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You are here: Fairfax County Public Schools > About FCPS > Special Programs
Alternative high school diploma-granting programs for students who require a nontraditional setting are offered at Bryant Adult/Alternative High School, Landmark Career Academy, Mountain View Adult/Alternative School, and Pimmit Hills Adult/Alternative High School. These schools offer:
For information, call: Bryant Alternative High School at 703-660-2000; Landmark Career Academy at 703-658-6451; Mountain View Adult/Alternative School at 703-227-2344; or Pimmit Hills School at 703-506-2344.
Landmark Career Academy is a self-paced completion-by-objective school-to-work program. Students attend the academy full-time for all their studies, which include high school academic subjects, life skills, and employment readiness. For more information, call 703-658-6451.
Project Opportunity (administered through Bryant Alternative High School) is a high school completion program for students between the ages of 16 and 21 who are pregnant or parenting. For more information, call 703-660-2025.
Adult and community education programs offer lifelong learning and volunteer opportunities year-round in FCPS schools and community facilities. General interest programs include: arts, business, certificate programs, communication, culinary arts, genealogy, health and medical, house and home, information technology, kids and teens, languages and culture, online learning, personal growth, trade and industry. Special interest programs include: adult high school completion, apprenticeship, English for speakers of other languages, and workplace training. The Office of Adult and Community Education (ACE) began in 1955 with 108 students; ACE now serves approximately 61,000 individuals annually. For additional information, contact us or visit the ACE home page.
The Advanced Placement (AP) program provides rigorous academic college preparatory coursework in the major subject fields. Courses are offered in English, social studies, science, foreign languages, math, and fine arts. AP courses are open to highly motivated students, primarily in 11th and 12th grades; a few courses are open to underclassmen as well. Fairfax County Public Schools recognizes a student who takes a minimum of five AP courses and scores at least a 3 on each AP exam with an AP diploma. AP courses are open to any student who is interested in academic rigor. AP courses are recognized for college credit by many universities in the United States and abroad. For more information about the AP program, see www.collegeboard.com.
The AP program is offered at Centreville, Chantilly, Fairfax, Falls Church, Herndon, Langley, Madison, McLean, Oakton, West Potomac, West Springfield, Westfield, and Woodson High Schools and at Hayfield, Lake Braddock, and South County Secondary Schools. A list of AP courses in FCPS schools is available on the FCPS web site atwww.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/advepd/advepd.htm. For more information, contact a participating school or the advanced academic programs office at 703-208-7706.
All middle schools currently have a regularly scheduled after-school program for at least three days a week for one to two hours a day. The program is supported with resources allocated by the School Board, Board of Supervisors, and School-Community Coalitions. The after-school program is free with late bus transportation provided. Particular program offerings vary by school but, in general, academic support and enrichment, social skill and youth development, and recreation and intramural opportunities are offered at each middle school. Parents should contact their local middle school for information about the specific programs offered or call the After-School Program Office at 571-423-1270.
The Alternative Learning Center (ALC) is designed to provide continued educational opportunities in core classes for students in grades 6 through 10 who have been involved in serious disciplinary incidents.
Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) is a program designed for students “in the middle” who have the desire and potential to attend a four-year college and could benefit from regular in-school academic support and immersion in a culture of achievement in order to be successful in a higher level course of study. For more information, call 703-846-8663 or 703-846-8674.
Comprehensive high schools offer courses in the following areas: business and information technology, family and consumer sciences, industrial technology, marketing, trade and industry. In addition, programs in business, industrial technology, and family and consumer sciences are offered in the middle schools. Courses in health and medical sciences are available to all high school juniors and seniors at Chantilly, Edison, Falls Church, and West Potomac High Schools, and school bus transportation may be provided.
Programs for students with special interests are available at community-based locations and at single school sites. The high school academies (located at Chantilly, Edison, Fairfax, Falls Church, Marshall, and West Potomac High Schools) offer students opportunities in advanced technical and specialized elective courses focusing on careers in communications and the arts, engineering and scientific technology, health and human services, and international studies and business.
For further information, call the Office of Career and Technical Education at 703-208-7796.
The College Partnership program is a comprehensive educational partnership that involves the school system, colleges and universities, businesses, parents, and community organizations. The program provides a variety of activities that help selected students develop the academic and personal skills required for college entrance. For eligibility criteria and additional information, call 571-423-4410.
School-Age Child Care (SACC) is provided before school, after kindergarten, and after school in certain elementary schools. For more information, call the Fairfax County Office for Children, 703-449-8989.
The Early Identification program (EIP) at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax is an innovative multiyear college preparatory program for middle and high school students. This GMU-FCPS partnership increases the number of students from traditionally underrepresented populations who attend and complete college.
The specific objectives of the program are to:
During the school year, students and their parents enjoy cultural events on and off campus; attend tutoring and counseling sessions with university students, faculty, and staff members; attend workshops and activities designed to strengthen the family; and participate in a camp to acquire leadership skills.
During the summer, students attend a three-week academic enrichment program that encourages active class participation.
Admission to GMU is guaranteed to those who successfully complete both the EIP and an academic program in a Fairfax County high school.
For additional information, call 703-208-7721.
These schools receive additional
resources aimed at enhancing and enriching the Program of Studies.
Bailey's and Hunters Woods serve their immediate attendance areas as well
as accepting students from outside their boundaries through a computerized
random lottery. Magnet students use state-of-the-art technology to extend
their core studies and study subject areas through conceptual units by
integrating the visual and performing arts to increase academic achievement. Schools
and Centers Directory.
Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
The academic program integrates the arts and technology with instruction to make learning a creative experience. Students conduct research, produce live dramatic performances, compose original musical scores, design science experiments, and build museum exhibits. Resources such as technology, science labs, electronic music labs, a performing arts theater, a math exploratorium, a communications center and television studio, a partnership with the USDA Forest Service, and a liaison with the Smithsonian Institution are available. Bailey's participates in CETA, Changing Education Through the Arts, a partnership with the Kennedy Center and six schools in the greater Washington, D.C., area. Also offered are the Spanish partial-immersion program, the museum-in-progress program, and reduced teacher-student ratios.
An information night for prospective applicants is held each year in February at the school, located in Bailey's Crossroads. Applicants must be in grades K through 4 and be working on or above grade level in language arts and mathematics. Applications will be available in all Fairfax County elementary schools and may be submitted from January 1 through March 1 for the following school year. For more information, call 703-575-6836 or view the Bailey's web site, www.fcps.edu/BaileysES.
Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences.
The academic program integrates fine arts, science, and technology into the curriculum. The fine arts program, partnered with the George Mason Institute of the Arts, develops students' observation levels and creativity as they focus on self-expression through music, theater, and dance. The school participates in CETA, Changing Education Through the Arts, a partnership with the Kennedy Center and six schools throughout the greater Washington, D.C., metro area. The Science Discovery program provides support to the science curriculum and special projects. State-of-the-art technology supports instruction in all curriculum areas. The school houses a center for the gifted and talented and a center for the mildly retarded. The school also has a School-Age Child Care (SACC) program. Students must be on or above grade level in language arts and mathematics. All eligible applicants are placed in a computerized lottery for selection. An information night for prospective applicants is held each year in February at the school, located in Reston. Applications will be available in all Fairfax County elementary schools and may be submitted from January 1 through March 1 for the following school year. For a brochure and more information, call 703-262-7497.
ESOL classes are provided in 220 school settings for approximately 21,000 students, in grades 1-12, who collectively speak more than 100 languages. Students are served in school-based programs or in center programs, depending on the number of ESOL students in a school community. For additional information, call 703-846-8632. ESOL classes for adults are offered throughout the county; for locations and class schedules, call 703-714-5560.
Through the Family and Early Childhood Education (Head Start) program, parents, other volunteers, and community professionals work with school staff members to provide comprehensive services that meet children's educational, health, nutritional, social, and emotional needs.
The program serves more than 1000 students, aged three through five, in classrooms located in 52 schools. The program provides services to children from birth to three years of age and to expectant mothers at the Early Head Start Center in the Reston area. For eligibility criteria and additional information, call 703-277-2624.
The FCPS fine arts program is offered to all students and includes music, theater arts, and visual arts. Programs for high school students with special interests in the fine arts are available at the West Potomac and Fairfax High School academies. For further information, call 703-208-7719, or visit the web site.
Focus schools offer special instructional opportunities to help individual schools explore new initiatives that would benefit student achievement and the school community. Additional instructional materials or staffing are provided to support these locally designed unique educational programs. The focus may reflect a special concentration in a particular discipline, the use of special materials, or a different method of delivering instruction that is supported by research to substantiate the effectiveness of the techniques, strategies, and materials used.
Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) is an approach to language learning that allows students to develop basic communicative skills in a language while reinforcing and enriching content in other disciplines. The FLES model develops students’ language proficiency by providing language instruction that supports the concepts taught in the subject areas at the respective grade level. Generally, programs provide 30 minutes of instruction two to three times per week, and the culture of the target language is integrated into instruction. Visit the web site.
Selected elementary and middle schools offer partial-immersion programs in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German. Students acquire the foreign language while mastering the content curriculum. Applications for rising first graders are available in all elementary schools in January. For further information, call the foreign language office at 703-208-7724.
Programs are available for gifted and talented students, kindergarten through grade 12. School-based programs for identified students are located at each school, grades K-12. Full-time center programs for the highly academically gifted are located at selected elementary and middle schools, grades 3-8. The gifted and talented program at the high school level is open and includes preIB, honors, and gifted courses for ninth and tenth grade English, mathematics, science, and social studies. The AP and IB programs for 11th and 12th grades are available in English, fine arts, foreign language, science, and social studies. For further information about the elementary school programs, call 703-846-8670; for information about the middle school programs, call 703-846-8674; for information about the high school programs, call 703-208-7706 or your child’s school.
The high school academies offer advanced technical and specialized elective courses for students interested in pursuing careers in communication arts, business, engineering, scientific technology, or health and human services. In the academy elective course offerings, juniors and seniors receive both career and academic preparation for future learning in college and career fields. Students enrolling in the academy elective courses are provided with opportunities to participate in job shadowing and mentoring and to obtain internships with local businesses.
For more information, contact the academy administrators at the following sites:
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology offers a comprehensive college preparatory program emphasizing science, mathematics, and technology. As the Governor's School for Science and Technology in Northern Virginia, the school serves qualified applicants from Fairfax County and other participating school divisions in Northern Virginia.
Selection for admission is competitive. The majority of students attending the school enter as ninth graders; replacements are selected for vacancies at the tenth grade level. For more information, call 703-750-8335.
Interagency alternative schools offer an education program for at-risk youth who have been placed by agency representatives and who have not been successful in traditional school settings. These schools are included in the alternative school programs list. The interagency alternative schools are included in the alternative school programs list. For more information regarding these programs, call 571-423-3360.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program provides a comprehensive rigorous education emphasizing analytical thinking, reading, and writing skills with an international perspective. It is an advanced level college preparatory program open to highly motivated 11th and 12th grade students who seek academic rigor. A student can earn a full IB diploma by completing courses in six areas—English, foreign language, social studies, science, math, and elective. Beyond completing the course requirements, diploma students are required to engage in community service (CAS), individual research (extended essay), and Theory of Knowledge class. Students may also choose to earn IB certificates for individual IB courses. For more information about the IB program see www.ibo.org.
The IB program is offered at Annandale, Edison, Lee, Marshall, Mount Vernon, South Lakes, and Stuart High Schools and Robinson Secondary School. A list of IB courses in FCPS schools is available. (PDF document). For more information, contact a participating school or the advanced academic programs office at 703-208-7706.
Annandale, Edison, Lee, Marshall, Mount Vernon, South Lakes, and Stuart High Schools and Robinson Secondary School offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, a rigorous academic curriculum for 11th and 12th grade students.
Students can earn a full IB diploma that consists of external examinations in six subjects, participation in community service activities, and completion of a 4,000-word extended essay. Students who do not want to complete a full IB diploma may earn a separate IB certificate for each IB course completed.
The IB program is open to all students, and any student enrolled in an IB course is required to take the end-of-course examination. IB courses are recognized for college credit by many universities in the United States.
For further information, contact a participating school or the advanced academic programs office at 703-208-7706.
Four FCPS teams–Whitman Middle and Mount Vernon High, Hughes Middle and South Lakes High, Glasgow Middle and Stuart High, and Holmes and Poe Middle and Annandale High Schools have been authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program (IBMYP). IBMYP provides an academically challenging framework for students in grades 6 through 10.
For further information, contact a participating school or the Office of Middle School Instruction at 703-846-8674.
FCPS Online Campus is a web-based course delivery program. FCPS Online Campus delivers courses identical in content to those offered in traditional classrooms and uses multimedia to teach students. These courses are aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and follow the Fairfax County Public Schools Program of Studies (POS). Course enrollment is handled through individual schools. For more information, visit the web site.
The Preschool Diagnostic Centers offer comprehensive developmental assessments of preschool children between the ages of two and five years. Preschool Diagnostic Centers are located at Devonshire Center, 703-876-5207, Rocky Run Middle School, 703-802-7788, and at Lorton Center, 703-446-2140. Diagnostic teams include educational diagnosticians, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, and social workers. In addition, clinical audiologists are available to assess children with suspected or documented hearing losses. Diagnostic teams formulate recommendations to support preschool children and their families. Children who exhibit significant developmental delays can be considered for special education eligibility and services. The Preschool Diagnostic Centers are administered by the psychology services office, 571-423-4260.
A professional development academic center is available at Riverside Elementary School. The program consists of four teachers, certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), who teach primary and upper elementary students with a focused high-quality program of instruction. The program specifically addresses the critical issues and challenges facing this multicultural school.
Project Excel boosts student achievement at selected schools with large numbers of students who are at risk for failing standardized tests. These schools receive additional resources to improve academic achievement by providing increased time for learning, an enhanced academic program, and school accountability. The program includes technology-based phonics instruction for students in grades K-1 and the implementation of a research-based instructional model. School accountability includes the goal of a five-point yearly improvement in each school’s schoolwide achievement index (SAI) score. Rewards are given each year to schools that exceed their SAI goals. The 20 Project Excel schools for the 2005-06 school year are indicated by asterisks in the school directory. All of these schools have full-day kindergarten.
A psychologist is assigned to each school and special education center The psychologist works with students, parents, and staff members. Services that are provided include the following: individual, group, and parent counseling, crisis intervention, behavioral intervention, instructional consultation, and psychological evaluation. Additional information is available by calling the psychology services office at 571-423-4260.
QUEST is a three-year science, math, language arts, and
technology program for high-achieving minority students in grades 6-8. It is
designed to increase the number of underrepresented students in advanced secondary
programs such as AP, IB, Honors, and TJHSST. Selected students receive extended
learning opportunities to advance their skill levels. QUEST students attend
Saturday morning sessions at TJHSST. Through QUEST, students are exposed to
test-taking strategies to increase their success on standardized tests, a diverse
teaching staff, peers with interest and ability in science, math, and technology,
and chances to develop strong logic and reasoning skills.
For additional information, call the Office of Minority Student Achievement
at 703-208-4300.
A sequential and developmental counseling program is provided to all students, kindergarten through grade 12. Classroom counseling lessons are presented at the elementary level. Both individual counseling and group counseling are available at all levels. For a brochure and further information, call 571-423-4420 or the local school.
School social workers are assigned to every school and center:
For further information, call the Office of Social Work and Support Services at571-423-4300.
Special education services are offered for children who have the following disabilities: autism, developmental delay (preschool), emotional disability, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, severe disability, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. For further information, call the Parent Resource Center at 703-204-3941. TTD number is 703-204-3956.
Parents concerned about the developmental skills of their preschool-age children may call Preschool Child Find at 703-876-5244 to discuss their concerns and/or to request a free developmental assessment. Concerned parents of school-age children should contact their school principals.
Fairfax County Public Schools offers opportunities at the secondary level for growth and enrichment through athletics, student government, performing groups, publications, honor societies, and special interest groups. For further information, contact the student activities office at each high school or call 571-423-1260.
Fairfax County Public Schools supports the school-community coalitions that have been established throughout the county to focus on the issues of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use prevention and violence among youth.
Resources and training related to violence and alcohol and other drug use prevention are provided to students, staff members, and community members. Parents are required to attend an evening program. A one-day tobacco intervention seminar is an educational program that helps students who have been suspended from school for tobacco violations to understand the dangers of smoking. INOVA Health Care works with FCPS to give students the most up-to-date information concerning the law, the health issues, and the pressures associated with peers who smoke. Parents are required to attend an evening program. Conflict resolution and mediation programs provide students with information and skills to help them cope in conflict situations that could result in violence. The Student Responsibilities and Rights booklet provides specific conduct rules and disciplinary consequences for the use or possession of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs and for acts of violence, including assaults, harassment, or use or possession of weapons.
For more information, call the Safe and Drug-Free Youth Section at 571-423-4270.
Success by Eight is designed to ensure that every child will be able to read and do mathematics on grade level by age eight. The program is located in 17 elementary schools. These are identified in the school directory. Success by Eight provides ungraded instruction for students in kindergarten through second grade. Students are grouped and regrouped for different types of instruction to ensure that each student receives the instruction he or she needs at any time to move on to the next level of learning.
Summer school programs, offered for students in grades K-12 at selected sites, include: camps and institutes, community education courses, elementary and middle school integrated learning programs, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), high school courses for new or repeat credit, special education programs, and Standards of Learning (SOL) remediation programs. These programs are coordinated by the Office of Adult and Community Education (ACE). For more information, call 703-227-2253.
This program provides intensive behavioral and academic interventions to help build responsibility, positive relationships, and resilience in grades kindergarten through 11. Students are accepted into the program every five weeks in conjunction with interim and quarterly grading reports. For more information, contact John Martson, Summit Program administrator, Eleven Oaks Center, 703-246-8118.
The Title I program provides assistance in language arts and math for approximately 15,000 low-achieving students in 34 elementary schools. For a brochure and additional information, call 703-846-8635 or 703-846-8642.
Four sites offer evening classes designed to meet the instructional needs of students who have limited English proficiency; are 18 years old or older; have limited, interrupted, or no prior schooling; and/or are working significantly below grade level. For additional information, call 703 876-5264.
DISCLAIMER: This web page contains links to one or more web pages that are outside the FCPS network. FCPS does not control the content or relevancy of these pages.
Last update:
May 12, 2008
Curator: Nancy Moy, Nancy.Moy@fcps.edu