The Wexford Missaukee Intermediate School District operates self-contained classrooms, at a separate school, for students with moderate and significant cognitive impairments. All seven local school districts have access to these programs for students with the most significant cognitive and adaptive behavior needs. These classrooms service students ages 5 through 26 years old. Placement decisions are made by the local district IEP (Individualized Education Program) Team in conjunction with WMISD staff following a carefully designed process. All students, regardless of age, stage, or level of disability, have a civil right to be educated to the maximum extent appropriate, alongside children/students who are nondisabled. Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Therefore, the entry/exit process for consideration of WMISD center-based programs is designed to ensure that students exhaust all placement options, supplemental aids, and services, at the local school district, before considering more restrictive programming.

Curriculum

We currently use UNIQUE Learning Systems to deliver individualized instruction aligned with the Michigan's Alternate Content Expectations/Essential Elements. Michigan’s Alternate Content Expectations/Essential Elements are designed only for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. UNIQUE Learning Systems provides baseline information on each student, monthly instructional targets, differentiated individualized lesson plans, benchmark assessments, a variety of rubrics to determine prompt levels, student interests, and levels of independence performing functional skills, along with an observation form to monitor student involvement. Our philosophy is that all students can learn and make progress.

Assessment

Students in our MOCI (moderately cognitively impaired) and SCI (severely cognitively impaired) programs participate in Michigan's alternate assessment system called MI-Access. Mi-Acess is designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, and whose IEP Team has determined that general assessments, even with accommodations, are not appropriate. MI-Access satisfies the federal requirement that all students with disabilities be assessed at the state level. The level of assessment determined each year can vary depending on the student's functioning level. These levels include: participation, supported independence, or functional independence.

IEP teams must follow the guidelines for participation in MI-Access. When any level of MI-Access is selected as the state level assessment for any student, schools must provide the parents/guardians of that student: 1) information regarding the academic achievement standards on which their performance will be measured, and 2) how participation in this assessment may delay or otherwise affect (or prevent) the student from completing the requirements for a regular high school diploma.

Students also participate in ongoing informal assessments to include benchmark and progress monitoring assessments, as well as adaptive and daily living skills assessments.