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District details Alternate Standards Program and post‑secondary transition supports
Summary
Student support services summarized the district’s Alternate Standards Program (ASP), eligibility criteria, curricula, micro‑enterprise vocational training, Project Achieve grant supports, and Next Step transition services for 18–22-year-old students.
Dr. Christine Lennox, director of student support services, briefed the board on the district’s Alternate Standards Program (ASP), which serves students with significant cognitive disabilities using alternate academic standards and specialized curriculum. Lennox reviewed eligibility—typically two standard deviations below the mean on cognitive testing and significant adaptive deficits—how teams determine placement (IEP team, psychological testing, speech/OT input), and the difference between adjusted and alternate diplomas.
District curriculum options (Attainment and Unique Learning System) align to connectors that preserve the essence of state standards at an accessible level. Lennox described vocational micro-enterprises at Carson High (coffee shop/sales and related training), the Project Achieve grant (professional development, coaching and curriculum supports), and the Next Step transition program for ages 18–22 (job skills, transportation training, community-based instruction and partner services). She said the program serves about 120 students across elementary, middle and high school ASP classes and that staffing ratios aim for ~1 teacher per 12 students plus paras and related services as required by student needs.
Board members praised the program and noted the value of transition partnerships that help some students secure community employment.
