Special Education Newsletter
Mankato Area Public Schools
What's happening in Special Education
Adapted Bowling Season
The Spring athletic season is about to start! Mankato East and Mankato West both offer Adapted Bowling as a spring sport opportunity to students in grades 7-12. Our schools offer 3 divisions: Cognitively Impaired Division, Physically Impaired Division and an Autism Spectrum Disorders Division. Both schools have approximately 20-25 participants!
Mankato West Adapted Bowling Schedule
PAES LAB
Mankato East and West High Schools are excited to offer a new comprehensive work curriculum! Both schools will have a Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) classroom for students with disabilities. PAES is a simulated work environment where students have the opportunity to learn about different types of jobs as well as their work interests through a hands on curriculum. Students will explore job tasks in computer technology, construction/industrial, processing/production, consumer/service, and business/marketing.
Not only will students explore careers they will learn how employers expect employees to behave on the job. Data collected in the classroom will help facilitate IEP and transition planning.
For more information about PAES go to: http://www.talentassessment.com/paes.html
New Curriculum Opportunities:
The Mankato Special Education department is excited to announce the addition of two new curriculum options for students.
STAR program
The STAR program (Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research) is an evidence based, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) based, and research validated curriculum. The ABA instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and teaching functional routines form the instructional base of this comprehensive program for children with autism.
The STAR Program includes detailed lesson plans, teaching materials, data systems and a curriculum-based assessment for teaching in the six curricular areas of receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous language, functional routines, academics, and play & social skills.
Unique Curriculum
Unique Learning System® is an award-winning, online, standards-based set of interactive tools specifically designed for students with special needs to access the general curriculum. Unique Learning System provides preschool through transition students with rigorous, standards-based materials specifically designed to meet their instructional needs.
Users interact with differentiated, thematic units of study with text to speech, interactive components, hundreds of activities and multiple opportunities to show what they know. Books, lessons & activities are viewable on tablets, whiteboards, and smartboards.
Who Is Unique For?
Students who do not have access to instruction in grade level standards
Students who are primarily served out of the Setting 3 classrooms (Examples: Developmental Cognitive Disabilities - DCD, LifeSkills, Autism Spectrum Disorder -ASD, Behavior Support, …)
Students whose progress can not be demonstrated through district assessment such as DIBELS and NWEA
Students who are performing more than 2 years behind in their academic core subjects (Reading, Math, Writing, Science, and Social Studies)
PACER Center Information
PACER Center enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. PACER operates on the principles of parents helping parents, supporting families, promoting a safe environment for all children, and working in collaboration with others.
PACER Center - Champions for Students with Disabilities
Resource to learn more about Individual Education Plan development:
A Guide for Minnesota Parents to the Individualized Education Program (IEP)