Homewood Center

Homewood Center, also known as Homewood School, is a public secondary institution in Ellicott City, Maryland, United States; it is part of the Howard County Public School System. The school hosts nontraditional classroom programs for Howard County students in grades 6-12.

This article is about the school in Maryland. For the Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre in England, see Homewood School.
Homewood Center
Address
10914 Clarksville Pike

Ellicott City
,
Maryland
21042

United States
Coordinates39.236923°N 76.8928634°W / 39.236923; -76.8928634
Information
School typePublic School
Established2002
School districtHoward County Public Schools
NCES School ID240042001189
PrincipalChristina Krabitz[1]
Grades6–12
Enrollment148[2]
LanguageEnglish
CampusSmall city
Color(s)Orange   Blue   used but unofficial: Yellow  
Websitehc.hcpss.org

History

In 2001, the Board of Education of Howard County, Maryland began soliciting bids for the construction of a new Alternative Learning Center.[3] The Homewood Center was built in 2002 near the historic Homewood estate. The name was selected by a committee who chose not to add the words "Alternative Learning Center." A spokesperson reported that "we wanted to make the school as elegant as we could possibly make it."[4] Homewood is located on the same campus as the Applications and Research Lab and the HCPSS central offices.[5] It is part of the Howard County Public School System.[6][7] The school does not have a Parent-Teacher Association.[8] In 2004, the principal of Oakland Mills High School was transferred by the Howard County Public School System superintendent to Homewood School amid a grade-changing scandal. Consequently, the current principal of Homewood was moved to fill the vacancy at Oakland Mills.[9]

Academics

The Homewood Center hosts nontraditional classroom programs for middle and high school students.[10][11] These courses are often designed for students who have not performed well in conventional classroom settings.[12] This may be due to "legal infractions, behavior challenges, or emotional disabilities."[13] Students attend Homewood on "referral" from other county middle and high schools.[14] Homewood has three special education programs. One of these programs, Gateway, is designed for students with behavioral problems.[15] In 2004, officials designated the Homewood Center as a trouble facility under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. This was because the Center did not show signs of improvement after two consecutive years. The school was entered into the state school improvement program where it would receive additional support and resources, but face strict administrative regulation.[13]

Starting in 2007, Homewood hosts an annual career fair to help students learn about different career opportunities. Local business owners and other professionals come to give presentations. Members of the student government serve as hosts for these local speakers.[16]

Since 2012, the Center implements restorative practices. These practices are required to take place at least once a week in every class, sometimes in the form of a "restorative justice circle."[12] According to state data, in 2012, 87.1 percent of the students at the Center passed the required high school standardized assessments in algebra and data analysis, biology, and English.[17]

References
  1. "School Staff | Homewood Center". hc.hcpss.org. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  2. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Homewood School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  3. "Proposals". The Baltimore Sun. 2001-04-09. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. White, Tanika (2000-11-10). "Board mulling secular tone Religious references to school holidays would be eliminated Opposition encountered". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
  5. Metcalf, Andrew (2013-09-09). "Power Out at Homewood Center, Howard County Schools' Central Office". Ellicott City, MD Patch. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  6. Ames, Blair (2014-11-18). "Homewood School, HCPSS offices affected by power outage". Howard County Times. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  7. Burris, Joe. "Howard mediation center resolving conflicts at schools". Howard County Times. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  8. Peklo, Lisa (2011-03-10). "The View from the neighborhoods". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Cho, Hanah (2004-08-11). "Columbia principal moved to alternative school". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Guide to Howard County 2016: Education". Howard Magazine. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
  11. "Education and schools in Howard County". Howard County Times. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  12. Magill, Kate (2018-01-07). "Building a sense of community". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Bowie, Liz; Kay, Liz F. (2004-06-30). "Six schools off the failing list; one is added". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Prudente, Tim (2016-12-27). "Teacher is a lesson in perseverance". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. White, Tanika (2002-08-30). "How one teacher's experience overcomes lack of certification". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Regnante, Lisa Gueil (2011-05-12). "Homewood Center students gain insights at career fair". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Toth, Sara (2012-11-08). "County students outperform others on state tests". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2018-05-08 – via Newspapers.com.
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