The Howard County Gateway Program is a county-wide alternative educational program for students in need of intensive academic and behavioral instruction and support. The Gateway Program serves middle and high school students who have proven resistant to all efforts at meeting their needs within the home school and those who have been successful in a more restrictive alternative education program and are in need of a less restrictive level of services. The Gateway Program services between 100 and 150 middle and high school students, providing academic instruction and remediation, social skills instruction, counseling and therapeutic support, and a structured behavior management program designed to help students develop more appropriate school behaviors. Upon entry into the program, each student develops an individualized plan that sets measurable goals for academic performance, behavior change, and attendance.
Students remain in the program until their goals are realized.
When students meet their goals, a transition plan is developed and student are returned, in a systematic manner, to their home school. The Bridges Program - Bridges is a special education program designed for middle and high school students whose needs require that they attend a separate school program until they can be educated in a less restrictive environment. Because of their emotional disabilities, these students often display a range of characteristics which may include extreme distractibility, depression, poor self-esteem, impulsiveness and poor decision making skills. These students may be unresponsive, verbally abusive, physically aggressive or noticeably withdrawn. They may refuse to follow rules or adhere to social norms.