the teachers are part of the general education grade-level teams.
The student usually are referred because they are not making academic progress in their base schools, because they are missing too much instruction due to their behavior. They are usually half identified as ED, and half as students with autism. These two don't really belong together, as they can have very different needs, but that's how the county does it.
Some kids stay for a year or two, and some stay all the way through high school graduation. Some kids mainstream to general education right away, and some only after about six months, or never.
Many, many kids and parents say that their child is finally successful, feels understood, and has friends. Everyone in the program knows their name and cheers their successes. At the same time, there certainly are stronger programs than others across the county, and measures have been started to make them more uniform and more successful overall.

LOL at all this. This is definitely the FCPS party line. Do you work for FCPS? CSS is where all the neighborhood schools try to dump their difficult children. I believe several of the CSS ES'es were named in the seclusion/restraint complaint against Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which are the best CSS sites in FCPS for middle and high school? And by best, I mean experienced staff and support for AAP/ honors/ AP level coursework alongside supports.

this is a real problem in FCPS and one that SEPTA is trying to help. In general honors and AP are not offered at CSS sites - currently.

Plus, there is a FCPS 2E parent Facebook group that may help you figure out which site fits best for your child. You need to answer all the questions to be approved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which are the best CSS sites in FCPS for middle and high school? And by best, I mean experienced staff and support for AAP/ honors/ AP level coursework alongside supports.

this is a real problem in FCPS and one that SEPTA is trying to help. In general honors and AP are not offered at CSS sites - currently.

Plus, there is a FCPS 2E parent Facebook group that may help you figure out which site fits best for your child. You need to answer all the questions to be approved.

Thank you- from the second poster it seemed like things were better but I guess not. We are moving back to the area and trying to figure out our options.

[Anonymous]

I can assure you that I do not work at Gatehouse. There is a huge difference between elementary CSS programs. Some are very good, and some aren’t. I know about the bad situations at some of them, and I am very sorry about them, but it’s not all.

Frost/Woodson are good.

[Anonymous]

Madison is also excellent for High School - Current Madison CSS parent....

[Anonymous]

Our CSS elementary was much like the one described by 18:18, for several years at least. A lot is teacher dependent, and we lucked out with a few really good ones. But a change in teachers or administrators can make a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

A large part of the issue is staffing. A school that puts more than two grades in one class needs to be challenged on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Madison is also excellent for High School - Current Madison CSS parent....

But there are no AP or Honors classes for kids in this program. There are not even AP or Honors classes for kids in regular team taught classes. It is atrocious how FCPS lumps all kids with special needs together.

My kid has dyslexia and ADHD, but he has a normal IQ and is very capable of challenging work as long as he has supports in place. He cannot take any Honors or AP classes while being in a team taught or small group class.

Instead, he is in classes with kids that are ESL or emotionally disturbed, or with severe learning disabilities or he can take large AP or Honors classes with one teacher and no supports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A large part of the issue is staffing. A school that puts more than two grades in one class needs to be challenged on this.

Our CSS has two classes that would go up to 12 kids. One k-2/3 and one 3/4-6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madison is also excellent for High School - Current Madison CSS parent....

But there are no AP or Honors classes for kids in this program. There are not even AP or Honors classes for kids in regular team taught classes. It is atrocious how FCPS lumps all kids with special needs together.

My kid has dyslexia and ADHD, but he has a normal IQ and is very capable of challenging work as long as he has supports in place. He cannot take any Honors or AP classes while being in a team taught or small group class.

Instead, he is in classes with kids that are ESL or emotionally disturbed, or with severe learning disabilities or he can take large AP or Honors classes with one teacher and no supports.

What types of special needs does your DS have that requires a CSS program?

I have a child with mental health issues (anxiety, ADHD, very high impulsivity) and a couple of learning disabilities that may end up in a CSS program because she's unable to cope even with a comprehensive IEP. Maybe I'm just overwhelmed right now but AP and Honors class is at the bottom of my priority list for DC.