SUN Program

The SUN (Students with Unique Needs) program is an extension program developed for those young students whose current in-class/pull-out Specifically Designed Instruction (SDI) has not proved to sufficiently support their needs. The SUN Program is an additional program to our existing Elementary School inclusion offerings, and has been designed for students presently from Grade K to Grade 5.

BHCS is committed to providing meaningful learning opportunities based on the students’ developmental needs. The SUN Program is built around a small classroom setting with a group of 4 to 6 students accessing the program as needed throughout the day.

The SUN program is a full-time individually designed modified program outside of mainstream classes. A Specifically Designed Instruction (SDI) Teacher and Ed Techs support the students in their least restrictive environment. The students are assigned to a homeroom class and join them as often as appropriate, e.g., for specials, lunch and playtime, and specific classroom lessons and activities. There may also be opportunities for reverse mainstreaming, where students not receiving Specifically Designed Instruction (SDI) are welcomed by their friends into the SUN class for small group lessons and activities.

The IEP team will make the recommendation of the student placement and will evaluate regularly in order to provide the most appropriate support program.

The SUN program offers possibilities to work more intensively on students’ objectives in all areas, such as life skills, sensory needs, academic support, social-emotional and behavior support. It also enables us to give more one-to-one or small group instructions, respond more quickly and efficiently to formative assessments, and provide a safe, calming environment with few of the distractions and over-stimulation of the regular classroom.

In addition, the SUN program will also be evaluating its efficacy in supporting each student within the program throughout the school year. Therefore, Progress Reports will be an ongoing part of the TEAM conversations for each child.

Entry-Level Criteria:

  • Have an IEP

  • Documentation of intervention with progress reports (data) showing the reason(s) the student needs to be in a separate setting

  • Needs ed tech support from 75-90% of the day

  • Needs a smaller setting

  • Needs more 1:1 support

  • Needs ready access to a behavioral support program *

  • More intensive wrap-around services

*There must be space for the student

And

*The student must have a compatible learning profile to the others in the program.

Exit criteria:

  • Progress monitored for 6-8 weeks and data reported in IEP meeting indicating that the LRE has been determined to require an adjustment.

  • Or--when behavioral trends indicate that an increase of support is required, and this increase exceeds what is available in the SUN Program.

In either case, the IEP team will meet to discuss an appropriate alternate support setting for the student.