Curriculum
Subjects include math, reading, language arts, science and social studies. We use the following curriculum:
- McGraw Hill Curriculum across all subjects
- Glencoe Science Curriculum
- Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), Developed by Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley
- Tribes Social Curriculum
- Handwriting without Tears
- LifeSkills Curriculum for Middle School and Prep Center students
- Zoophonics for Preschool students
- Dynamic Physical Education curriculum for P.E. in addition to an optional enrichment program, "Fit Fun."
Sensory Sensitive Classrooms
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In creating an inclusive environment, many factors need to be considered. We have found self-regulation and sensory integration diets to be essential. For some students, standard school furniture can cause distractions by creating annoying tactile sensations, or by being confining. We use a variety of tools to help our students including quiet and cozy areas in each classroom, various seats (ball chairs and rocking desk chairs, cushion seats), swings, noise canceling headphones, music players. All of these tools are implemented differently across the school to sustain attention, regulate behavior and optimize learning.
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The Balance Ball Chair provides a springy surface on which the student may sit. It allows students to bounce to regulate their sensory input and requires the use of core muscles to sit, thus increasing concentration. The Ball Chair makes it possible for students who would otherwise be distracted to focus and concentrate on their tasks. .jpg?m=s&p=8)
The Zuma Rocking Chair is designed for limited movement on its rocking rails. It allows the students to change their seating by rocking back or forward while sitting. The rocking motion helps students regulate their sensory input safely by swinging back and forth.
Indoor Swings for vestibular stimulation.
Couches and Cozy Corners in our classrooms provide a variety of environments for students. Depending on each student's mood and emotional state, they need a variety of surfaces and textures; couches provide the classes with soft surfaces to allow students to moderate their sensory diet.
Test Scores Highlight Exceptional Education at HTS
Hope Technology School provides a rigorous academic program for all of our students. Both typical learners and those with special needs thrive as a result of small classes (12-13 students) each including a teacher and para-educator. As one of the many measures of our program, we annually administer the CAT/6 national norm referenced test to our students with and without special needs in second through eighth grade. While test scores do not reveal the full extent of what our students are learning, the performance of our students compared to the national average reveals that Hope Technology School's academic program is indeed exceptional.
*As a whole, students in our program perform more than 2 years above grade level (including students with and without special needs).
*Over 60% of our students took the test with minimal to no accommodations. As a group, they perform over 3 ½ years above grade level and score in the above average category according to the mean national stanine.
*We make the test accessible to many of our students with special needs by affording accommodations. As a group, these students perform above grade level as well.
*Our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who took the test with minimal to no accommodations achieved the same score that an average high school graduate would receive on this test (a grade mean equivalent of 12.9). Including our middle school students who took the entire test with substantial accommodations, the grade mean equivalent for the middle school program is the eighth month of 11th grade (11.8).
