"A+ Ideas, Programs and Practices" is a place where school districts can share, and learn about, successful programs and initiatives taking place in classrooms, school business offices and the community at large. A+ programs were in effect when selected, please contact local districts for more information.
February 15, 2016
Bankbridge Buddies teaches elementary students social skills, as well as the value of “giving back,” by reaching out to the community to serve residents of a nursing home. Started in 2007, the program involves fourth- through sixth-grade students at Bankbridge Elementary School, in Gloucester County, who have multiple and behavioral disabilities. Each month, students visit … Continued
February 15, 2016
A public school program for children diagnosed on the autism spectrum, the Valley Program educates children from Northern Valley Regional’s two high schools, as well as the seven elementary districts that send students there. Students range in age from 3 to 16. Program features include nationally certified staff, masters-level speech therapists, training for parents and … Continued
February 15, 2016
Many districts have the need to provide families and their children costly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) home-based programs. These programs are anticipated to be in place for long periods. However, some parents have little or no involvement in these programs. To address this concern, the Pascack Valley Council for Special Education, Region II, offers its … Continued
February 15, 2016
The Bergenfield Public School District and Bergen County Special Services together operate the Tri-Valley Academy, whose mission is to provide comprehensive education services for students with autism, from ages K-21. One way is through “Cooking up Confidence.” Students at all grade levels take part in daily cooking activities as a way to develop knowledge and … Continued
February 15, 2016
The Ability Awareness Collaboration creatively raises awareness about disabilities by partnering students from the Wall High School Peer Leaders with students from the Ladacin-Schroth School, a private school for disabled students. The program’s purpose is threefold: The Schroth students have the opportunity to socialize with students from their sending school districts; the Wall students, some … Continued
February 12, 2016
In Woodbury, school officials discovered a barrier to student growth was families’ difficulty in accessing community-based mental health services. For some families, scheduling problems or transportation issues made it impossible to access those important services. As a result, the district created a partnership with a local mental health agency, in which counselors come on-site to … Continued
February 12, 2016
The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) sponsored a mental health awareness day for all high school students. General and special education teachers, administrators, board of education members, Child Study Team members, and guidance educational specialists created a special that included various activities involving mental health. The program was developed in conjunction with the Bergen … Continued
February 12, 2016
This hands-on program at Benedict A. Cucinella School enhances autistic students’ creative thinking, communication skills, scientific thinking and problem-solving abilities by working with robotics. At the same time, it promotes learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Students are engaged in basic computer programming, keyboarding and robot construction. Started in 2012, the Robo Kids … Continued