Interim Instructional Services (IIS), known as Home and Hospital Teaching in the other Maryland counties, is designed to provide instructional continuity to students who are unable to attend their regular school of enrollment due to a physical, medical or emotional condition. It is a short-term, itinerant instructional service mandated by state law with specific guidelines for program implementation and delivery. Preparing for the eventual return to school, the educational services provided enable students to continue their academic work and to remain current with their peers.
IIS may be provided to a student who is unable to participate at their school of enrollment due to a physical or emotional condition and who also meets eligibility criteria. IIS is available to all Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students who are enrolled in Grade K through 12, or placed by MCPS in a nonpublic school.
To apply for IIS, the student’s parent/guardian must first meet with the school to discuss the condition which prevents school attendance. If it is determined that the school cannot accommodate for the condition to support school attendance, the school provides, and the parent then submits to the school, one of the following completed forms from an authorized health provider.
The authorized health provider should anticipate a minimum of a four-week absence from school from the time of referral in order for a student to be eligible for IIS. For absences of shorter duration, the school of enrollment should work with the parents/guardians to provide missed academic work. Following childbirth, a student may receive IIS for up to six weeks unless extenuating circumstances warrant further services.
Submit the completed application and medical documentation to your child’s school counselor. Applications that are incomplete may cause delays in the start of services.
The school counselor provides the application (MCPS Form 311-15B or Form 311-15C) to the parent/guardian after an initial meeting. The counselor will also be the point of contact for the IIS case manager for any school information and concerns. After no more than 30 days from the inital verification of the condition, the student’s counselor and/or school team will develop a return to school plan.
Delivery of IIS will be virtual. Individual exceptions will require review and approval by the Supervisor of IIS.
If a student has an IEP, a meeting must be held to reflect the change in placement, as well as to develop a return to school transition plan.
No, IIS may not be used as a temporary placement for a student with a disability waiting for:
IIS is typically provided for a minimum of six hours per week for students in a full-day program or a minimum of three hours per week for students in a half-day program.
Approved applications are valid for up to 60 calendar days from the date the qualified condition is verified by the medical professional. If services are required beyond 60 calendar days, it is recommend that applications to continue services be submitted two weeks prior to the ending date in order to avoid an interruption in instruction.
Concurrent delivery of instructional services may be provided for a student whose physical or emotional condition requires the student to be absent from school on an intermittent basis. Examples of these conditions are kidney failure, cancer, asthma, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, depression, and bipolar disorder. For students who receive concurrent delivery of instructional services, service need is reverified annually.
The school of enrollment must provide books and required instructional materials for the student receiving IIS, as well as other appropriate services such as college counseling or course guidance, when necessary.
Students receiving IIS are subject to the attendance guidelines for an approved lawful absence set forth in the MCPS Code of Conduct.
For students who require hospitalization outside of Montgomery County, IIS may be provided subject to the following:
For students receiving 1:1 instruction, assignment reports are provided to the classroom teachers. Parents of students participating in web conference courses may also track their progress online through ParentVue.
Classroom teachers will average student grades with their IIS assignment grades, when applicable, to determine the student’s report card grades. The student’s school will make the final determination regarding report card grades.
When the interim instructional services end, the school counselor will have in place a plan for the students return to school and will work with the student to make the transition as easy as possible.