Ulster BOCES Students Probe the Essential Questions
Sometimes, when facing a problem, the hardest part in figuring out the solution is asking the right questions. By asking the right questions, one may discover not only the solution, but other vital information as well.

The staff and students at the Ulster BOCES Special Education Center at Tillson have been studying that lesson for the past two years. It all began when the staff and students sat down together and developed a series of "essential questions." By structuring curriculum and focusing other learning around finding answers to a different "essential" question each month, some unexpected programs blossomed.

The students at the Center have high needs; they suffer from emotional or physical disabilities that prevent them from learning in a traditional classroom setting. Some of the questions they developed focused on the development of social skills, including "How can we learn to work together cooperatively?", "What are the basic rules of safety?", and "How can we care for the school environment?"

Since the questions focused on social skills and their importance in both the school and work world, real-life work experience became a key concern for students. But where could these students, ages 14 and up, find work experience when they were facing so many challenges both at home and at school? The chances of getting and keeping a job outside of school seemed very slim. Instead, the Special Education Center at Tillson addressed this issue and created a "working school."

A "working school" employs its students within the building. Students have been doing everything from making morning announcements to performing clerical and maintenance tasks. A trip through the school will find students recycling, sorting, copying, filing, planting, washing, sweeping, moving, organizing, cleaning, as well as reading, writing, and problem-solving.

As a student expresses an interest in a certain area, job coaches Jim Rahm and Ellen Sheridan work to match their interests with jobs available at the school.

"The staff have been very supportive of the program and encouraging of the students. Having students helping out really lightens the load for the staff and teachers who are able to delegate some of the more routine tasks to them," touts supervisor Anne Kelly.

But, students learn more than just basic job skills. They are assigned to work groups in which they take on different roles. Some students with exemplary behavior and skills are given promotions and are even given the title "team leader." In fact, each of the jobs that the students take on includes a job title. "Having a job title truly gives them a sense of ownership and pride," describes Sheridan.

How do the students get paid? Through a combination of several different programs like the Federal Workforce Educational Act (which is run through the YMCA), the Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), and other BOCES funding.

Because the program is so successful, certain students have even ventured out into the community (with the support and company of Rahm and Sheridan). Through a community service project, students visited the Golden Hill Nursing Home. Several of the students enjoyed the experience so much that they expressed an interest in going into the nursing field.

As for one recent graduate, his job shadowing experience with custodian Tracy Quick has already paid off! He has secured a position at the Trauma Center in Lake Katrine.