Special Services

Achieve

Achieve is an academic and emotional support program for students in grades 9 to 12 who have been, or are at risk of, underperforming academically, or would benefit from additional structure and support during their school day.

Students take part in all core academics, including the opportunity to attend mainstream classes, and enroll in college courses through the Dual Enrollment Program. Additional academic and emotional supports are available throughout the day, including twice-daily school meetings.

The goal is to improve academic performance and social well-being by addressing the individual needs of students through support, intervention, and feedback from staff and peers.

Alliance

Alliance is a voluntary program for students in grades 9 to 12 who have underperformed, or have been identified as at-risk of underperformance, in the mainstream due to any number of factors, including, but not limited to:

• Attendance

• Behavioral issues

• Difficulty accessing the curriculum

• Motivation

Alliance is an Early College High School, which allows qualified students to concurrently earn high school and college credits through the Dual Enrollment Program. Students also have the opportunity to earn privileges and are held accountable through the Level System and peer feedback in twice daily school meetings.

One of the goals of the program is that students internalize positive behaviors, such as responsibility, time-management, and independence, as they prepare to transition to college, trade schools, the military or careers.

Career Exploration

Career Exploration is a program for students in grades 11 and 12 transitioning from Language Enrichment, or realize the benefits of career exploration and immersion.

The program is designed to facilitate students in completing their graduation requirements while also participating in an innovative curriculum that includes classroom instruction as well as the opportunity to explore career paths via:

• Field trips

• Internships in the community

• Job shadowing

• Service learning projects

• Vocational Dual Enrollment courses

The goal of the program is to help students understand the steps needed to pursue their chosen career path and the resources needed to begin to take these steps.

Communication, Organization & Academic Support Training (COAST)

Communication, Organization & Academic Support Training (COAST) is a program for students in grades 9 to 12 who generally exhibit social anxiety, organizational challenges and learning issues associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Students generally experience difficulty with interpersonal and pragmatic communication with peers and within the community. COASTis an extension of the Learning Center and a fully mainstreamed program with additional social and emotional supports. The program has one block of:

• Adaptive physical education

• Life skills

• Organizational skills

• Social pragmatics

The goal of COAST is to provide students with the opportunity to remain in their mainstream classes and:

• Develop social thinking skills and pragmatic language skills

• Participate in adaptive physical education (if needed)

• Improve community inclusion strategies

• Enhance organizational skills

Compass

Compass is an academic support program for mainstream students in grades 9 to 12 who require additional academic, social, emotional and/or behavioral support in a structured environment.

Students in Compass follow rigorous mainstream schedules with at least one period of support in the program, in lieu of Learning Center, to receive academic support and address their individual needs.

The program guides students reach their full potential in their mainstream courses by:

• Establishing routines

• Developing strategies

• Fostering positive relationships with increased independence

Language Enrichment

Language Enrichment is a program for students in grades 9 to 12 with language-based learning disabilities whose cognition falls within the average to below average range. Students may also demonstrate disorders in receptive and/or expressive language, language processions and executive functioning disorders.

Language Enrichment is a substantially separate program in which students work toward completing their graduation requirements and passing Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) by receiving systematic instruction in small groups provided by special education teachers. Every effort is made to include students in regular education classes when appropriate. Speech and language services are embedded within the classroom setting and provided as a pull-out service on an individual basis.

The goal of Language Enrichment is to enhance grade level academic skills while remediating gaps in learning and providing social skills and support on an individual basis. The program provides students with the language and literacy skills, learning strategies, and social tools to become independent learners and to achieve success in all aspects of their adolescent lives in and out of school.

Learning Center

Learning Center is an academic support for mainstream students in grades 9 to 12 who are on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or have an active 504 plan. 

The goal of Learning Center is to address the students’ needs as outlined in their IEP and provide support to mainstream teachers as they accommodate these needs.

PMI

PMI is a program from students in grades 9 to 12 who are unable to attend school during the traditional school day. PMI offers students a chance to gain or recover credits beyond what is offered during the traditional school day.

Many of the students in the program suffer from social anxiety or other medical ailments that make it difficult or impossible for them to attend a traditional seven-hour school day. Students have the opportunity to earn additional credits for employment, and, when appropriate, are eligible to participate in Dual Enrollment courses. 

While the primary goal of PMI is to provide the students who cannot otherwise attend school a way to earn credits toward their diploma, it has also been used by students for credit recovery in addition to their daily school schedule.

Project PROVE

Project PROVE is a program for students in grades 9 to 12 who exhibit significant intellectual disabilities. 

In PROVE, students are provided with the functional academics, inclusion opportunities and vocational training experiences necessary to be successful in life and continue to become a contributing member of their community.

STRIVES 

STRIVES is a support program for students in grades 9 to 12 who are classified under the disability of ASD. Students take part in all core academics and have the opportunity for vocational training when appropriate. Inclusion opportunities are based upon the student’s areas of strength and need.

STRIVES includes a social skills component to enhance social awareness.

WAVE

WAVE is a program from students in grades 9-12 that exhibit significant intellectual deficits. Students receive their English Language ARts (ELA), Social Studies, Science and Math instruction from WAVE special educators in a sub separate small group setting, and, when appropriate, are included in mainstream classes supported by WAVE staff. 

The goal is to provide the supports needed so that students can access the curriculum at their own paces and levels.

Post Graduate Program for PROVE & WAVE

Post Graduate Program for PROVE and WAVE is for students in PROVE and WAVE who have completed four years of high school and have reached the age of 18. 

The goal of the program is to give young adults up to age 22 the opportunity to obtain competitive employment and independent life skills through:

• Direct instruction in and modeling of appropriate social skills

• Functional academics

• Town-based internships

Home Instruction and Tutoring

Home Instruction and Tutoring is a program for students in grades 9 to 12 who are unable to attend school for fourteen days or longer due to a medical or emotional disability. This program is primarily designed to be a short term placement, with the goal of returning students to their classes.

The main goal of the program is to provide the student with the curriculum they have missed while out, as well as to keep them current so they may more easily re-enter their classes when appropriate.