District 88 enters into new partnership to support students with special needs

At District 88, we are committed to meeting the academic and social-emotional needs of all of our students.

Some students need more structure and intervention to meet the academic challenges of high school, and we continuously look for ways to help them succeed. For a small portion of our students with special needs, a separate placement is necessary to provide a smaller, more controlled environment to allow those students to reach their full potential.

Finding the right environment can be a challenge, given the needs of each student. As a solution to that challenge, District 88 has entered into a partnership with Glenbard District 87 to create our own special education outside placement facility, which will provide a local, cost-effective and higher-quality option to better meet the needs of our students.

Districts 88 and 87 have contracted with Ombudsman PLUS to open the DuPage Glenbard Ombudsman PLUS program for students with special needs. The facility is on Army Trail Road in Addison and will open to students on Aug. 20.

The program will serve 30 students, who require the following supports/services to reach success.

  • A highly structured learning environment
  • A combination of teacher-led instruction and computer-assisted instructional support
  • Social skills development
  • Positive behavior interventions and supports
  • Small class sizes
  • Daily social work services/interventions

Staffing for this program will include three special education teachers, two social workers and teacher assistants. District 88 students will be recommended for this program by the student screen teams at Addison Trail and Willowbrook, and placement will take place using the special education Individualized Education Program (IEP) team process, as required by law. As students reach their set goals in the program, they can transition back to their home school. The program will use District 88 curriculum for direct instruction, and students will have the opportunity for credit recovery as needed to ensure progress toward graduation.

We are very excited about this new opportunity for District 88 students. For more information, feel free to contact me at jbarbanente@dupage88.net or 630-530-3982.