There are several places on this site where information on TPA’s philosophy and focus can be found:

• in our Welcome Message which can be found here ,
• in the section that discusses our mission and philosophy which can be found here
• in the document Character Focused Approach located in our document library which can be obtained here.

Yes, TPA has published a   parent handbook which can be access online from our document library. To view or download it click here.

All volunteers – such as mentors, interns, tutors, chaperones, and volunteers working in concession stands and at gate receipts at athletic events must undergo a fingerprint background check, child protective service clearance, and training on reporting suspected child abuse at least 14 days in advance of the day field trip, overnight trip or activity on or off school property.

A fingerprint background check must be initiated through the PGCPS Fingerprinting Office before performing duties and the child protective services clearance must be initiated through Human Resources.

For more information go to the PGCPS website Background Unit: Fingerprinting page - http://pgcps.org/fingerprinting/ 

Background Unit Contact Information:
Hours of Operation 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. Monday - Friday

Sasscer Administration Building
14201 School Lane, Room 128
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
Telephone: 301.952.7831
hr.backgroundunit@pgcps.org

All volunteers, except one-time event volunteers (i.e. chaperone for one school dance, or career day participant) are required to complete the assigned SafeSchools training modules prior to volunteering. 

Upon completion of each training module, the volunteer should provide you with a copy of their certificates of completion. 

Three (3) modules have been assigned to volunteers to complete. 

• They are PGCPS Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect;
• PGCPS Student Safety Procedural Changes;
• and Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention.

To sign up or find out more, go to the PGCPS page: Required Training for Volunteers and Contractors : http://pgcps.org/required-training/

Any parent/guardian who needs assistance covering the cost of a fingerprint background check, and whose child(ren) qualify for free and reduced-priced meals may request a waiver of the background check fee by providing a copy of their eligibility letter from the PGCPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services.

• For general information on policies: Student Safety Toolkit - http://pgcps.org/safety-tool-kit/
• For Information on training requirements: Required Training For Volunteers And Contractors - http://pgcps.org/required-training
• For answers to questions on policies: Background Checks And Volunteers FAQ - http://pgcps.org/page.aspx?Pageid=234147&id=238292
• For details on fingerprinting costs, etc: Background Unit: Fingerprinting - http://pgcps.org/fingerprinting/

Yes, there is a document, Traffic Flow Patterns, which can be downloaded from the TPA documents library.

This information should be on the PGCPS Health page on it's website, www1.pgcps.org/schoolhealth. Check the link for Health Forms for Parents and Prescribers.

Yes. TPA requires uniforms for all grade levels. To learn more about our uniform policy, click here.

The uniform policy can be downloaded from the TPA document library, here

TPA uniforms can be purchased from the following retailers:

All American Wear, Inc.
5001-B Forbes Blvd.
Lanham, MD 20706.
Phone: 301-459-5000
Website: http://www.allamericanwear.com/

Flynn & O’Hara School Uniforms
Lanham Crossing Shopping Center
8807 Annapolis Road
Lanham, MD 20706
Website:https://www.flynnohara.com/

SchoolMAX is an electronic student information system used by Prince George's County Public schools to record attendance, grades, assignments, report cards, discipline incidents, and other information about your child.

There is a User’s Guide, Family Portal for Parents & Guardians. It tells how to register, login, and use the portal

Prince George's County Public Schools provides a Family Access Portal that allows authorized caretakers to log into SchoolMAX from any computer with an Internet connection and view the child's student information, including current attendance records and assignment scores.

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, is a federal law that pertains to the release of and access to educational records. The law, also known as the Buckley Amendment, applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. Go to www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco to learn more.

The current PGCPS and MSDE testing calendar, 2017-2018 Standardized Testing Schedule, is in our document library. Click here to view it.

The computer adaptive is a form of computer-based testing that has  software that monitors the response to every question and “adapts” to the student’s ability. That is,if the student misses a question the next question is slightly easier or if the student answers correctly the next question will be slightly harder.

Computer Adaptive Tests (CAT) are dynamically customized for each student and are able to match the knowledge and ability of a test taker. The tests adjust the difficulty of questions based on the student’s response. If a student answers a question correctly, the next question can be made harder; if a student answers incorrectly, the next question can be made easier. The advantage of this is that the tests:

• provide more reliable information about what students know—especially those at the very low and high ends of the spectrum.
• give teachers the opportunity to adjust their instruction more quickly based on the results and provide information on what instruction is needed.
• provide comprehensive assessment, which educators use to determine what students have learned at the end of a unit, term, or year.
• can be used to identify students who may need specialized academic support in a specific skill or subject area, such reading, writing, or math.