Behaviour & Learning Assistance
The Behaviour and Learning Assistance Programs were developed by Edmonton Public Schools in response to a demand for the teaching of students who have been diagnosed as exhibiting Severe Emotional/Behavioural Disorders. Programming focuses on helping students to cope with their social, emotional, and academic difficulties. The students are provided with a segregated site that has highly structured behavioural and academic programming designed to improve student development so they may be successfully reintegrated into a mainstream learning group.
Highlands School is a District site for the Behaviour and Learning Assistance Program for students in Grades seven to ten. Our goal is to have every BLA student fully integrated into the regular program by the time they leave Highlands in grade 9 . Our classroom is staffed with a teacher and an educational assistant who are responsible for preparing and implementing a program that meets the needs of the students.
Please download the BLA Brochure or visit the District Special Education Website for more information.
STRATEGIES PROGRAM
Strategies programming supports students with learning disabilities whose intelligence is measured as average to above average and who have significant academic delays. Learning disabilities are complex and can vary from person to person, requiring flexible instruction that meets each student’s unique needs.
GOALS
- Improve academic skills
- Develop strategies to manage learning challenges with the goal of returning to regular programming as soon as possible
BENEFITS
- Improved reading, writing, listening and comprehension skills
- Application of strategies for studying, remembering and organizing information
- Increased responsibility for learning—planning ahead, setting goals and monitoring progress
PROGRAM DELIVERY
- Visual aids, concrete examples and hands-on activities
- Smaller classes for more targeted instruction
- Opportunities to access other classes for instruction in a student’s area of strength
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for programming, students must be:
- in Grades 2 to 12
- diagnosed with a learning disability
- demonstrating significant academic delays despite adequate intellectual, linguistic, sensory and emotional development
Contact your child’s school for information about eligibility and special education programming options.
ALBERTA CURRICULUM
All Edmonton Public Schools programming is based on curriculum determined by Alberta Education, regardless of the school or program. Students enrolled in Strategies will receive the same high-quality education offered in all of our programs.
