Replicable Practices

• Kastner has developed an award-winning “Collaborative Mentoring Program” which uses as elective integration approach, bringing together Special Day Class, autistic students and general education students. Receiving weekly training, regular education students partner with a special needs student during their elective class providing mentoring and support in the elective while increasing their knowledge of specific needs related to each student’s disability through workshops provided by the staff.

• Tiered support for struggling students is provided in a variety of ways including: lunch and after school tutoring, Opportunities class, peer counseling, peer conflict-resolution, “Unconditional Positive Regard” program, AVID, summer school and the “Platooning Program” where teachers re-group students to re-learn skills and standards not mastered after each benchmark.

• Instruction is supported by a Learning Director at each grade level who guides and supports learning for all students, and an Academic Counselor who monitors student academic progress and serves as a safety net socially and emotionally. In addition, the district/school supports homeless, foster youth, and socio-economically disadvantaged students long-term with wrap around services provided through the “Transition Program” known as SOAR.

• Kastner’s academic block (language and history classes) provides a small learning community fostering positive student/staff relationships, and enabling teachers to reinforce concepts across the curriculum.

• Principals of the high school and middle school meet weekly fostering a continuous collaborative partnership which has resulted in increased academic opportunities for middle school students, and continuous reflection on the curriculum and programs for both schools.

• Highly functioning Professional Learning Communities meet with the Learning Directors to develop curriculum maps, identify power standards, discuss and adapt strategies for common assessments, determine SMART goals, and analyze data to determine interventions and improve instruction.