Middle & High School

The curriculum adheres to Connecticut Common Core standards and meets with state approval. Our staff communicates regularly with personnel from referring districts to ensure a smooth transition back to the public high school when and if a student is ready and that our students are on track to meet the graduation requirements for their public school district.

The high school program is designed to prepare students for the rigors of post-secondary education. We offer a wide breadth of academic classes in all four of the core content areas (Math, English, Science and Social Studies) including Pre-Algebra through Calculus, and Sciences with labs and hands-on experiences including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Electives such as Psychology, French, Spanish, Black and Latino Studies, Digital Literacy, Art History, Veterinary Case Studies and Creative Writing round out class offerings.

There is a separate middle school curriculum which prepares students for the demands of high school including improved study skills and increases in homework.

Tiers of Support

Two tiers of support are available to our students in the high school. Tier 1 most closely emulates a regular high school setting. Students move from class to class for different subjects with different teachers over the course of periods in the day. Tier 2 is available for those students who need more intensive academic, emotional or behavioral supports. There is a teacher and a teacher’s assistant providing instruction and support in Tier II classrooms. While still having the opportunity to move between classes, there are fewer transitions throughout the day and students have several classes and a Resource period with their advisor, who is a consistent presence throughout their day. Due to their age and developmental stage, students in our Middle School program all receive Tier II level support.

Level System

As a foundation for our PBIS model, we use a level system to foster independence within our community by increasing both responsibility and privileges for our students. Students are explicitly taught how to meet school expectations in the areas of responsibility, safety and respect. Students receive immediate feedback on their performance in these areas by earning points on their daily behavioral cards. Points are then used to determine levels, making it an objective and transparent process.

Positive Reinforcement

Our environment fosters relationships between our students and staff where the modeling,coaching and reinforcement of appropriate and positive social skills happens intrinsically. Tickets are also used to provide immediate reinforcement by rewarding our students for desirable behaviors in the areas of responsibility, safety and respect. Since tickets can then be traded in for a variety of desirable items or experiences via the school store, or our monthly activity offerings, they act as a powerful motivator to positive choices and growth.

Collaborative Responses

We aim to partner with our students, their families, and other relevant stakeholders, to help individuals better understand their actions and agree upon restorative approaches for the future. Our goal is to address the needs of the individuals involved and support them in re-establishing relationships in our community.

Milieu Support

Cedarhurst’s milieu offers a structured, trauma-informed, and supportive environment designed to meet the various educational, social-emotional, and behavioral needs of our students. This is accomplished via attuned therapeutic interventions, collaboration between educational and clinical staff, and prioritizing a holistic, relational approach that creates a sense of security and belonging for each student within our community.

Therapeutic Groups

Students participate in therapeutic groups where they learn, contextualize, and practice a variety of skills. At Cedarhurst, groups serve to provide mutual support and shared experiences; to help students to develop specific coping and problem-solving strategies, along with social skills development; to foster perspective taking to expand how we view a situation or approach challenges; and to normalize experiences while reducing stigma in a safe environment. We offer a range of groups to meet our students’ needs across a spectrum of challenges for which they might require support. We place students in groups based on assessment of their individual areas of strength and targeted areas for growth. Group delivery is also scaffolded based on which Tier Program a student is enrolled. The following are some examples of groups offered: DBT Skills, Creative Expression, Effective Communication, Healthy Relationships, and Coping Skills.

Individual Support

Sincere relationship, positive regard, and psychological sophistication define Cedarhurst’s clinical style with students. Each student is assigned a clinical social worker with whom they meet weekly for 30-minutes, or more frequently as needed. Clinical social workers ensure the creation and effective delivery of appropriate social-emotional IEP goals. Social workers collaborate closely with teaching and behavioral staff to best understand the clinical nuances and to best support, the clinical needs of each student.

Parent Support & Collaboration

We valaue close communication with parents and guardians of each Cedarhurst student. We understand that to work most effectively with our students, we need familial engagement and alignment. Social workers make themselves available to offer practical support and psychoeducation to families, along with connecting families to resources in their communities. Social workers also maintain regular communication with collateral contacts (e.g. outside therapists, medication providers, etc.) to ensure a streamlined and collaborative approach for each student’s growth.