The Wexford Missaukee Intermediate School District operates self-contained classrooms for students with severe emotional impairments. We currently operate one elementary classroom and one middle school classroom. Both center-based classrooms are currently housed within local school district buildings in the Cadillac area (not on the ISD campus).

All seven local school districts have access to these programs for students with the most significant social, emotional, and behavior needs. 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

Academic instruction is aligned with the Michigan Merit Curriculum. Intensive instruction is also provided in the affective domain (social, emotional, and behavioral skills) aligned with the CASEL Framework. Students are provided specially designed instruction driven by IEP goals determined by the IEP Team.

CASEL Framework includes:

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-management

3. Responsible decision making

4. Relationship skills

5. Social awareness

Assessments

Students in the SEI Program participate in Michigan's State Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP). Students are also regularly assessed through benchmark asessments, progress monitoring, as well as other curriculum based measurements in areas of reading, writing, and math.

Data is also collected about target behaviors identified in a student's Functional Behavior Assessment. From that data, appropriate interventions and strategies are developed in each student's Behavior Intervention Plan.