Arbor School Delivers
Successful Transitions
By Wendy Cox Blair, Executive Director of Arbor School of Central Florida
The U.S. National Center for Education
Statistics reports that special education
students are more than twice as likely as their
peers in general education to drop out of
high school. Youth with disabilities are also
half as likely as their peers without disabilities
to participate in postsecondary education.
Little or no expectation of success, low
educational attainment, few vocational goals,
and confusing government programs with
conflicting eligibility criteria have resulted in
many students with disabilities not making
a successful transition from high school to
postsecondary education, employment, and
independent living (NCWD/YOUTH,
2014).
Arbor School has set out to beat these
statistics for our students. Our school was
founded in 2002 and serves students from
ages 5-22 years old with varying disabilities.
It is the mission of the school to provide the
education our students need to be successful
community members after graduation.
Arbor provides an individualized program
with academics that are leveled for each
student, online classes, programming,
digital drawing, art and music. Teachers
spend time brainstorming ideas and sharing
information through a K-12 teaching and
learning platform. This digital collaboration
has led to several great ideas, such as how to
integrate Project Based Learning, and the
creation of Friday afternoon clubs. Thanks
to technology, our staff members are able to
easily communicate with one another, parents
and students.
All of our students are assessed yearly to
assure that the coursework they are doing is
within their learning abilities and that each
individual is making progress in three core
subject areas: math, reading and language arts.
Teachers use these assessments when planning
lessons to ensure standards are being met and
that success is achievable for each student.
At Arbor we provide accommodations
to help our students succeed. For example,
students who struggle with a learning
disability, such as dyslexia, may be given
access to text-to-speech tools when they are
reading. Students with dyscalculia are given
calculators, and students with dysgraphia are
able to use keyboards for their assignments.
We’ve also seen the benefit of offering
online classes. Students have access to elective
courses that allow them to fulfill language
requirements, take introductory career classes
and make up missed credits, if needed. These
classes are self-paced and adaptable to the
learning styles and needs of each learner.
In 2016, Arbor created one of the first
transition to work, college and independent
living programs in Central Florida. All
high school students are required to take
independent living classes before they turn
17. These classes are essential in preparing
them for the future, and cover managing
money, cooking, self-care and self-advocacy.
Students in these classes spend time in the
classroom learning each skill and then practice
them outside of school.
At 17, each student enters our transition
to work program. This program includes a
half day of classes in English, Math, Science
and History, and a half day in the workplace,
with job coaches at one or more of our
community partners. Arbor School is grateful
to partner with companies including Gordon
Foods, Thales Manufacturing, Bio Plus
Pharmaceutical and The Tremont Retirement
Community.
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