Special Programs Course Options

Literacy Connections

This course focuses on Common Core State Standards for students with reading levels ranging from approximately 2nd grade to beginning 4th grade level. The students receive intensive, explicit, and systematic instruction to remediate deficit areas in vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. The use of scaffolded instruction as well as supplemental and alternate text options enable students to access common core standards while addressing the literacy needs documented in the IEP. This class is recommended for sixth and seventh grades.

Literacy Essentials

The Literacy Essentials course is designed to intensively, explicitly, and systematically teach vocabulary, comprehension, and basic writing skills to the small population of students, with reading levels beginning at the first or second grade, who are unable to benefit from the Literacy Connections or ICR Language Arts class.

Decoding

Designed for students who exhibit specific decoding deficits as evidenced by diagnostic assessment and IEP goals, this course focuses on explicitly and systematically teaching reading skills ranging from phonemic awareness to morphological units. Students will receive specially designed instruction in alphabetic principle, specific phonic patterns, high frequency words, and an appreciation of morphemes. Fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension are also integrated into lessons. Pre - testing as well as ongoing assessments of students’ performance and growth determine placement and mastery.

Math Connections

This course is designed for students at least two grade levels below who are not making sufficient progress with a single ICR math or general education math class, and who are in need of explicit and systematic specialized math instruction and concrete support of developmental math skills to access grade level Common Core math standards. A focus on assessment, progress monitoring, and targeted instruction encourages the expected student behaviors associated with gaining math skills as identified by the Common Core standards of mathematical practice.

Math Essentials

This course focuses on explicit and systematic instruction in basic number sense and appropriate developmental Common Core math learning trajectories and is designed for the small population of students with emerging numeracy skills who are unable to access abstract concepts presented in general education math, including ICR math.

Essentials of Social Studies & Science

This course is designed for the small population of students, with reading levels beginning at the 1st or 2nd grade level, who are unable to participate successfully in the standard course of study for science, social studies, and/or technology courses.

Curriculum Assistance

The Curriculum Assistance elective (CA) provides specialized instruction for students with disabilities who are enrolled in regular  education classes.The four main components of CA are collaboration/communication between teacher, parent, and student, literacy and math specialized instruction/remediation, and study skills instruction. The student is taught to prioritize, organize, take notes, take tests, proofread, follow directions and use reference materials. Literacy and Math skills are taught using specially designed instruction based on students’ IEP goals.

Behavior/Autism Support

The Behavior/Autism Support Program is designed for students with significant behavioral issues as documented by the IEP, including the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). The Behavior Support Teacher (BST) or Autism Support Teacher (AST) provides specially designed instruction and documented behavioral monitoring for these students throughout the day in order to facilitate access to the Common Core in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This daily support may include Social Skills Instruction, Replacement Behavior Instruction, Crisis Intervention, Safe Space or Chill Out, Escort, Short - term Stabilization, Re - integration, and general case management. Through collab oration with subject area teachers, administrators, parents as well as other involved persons/agencies, the BST/AST teaches students to self -monitor their academic and behavioral performance; thereby, building capacity for student self - management.

Service Delivery Options

In Class Resource (ICR)

ICR provides support to students receiving grade level instruction. The special education teacher and the general education teacher collaborate and co - teach to incorporate multisensory strategies into instruction and ensure that the provision of the specially designed instruction outlined in the IEP allows students who are below grade level to benefit from the class. These students also receive the modifications and accommodations in the IEP to support the learning process. The students in ICR classes who require direct specialized instruction on skills may also receive support in a decoding class, and/or curriculum assistance elective (CA). Students who need specially designed instruction to support their organization skills receive these services in ICR and may also require a CA elective, based on their level of documented need as determined by the IEP team.