Life-Centered Education (LCE) Program
“The thoughtful inclusion of students with special learning needs is one very practical and explicit way of enhancing a school’s organizational intelligence. By challenging ourselves to do more than what we are already comfortable doing, we engage in a rigorous exercise of collaborative inquiry that supports our collective intellectual growth and social and emotional development.” - Powell and Kusuma-Powell, Raising Your School’s Organizational Intelligence 2013.
Background
In 2018 the ISK Board of Trustees approved a proposal for ISK to become a more inclusive school, expanding our learning resource services to include services for students with learning needs that are considered to be more intensive than the level of needs that are currently supported. There is a committee working under the leadership and supervision of Heidi Laws, the Student Support Services Coordinator, to chart our progress towards this goal of a comprehensive special education program for all students grade Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12.
Our goal at ISK is to begin the 2019 school year with grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade 3, the following year we will add grade 4. In 2021 ISK will have a K-5 class.
LCE Classroom
In the Life-Centered Education (LCE) classroom students learn how to improve their reading fluency and comprehension through an interactive and multisensory approach to reading and writing. In mathematics, students improve numeracy and computation through several different math strategies and real life applications. Life skills and social skills are reinforced daily with lessons from the Social Thinking curriculum. Students also receive additional social emotional support from the elementary school counselors.
Under the supervision of the LCE teacher, grade level teachers and counselors, student schedules are developed to support their abilities and individual needs in the least restrictive environment. This includes both mainstream grade level classes as well as small group instruction in the LCE classroom. LCE students may also participate in PE, art, and music classes. At this time, additional support services such as occupational therapy, sensory integration, and speech and language therapy can be provided throughout the day and arranged through the parents.
Student Profile
Student Profile: Students in Pre-Kindergarten- Grade 3 may qualify for the Life-Centered Education Program when either of the following descriptions are applicable:
- Student has a diagnosed intellectual or developmental disability as diagnosed in a psycho education evaluation
*IQ score below a score of 75, may consider students with higher IQ’s (approx. 76-85)
- Previous inclusion in, or referral to, an intensive type self- contained program or having had a 1:1 assistant
- Elementary specific:
- Functional communication skills
- A certain level of psycho education evaluation and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) skills (feeding, dressing, toileting independently) as measured by the Vineland or another parent questionnaire, which can be administered by us
- Regardless of true age, developmental skills above a certain age, i.e. age 4 or 5 (can also glean from the Vineland and likely from info on their psycho education evaluation)
The program would be exclusive* of:
- Students with intense emotional or behavioral needs that require intensive behavioral intervention
- Students that require skilled nursing services for severe health impairments
*Consideration is made on a case-by-case basis.
Admission to LCE
Admission to Life-Centered Education Program and ISK:
Admission to the LCE program would be determined after a comprehensive application process. It is outlined as follows:
- The applicant’s parents would need to provide a detailed developmental history of their child and a formal educational-psychological evaluation from a reputable organization or individual.
- Students in Pre-Kindergarten- Grade 3 may qualify for the Life-Centered Education Program
- This testing should provide a report inclusive of a student’s cognitive, adaptive, academic, language, social, emotional and behavioral functioning.
- Evaluation will need to have been conducted within one/two year(s) from the date of application depending of student at admissions.
- When applicable, recent speech and language, occupational, and physical therapy evaluations may also be requested.
- An interview will be necessary to further evaluate the applicant’s abilities and levels of need.
- We aim to have a healthy proportion for LCE students from the local host country and expatriate population, which will reflect our international culture.
Admissions process: The screening and admission of students to LCE program is by a committee of administration (Principal and/or Assistant Principal), LCE Teacher, and the SSS Coordinator.