FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is Cedar Lane School?

• What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?

• How Are Students Enrolled In Cedar Lane School?

• What is an IEP and How Does Cedar Lane School Implement this Process?

• How Can Parents At Cedar Lane School Support The Educational Program?

• What Are My Rights As A Parent At Cedar Lane School?

• When Can Visits Be Made To Cedar Lane School?

• What Happens When An Emergency Causes Schools to Close?

• Is Lunch Provided At Cedar Lane School?

• What Happens If My Child Becomes Ill?

• How Will My Child Get To and From Cedar Lane Schoool?

• Are There Any Support Groups Available To Family Members of Students?

• How Will Student Progress Be Reported?

• Do Students Need To Bring Anything From Home?

• Is There A Dress Code At Cedar Lane School?

• How Do I Plan For My Son's/Daughter's Future When Leaving Cedar Lane School At Age Twenty-One?

What is Cedar Lane School?

Cedar Lane School, located at 11630 Scagsville Road, Fulton, Maryland, is a special education facility providing multi-intensity need educational services to children from age three through age twenty-one. Students who are enrolled at the facility are identified as disabled and in need of special education programs and related services which are provided at Cedar Lane School.

The student day at Cedar Lane School begins at 8:00 a.m., and ends at 2:30 pm. If for any reason you transport your son/daughter rather than utilizing bus transportation, please plan to arrive at those times to ensure proper supervision of your son/daughter. Staff is not available to supervise students before 8:00 a.m. or after 2:30 p.m.

In addition to the regular school year program, the Board of Education offers a Summer School Program. There is a fee for this program. Students may also be eligible for Extended School Year services. If this is determined by the IEP Team, then there is no fee for the program.

What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?

To qualify for ESY services, a student must fit one or more of the following criteria based on teacher data:

1) Regression/Recoupment - the student loses skills over extended breaks and does not recoup them in a reasonable period of time.
2) Emerging skills - a student is learning a new skill and if not given the opportunity to continue showing progress, it may not happen.
3) Interfering behaviors - the student has behaviors which substantially interfere with his/her ability to access the educational program.
4) Other factors - this covers any "extraordinary" circumstances that are not covered. It is important to note that the concept is Critical Life Skills and that the age of the student also influences ESY services.

How Are Students Enrolled In Cedar Lane School?

Students are referred to Cedar Lane School through an IEP Team meeting, Child Find, the Central ARD Committee or from other schools in Howard County. Placement decisions are made based on all available information in determining the needs of each individual student. In most cases, the IEP process begins in the child's home school.

At registration (at the home school), parent(s)/guardian(s) receive a packet of forms that need to be completed before the student can attend Cedar Lane School. An Individualized Educational Program (IEP) will be developed and approved prior to any student placement.

What is an IEP and How Does Cedar Lane School Implement this Process?

Each student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed just for them. At Cedar Lane School, we use a collaborative approach to develop an IEP for each student that is observable, measurable, and attainable in one year. Parents are asked to inform the classroom teacher of what they see as being needed for their child. A draft copy of the IEP is sent home prior to the actual meeting date to again illicit parent input. The IEP is based on the individual needs of the student and the student's strengths are used to move the student ahead.

How Can Parents At Cedar Lane School Support The Educational Program?

It is vital to the progress of the students that their parents or guardians are active participants in the educational process. This begins with open communication with the classroom teacher and classroom assistant.

Individual staff members establish a method which allows exchange of information between home and school.

The parents or guardians are integral members of the Individualized Educational Program (IEP) team. They will be asked for ongoing assistance in program formation and evaluation.

Parent/Guardian participation is needed for student programs that are scheduled for times other than regular school hours. Parents/Guardians are frequently asked to return permission slips or signed forms by a certain date. Cooperation is important so that each student can benefit from community and educational trips, as well as the offerings available at Cedar Lane School.

The parents and guardians of Cedar Lane School students are encouraged to be involved in the setting of county-wide special education policy. This can be accomplished by attending budget hearings and through active participation in groups such as the P.T.A. and The ARC.

What Are My Rights As A Parent At Cedar Lane School?

The following is a Due Process Checklist for parents. As parent(s)/guardian(s) of a special education student you have:

  1) The right to examine all school records concerning your child.
  2) The right to obtain an independent evaluation.
  3) The right to an interpreter or translator.
  4) The right to determine whether the hearing will be closed or open to the public.
  5) The right to advice of counsel and representation by counsel at the hearing.
  6) The right to bring your child to the hearing.
  7) The right to keep your child in his/her current educational placement until all due process hearing appeals have been completed.
  8) The right to written notification about the hearing in your primary language or mode of communication.
  9) The right to present evidence and testimony.
10) The right to prohibit the introduction of any evidence which has not been disclosed to you at least five days prior to the hearing.
11) The right to cross-examine and challenge all testimony presented during the hearing.
12) The right to receive a verbatim transcript of the hearing at reasonable cost.
13) The right to appeal the decision of the hearing officer or hearing panel.

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) may request, in writing, that the Howard County Department of Education review the identification evaluation or educational placement of the child on the provision of a free appropriate public education to the child. Forms requesting a hearing may be secured through the Howard County Department of Education, Office of Special Education.

When Can Visits Be Made To Cedar Lane School?

Parents are encouraged to visit school at any time. However, so as not to interfere with the planned education program for students, and to be in compliance with the teacher contract, the teacher must be notified in advance. Visitor badges are required. These badges can be obtained in the Front Office when the parent signs in.

• American Education Week - Parents are especially encouraged to visit school during American Education Week, which is observed in November.
• Conferences - Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled twice during the school year.
• Sign-In - All parents and other visitors must report to the main office and sign-in before going anywhere in the building. Teachers are to be notified, prior to a parent/guardian visit, via the school intercom, whenever a parent wishes to visit the classroom, (contractual issue).
• Parking - When visiting the school, please use the parking lot. Do not leave your car in the bus lane at any time. There are spaces available for handicapped parking.

What Happens When An Emergency Causes Schools to Close?

Adverse conditions or emergencies may cause the Superintendent to close school, open school late, or end the day's session early. These announcements will be made on local radio and television stations. Please do not call the school for information. Also, the school will not call you to inform you of these events unless a situation exists which is unique to Cedar Lane School.

Announcements concerning any changes in the regular school schedule will be made on the following radio and television stations:

Is Lunch Provided At Cedar Lane School?

Lunch is available for all students at Cedar Lane School. All students eat lunch in the cafeteria. A menu is sent home weekly and students have the choice daily of pizza or a different entree. Those students eating the school lunch will have a choice of plain or chocolate milk or juice. If your child has a particular food allergy, the classroom teacher should be made aware of this.

• Cost
  • The student lunch cost is $2.00 (drink included).
  • Those students who bring a lunch from home may purchase milk for $0.40 per 1/2 pint. .
• Field Trip Lunches - When going on a field trip, the classroom teacher will notify the parent if a bag lunch should be provided. The packaged lunch should contain non-perishable items easily carried by the student. The cafeteria will provide a bag lunch for those students on free or reduced lunch, if proper notification is given.
• Charging Lunch - It is school policy that no student goes without lunch if lunch or lunch money is forgotten at home. If a student owes money, the parent will be notified of the amount owed.

What Happens If My Child Becomes Ill?

Monitoring and reporting of communicable diseases that occur in the school setting is an important function of school health services personnel. Parents/guardians are requested to report all communicable diseases to the Cedar Lane health room staff.

Parents will be contacted if their son/daughter becomes ill during the school day. For this reason, parents are required to fill out an emergency procedure card and to update the information when .....

How Will My Child Get To and From Cedar Lane School?

Transportation will be provided for your son/daughter to and from Cedar Lane School each day. Parents will be asked to complete a transportation form and an alternate bus plan. You will be informed of a pick-up and return time by the bus contractor.

If you, or a person designated by you, are picking up your son/daughter from school, be sure to send a note to school that morning. Without this notification, students will ride home on their bus. Parents are to sign their son/daughter out in the main office when picking them up early.

Are There Any Support Groups Available To Family Members of Cedar Lane Students?

There are a number of groups that supply information and support to the families of disabled students. Below is a listing of some of those groups that have been actively involved in assisting Cedar Lane student/family members:

Cedar Lane Parent/Sibling Groups

Howard County Recreation and Parks

Parents of Children with Downs Syndrome

Howard County ARC

Maryland Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps

Cornelia de Lange Society

Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cedar Lane P.T.A.

Howard County Autism Society

How Will Student Progress Be Reported?

A report card will be sent home four times a year. The information shared with the parents or guardians at report card time will be further explained at parent conferences including the IEP annual review. Since each family receives written material throughout the year, it is advised that a file be maintained at home for the student. This will allow for quick retrieval of information.

Do Students Need To Bring Anything From Home?

• Swimming - Every student who has a signed swim permission needs to have a bathing suit and grooming items (clearly labeled) which are kept at school. If ear plugs have been prescribed by a physician, they need to be sent in with the swimming items..
• Change of Clothes - Accidents happen. Each student should bring in a bag (clearly labeled) with a complete change of clothes. If soiled clothes are sent home, a clean change of clothes should be sent in the next day
• Diapers - Those students not toilet trained need a supply of disposable diapers at school.
• Toys - Students should not bring toys or other unrequested items to school. If items from home are needed, the teacher will request them at that time.

Is There A Dress Code At Cedar Lane School?

A report card will be sent home four times a year. The information shared with the parents or guardians at report card time will be further explained at parent conferences including the IEP annual review. Since each family receives written material throughout the year, it is advised that a file be maintained at home for the student. This will allow for quick retrieval of information.

• Student dress and appearance shall be the responsibility of students and their parents.
• Students, with the assistance of parents, shall be responsible to dress and groom themselves in a safe, healthy, age-appropriate manner.
• Students and parents shall realize that certain manners of dress may be required for specific activities. Many Cedar Lane School students go out in the community on a daily or weekly basis, and they should be encouraged to dress according to the weather.
• Dressing Skills -Dressing and grooming skills are an on-going part of the Cedar Lane School program. It is helpful to the student that on swimming days, students wear clothing that they can manage as independently as possible.

How Do I Plan For My Son's/Daughter's Future When Leaving Cedar Lane School At Age Twenty-One?

It is important to begin early to explore what options are available to your son/daughter following exit from the public school system, which will occur at age twenty-one. There are a variety of programs and services available and the individuals who are responsible for those programs and services can provide specific details of their agencies. The work study coordinator at Cedar Lane School can provide you with information about how to initiate the process at the appropriate time. Parents of high school aged students will also be a part of the transition planning process which begins at age fourteen.

Cedar Lane School's Transition Page