Access to Education

Access to Education is a recognized site for exceptional student education services to students with significant disabilities. The mission of Access to Education is to provide positive educational experiences that lead to a purposeful and fulfilling quality of life.

Access to Education provides educational programming to students who benefit from a small and intensely supported learning environment. Access to Education offers additional services that have been approved through IEP team meetings including Speech Therapy, Language Therapy, Occupation Therapy, Physical Therapy, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Therapy and Vision Therapy services.

Access to Education implements principles of behavior analysis, positive behavior reinforcement, uses person first language, and protects and respects the dignity of all students of Access to Education. Access to Education staff regularly discuss the specific needs of individual students in all areas of need - communication, academic instruction, behavior, independent function, and health care. Parents are actively involved and engaged in determining the most appropriate implementation of interventions, strategies, and supports needed by the individual student. Communication, behavioral, academic instruction, and independent functioning strategies and interventions are incorporated throughout the students day and in all student environments.

Classroom environments incorporate visual schedules, predictable routines, sensory elements, and highly structured procedures to ensure students are familiar with the expectations for each instructional setting. Behavior Specialists and other district level support is utilized on a continual basis. Referrals and information related to outside agencies are provided to families as needed.

Parents are provided daily communication which highlight the student's instructional, communication, behavioral, and independent functioning activities, as well as health care and personal hygiene needs. The daily communication also notes student's performance toward mastery of IEP goals and objectives.

Due to the significant needs of the students who attend Access to Education, all students are monitored continuously while on campus, including arrival and dismissal, to ensure student safety.

Access to Education serves middle and high school aged students. Students are able to stay enrolled in the program until the year they turn 22 years old. This is a center school and there are no non-disabled peers in the program.

Parents cannot enroll their child directly in Access to Education. A meeting is held with the IEP team to review current data and gather input from those individuals who can speak to the student's current level of performance and need. The IEP team determines if the student would benefit from a small and intensively supported learning environment. Enrollment in Access to Education is an IEP team decision with parent consent.