Student Support Services- Skyline High School

Vision/Mission:

The Student Support Services is a collaborative initiative dedicated to the inclusion and the success of all students. Our mission, is to provide and enhance educational opportunities driven by individual student needs and focusing on developing personal connections, creating access to the curriculum in the least restrictive environment, and designing genuine post-secondary plans.

Programs:

The primary service model is inclusion in the least restrictive environment (LRE), we do provide students with cognitive impairments a self-contained program for their core academic classes and inclusion for their elective classes and extracurricular activities. Students at Skyline have access to all the specialized services necessary per their IEP, which includes, but is not limited to, case management, social work, speech and language therapy, educational psychological evaluation, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nurse services and specialized transportation. For students who need additional support we offer Academic Support and co-taught classes.

Inclusion:

Student Support Services utilizes a co-teaching model to meet the goal of inclusion for all students.  Within this model a general education teacher and a special teacher share the responsibility for planning and delivering differentiated instruction, assessing student achievement and classroom management.  The pairing of general and special education provides the opportunity to maximize strengths in curriculum, instruction, behavior management and discipline, and accommodation and modification. Co-teaching make take different forms depending on special education staffing (teacher consultant, teaching assistant, ancillary support) and individual student needs.

Self-Contained Programs:

Students who are unable to participate in the Michigan Merit Curriculum may participate in a specialized self-contained program.  Students in these programs participate in their core classes using the Essential Elements Curriculum, modified as necessary for individual student needs and per their IEP. Program components include: functional English, functional math, vocational skills, life skills, community-based activities and Adaptive Physical Education. Students participate with general education peers in Skytime, and other electives. Each program has a special education teacher and at least two teacher assistants. The following programs are available at Skyline:

• Mild Cognitive  Impairment (MICI) - This program serves students with mild cognitive impairments.   
• Cognitive  Impairment  (CI) - This program serves students with severe cognitive impairments.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - This program serves students who have been identified as having autism spectrum disorders.   

Academic  Support Class:

Academic Support is a one-term course where the student earns 0.5 elective credit. Each term of the school year a varied and differentiated curriculum is offered, so students can take the course all year if appropriate without repeating content. The Academic Support class is designed to provide assistance for students in their classes, as well as to develop the skills necessary for post-secondary vision,  study skills for academic success, self-advocacy skills.

Peer Connections Class:

This class provides a mechanism for training peer mentors to assist students with social skill development within the context of the classroom. General education peers take the Peer Connections class for academic credit. Each student in the class is assigned a peer for the trimester who they will mentor within academic and social contexts. Through the curriculum of the course, students will gain knowledge of the various support systems available at school for students with disabilities, learn how to use different communication styles to assist in problem-solving, develop critical thinking, writing, and collaborative problem-solving skills. Additionally, students will act as peer advocates and mentors as they work collaboratively with students with disabilities, under the supervision of Skyline Support Staff members and general education personnel.

Support Services Roles and Responsibilities- Skyline High School  

Here is a list of support staff avaible at Skyline High School:

• school psychologist
• speech language pathologist
• social worker
• occupational therapist
• physical therapist
• teacher consultant/resource room teacher/case manager
• self-contained teacher (MiCi, CI, ASD)
• teacher assistants