Class Description

Rise has six (6) classrooms for 8-12 children each with about 30% being children without disabilities. Children are assigned to classrooms based on their chronological age (ages six months to six years) and educational needs. The classrooms include one infant, young toddler, toddler, preschool I, preschool II and pre-kindergarten. Each classroom employs a teacher who has a Masters degree in Special Education, or is working towards one, and two instructional teacher assistants. The adult to child ratio is approximately one adult for every three children. Children are under the supervision of a responsible adult at all times.

As with other aspects of the School, Rise's calendar and hours are based on the Rise Program at the Stallings Center at the University of Alabama. The year round schedule also is aligned as closely as possible with the schedule of our local school systems. The projected days of operation for each year are supplied in advance to allow parents time to plan alternative child care options. There are planned breaks which include one week in the spring, two weeks in May, three weeks at the end of the summer, a week at Thanksgiving and three weeks at Christmas. The classes operate from 8:00 A.M. until 2:30 P.M., Monday through Friday.

During the typical school day, each child will follow a schedule that includes individual activities, group activities, gross motor play indoors or outdoors, therapeutic services as indicated, lunch and rest. Each child's schedule is individualized so that the day can include as many learning opportunities as possible. The instructional theme of the week for each class is posted in the classroom. Rise offers a number of services to children that may include physical, occupational, speech and music therapies using a collaborative/consultation service delivery model. Services are delivered through an integrated therapy model in which the therapeutic activities are provided routinely by the teachers and instructional teacher assistants with ongoing input from the therapists. The therapeutic activities are integrated into the daily routine of each classroom. The therapists monitor the activities on a regular basis. Using this approach, therapy is delivered in an efficient manner during a child's school day.

Based on individual children's needs, some children may be referred for supplemental direct therapies available in the community. Therapists confer with parents and the teacher to discuss recommendations and make referrals for additional therapy services.

Rise recently was accredited by The National Association for the Education of Young Children. Early childhood programs accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, have invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High-Quality Early Childhood Programs. This accreditation is based on the best practices of early childhood education and is held by only nine percent of the early childhood centers in the United States.

Rise School is licensed by the Child Care Division of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. Rise adheres to these standards with monitoring through TDPRS site visits. The most recent compliance report is posted on the Rise Bulletin Board.

The Rise School will function as an instructional program of local colleges, universities and Texas Children's Hospital. Students may participate in a variety of ways, usually working directly with the children in some capacity. Students are closely supervised by the Rise staff. If students are performing any tests or procedures that may be considered experimental or are being completed for the purpose of a thesis or dissertation, parental permission must be received.