SCEC Day School Programs

Overview

South Coast Educational Collaborative (SCEC) is dedicated to offering high quality educational programming for students of all ages. SCEC day school programs address the educational needs of students with a wide array of abilities and challenges. Integrated classrooms are provided in public school settings for elementary through high school students, ages 3-22 years. Public day school programs support students in grades K-12+ who require more restrictive programming.

All SCEC programs focus on high-quality instruction using evidence-based practices. Classrooms have high standards for academics that are aligned with state and national standards, including the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and the Common Core Standards. The curriculum is modified and adapted on an individual student basis to ensure all students are participating in standards-based learning. In addition to academics, students receive functional education in life skills, language, socialization, independent living, recreation and leisure activities. Social-emotional well-being and student self regulation are a major focus in every program, and parents are embraced as active and contributing members of the educational team at every site.

Students throughout SCEC participate in inclusionary instruction, whether within district classrooms or community settings, to support transitional skill development as well as generalization and internalization of learned skills. SCEC’s integrated classrooms are located in public school settings across the South Coast region. These integrated programs are a less restrictive alternative to most private school or public day settings. Students enrolled in integrated programs attend academic, music, arts and/or physical education classes with their district peers, and also join those peers during nonacademic times such as lunch, assemblies or after-school sports. If behavior or other factors preclude that involvement, students from the district school participate in SCEC classroom instruction using a reverse inclusion model. Experiences in the community are an essential component of the curriculum at every SCEC site. Each classroom participates in opportunities to interact within local communities appropriate to the learning objectives in the student’s educational plan and prepares students to be contributing members of their own community, be it in the school, home, neighborhood or other community setting.

All programs are staffed by highly qualified interdisciplinary teams that include educators, therapists, clinicians, nurses and paraprofessionals who work together to ensure optimal educational experiences for each student. Routine consultation and technical assistance is provided from a network of expert consultants, including a developmental pediatrician and behavioral experts, who further augment the services provided to each student.

Transition planning is a key component of the education for every student throughout his or her academic career at SCEC. It is the goal of every SCEC program to prepare students to transition back into their own public school district with support from the SCEC team as needed to ensure the student’s success. As students approach their fourteenth birthday, transition planning becomes more formalized and intensive. Focus is placed on preparing students for life after public education as necessary for success in today’s society. Instruction expands to include positive work habits and independent living skills. Each student’s independence is maximized as needed to produce his or her best outcome, whether it is paid employment, higher education and/or being an active and contributing member of the community in which he or she lives.

SCEC day school programs are fully supported by state-of-the-art assistive technology to support learners within the classroom. Technology is heavily integrated into every classroom through the daily use of specialized materials and equipment includes hardware, software, adaptive access equipment, communication devices, seating and positioning equipment and mobility equipment, as well as fine motor, visual motor, sensory , feeding and oral motor equipment.

SCEC uses sophisticated data collection practices to gather information on student performance in academics, social-emotional well being, self regulation and behavior. Daily analysis of collected data is used to guide instructional practices as needed to maximize student success. Progress for each student is articulated through ongoing communication with the family throughout the year using culturally sensitive best practices.