Call us or email us 510.741.5440 for more information
Our academic services are designed for students with high cognitive abilities who suffer from emotional and behavioral challenges. These students generally have good verbal skills and can achieve academic success in the proper environment.
Our academic services emphasize:
- Coursework that meets grade-specific district and state curriculum standards for math, reading, spelling, writing, social studies, and science
- Small class environments with intensive staff-to-student ratios
- Curriculum-based measures to assess academic progress
- Social skills training
- Functional academics, including budgeting and daily living skills
- An opportunity to earn credits toward a high school diploma
- GED preparation
Strategies
Direct Instruction
To deliver academic content, our teaching staff uses a structured, systematic, research-based approach known as Direct Instruction. Using this method, students acquire skills and practice them to fluency. We review lessons to ensure students have maintained the knowledge before moving on to the next lesson. Each student gets immediate and continuous feedback. What’s more, we monitor and adjust the pace of instruction to meet each student’s needs. Thanks to the effectiveness of this method, our students often cover more than one academic year of curriculum for each year of Direct Instruction.
Second Step
We recognize that academics alone aren’t enough. In order to grow and learn, students must be able to manage impulses and behaviors. That’s why we employ a program knows as Second Step Social Skills Curriculum. This empirically based system teaches social skills, including problem solving, empathy, impulse control, and anger management, helping students create a mental and emotional framework that’s conducive to learning.
For additional information about this service, or to discuss a referral to Spectrum, call (510) 741-5440 or contact us.