Academy Support Services

What are Academy Support Teams?
The Academy Support Teams are special education resource teams assigned to each of the Fairfax County High School Academies. The mission of the support team is to provide assistance necessary to enable students with special needs to successfully participate in Academy classes. Team members meet with each student to discuss needed accommodations, plan classroom supports, and provide assistance with transition planning. The support teams work closely with Academy instructors and administrators, high school special education departments, and Career and Transition Programs personnel to achieve their goals.

Who can benefit from Academy Support Team services?
The support teams serve students with special needs who attend High School Academies. Students from FCPS high schools are eligible to enroll in Academy courses. Some technical courses recommend prerequisite coursework and entail technical vocabulary and advanced problem solving skills. Students with a high degree of interest in the subject area and the ability to work independently are likely to be successful in this inclusive setting.

What can students learn at Academies?
Academy programs equip students with valued technical knowledge and skills through meaningful and relevant learning opportunities. Rigorous industry and academic standards, technology, and employment competencies are integrated to prepare students for higher education and various careers. Students have the opportunity to participate in community based internships, receive college credit as well as industry certifications upon successful completion of certain Academy classes, and possibly be eligible for scholarship funds to be used for post-secondary education in related fields of study.

Currently, Academies are located at Chantilly, Edison, Fairfax, Marshall, and West Potomac High Schools. Link to the following websites for specific course offerings:

Chantilly Academy: http://www.fcps.edu/ChantillyAcademy/
Edison Academy: http://www.fcps.edu/EdisonAcademy
Fairfax Academy: http://www.fcps.edu/FairfaxAcademy/
Falls Church Academy: http://www.fcps.edu/FallsChurchHS/academy/
Marshall Academy: http://www.fcps.edu/MarshallAcademy/
West Potomac: http://www.fcps.edu/WestPotomacAcademy/

What supports do Academy Support Teams provide?

The support teams address the needs of students by providing direct academic support to students, technical support to Academy instructors, and by acting as liaisons to the special education departments at students' base schools and to other Career and Transition programs. Accommodations are based on the individual needs of each student. Examples include:

• Individual and small group instruction
• Instruction in organization and study skills
• Individual test administration
• Review instructional materials
• Behavioral support plans
• Advocacy
• Transition planning and post-secondary linkages

Who to contact for more information?
Chantilly Academy Support Team
Edison Academy Support Team
Fairfax Academy Support Team
Falls Church Academy
Marshall Academy Support Team
West Potomac Support Team