Special Services Programs

Focus: Provide comprehensive social and adaptive support that will allow students to benefit fully from academic instruction and peer interactions.
Overview: Compass is a K-8 special education program for students with social-emotional and behavioral needs who require comprehensive support to access their education.
Developmental Learning Center (DLC)
- Focus: Provide individualized instruction focused on functional, cognitive, and adaptive skills paired with related therapies.
- Overview: Serves students ages 3-21 with significant intellectual delays and/or significant physical impairments. These programs focus on functional communication, cognitive development, adaptive skills, and motor skill development.

Focus: Provide in-home instruction and related services for students who are unable to access traditional school options for medical-related reasons.
Overview: Serves students ages 3-21 who qualify for special education and have a medical condition that prohibits them from attending school on a regular basis. Collaboration with families, physicians, private nurses, and outside agencies to assist in meeting the needs of the student helps drive the specific program.

Focus: Provides adaptive and social instruction to support daily living tasks and skills.
Overview: Smaller classroom setting for students who have moderate to significant delays in adaptive, social, and/or academic skills. The curriculum focuses on functional skills in communication, daily living, and social interactions. This is provided at the middle and high school levels. Community access, and vocational and transition skills are an option at the high school level.

Focus: Provide early learning opportunities for 3-5-year-old students who qualify for special education services.
Overview:
- Developmental Preschool - The developmental preschool is a self-contained program that provides cognitive, social, and adaptive support to children ages 3-5. The DP is the preschool version of our K-12 Developmental Learning Centers. All students within the DP have the benefit an IEP. All staff members within the DP are Mead School District Employees.
- Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) - The Mead School District partners with the local ESD to provide an inclusive preschool experience. ECEAP classrooms have a 50/50 ratio of students with and without the benefit of an IEP. Students who have an IEP and participate in the ECEAP program are often referred to as students in the ELC. Lead teachers, teacher assistants, and one para per classroom are hired by the ESD. Mead staffs each classroom with one additional para and a special education teacher that services students’ IEP goals.
For more enrollment information, click here.

Focus: Provides specially designed instruction in reading, writing, math, adaptive, and/or social-emotional to bridge gaps in learning.
Overview: Smaller classroom setting for students with delays in reading, writing, math, adaptive, and/or social-emotional skills. Instructional time and location are provided based on student needs and IEP goals. Programs are available in each elementary, middle school, high school, and alternative setting.

Focus: Provide social and adaptive support that will allow students to benefit fully from academic instruction and peer interactions.
Overview: Special education students who have moderate to significant social-emotional and behavioral delays. Students require specially designed instruction and specific interventions related to social-emotional skills and behavior support. Programs are available in each middle school and high school setting.

Focus: Provide opportunities for students 19 to 21 years old to practice independence and job-related skills that support their personal, educational, and vocational goals.
Overview: Designed to assist students who have moderate to significant delays in academic, adaptive, and/or social behavior skills ages 19 through 21 to develop vocational and personal independence so that they will be successful upon graduation from high school.
For more information on available programs, please contact Special Services at 509-465-7600.