Felicity School is designed to serve students who are eligible for special education services in the categories of Emotional Disability (ED), Learning Disability (LD), and Other Health Impaired (OHI). Regardless of the diagnosed eligibility category, students referred to Felicity School have behavioral overlays that negatively affect their ability to learn in their home school setting. We are approved to serve up to 60 students in grades 6 through 12. Felicity School is a non-traditional, school environment with open and flexible spaces that ameliorates some of the negative feelings that students might associate with a more traditional school setting. Our student to staff ratio is a maximum of 10 students working with 2 staff members (one certified teacher and one paraprofessional). Related Services staff are available as directed by each student’s Individual Education Plan.
Curriculum and Services
Introduction
We have spent time gathering the opinions and thoughts from local schools and organizations to help us better meet the needs of their district and students. We have and will add programming based on these conversations and are truly interested in developing partnerships with all districts and families.
Felicity provides:
- Web-based curriculum for core subject areas
- Independent student-interest based courses
- Blended classroom instruction emphasizing critical thinking skills
- Case-study based instruction
- Partnership with CAAEL (Chicago Area Alternative Education League) for sports, competitive academic challenges and special events
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Job Training
- College/Post-Secondary Transition Resources
- Art Therapy
- Drug & Alcohol Counseling
- Behavioral Intervention Services
Academic
Our academic program includes the core curriculum delivered primarily through web-based programming with a program called Edgenuity, which is managed and facilitated by classroom staff. Courses are designed to meet each referring district’s graduation requirements. Direct instruction classes are also available to students who may struggle with a web-based curriculum or who express a preference for a paper-based curriculum. Educational simulations and case studies are primary teaching tools in these areas.
For courses taught through our web-based curriculum, mastery is measured using the assessment protocols that are part of each course. Both web and paper-based classroom materials are saved to a portfolio maintained by the classroom teacher. The portfolio assessment is the primary way we measure improvements in writing/composing.
Every student will be given an individual writing prompt on a monthly basis. Felicity staff uses the ACT writing rubric to score each sample. In our direct instruction courses, learning is measured through authentic assessments that use “challenge” scenarios found in life to measure a student’s application of knowledge. This prepares students for annual standardized testing when required and confirms specialized accommodations highlighted in IEPs will be used. Our personalized progress report reduces students test anxiety which may have been a previous barrier to success when standardized testing. These skills are transferable when reintegrating into mainstream education.
Clinical
Felicity School uses clinical interventions to strengthen emotional stability. Regulating difficult emotions in increased stressful situations, recognizing patterns in unhealthy relationships and improving time management are some of the areas addressed. Our clinical approach is based on the Life Skills Crisis Intervention (LSCI) model that infuses a supportive approach into our school climate with the focus on navigating crises appropriately.
Each student is assigned an academic and a clinical case manager. These managers maintain goal setting, provide more personalized support and represent student success during annual and requested IEP meetings with the student’s home district. As a therapeutic school, our clinicians work closely with the academic staff and administration to provide clinical support when requested. Open communication about strengthening mental health and asking for clinical support is consistently modeled by staff.
Currently Felicity School’s clinical team consists of two full time clinicians with experience in a variety of clinical settings. In addition, we employ a certified drug and alcohol counselor who assists the team with clinical interventions and facilitates bi-weekly therapeutic groups. This year we also welcomed back our art therapist who specializes in art therapy interventions and has previously worked with our Felicity students. Our clinicians meet weekly with our principal to discuss clinical observations, areas of improvement and psychoeducation surrounding general mental health professional practice to strengthen appropriate interventions with individual students.
Vocational
We believe that one of the primary goals of education is to lead our students to vocational and secondary transition success and to become productive contributors in their communities. Felicity staff provides guidance on applying for jobs, interviewing skills and maintaining a job as well as a professional relationship with their employer.
Felicity staff can also provide direct contacts for students with access to potential employers in close proximity to our school. This includes jobs in the retail, food service, recreational, mechanical and investment- based fields. These introductions help alleviate some of the initial anxiety associated with entering the work force.
Outdoor
Felicity School embraces the outdoors as a great addition to learning, specifically in earning physical education credit upon successful completion of an activity.
We offer an annual field trip opportunity to a campsite. Our staff oversees students with cooking outdoors, teaching survival skills and hiking near the campsite. We also visit the Cook County forest preserve located near our school to give students the opportunity to try backpacking, paddling and even rock climbing!
These excursions not only expose our students to nature’s beauty but also expose them to real life scenarios where they work with limited resources, build survival skills and learn to manage distress. We also enjoy involving our students’ families, including them in pre-trip and post-trip sessions. Our staff is always brainstorming new field trip ideas to build on outdoor experiences for our students.
Related Services
All supports listed as “related services” on a student’s IEP can be delivered at Felicity School. We have a speech language pathologist and a Wilson reading specialist on staff. Other “related services” will need to be provided by the home school/district (i.e. physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc.) but can occur on-site at Felicity. These services can be delivered by district personnel or through a contractual agreement with a nearby agency that can fulfill the request.
