STEP

STEP

Striving Towards Educational Progress

AN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM HELPING ADOLESCENTS

MISSION STATEMENT

STEP, in partnership with family and community, offers an individualized interdisciplinary approach to help students view themselves as capable of succeeding in school and making appropriate choices.  Individualized educational opportunities are provided with a small student to teacher ratio.  The STEP team places a strong emphasis on counseling, ongoing communication with the family, and behavior management.

GOAL

The STEP program will provide students with a supportive and structured environment to foster appropriate social interactions and academic engagement.  Students will utilize consistent support to improve their academic performance, learn and apply socially appropriate behavior, and practice strategies and skills that will enable them to access their least restrictive environment.  

PURPOSE

Regional School District #8 (RHAM)  provides  students with diverse and  rigorous comprehensive academic programming that emphasizes social, civics and emotional learning opportunities to prepare them for post-secondary study, work and life.  Some students, for various reasons, may not have found academic and/or social-emotional success in the  traditional school setting.  

Serving students in grades seven through twelve, the STEP Program provides positive proactive strategies in a more structured environment with individualized interventions and/ or instructions to reinforce academic endurance/motivation and practical behaviors to support their success in the school environment.

The program is designed for students with chronic emotional or behavioral difficulties within the educational setting.  Some characteristics of these students may include the following: social/emotional problems, truancy or poor attendance, family problems, academic struggles, poor peer/adult relations, or academically/ socially behind peers of the same age.

Using a small student to staff ratio, an emphasis is placed on positive interactions between students and staff in order to increase the students’ feelings of self-worth and to cultivate trust, responsibility, and resilience while encouraging success in the school environment.

STEP TEAM

Special Education teacher:  provides individualized instructional opportunities for each student’s unique learning and/or emotional needs; establishes and maintains home-school communication; communicates and collaborates with school personnel and support team members

Counseling Provider:  provides individual and group counseling; provides home-school coordination; provides crisis intervention, as needed.

School Counselor: provides additional academic, social-emotional and behavioral support; provides crisis intervention, as needed; provides transitional support to post-secondary education or the workforce.

BCBA: consults to support program and individual student needs; helps develop individualized behavior contracts and plans; maintains data and documentation related to student behavior.

Support Personnel:  help carry out academic, social and behavioral components of STEP.

Parents/Guardians:  Parents/guardians are an essential member of the STEP team.  Consistent communication between the school and family, using the parent/guardians’ preferred method (phone or email), is emphasized . Parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate with the STEP teacher to share information about their child, ask questions, and become familiar with the program’s academic and behavioral support options.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Whenever appropriate, students participate in the general education setting alongside their peers, allowing for inclusive academic and social experiences.  When required, Instruction will be developed and presented based on each student’s unique learning style and specific needs as indicated in his or her IEP.  Some variances may include: interdisciplinary lessons, projects, online or cooperative learning opportunities, hands-on-activities, activities of daily living, vocational training and/or small group discussions.  

Experiential learning activities may be presented to compliment classroom instruction in the form of service learning projects or transitional work experience. All students are encouraged to participate in the RHAM community through sports, clubs, or other activities they are interested in.

BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT

 Students in the STEP program are not exempt from traditional discipline, however, this program will utilize informed individualized responses based on students’ emotional needs.  Discipline is incorporated as a means to promote self-improvement through teaching acceptable behaviors and providing motivating opportunities for students.

When a student exhibits a pattern of unacceptable behavior in the classroom or school environment, he or she may require a break from peers and activities.  During these times, students are able to access the STEP program and/or counseling staff for support, which should result in the student being able to return to class in a timely and positive manner. 

A student will face administrative disciplinary action for reasons including the following: 

• Violence or threatened violence against students or staff.

• Willful or malicious damage to school property, or property of school personnel.

• Obscene or abusive language directed at students or staff.

• Any other behaviors listed in the RMS/RHS student handbooks.