Parent Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

following steps:
1. For the child to be considered for advanced placement to first grade, the child must
turn six years old by October 15th and be a resident of Harford County.
2. The application process begins the first Friday of May and ends the first Friday in June.
Assessments will be administered in May and June of the current school year.
3. Obtain a packet for Advanced Placement into First Grade from the attendance
area school and complete a Parent Information Profile and other forms. Complete
the profile packet and return it to the Executive Director of Elementary School
Performance, 102 S. Hickory Ave., Bel Air, Maryland 21014. For consideration, all
information must be complete with parent signatures.
4. After reviewing the information you provide, the Executive Director will make a
decision to honor or decline your request and notify you. If your request is honored,
the information will be kept on file until the child completes the assessment part of
the application packet.
5. If you wish to pursue advanced placement for your child, (s)he will be given a
reading and language arts assessment as well as a mathematics assessment. A
specialist will contact the parent/guardian to schedule the assessment.
6. In order to be considered for advanced placement, your child must score at least
90 percent on both parts of the assessment. Assessments are administered by the
specialist without parent or guardian presence and lasts approximately two hours. A
child may be assessed only one time for advanced placement determination.
7. If advanced placement is recommended, the principal or designee of the attendance
school will schedule a conference with the parent/guardian to discuss the request.
Be prepared to talk about your child’s previous group experiences and special
strengths and needs as you have described them on the Parent Information Profile.
8. Placement will be for a probationary period of 30 school days pending the child’s
satisfactory social-emotional adjustment as determined by the classroom teacher.
9. Upon completion of the probationary period, a final letter will be sent to the parent/
guardian. If acceptance into first grade is recommended, all relevant school policies
and procedures will apply including daily school attendance. However, if the child is
denied advanced placement into first grade, the child will be placed in kindergarten.
The intent of the above procedure is to make the first grade program available to younger
students who are capable of working in a classroom setting with children one year older.
The standards for advanced placement in first grade are very high to ensure that children
are not frustrated by the advanced placement.
Alcohol/Metal Detectors & Surveillance Cameras
As a means of further enhancing school safety and security, school administrators have
been trained in the use of a device that detects the odor of alcohol and in the use of
hand-held metal detectors. With reasonable suspicion, students may be subject to the
use of the alcohol-detecting device or the metal detector during the school day or at after
school events on school property. Also, some schools and buses may be equipped with
surveillance cameras. These cameras are placed in interior common areas and outdoor
locations surrounding the building to help monitor student behavior.
Alternative Education
A program of alternative education is provided at the Center for Educational Opportunity.
Secondary school students who have long-term suspensions from school are eligible
to enroll in the alternative education program and will receive credit for satisfactorily
completed work. In addition, secondary school students whose educational, emotional, financial, physical, or other
needs are such that they cannot be met in the regular school program are eligible to apply for admission to the
alternative program.
Attendance Policy
The Harford County Public Schools’ Student Attendance Policy is based on the overriding premise that success
in school is dependent upon continuous and consistent classroom instructional experience. In addition to
participating in educational experiences that cannot be duplicated outside the school atmosphere, students
need opportunities to develop an appropriate sense of self-worth and to establish satisfactory peer relationships.
Schools are being held accountable not only for effectiveness in teaching state selected curricula, but for the
regular attendance of students.
• Students should be expected to attend school and all classes regularly and to be punctual. Upon returning to
school from an absence, a student is required to bring a written note from his or her parent/caretaker stating
the reason for each absence.
• There is a significant relationship between regular attendance and academic achievement and completion of
a school program.
• Regular attendance assists students in the development of self-discipline and good work habits. These
habits generally remain with the students as they enter the world of work. It is essential to teach the benefits
of and encourage good attendance and punctuality during a student’s educational career.
• Regular attendance is a shared responsibility by the community, the home, students, and school personnel,
and we must work together to promote it to the fullest extent possible.
Rules, Regulations, and Procedures
I. General Regulations Attendance
A. Each child who resides in this state and is five years old or older and under 16 years of age
shall attend a public school regularly during the entire school year unless the child is otherwise
receiving regular, thorough instruction during the school year in the studies usually taught in the
public schools to children of the same age.
B. A student is considered in attendance at school when participating in school-sponsored activities
during the school day, and when that participation is approved by the local superintendent of
schools or the school principal, or their designees.
C. Students Scheduled for a Full Day - A student is counted present for a full day if the student is
in attendance four hours or more of the school day. A student is counted present
half day if in attendance for at least two hours of the school day, but less than four hours.
A student is counted as tardy to school if the student is absent less than 2 ½ hours in
the morning. A student is counted as early dismissal if the student is absent less than 2 ½ hours
before dismissal.
D. Modified School Day (due to inclement weather or elementary planning day) - A student is
counted present for a full day if absent no more than 30 minutes of the school day. A student
is counted present for half day if present for at least two hours. A student is tardy to school if
absent less than 30 minutes in the morning. A student is counted as early dismissal if absent less
than 30 minutes before dismissal.
E. Modified Student Schedule - A student scheduled for less than a full day is to be counted present
based on the amount of time he/she is scheduled. Example: A student scheduled for a two hour
block of time will be counted present for a full day if the student is in attendance for that entire
block of time. If the student is absent for that entire block of time, the student will be counted
absent for a full day. A student scheduled for a two hour block of time will be counted present for
1/2 day if the student is in attendance for one hour.
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