A number of special education programs are offered at the junior and senior high school levels. These programs are described as follows:

ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENT

Curriculum is non-graded and designed to give appropriate instruction in the least restrictive environment for those students who will enter a special education vocational program in senior high school. Classes offered include language arts, math, social studies, health/science, and pre-vocational. Essential elements are taught on each student’s level unless an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee determines these elements to be inapproriate.

DEAF EDUCATION

Students enrolled in the deaf education program (Regional Day School Program for the Deaf) attend classes at Smylie Wilson Junior High School and Monterey High School, where interpreting in sign language is available. Deaf Ed students may attend any high school in Lubbock if they are enrolled in a regular education and/or vocational education class that is offered only on that campus. Deaf Ed students may be enrolled in any, or a combination of any, of the following programs.

MAINSTREAM:
Enrolled in regular education and/or vocational education classes with or without an interpreter.

MODIFIED DEAF EDUCATION:
Enrolled in deaf education classes, taught by a teacher of the deaf. Essential elements are taught on each student’s level, unless an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee determines these elements to be inappropriate.

VOCATIONAL PREPAREDNESS:
This program emphasizes the acquisition of life skills necessary to be independent. This curriculum is non-graded and is designed for students who will enter vocational adjustment in the high school. Courses offered include language arts, math, health/science, and pre-vocational.

VOCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT:
This is a work-study program with emphasis on acquiring academic and personal skills necessary to become a successful employee. Students are placed in classes one-half day and in volunteer placement settings one-half day the first year in school. During the second year in high school, a student is placed in classes one-half day and in employment one-half day. Students in volunteer placement and half-day employment will receive a minimum of two hours of instruction per day. A student will be placed in all-day employment the third year in high school. Students who are in all-day employment will receive a minimum of one hour a week of job related instruction. The ARD Committee may recommend a repeat of any year in which the student has not mastered the skills taught during that year.

Course descriptions for the Vocational Adjustment program are as follows:

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Develops communication skills through sign language, speaking, reading, and writing.

MATH:
Develops functional applications and abilities to manage money.

CAREER PREPARATION:
Develops skills and attitudes which contribute to successful employment.

HEALTH/SCIENCE:
Develops personal grooming, nutrition, first aid and safety.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Develops essential skills in citizenship, economics, geography, history and our legal system.

VOLUNTEER PRACTICUM:
Develops people, social and interaction skills between deaf/hearing-impaired and hearing individuals.

JOB PLACEMENT (JOB PRACTICUM AND SENIOR PROJECTS)
All jobs must meet the standards of the Lubbock Independent School District and be recommended by an Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee.

LIFE SKILLS

Students who have one or more severely disabling condition have a variety of program options for graduation as determined by the ARD Committee. Individual student plans reflect life skills in natural environments of community, vocation, recreation, domestic, and classroom. Graduation is recommended when the student completes IEP objectives or reaches the age of 22.

RESOURCE

Resource programs in ninth grade may provide direct instruction in English, math and/or the tutorial support for regular classes. The senior high program strives to assist students to function effectively in regular education classes. Goals and objectives correspond with essential elements in regular education content courses.

Course Descriptions:

RESOURCE SKILLS 9-12:
Develop study skills for success in regular classes. Content subject materials may be modified, pre-taught and/or reinforced. This class may be taken for state graduation elective credit (.5 per semester) up to a maximum of four (4) elective credits.

OTHER RESOURCE COURSES:
Other courses in direct instruction are English and math. These 9th grade courses are closely correlated with essential elements of the regular education courses.

LANGUAGE RETRAINING:
Provides multisensory reading instruction. This program may be completed during the ninth grade if begun in an earlier grade. Credit is earned for reading improvement.

SUPPORTED EDUCATION

The Supported Education Program is designed to provide educational services for students with moderately disabling conditions. The program is designed to develop functional skills for living in the classroom, in the community, in vocational, in domestic, and in recreation areas. Students graduate by completion of IEP objectives or at age 22.

VOCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT

The Vocational Adjustment (VA) program is an extension of the Academic Adjustment (AA) program at the high school level and is a work-study program. Emphasis is placed upon acquiring educational skills necessary for becoming a successful employee. Unless an ARD/IEP determines another educational plan, students are in class at tenth grade, in classes one-half day and on the job-training one-half day at eleventh grade, and on job-training all day at twelfth grade. Students who work in part-time training/employment less than four hours per day receive minimum of two hours of classroom instruction per day. Students who are in full-time employment receive a minimum of one hour per week of job related instruction.

Course descriptions for the Academic Adjustment and Vocational Adjustment programs are as follows:

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Develops all communication skills through the application of speaking, reading, and writing in real life situations.

MATH:
Develops functional applications and abilities to manage money (banking, saving, budgeting, figuring taxes, using credit, and making change).

CAREER PREPARATION:
Presents occupational information; develops skills and attitudes which contribute to successful employment, making application for employment, learning behaviors for interviews, and securing employment.

HEALTH/SCIENCE:
Teaches personal grooming, nutrition, illness, first aid, and safety.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Develops essential life skills in citizenship, history, geography, economics, and our legal system.

JOB PLACEMENT:
All jobs must meet the standards of the Lubbock Independent School District and must be recommended by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee.

(Advanced training on the job or in special trade classes is available ONLY for those students who have gained acceptable experience.)

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