8820 Falling Leaf Dr
Owings, MD 20736

This review is specifically for students with IEP or 504. This school is not for them. My daughter came in with an IEP and the very first year, part way through, we were told she was going to be switched to a 504. We thought this meant she had made progress with her learning goals and would still have the support she needs in class. She is on the spectrum and has auditory processing delay, easily distracted, makes noises while she is thinking, and struggles with attention. The 504 was suppose to have supports including her having access to teacher notes for instruction (not test notes- just acess to the powerpoints the teacher rushes through in class because she cannot keep up with writing the information), extra time to complete assignments and tests, preferential seating, and allow her to request further clarification of assignments. Since switching to the 504, we have repeatedly argued with teachers about those very things. The 504 is suppose to be guaranteed by Federal law, and yet every teacher argued with us about following it. Some teachers we had months long back and forth and the school will back the teachers. So, if you have a student who is a great at sports, great at music, or any other activity that they can potentially win an award for the school- they will be welcomed with open arms. But normal students, or worse still (from the school's perspective) a student with a learning difference, this is not the school for them. You won't win them awards, you will drag down their standardized test results (which apparently is worth more for federal funding than funding for assisting students with learning differences), and you will make just too much work for their teachers. It's a "blue ribbon" school, not a blue pumpkin school.So why did we stay? Because we moved to the area specifically for the schools- they were suppose to be so amazing. And we have moved around a lot for my husband's job. We just wanted to give her 3 years at the same school. Our mistake. Along that note, military families be prepared for an exercise in futility trying to get credits from previous schools to count. There is not a lot of support for military dependents. At least she got a purple shirt, you know how important that is for all the kids go through. While verbally you will be told how hard the deployment must be, there is not support for if the student is struggling with the deployment emotionally. Be prepared for "all the students are going through so much."

We have had an excellent experience with this school. I have had three children with IEPs for speech, one of whom is autistic, and they have gotten all of the help that they have needed. The staff and teachers are very concerned with the welfare of the students, and are always willing to address parent concerns. Students still get recess, and instruction in health and physical education, art, music, and media center, which I can assure you is not always the case with public schools these days.

Terrible I got picked on constantly the teachers did absolutely nothing so in my 3rd year I transferred to northern middle and in was a life changer one of the best decisions ever