Broad Street Teaching and Learning Center

Rebecca MacLachlan
Principal for Special Programs
37 Broad Street
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Voice: (518) 761-6964
Fax: (518) 761-0804
E-Mail: rmaclachlan@wswheboces.org

The Broad Street Teaching and Learning Center is a special education school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children ages 5-14.

Developed in 1991, Broad Street^TLC provides comprehensive mental health and special education services for children living in the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES region.

The small size – seven classrooms with a 6:1:1 ratio – enables us to individualize programs and academics for each child during both the regular school year and extended school year.

The program is based on an ecological-collaborative model with multiple theoretical bases. Special education teachers, mental health practitioners, and allied health professionals work together as a community to help each child develop appropriate self-management and self-awareness skills, which will allow them to function as independently and responsibly as possible.

Standards-Based Instruction
At Broad Street^TLC, academics are provided by a team approach. Teachers coordinate curriculum along a research-based continuum, aligned with the NYS Learning Standards. Related service professionals support student learning as indicated by each child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Physical education, art, music, field trips, and community activities round out the instructional program.

Clear Behavior Management Systems
Generally, many of our students have not developed self-management and self-awareness skills to an age-appropriate level. To help change dangerous, ineffective, or destructive behaviors, each classroom incorporates a variety of positive experiences that are contingent upon the student’s behavior. As a tool for measuring success, a behavior management level system is used in all classes. The level system enables students to earn privileges based on behavioral and academic performance. Students have an opportunity to earn points every 30 minutes during class and transition time. This enables them to learn and demonstrate socially responsible behavior.

Uniform Structure and Language
The Broad Street^TLC staff has developed a variety of practices and guidelines to ensure philosophically consistency as they interact with our pupils on a daily basis. The approaches and techniques are primarily therapeutically appropriate and educationally sound, and the management procedures respect the individual needs and dignity of our students.

Community Linkages
The Broad Street^TLC philosophy includes working with the whole family. We are committed to linking families with wraparound service providers. These services might include private and public counseling centers, social services, public health, supportive and intensive case management, hospitals, family services, community recreation, and respite.

Individual Behavior Plans
In addition to the classroom management plan, an Individual Management Plan may be developed for students based on a functional behavioral assessment. This includes an assessment of the child’s strengths, problem behaviors, the environmental events surrounding these behaviors, the suspected function of these behaviors, and recommended replacement behaviors. Intervention and monitoring strategies are also based on the functional behavioral assessment.

Goals

· Address child specific targets

Learn specific social skills, reduce specific behavior problems, increase appropriate replacement behaviors, foster appropriate expressions of emotions

· Communicate regularly with parents

· Improve academic functioning

· Help stabilize and return the child to a less restrictive placement