New Hope Academy

New Hope Academy—a public/nonpublic partnership between Baltimore City and SESI—opened in the fall of 2008. Our education model promotes student competence and confidence through a series of academic and behavioral interventions designed to address the needs of students who require additional educational services, as determined through the IEP process.New Hope Academy is a middle/ high school that works to address the academic and behavioral needs of special education students who are engaged in individualized, differentiated instruction based on their grade level and their instructional level. A combination of IEP and voluntary state curriculum goals are incorporated in their coursework, which is divided into 20-minute rotations based on subject matter. Teacher-led instruction, group reinforcement sessions, individual seatwork, and computer-assisted tutorials are all incorporated into the curriculum and are intended to accommodate a variety of learning styles and to assist in the identification of specific learning needs. Every classroom is facilitated by a teacher and a teaching assistant, with a capacity not to exceed 10 students per classroom.In addition to academic interventions, a variety of behavioral interventions are incorporated in order to lead students to success. The use of point sheets, rewards, consequences, incentives, and the promotion of positive substitute behaviors are applied by all staff members to produce appropriate student behaviors. School social workers, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist are employed by New Hope Academy to provide therapeutic supports as indicated on the IEP and as needed to address issues that arise during the school day.Using this comprehensive approach, New Hope Academy aims to improve both the scholastic and social outcomes for students with disabilities by increasing their test sores and skills attainment, by promoting positive behaviors, and by heightening confidence and competence en route to demonstrated success.