Golden Key Curriculum
The Preschool classrooms use the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP), which focuses on developing critical skills for life and academic growth: cognitive, language, gross motor, fine motor, social-emotional, and self-help. This curriculum is assessment based and allows the teacher to plan lessons that include each individual student’s developmental level on each skill in each domain. HELP also provides teachers with ideas for activities for the students to practice at home.
Renaissance is a curriculum program the school-age classrooms are using this year. This curriculum is based on the Ohio Department of Education Ohio Learning Standards, and it allows the teachers to assess the students at their grade level while creating lesson plans that target specific skill and ability level for the entire classroom. Renaissance also provides the teachers with resources such as Freckle, Accelerated Reader, and STAR assessments they can use in the classroom.
Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) system is an intensive, small group supplementary system that is also used in our school-age classrooms. This system is also based on the Ohio Department of Education Ohio Learning Standards, and it allows teachers to provide instruction in reading and writing at the level of individual students in the classroom.
How we implemented previous trainings:
In August, all staff at the Golden Key were trained in restorative justice practices. Restorative justice is a process where those most directly affected by wrongdoing come together to determine what needs to be done to repair the harm and prevent reoccurence. Staff learned to look at every obstacle they face from different perspectives.
To implement this practice into the school, we created Grade Band Teams (GBT). The staff is broken up into three groups and have bi-weekly meetings. Each meeting is led by a member of the administration team. This allows for each classroom team to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their interactions with the students while receiving support from the other classroom teams within the GBT. This is strengthening the support and communication within the school.
Ohio Common Core Standards and Extended Standards are the basis for curriculum which is provided by licensed educators and licensed therapy providers.
The Golden Key supports several schools in both Stark and Tuscarawas counties with intervention and therapy support. Families wishing to attend private or parochial schools but may need additional services that are not available within the chosen school. The Golden Key provides paraprofessional and therapies to these institutions to ensure proper education is provided for all students. Students needing these services must qualify for one the Ohio Scholarship Programs – The Autism or Jon Peterson Scholarships. The individual school must agree to the partnership and tuition for the school of choice is separate and agreed upon between the individual school and family.
The Preschool Intervention and Typical Peer Program are licensed under the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The Golden Key programs is a 4-star Step Up To Quality rated program. The curriculum focuses on the “HELP” ideology allowing students to begin getting a handle on basic life skills and overall fundamental preschool techniques.
The Golden Key contracts all therapist to provide, in school therapies to fulfill a student’s IEP goals. Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists work directly with the students at the Center. Therapist also work with administration in providing modification to student therapy goals to ensure each student has he or she needs.
