Options Program - High School Special Education

The Options Program offers individualized academic and life skill development for high school students with diagnosed intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Our student-centered special education program is designed to give students the critical foundational skills and confidence they need to live actively and independently in their community. With our experiential learning approach, students achieve deeper knowledge by actively exploring real-world challenges.

Students enrolled in the Options Program experience inclusion and integration in the school community through full participation in school events, activities, retreats, clubs, campus ministry and athletics. To further cultivate and promote a feeling of belonging and a stronger school community, students in the Options Program can enroll in general education courses with modifications to coursework specifically aligned with their capabilities and goals.

Options Program core courses taught by dedicated special education faculty include non-credited courses in communications, independent living skills, language development, life mathematics, religious studies, social studies, health and science. Individualized instruction using a wide variety of teaching tools and methods meets students where they are in their social, academic and adaptive skill development. Options Program teachers focus on student’s abilities rather than their disabilities through experiential learning and student-centered learning environments.

The Options Program is not a high school diploma program. Because the Options Program is about life success, all students earn a “Certificate of Completion” at the end of the program. 

A typical course schedule for students in the Options Program includes five to six Options-specific classes along with one to two general education classes. General education placements are thoughtfully selected to align with each student's abilities, ensuring they can understand key concepts, apply foundational skills and successfully manage the pace, curriculum and workload.