ACADEMIC SKILLS
Year Course
5.0 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: All
Academic Skills is a credit earning course designed to assist students with Individualized Education plans to gain the skills necessary to succeed in their core academic courses by providing additional instructional support and subject-specific learning strategies. Students are assigned to an academic skills class based on their disability category and related needs, level of functioning, and specific learning profiles. Students, at all grade levels, are assigned to an ELA, Math, Executive Functioning, Essentials, social pragmatic and/or Partnership class where their specific IEP goals and benchmarks are addressed, focusing on the deficits and challenges associated with their disability category. Academic Skills offers direct instruction on strategies to enhance and facilitate skills associated with time management, prioritizing assignments, organization, note taking, and test taking, to promote self- directed learning across the curriculum. In addition, students are encouraged to self-advocate and develop the compensatory strategies necessary to navigate their curricular demands. Students are assessed on participation, preparation, attitude, organization, and work productivity. All students work with their liaison to maintain a daily assignment notebook as well as a Transition Portfolio Binder documenting their post- secondary plans.
READING/WRITING LAB
Year Course
5.0 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: All
This class offers opportunities for students with specialized IEP goals in reading and writing to work in small groups or to receive one-to-one specialized instruction in reading and writing skills. Students with writing goals will learn to understand the steps in a writing assignment, gather ideas, use an organizer, develop a topic sentence, prepare an outline, begin a draft, strengthen an argument, revise a draft, and edit their writing. Students with specialized reading goals will practice decoding, encoding, and fluency building skill and practice. Students will also learn to become more efficient and effective readers, identify prefixes and suffixes and identify root words, read diagrams and tables, cartoons and maps. All students will build skills using assistive technology for reading, writing, and note-taking. Students are encouraged to read for pleasure at their instructional level in a subject of high interest. These skills apply directly to the assignments in their content level classes.
PARTNERSHIP
Year Course
5.0 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: All
The Partnership service provides educational, behavioral, and therapeutic supports as well as case management within an inclusion based program. The service is designed for students who are experiencing social and emotional difficulties. Partnership has classes and support services designed to help students develop self-advocacy skills, maintain consistent academic performance, and learn independent problem-solving techniques. Students address their academic responsibilities and learn skills related to their IEPs. Grades reflect the student level of work, active participation, and effort demonstrated in pursuing their individual goals. A clinician on staff in Partnership provides counseling to students during the school day on a regular basis, case management, consultation to outside collaterals, and family consultation.
The Essentials Program is designed for students who require small group instruction with a skills-based approach to teaching content-specific material aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Essential courses focus on the content fundamentals and are designed to prepare students with basic skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary for success within the discipline. Goals of the program include self-advocacy, note-taking, steps to writing, organization, problem-solving, and building a strong work ethic. Students entering the program are screened through the Special Education Team process. Students exiting this program typically enroll in CP2 courses with co-taught or supported staff.
Essentials of Physical Science
This is a small group special education science class that is designed for students who require specially designed instruction. This course provides the exploration for concepts in chemistry and physics through multimodal instruction and skill based activities. Students practice basic math skills for conversion of measurement units, manipulation of three variable equations for solving problems related to density, speed, acceleration and more. The structure of the atom, types of chemical bonds, aspects of the periodic table, and writing and classifying chemical reactions are covered. Activities such as labs, interactive technology, and other hands-on activities will be used to support student learning.
Essentials of Biology
This is a small group special education science class that is designed for students who require specially designed instruction. The concepts covered over the two years align with the general education biology curriculum frameworks at a slower pace to support students who may need more time to process information. Students use and apply strategies to demonstrate their knowledge of curricular concepts. Activities such as labs, interactive technology, and other skill based activities will be used to support student learning.
Essentials of Academic Skills
The Essentials of Academic Skills course is designed for students who require small group and explicit instruction in time management, organization, self advocacy, short term and long term planning, self monitoring, problem solving, and study skills. Students are provided with consistent structure to practice these soft skills in order to make academic progress in their core classes.
Essentials of English
The Essentials of English courses are designed for students who require small group instruction and specially designed instruction with a skills-based approach. These courses are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks highlighting the essential elements of reading, writing, character development, and analytical and critical thinking/writing. These courses are designed to prepare students with the skills needed to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, as well as be critical and active thinkers in their community. Students require an IEP to be considered for this course.
World History Essentials
World History Essentials focuses on content from the Age of Reason and Scientific Revolution up to the present day. Students learn about social, political, economic, and geographical trends in world history and will work toward recognizing patterns in history across time. They will further their understanding of cause and effect, the motivations of leaders and groups of people, and how events of the past have brought us to where we are today. Students study primary source documents, participate in class conversations about topics in world history, make connections to current events and use their knowledge of history in writing. They develop these skills through in-class practice and teacher-guided activities.
U.S. History Essentials
U.S. History Essentials focuses on United States history from Westward Expansion to the present day. Students learn about social, political, economic, and geographical trends in US History and recognize patterns in history across time. They study primary source documents, participate in class conversations about topics in US History, make connections to current events and use their knowledge of history in writing. They develop these skills through in-class practice and teacher-guided activities.
Essentials of Algebra I
This is a small group math class for students who require more intensive, specialized instruction and the reinforcement of basic math skills and processes. The primary focus of the class is developing independent math and problem solving skills. Additional Instructional time will focus on the following critical areas: deepening and extending understanding of linear equations and exponential and quadratic functions.
Essentials of Geometry
This is a small group math class for students who require more intensive, specialized instruction and the reinforcement of basic math skills and processes. The curriculum supports common core state standards with the primary focus on problem-solving strategies. Additional Instructional time will focus on the following critical areas: deepening and extending understanding of angle measurement and relationship, translations, geometric shapes, and triangle side and angle measurement.
Essentials Algebra II
This is a small group math class for students who require more intensive, specialized instruction and the reinforcement of basic math skills and processes. This course builds on the work done in Essentials Algebra I with the primary focus on developing independent math skills and problem solving skills. Additional Instructional time will focus on the following critical areas: deepening and extending understanding of linear and exponential relationships, quadratic and polynomial functions, and statistical data displays.
Essentials of Discrete Math
This is a small group math class for students who require more intensive, specialized instruction and the reinforcement of basic math skills and processes. The curriculum supports common core state standards with the primary focus problem-solving strategies to be applied to real-world application, and promotes mathematical connections across topics especially pertaining to daily living skills, consumer math and financial literacy. Course content includes but is not limited to ratios and proportion, using percentages and rates, and probability.
ESSENTIALS OF DIGITAL FILM
Semester Course
2.5 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: Fr. So., Jr.
This is an introductory course for students who are interested in developing the skills necessary to create independent short films. Students will become familiar with the prerequisite skills of pre production, production, and postproduction of film making. In this small group elective, students will receive direct instruction on writing scripts, creating storyboards and basic camera work. This course is co-sponsored by the Special Education and English Department at Walpole High School.
ESSENTIALS OF JOURNALISM
Semester Course
2.5 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: Fr. So., Jr.
This course is open to students who are interested in journalism and developing the necessary skills to navigate this field. Students will practice conducting interviews, write editorials, and review books, movies, and video games. Among other resources, the students will use The Rebellion school newspaper as a model to explore journalism concepts. Students will also be introduced to basic desktop publishing skills. This course is recommended for students with emerging writing skills. This course is co-sponsored by the Special Education and English Department at Walpole High School.
ESSENTIALS OF TELEVISION PRODUCTION
Semester Course
2.5 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: All
This is an introductory course for students who are interested in developing knowledge and hands-on experience in television broadcast and video production, including studio and field production. Students will become familiar with the prerequisite skills of pre-production, production, and post-production. In this small group elective, students will receive direct instruction on all components of television studio equipment, including camera, audio, lighting, graphics, and editing. In addition, they perform in, produce, and direct productions that include newscasts, commercials, and music videos.
TRANSITION PLANNING
Semester Course
2.5 Credits
Prerequisite: None
Open to: All
This course focuses on students researching post secondary interests, career and technical education, and/or preparing for post-secondary outcomes such as vocational training or community college, part-time employment, supported job placement, service learning projects, participation in work experience programs, job shadowing, and internships. Students will practice resume writing and mock interviewing. Students will research how to independently access community resources, build and navigate social relationships, manage money (Financial Literacy), understand health care needs, and plan for transportation options.
Pre-Vocational Skills
Students are given the opportunity to practice and demonstrate work skills and concepts acquired through the pre-vocational job training at various jobs within the school. The goal of these experiences is to develop the necessary skills that are required in almost all jobs. Focus areas include following directions, communicating work related issues/concerns, developing effective working relationships with co-workers, developing specific job skill acquisition, demonstrating increased independence in completing work tasks and accepting feedback. Students are supported by job coaches during the job. Evaluations on work performance are completed daily by the student’s job coach. Self-assessments and reflections are completed by the student and reviewed with the job coach after completion of the job.
Daily Living Skills
Daily living skill lessons are designed to teach basic communication, personal, social and life skills to students with a variety of needs. Topics include, but are not limited to: personal hygiene, appropriate dress for work, community safety, following a recipe and setting up and keeping track of a personal weekly schedule. In addition, students learn and practice social skills such as getting along with peers, self-advocacy skills, expressing emotions, and appropriate behavior in the workplace.
Math Skills
Alternative functional Mathematics curriculum for grades 9-12 are used with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Students practice math skills related to daily living such as budgeting, counting, using money and making change, understanding and being able to calculate the cost of items on sale and using coupons, improving computation skills, time telling including scheduling and elapsed time. Students also work on functional math skills related to cooking, such as using measuring cups for ingredients or doubling a recipe.
Functional Reading and Writing Skills
Alternative functional English Language Arts curriculum for grades 9-12 are used with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Students work on reading high interest, lower level books that deal with social issues that may arise in the high school. Students work on functional writing skills including filling out various forms including resumes and writing/responding to emails. Students use editing checklists to check their written work for grammatical errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling and word order. Students also practice writing making sure their message is clear and all grammar is correct.
Vocational Skills/Community Internships
Students are given the opportunity to practice and demonstrate work skills and concepts acquired through the pre-vocational job training at various community internships. Each student’s job experience and goals are individually tailored to address identified transition goals. Students are matched with work experiences as opportunities allow. Vocational experience builds upon the basic work skills developed in pre-vocational job training. Students are supported by job coaches on community internships. Community Internships allow for increased job independence and decreased direct supervision. Evaluations on work performance are completed daily by the student’s job coach. Self-assessments and reflections are completed by the student and reviewed with the job coach after completion of the internship.
Daily Living Skills
Daily living skill lessons are designed to teach basic communication, personal, social and life skills to students with a variety of needs. Topics include, but are not limited to: personal hygiene, appropriate dress for work, community safety, following a recipe and setting up and keeping track of a personal weekly schedule. In addition, students learn and practice social skills such as getting along with peers, self-advocacy skills, expressing emotions, and appropriate behavior in the workplace.
Functional Math Skills
Functional math skills are necessary for independent living. Students practice math skills related to daily living such as completing a weekly budget balancing income and expenses, paying bills, completing a personal timesheet for work and budgeting for trips out in the community. Students also work on functional math skills related to cooking, such as using measuring cups for ingredients or doubling a recipe.
Functional Reading and Writing Skills
Students work on functional reading and writing skills in order to increase their independence in the community and during leisure time. Students work on skills such as building a resume, writing a goal of the day, completing a job reflection, and sharing about their weekend activities. Students use editing checklists to check their written work for grammatical errors in capitalization, punctuation, spelling and word order. Students also practice writing emails and letters, making sure their message is clear and all grammar is correct.