Our middle school program emphasizes high school readiness and preparing students for high school independence.  

While grade-level instruction is provided in all core subject areas, assistive technologies and other learning accommodations are individually matched to each student’s needs. This enables them to grow in continued self-awareness and self-advocacy skills as they progress toward high school readiness and learning independence.

      All Middle School Students Receive Instruction in:      

Reading and analyzing grade-level texts across a variety of genres

Non-fiction and narrative essay writing

Mathematics

Science

Social Studies

Technology

Physical Education

There are also a variety of elective classes our middle school students can choose from including a selection of art, music, engineering, and technology classes.

All students are exposed to a variety of study skills and executive functioning strategies to help them succeed in learning and in life. Each of our four core subject areas (English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies) strategically emphasize different executive functions, assistive technologies, and learning accommodations to expose all students to a variety of tools and strategies for success.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills represent the bare minimum in terms of the content we teach in middle school, but our subject area content is a secondary consideration after strategy building for high school independence.

Below is a sampling of strategies and technologies used by our middle school teachers to effectively prepare students for high school and beyond. This list is not meant to be an endorsement for any certain curriculum, nor an exhaustive list of every excellent resource available for teaching students with learning differences and disabilities.

English/Language Arts classes focus on organizing both concrete and conceptual information as well as effective oral and written communication. This includes ongoing instruction in both handwriting and keyboarding as needed. A variety of assistive technologies for reading and writing are available including digital textbooks and notebooks, magnification software, speech-to-text software, text-to-speech software, brainstorming and editing tools, and word prediction software. All students also use Microsoft Office 365 (Edge, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams) and Microsoft Teams on a daily basis. The Inspirations software is utilized heavily as a way to create outlines, mind maps, diagrams, webs, and other graphic organizers to help students organize thoughts and ideas. 

Mathematics classes focus on strategy building, specific study skills, and creating individualized learning tools. Individualized math journals, “cheat sheets” or strategy lists, and study guides are created so that each student will have a personalized toolbox of tips, tricks and tools to take with them to their next school placement.  

Science and Social Studies classes focus on time management, research skills, experimentation, collecting, interpreting, and analyzing information, determining important information, note taking, study skills, and working with non-fiction texts. We use the Cornell note-taking method, and other online tools such as Quizlet, IXL, Kahoot, Boomcards, Discovery Education, Ed Puzzle, Flipgrid, Flocabulary, Gimkit, Learning Alley, Nearpod, NoodleTools, and Quizizz on an ongoing basis.