Red Oak Curriculum

Our curriculum draws from the latest research findings combined with our experience working with ROCS students over the years. The curriculum is inherently adaptable, continuously evolving to cater to the needs and interests of our students, contemporary events, and the enthusiastic pursuits of our educators. Each curriculum’s scope and sequence is crafted by the educator teaching the class. Consequently, our scope and sequences also remain by design - flexible, consistently growing and enhancing over time.

Curriculum Goals | Subject Specific Curriculum | Universal Accommodations | SEEDS Program | Program Limitations

Our curriculum goals at Red Oak are to introduce content that:

• will 'spark' enthusiasm

• encourages curiosity & a quest for learning

• respects that kids can handle difficult topics

• broadens their perspective of the world

• allows students to actively participate in the selection of material (...is guided by students)

• is contemporary and responsive to the needs/interests of the students

To offer the content in a way that:

• creates students who self-identify as learners

• encourages students to question content (information literacy) and the authority of its source (media literacy)

• models curiosity & allows kids to wonder and ask questions

• empowers students to take academic risks

• gives students confidence to make mistakes and learn from them

• make students feel valued as learners and community members

• encourages students to be self-motivated learners (educational initiative)

• develops collaboration and cooperation as students actively/authentically work with others

To prepare learners to be able to:

• think critically & form their own opinions

• step outside of their comfort zone to solve problems

• know how to locate resources to find an answer

Individual Subject Area Curriculum

Our curriculum draws from the latest research findings combined with our extensive experience working with ROCS students over the years. Each subject matter’s scope and sequence is crafted by the educator instructing the class. Our curriculum is inherently adaptable, continuously evolving to cater to the needs and interests of our students, contemporary events, and the enthusiastic pursuits of our educators. Consequently, our scope and sequence remain by design - flexible, consistently growing and enhancing over time.

Universal, School-Wide Accommodations

While Red Oak is not a special education program, our program does provide many “built-in” accommodations that are available to any students who benefit from them:

General Accommodations

• Teacher looping - relationships with all staff members creates trust and knowledge of each student’s unique needs

• Small class sizes

• Two 60min recess periods every school day

• Combination of whole-group, small group and one-on-one instruction

• Recess as a basic right of all students every school day - no exceptions

• No homework assigned

• No grades assigned to class work - no consequences for incomplete work

• Ability to eat when hungry and rest when tired

• Staff available via text every school day - caregivers can check on students anytime

• Student advocate automatically assigned to any student needing extra support

  Environmental Accommodations

• Low lighting in classrooms

• Minimal classroom decor, free of clutter

• Noise-canceling headphones available to students at all times

• Preferential/flexible seating in every classroom - including floor & table seating options

• Quiet spaces to work adjacent to classrooms, upon request

  Behavioral Accommodations

• Whole-body movement options in the classroom - so long as it supports maintained focus & engagement

• Movement break opportunities during class times - including 5-10min pull-out breaks as needed

• Affection, respect and recess are never withheld due to behavior

• Invisible behavioral tracking

• Active, direct social/emotional support during outside play times (student/teacher ratio ~17:1)

  Executive Function Accommodations

• Visual daily class schedules provided for each student

• Chunking of assignments

  Reading/Written Expression Accommodations

• Differentiated/modified lessons

• Assistive technology available

• Scribing/reading aloud

  Anxiety Accommodations

• Drop off flexibility - adults welcome to stay until child is comfortable

• Arrival flexibility - no administrative consequences for late arrivals

• Attendance flexibility - no administrative consequences for missed days

• Notes home to parents via text anytime it is requested - no exceptions

SEEDS Program

Strengthening Educational Engagement through Direct Support

Our SEEDS Program is designed for students who are needing a little extra support in our school programs. The program provides: an assigned Student Advocate (ROCS educator), family meetings regarding concerns, SEEDS plan development, and when recommended, support through special education processes with the student’s school district.

Student support processes are often overwhelming for parents and we want to help ensure families never feel alone in their journey. Our SEEDS Program Director walks through the entire process alongside our families and their Student Advocate (a ROCS educator) who will join the student’s support team. As a team, we begin by being curious about why a student is struggling in a certain area and investigating ways we can support them better. We might involve students in collaborative problem-solving. We make a student-centered accommodations plan and are able to adjust that plan on the fly, minus the red tape.

We may recommend school evaluations with a student’s school district if we suspect a learning disability. In this case, our SEEDS Program Director acts as an advocate throughout the process, explaining each step and attending meetings with the family. If a student is determined eligible for special education services, we help connect the family with providers who can provide the extra services a student might need (OT, speech, tutoring, etc.) and ensure we continue to monitor and recommend adjustments to services/additional services as needed.

Red Oak does not take Jon Peterson or Autism scholarship funds as payment for tuition. Instead, our families retain control over those funds while our SEEDS Program Director assists in matching our students with providers who will service their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals. This also allows families the flexibility to choose their providers, change providers and schedule with providers at a time that works best for their child.

Program Limitations

Red Oak’s educational programs are all “gen ed” programs. Our educators are not trained special education educators and we do not have intervention specialists on staff. When our students need more interventions than our program provides, we assist families in getting school-based evaluations through their local school district, acting as an advocate for our students in meetings with district personnel.

We do not have a school counselor or nurse on staff, which should be a consideration for families considering enrollment whose student has a high level of mental health/medical support needs.

Our students have a higher level of independence at school than most educational programs, so students who struggle with independence skills may need extra support at Red Oak than they might at other schools.