Curriculum
Our staff believes that every child can learn when the instruction is congruent to the child’s learning modalities.
The conceptual focus of curriculum development at Sierra Foothills Academy is centralized around student-centered learning and skill acquisition. The goal of instruction at our school is to provide individualized instruction in core academic content areas and in the functional life skills domains of domestic, community, vocational, recreation and leisure, and functional academics. Curriculum development at Sierra Foothills Academy is organized into eight major criterions: IEP, ITP, Student Interest, Behavior, California Common Core Standards, Alternative Curriculum Requirements, and Academic/ Psychological Assessment Results.
The IEP dictates what type, duration, and depth of curriculum a student’s program will entail at Sierra Foothills Academy. Inclusive of the IEP are academic and behavioral goals, assessment results, transitional goals and documented progress towards satisfactorily participating in Sierra Foothills’ core or alternative core curriculum courses.
Our core curriculum textbooks are state adopted and aligned with the Common Core State Standards in Math, Reading and Writing.
When the nature or severity of a student’s disability precludes him or her from participating in core academic instruction, the foundation for the student’s education program is a functional life skills curriculum. Here at Sierra Foothills Academy, we utilize a specialized curriculum called, Unique Learning Systems. This program is the only online, dynamic, standards-based curriculum specifically designed for students with special needs. Our teachers download monthly instructional thematic units of study. Each unit contains 30 special education lesson plans and downloadable materials that our teachers can readily implement into classroom learning activities. All materials are created using SymbolStix graphics. The unit lesson plans define three levels of differentiated tasks to accommodate the diversity of learners with significant disabilities.
Level 1: Students require maximum supports. Increasing participation is the main objective.
Level 2: Students may require picture support and other direct support in learning and the demonstration of comprehension.
Level 3: Students can read text, produce simple writing, perform basic math processes, and can independently demonstrate comprehension of modified learning information.
Sierra Foothills Academy works with all stakeholders involved in a child’s educational process to ensure he or she receives a quality standards-based education.
