| Students who attend the Columbus School | | | | may receive related services, such as: |
| district may rest easy knowing that they | | | | Adaptive Physical Education, Attendant |
| study in an area that is doing all it can to | | | | Services, Audiology Services, Braille |
| ensure they receive an excellent education. | | | | Services, Counseling/Guidance Services, |
| District leaders are striving to make their | | | | Medical Services, Occupational Therapy, |
| schools top notch; from opening new schools | | | | Orientation/Mobility Training, Parent |
| to offering a plethora of programs throughout | | | | Involvement, Physical Therapy, Reader |
| the Columbus School district. But how close | | | | Services, Sign Language Interpretation, |
| are they to meeting the district's mission | | | | Special Transportation Services, Speech and |
| statement?: 'Each student is highly | | | | Language Therapy, and Supervisory Services. |
| educated, prepared for leadership and | | | | |
| service, and empowered for success as a | | | | Columbus Schools are implementing many other |
| citizen in a global community". | | | | innovative programs. Among them is a |
| | | | centralized Pre-Kindergarten program, which |
| While there is still work to be done, some | | | | will provide school readiness activities for |
| great results are starting to show. | | | | students close to entering kindergarten. |
| Newsweek's Top High Schools annual report | | | | Also, the creation of an Autism Program in |
| shows some evidence of this improvement. Two | | | | Columbus Schools has been recommended by the |
| of Columbus Schools' high schools, Columbus | | | | Autism Task Force. It would consist of six |
| Alternative High School and Centennial High | | | | classrooms which would serve students at the |
| School remained in the magazine's top five | | | | preschool and kindergarten level. The |
| percent nationwide for the second year in a | | | | program would be served by an "Autism Team" |
| row. In addition, the Ohio Teachers of the | | | | consisting of a school psychologist, a speech |
| Year in both 2003 and 2005 were Columbus | | | | & language pathologist, an occupational |
| Schools' teachers, and the Columbus Schools' | | | | therapist, and a physical therapist. Also, |
| district leads the state with more than 100 | | | | the Columbus Children's Hospital of |
| National Board Certified Teachers on staff. | | | | Behavioral Health would provide consultation, |
| | | | professional development, and other |
| The Columbus Schools' district also provides | | | | resources. |
| special education services to approximately | | | | |
| 8,700 students; that's 15.5% of the | | | | Mainstream students are not left out of these |
| district's total student population. The | | | | improvements in Columbus Schools. Middle |
| Special Education Department for Columbus | | | | school students can benefit from the "Summer |
| Schools provides academic and behavioral | | | | Discovery Academy" which strives to meet |
| support to disabled students in order to | | | | individual needs in reading, math, science, |
| enable them to achieve academic excellence in | | | | and social studies. The STAR (Science, |
| the general education curriculum. The | | | | Technology, and Algorithms) Academy is a Math |
| department also strives to help its disabled | | | | Science focus program that is also available. |
| students acquire independent life skills that | | | | The HOTS program (Higher Order Thinking |
| will prepare them for work or college, as | | | | Skills) is a regularly scheduled class within |
| applicable. In addition to these goals, | | | | the STAR academy for sixth and seventh grade |
| Columbus Schools' students with disabilities | | | | students. |