Special Education

Woodside High School’s Special Education Department has a continuum of service options. Our department consists of three basic support programs for students with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans): Specialized Academic Instruction (Study Skills), Independent Living Skills (ILS), Therapeutic Day Class (STARS). The department works closely with Mental Health Therapists, Program Specialists, School Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, and the Adaptive Physical Education Program. It is our goal to offer each of our students the very best opportunities available at a comprehensive high school to advance personally, academically, and vocationally.

STUDY SKILLS – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

Study Skills is a course that only students with Special Education services are eligible to take. Study Skills classes are taught by Education Specialists who provide specialized academic instruction and are supported by paraprofessionals during class. The curriculum of a given Study Skills class depends upon the needs of the students within the class, but typically instruction in a Study Skills includes fostering students’ organizational skills, assignment and test completion, and time management. Study Skills is also typically where students build skills corresponding to their individual IEP and postsecondary transition goals, preparing for schooling, career, and independent living after high school. Study Skills can have benefits for students with a broad range of needs, including difficulties with assignment completion, poor performance on tests, and anxiety about performance at school.

SOCIAL ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION (SAC) – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

Students who require assistance in the areas of social thinking and/or social communication can participate in one class period of SAC based on the IEP team decision. The curriculum in this class comes from research-based concepts about social cognition that have developed over the past thirtyfive years. These include Theory of Mind, Executive Function, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Social Emotional Learning. The Social Thinking framework used in SAC class includes teaching specific strategies for initiating communication, listening with your whole body, abstract/inferential thinking, understanding perspective taking, seeing the gestalt/big picture, and humor/human relatedness. The course varies in level based on student need.

THERAPEUTIC DAY CLASS (STARS) – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

S.T.A.R.S (Successful Transition Achieved with Responsive Support) is a small therapeutic special day class setting that provides mental health support for students who require a more restrictive classroom to access their education. The students are working in collaboration with education specialists, and mental health service providers.

INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS (ILS) – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

In Independent Living skills, students work towards a Certificate of Completion in lieu of a traditional high school diploma. Our program serves a diverse group of students with moderate to severe learning disabilities, orthopedic impairments, autism spectrum disorders, and various academic needs. The program provides a modified curriculum that includes structured functional academics, social skills, like skills, and vocational education training to meet individual needs outlined in the student’s IEP

Certificate of Achievement Requirements

Other Services

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICES –

The Speech and Language program at Woodside High School is designed to help students with language processing, pragmatics, voice, speech articulation or fluency change. Speech/language therapy is based on specific assessment results that profile the student’s area of need. Speech/language service needs are determined by the IEP team.

ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION (A.P.E.) SERVICES – Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

The A.P.E. program serves a diverse group of students with moderate to severe learning disabilities, orthopedic impairments, autism spectrum disorders, and various academic needs. The program provides a modified Physical Education curriculum that includes but is not limited to: water safety, cooperative play, and special olympics events. Not all students with an IEP receive Adapted PE. The adapted PE teachers works with all students who have A.P.E. service on their IEP.