Special Education

Student with Teacher

At Pacific Beach Middle, students with special needs can receive a spectrum of services in a variety of educational environments. Teachers provide services in both the general education setting and small classroom environments. The Speech Language Pathologist, Adapted Physical Education Teacher, Occupational Therapist, and other available support providers deliver support services to identified students as needed.

Our inclusive campus allows for students to have the opportunity to be recognized for exemplifying the IB learner traits along with their peers: reflective, caring, knowledgeable, inquirer, balanced, principled, courageous, risk-taker, open-minded, effective communicator and critical thinker.

Transition to Common Core
Students with special education needs are instructed in California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with a focus on their cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. These skill areas align with the International Baccalaureate philosophy as it pertains to students with special needs to promote and support the following:

  • affirming identity
  • building self-esteem
  • valuing prior student knowledge and scaffolding of previously acquired skills
  • extending learning to encourage students to become life-long learners

Our IB educators are beginning the transition to CCSS through a redesign and revision of our IB units in all subjects. Except for 8th grade Science, will be no state testing for general education students in middle-school until 2016, however, students in the special education programs will still be administered the current California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) in the spring. We do not yet have information about the transition to CCSS aligned state testing for special education students.

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