Students are sometimes placed in specialized TCSE Special Education programs by their home schools and districts following completion and approval of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The student’s home school arranges transportation, which is provided from the student’s home to program’s school location. If a student’s regular transportation plan is to be altered for any reason, the student’s parent must send a written notification with the effective date to the TCSE Principal or Administrator before bus personnel will be notified. School personnel have the obligation to request valid identification from unknown individuals designated by the parent to transport their child. Please remember to let your authorized “pick-up or drop-off” person know to have valid ID when arriving at the school location. Prior to starting school in a TCSE program, parents still need enroll their child at their home school district. All parents will need to complete any required documentation, including: emergency contact information, school lunch forms, required medical forms, immunizations and exams, and any other information pertaining to their child’s attendance at school. TCSE will send a Student-Parent Handbook, along with a school calendar, and other information pertinent to the classroom and program, home with the student during the first week of school. Illinois law allows parents to be excused from work to attend school meetings concerning their child’s education
Program Descriptions
CHOICES Program
This program serves students ages 5-21 with moderate cognitive/intellectual disabilities. Our classrooms are located in integrated school settings at Unity Point Elementary, Carbondale High School, Du Quoin High School, and Murphysboro High School in Jackson and Perry counties. Daily instruction focuses on a functional curriculum which addresses the individual needs of each student. The CHOICES program emphasizes the development of life skills, social skills, leisure skills, domestic skills, work skills training, and includes community-based instruction. The program is a comprehensive one in which related-service providers (speech, occupational and physical therapists) work closely with the classroom staff to incorporate interventions and recommendations throughout the school day. Our goal is to help students to become contributing members of their community and to live as independently as possible.
COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT (CD) PROGRAM
This program serves students from Early Childhood (ages 3-5) through Elementary grades (K-8). The program is designed for children diagnosed with, or suspected of having, an Autism Spectrum Disorder. A diagnosis of Autism does not automatically place a child into the program, to qualify for this program, a student must exhibit severe communication deficits. The student may also have additional needs secondary to Communication (e.g. cognition, motor). The program addresses Communication Needs through an intense language-rich environment and multi-modal approaches to learning; including a high level of visual supports and augmentative alternative communication systems. Classroom Special Education Teachers work with Speech-Language Pathologists to implement communication strategies through everyday activities. The Communication Development program challenges the students to grow functionally and academically, while focusing on improving communication, behavioral, and social skills.
REACH Program
The REACH program classroom is located within one of our member school districts, at Carbondale High School. The overall goal of the REACH program is to provide students with the academic skills needed to function independently within the community. A strong emphasis on reading and math skills are taught at the individual student’s learning pace within a cross-categorical classroom. Students are progress-monitored frequently, and instructional methods are evaluated regularly, to ensure the most appropriate teaching strategies are being utilized with each student. As appropriate, students’ socialization and peer interactions are addressed through integration into same-aged school activities, non-academic class periods, and academic classes.
EARLY CHILDHOOD (ECH) PROGRAM
The program is designed for children ages 3-5 years old who exhibit moderate to severe delays in one or more areas of development . The program provides a developmentally-based curriculum to meet the individual needs of preschool children. The program emphasizes the development of cognitive/pre-readiness skills, speech and language development, fine and gross motor skills, self-help skills, and socialization. These classes usually have between six and ten children who and are staffed with one EC teacher and two instructional assistants. We strive to offer children services in the least restrictive environment and offer a number of our classrooms as part of inclusive Pre-K classrooms. A full staff of related personnel consisting of the Speech/Language therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Social Worker and School Nurse is available to provided services as indicated on the individualized education program (IEP)of each student.
RISE PROGRAM : Reaching Independence through Support and Education
The Special Needs program serves students ages 3-21 with severe/profound cognitive disabilities, multiple disabilities, physical impairments, health impairments, and/or autism within a self-contained educational setting . Program emphasis is on the development of critical life skills through a collaborative team-based approach. Daily instruction focuses on communication, socialization, daily living skills, leisure skills, motor development, community-based instruction, health management, vocational training/instruction, behavior management, and assistive technology. Students within the Special Needs program have access to all related services necessary to benefit from their educational program as indicated on the IEP. Ours is a comprehensive program in which related service providers work closely with the classroom staff so that interventions are carried out throughout the school day. The goal of the program is to prepare our students to become participating members of their communities. Through individualized instruction, our students work towards individual goals that will enable them to maximize their potential.
ASPIRE Program : Achieving Success Promoting Individualism Reaching Emotional and Education Goals
The mission of this educational program is to provide a positive and safe learning environment that promotes academic and emotional growth to facilitate the students’ ability to become productive members of society, both in school and beyond. This program has been developed to serve the educational needs of students who have not been successful in traditional school programs because of chronic behavioral, emotional, and/or social choice-making difficulties. Instruction emphasizes taking responsibility for one’s own behavior and learning to accept consequences for one’s own actions. The school utilizes staff training and practices that are consistent with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Best Practices in order to teach students pro-social choice-making and maximize their education.