FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM

Lincoln School, Grades K-3

Hanscom School, Grades K-3

Program Description:

The Foundations Program is a district wide program for students who require specialized social, emotional and academic instruction in order to make effective educational progress through a multi-disciplinary team approach. The Foundations Program is a flexible program that serves special education students in a wide range of service delivery. This program can provide services ranging from substantially separate programming with the opportunity for services that range to full inclusion in areas most appropriate to individual student needs.

Core to the Foundations Program is that it provides students with a therapeutic educational environment integrated into the Lincoln and Hanscom School communities. Students receiving support from the Foundations Program participate in targeted social, emotional, behavior and/ or communication support and intervention, skill development, and executive function instruction embedded throughout their day so that they can access the general education environment to the fullest extent possible. 

The Foundations Program offers a variety of supports to the students it services.   Staffing consists of special educators, related service providers, and educational support staff. Foundations educators collaborate with general and special education teachers and students to deliver flexible staffing supports to create a low staff to student ratio as needed.  The Foundations team has the flexibility of adjusting the intensity of support when appropriate in order to promote generalization of skills and foster independence. By partnering directly with families to learn from each other, including psycho-education, the Foundations Program meets the educational and social-emotional needs of the students we serve. Ongoing home and school communication is an integral component of the program to promote student success. The team also collaborates with community-based supports for students and families.  

Foundations collaborates with the grade-level teams within Hanscom and Lincoln. General education teachers and staff are given opportunities to participate in professional development.  These opportunities include supporting strong social, emotional, behavioral and communication practices in the whole school setting, collaborative problem solving, and other interventions important to supporting a therapeutic milieu.  When needed, the Foundations Program is able to conduct evaluations and be a support system to students who are participating in an extended special education evaluation.

The Foundations Program is supported by the Hanscom and Lincoln School and Central Office administration.  

Scope of Program:

The Foundations Program serves students in special education with challenges related to social, emotional, communication and behavior related needs.  These students must be identified with a disability in the area of emotional or health impairment or their disability related needs must align with the entry criteria. These students may also require support with social skills, including pragmatics and social communication.  This therapeutic program and milieu provide students the support they need to access their curriculum.

A continuum of service delivery is available to students participating in the Foundations program.  Varied instructional opportunities allow individual student teams to make least restrictive decisions on support and service delivery while still offering access to therapeutic programming including a social emotional learning curriculum. Each student is connected to a grade-level class where they are able to access academic classes and curriculum, specials, as well as be included in extra-curricular activities to the fullest extent possible. These opportunities are always tailored to the student’s individualized needs.

There may be no more than 12 students in this program under Special Education Laws and Regulations 603 CMR 28.06 (d) and there cannot be an age range greater than 48 months 603 CMR 28.06 (g). 

BRIDGE PROGRAM 

Hanscom School, Grades 5-8

Program Description:

The Bridge Program at Hanscom School is a district wide therapeutic program for students who require specialized social, emotional and behavioral instruction in order to make effective educational progress through a multidisciplinary team approach. The Bridge Program is a flexible program that can serve general and special education students in a wide range of service delivery. This program can provide services ranging from substantially separate programming with the opportunity for services that range to full inclusion in areas most appropriate to individual student needs.

Core to the Bridge Program is that it provides students with a therapeutic educational environment integrated into the Hanscom School community. Students receiving support from the Bridge Program participate in targeted social, emotional and behavioral support and intervention, skill development, and executive function instruction embedded throughout their day so that they can access the general education environment to the fullest extent possible.

The Bridge Program staffing consists of special educators, related service providers, and educational support staff. Bridge educators collaborate with general and special education teachers, students and parents, to deliver flexible staffing supports to create a low staff to student ratio as needed.  The Bridge team has the flexibility of decreasing the intensity of support when appropriate in order to promote generalization of skills and foster independence. The team works closely with outside providers and families to coordinate wraparound support for students and families.  Frequent home/school communication is integrated into the support that each student receives.

Bridge is affiliated with the grade-level teams within Hanscom. General education teachers and staff are given opportunities to participate in professional development.  These opportunities include supporting strong social, emotional, behavioral practices in the whole school setting, collaborative problem solving, and other interventions important to supporting a therapeutic milieu.  When needed the Bridge Program is able to conduct extended evaluations and be a support system to students who are participating in an initial special education evaluation.

The Bridge Program is supported by the Hanscom School and Central Office administration.  

Scope of Program:

The Bridge Program serves students in general and special education with challenges related to social, emotional and behavior related needs.  Special education students in the program may have a primary educational disability classification of Emotional Impairment or Health Impairment. These students may also require support with social skills, including pragmatics and social communication.  Students are in need of support that a therapeutic environment and milieu provides in order to access their curriculum.

A continuum of service delivery is available to students participating in the Bridge program.  Varied instructional opportunities allow individual student teams to make least restrictive decisions on support and service delivery while still offering access to therapeutic programming including a social emotional learning curriculum. Each student is connected to a school-based grade team where they are able to access academic classes, specials, as well as be included in extra-curricular activities to the fullest extent possible. These opportunities are always tailored to the student’s individualized needs.

There may be no more than 12 students in this program under Special Education Laws and Regulations 603 CMR 28.06 (d) and there cannot be an age range greater than 48 months 603 CMR 28.06 (g).

STARR PROGRAM 

Lincoln School, Grades  5-8

Program Description:

The Specialized Targeted Academic Resource Room program is a district wide special education program that provides a range of services to special education students.  The services range from partial inclusion to substantially separate instruction for students who require specialized and individualized instruction to access the general education curriculum, make effective progress, and gain independence.

The students in STARR require significant modification to the academic curriculum that begins at their instructional level and moves toward grade level material based on their individual needs.  Over time, students may be able to receive content from the general education curriculum but that curriculum may need to be modified through scope and pacing.  When students are able to access the general education curriculum they may require inclusion support This support is provided through the use of systematic and multisensory methodology with opportunities for individualized and small group opportunities for reinforcement. .

In addition, related services providers will be associated with the program per student need.  Students can access the program for a variety of services  based on individual learning needs. Ongoing communication and collaboration between special educators, general educators, parents, and other related service providers  will ensure the needs of each student is met.  

The support and instruction that STARR students receive will ensure they are supported to gain confidence as independent learners over time. Students will also learn about themselves, celebrate differences, and understand their role in the greater community.

Scope of Program:

The STARR Program serves students in special education, in grades 5-8,  with challenges related to academic related needs.  These students must be identified with a disability in the area of intellectual or neurological impairment or their disability related needs must align with the entry criteria. These students may also require support with communication, including pragmatics and social communication. The students who access STARR may also access social and/ or emotional support through the school adjustment counselor or school psychologist but it should be noted that this is not their primary educational need. The STARR program and milieu provide students the support they need to access their curriculum.

A continuum of service delivery is available to students participating in the STARR program.  Varied instructional opportunities allow individual student teams to make least restrictive decisions on support and service delivery while still offering access to a modified academic program including specially designed instruction to access the curriculum. Each student is connected to a grade-level team where they are able to access academic classes and curriculum, specials, as well as be included in extra-curricular activities to the fullest extent possible. These opportunities are always tailored to the student’s individualized needs.