Programs and Services

The Oxford Hills School District provides a variety of services to support our students’ academic, emotional and physical needs.

Title I • Special Ed • G/T • Tutoring • Counseling • Nursing

Title I
Title I is a federally funded program that helps students with math and reading. In this district, the support is targeted towards literacy. Title I funds are distributed based on the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunches. Reading Recovery, which is funded by Title I, is an outstanding intervention for first graders. 1A General Service is for students in grades 1-3 who have not met the reading high achievement outcomes for their grade. Assistance is provided approximately 30 minutes a day by a trained teacher one-on-one or in small groups, either in or out of the classroom.

Special Education
Special education services are provided to our Oxford Hills students in each of our district’s schools. These special education students receive support for learning, both in and out of the classroom. We provide a variety of services, including small group work in math, reading, spelling and written expression. In addition, individual and small group help is available, as needed, for projects and school-related work. Students are also taught organizational skills. In addition to specialized academic instruction, eligible students also may receive behavioral support and occupational therapy to insure their success in the regular classroom. They and their parents are made aware of their progress on a regular basis.

Guided by a complex set of federal laws and regulations, special education is available to those students deemed eligible and who are Identified by the PET (Pupil Evaluation Team) process. The Pupil Evaluation Team (PET) team includes the student’s parents, a regular classroom teacher, a special education teacher, an administrator (or someone designated by that administrator), and, when appropriate, the student. This evaluation team takes into account many things, including test data, classroom performance and teacher-based observation. A student may be found eligible for special education if he/ she has any of the disabilities as outlined in education law, is not succeeding in school because of a disability and needs special instruction beyond a modified curriculum and its instruction.

Once a student is identified as being in need of special education, the team develops an individualized education plan, (IEP), with specific learning goals and objectives. These goals relate to the district’s curriculum and are directly linked to each individual subject’s High Achievement Outcomes. The PET also determines what additional special education services, if any, are necessary to ensure the student is able to make progress on these goals. Beyond instruction in a special education setting, this may include additional support in the classroom and other specific therapies. Our special education program is just one of an array of support services which are available to our elementary school students.

Fox School students who qualify for special education services, receive support in their classrooms or in the resource room when needed. Two special education Educational Technicians support students in the classroom. We have two Special Education teachers; one is a full-time teacher and the other works half-time.

Gifted & Talented
The Gifted and Talented Program provides enrichment to the learner who is identified as having unusually high ability in certain areas. Students are screened in the fall of 4th grade. Teachers and/or parents may refer students in grades 1,2 or 3 to the Gifted and Talented Program for early screening, if deemed necessary. Students who are identified are given the opportunity to meet with one of the district’s GT teachers in a small group setting, enabling them to have different learning experiences than they might otherwise have in the classroom. These students generally meet with one of our GT teachers for an hour, on a once a week basis. In some cases students and the GT teacher meet more often. Their special projects include, but are not limited to, compass work and map making, origami, historical investigations using primary resources, puppetry, gardening, and movie-making. In addition, the Gifted and Talented Program may provide direct instruction in mathematics and/or language arts, if dictated by special circumstance.

Tutoring
Classroom Volunteers work with small groups and individuals on any number of academic areas. Most help with direct assistance in reading, writing and math.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters has established a mentoring program that connects Fox students with high school seniors at OHCHS. Students meet once a week.

Counseling
Elementary school guidance is a program, which is delivered to all students by the Elementary School Counselor. Classroom lessons deal with many topics including self-knowledge and acceptance, interpersonal skills, personal safety, decision-making/problem-solving, character education, positive thinking, dealing with loss, conflict resolution, and career preparation. Small group and individual counseling is also available to address a variety of issues.

Nursing/Medical
The District provides each school with access to a Certified Professional School Nurse. Licensed by the Maine State Board of Nursing, the nurse manages school health and oversees preventive services. These include health education; vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings; nursing assessments; the development of care plans for students needing health and nursing interventions; and the training of school personnel who may be responsible for administering care to students. When necessary and appropriate, the nurse also works with a student’s primary care physician, other health providers and staff, in order to coordinate students’ in-school health care.

Schools without on-site nurses have trained medication technicians who are responsible for administering medication and for providing first aid. All schools have additional staff who are trained in first aid.