High School

Programs

The special education program at Ridge High School is designed to provide the student with many options to help complete the requirements for a high school diploma. 

IN-CLASS RESOURCE - SUPPORT (ICS) is a program of instruction where the general and special education teachers are involved in planning and implementing strategies, techniques, methods, and materials to address the learning difficulties of pupils with educational disabilities participating in the general education classroom. 

PULL-OUT RESOURCE - REPLACEMENT (RR)is a program of instruction that will be provided in a separate classroom. Instruction, activities, and assessments can be modified per the child's IEP.

FUNCTIONAL LIFE SKILLS 9-12: Students with significant learning needs often have difficulty generalizing skills from an artificially structured environment into the natural community setting. The students develop skills necessary for independent living.  For this reason, the skills are taught in their naturally occurring environment, with the classroom being used as a resource for introducing, reinforcing, and practicing key concepts and vocabulary that will be utilized in the community setting (in-school and out-of-school community). The program's success is based on the student’s ability to demonstrate their functional independence in the classroom and in each community setting. The program will be sensitive to the individual needs of the student.  Beginning at the middle school level, the Community-Based Instruction Program (CBI Program) serves students with significant learning needs. Unlike a scheduled field trip, each visit to the community is an occurrence that mirrors activities in which students and their families would routinely engage in their daily lives. The program is designed to teach skills required for participation in various community settings. In related functional academics, the design and instruction of the classroom activities are driven by the students' identified needs in the community settings and the student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP). The skills taught may be presented differently based on individual needs. Students will proceed at their individual rates. This program further reinforces the skills of reading, writing, communicating, and decision-making, and social skill development will be paramount throughout the program. 

The VOCATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM, which starts in grade 9, is an extension of the Community-based Program. The focus of this program is to develop employment readiness through functional academics (i.e., consumer math, job applications, interviewing skills, etc.), functional vocational assessments, and appropriate work experiences in the school and the local community. These experiences will begin with a classroom-school-based learning environment. Next, community-based volunteer positions will be developed, transitioning to paid positions when appropriate. The long-term goal of this component is to ensure that special individual needs are met to promote successful transition as independent contributory citizens within the working community. 

SPECIALIZED COURSE OFFERINGS are specifically designed to meet the needs of classified students and may include such selections as Transition and Learning Strategies.