Ybarra Academy of the Arts
& Technology
Walnut, California, U.S.
THE MISSION OF YBARRA ACADEMY
OF THE ARTS & TECHNOLOGY
The mission of Ybarra Academy is to work in partnership for excellence to educate and inspire self-confident, inquiring, caring students who contributes to a global society. A student-centered focus, with integrity, respect, responsibility with accountability, excellence and safety, are what we believe to be the common core values which foster life-long learning with equity for all students. Through this partnership of family, staff, and a richly diverse community, within a safe, nurturing environment, students are prepared to realize their dreams and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS POLICY
Philosophy
The mission of Ybarra Academy is to work in partnership for excellence to embrace and inspire self-confident, inquiring, caring, special needs students who contribute to a global society. A special needs students-centered focus, with integrity, respect, responsibility, cultural mindedness, excellence and safety, are what we believe to be the common core values that foster successful life-long learning with equity for all special needs students. Through this partnership of family, staff, specialists, and a richly diverse community, within a safe, nurturing environment, students are given support, accommodations, modifications, and interventions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
The Process of Meeting Special Education Needs
Inclusion
Our process for inclusion aims to provide as much of an equal access and support system for all students to be actively involved in and engaged in the learning environment. We strive to remove anything that may hinder a student’s learning experience. All stakeholders involved in a student’s wellbeing are part of the process.
Examples of Inclusion
•Collaborate with specialists
•Creating a structured classroom
•Display essential agreements
•Provide opportunities for purposeful movement
•Develop classroom cues
•Help with organization of materials by using folders, checklists, and containers
•Provide activities that appeal to different learning styles/performances.
•Use of graphic organizers
Differentiation
Our belief about differentiation aims to provide varied opportunities through effective teaching strategies for each and every student to achieve a mutual goal. Consequently, differentiated assessments aim to reflect the various learning needs and styles of students.
Examples of Differentiation
•Design lessons based on student learning styles
•Group students by shared interests/topic/ability
•Use formative assessments
•Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students needs
•Adjust content, process, product, and learning environments
School Services
Counseling – Counseling services are provided to students through the district’s Family Resource Center. One counselor is on campus two days a month to work with students.
ID for Success – The ID For Success programs involves 4th grade students during an eight week session to help then develop good decision making strategies.
S.H.I.P.S. – The S.H.I.P.S. (Skills for Healthy Interaction with Peers at School) program conducts one on one and small group sessions with qualified K-3 students and in areas such as social skills, organization, and self-esteem.
Heart for Education – This is an after-school program available to students for homework support, language enrichment, and support on units of inquiry.
RSP Special Education – Students with learning disabilities or behavioral concerns receive support in a small group setting with a full-time Resource Specialist and part-time instructional aide.
English Language Development – English Language Development (ELD) support is provided for thirty minutes a day to all English Language Learners. Certificated classroom teachers provide ELD. Students work in small groups and are placed according to their scores on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT).
Speech – Speech and language support is provided by a part-time Speech and Language Pathologist.
Gifted and Talented Education – The Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE) is provided to students in 4th – 6th grades identified as Highly Capable Learners through multiple assessment measures.
Principles of Good Practice
- Affirming identify and building self esteem
•We have a SHIPS program, culture talks in all grade levels, IB citizen and student of the month, Document Home-School connections of Actions, and give learner profile lessons
- Valuing Prior knowledge
•We use GLAD strategies like: Input Charts, Observation Charts, exploration reports and, picture file cards. We also use Kagen strategies like: fish bowl, think pair share, inner/outer circle, and four corners.
- Scaffolding
•We use color coded visual representation, oral repetition, rhythmic patterning, sentence frames, anchor charts, dramatization, thinking maps, and TPR.
- Extending learning
•We have mentors, International Day, Career Day, field trips, Promotion/education, action cycle, and choice products of presentations.
Special Education Needs Policy Review
The Special Education Needs Policy will be reviewed annually, at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year, as a staff and can be found on the Ybarra Academy Website.
2/24/2015