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Extensive Needs Program

Comprehensive Support Classroom

Referred to in some districts as an “Extensive Needs Classroom.”

A Special Day Class (SDC) for students with significant support needs who benefit from a higher level of individualized support. The program provides more intensive support than the Specialized Academic Support Classroom and is designed for students who require greater assistance across academic, communication, independence, vocational, and functional skill areas.

Students receive individualized instruction with curriculum and supports adapted to their learning needs. The program places greater emphasis on functional academics, communication, independence, vocational preparation, and community participation. Students also have opportunities to participate in general education electives and engage in school activities alongside their peers.

Students receive instruction in:

  • Modified English Language Arts
  • Modified Math
  • General Education Inclusion Electives – 2 electives
  • Work and Vocational Skills
  • Community-Based Instruction

    Students in this classroom receive a modified curriculum and, upon graduation from high school, may receive a Certificate of Completion or California Authorized Alternative Diploma, as appropriate.

Work and Vocational Skills

Work and Vocational Skills instruction helps students develop practical skills for future employment, greater independence, and participation in their community. Students have opportunities to explore their interests and strengths while learning workplace skills in structured, supportive settings.

Instruction may include:

  • Following directions and completing tasks
  • Workplace communication and social skills
  • Time management and organization
  • Job safety and appropriate workplace behaviors
  • Exploring career interests and preferences
  • Practicing job-related tasks and routines
  • Building independence and self-advocacy skills

Community-Based Instruction (CBI)

Community-Based Instruction provides students with hands-on opportunities to practice and generalize skills in real-world environments. Skills introduced and practiced in the classroom are carried over into the community, allowing students to build independence, communication, self-determination, and confidence while learning to navigate everyday situations.

CBI experiences may include:

  • Grocery and retail stores
  • Restaurants
  • Public facilities such as libraries, post offices, and banks
  • Community events such as farmers markets
  • Recreation and leisure activities

  • CBI helps students identify and build on their individual strengths, preferences, and interests while gaining meaningful experience in age-appropriate community settings. These experiences support preparation for greater independence and participation in life beyond high school.

 

 

 

Testimonials

  • How important has Community Based Instruction (CBI) been for our son? He, as many of the other students in his classes, thrived through exposure and repetition.  They learn from the community, that's how they learn how to be successful in their adult years.  Trips to the grocery store, drug store, library, restaurants, the mall, going to museums and going bowling, are an integral part of their adult development.  For our son, from the point of entering the store, navigating through the aisles, finding what he needs, interacting with the cashiers, learning to wait in line patiently, learning to budget his money, and how to get back to school may seem like a typical activity to some, but for him this is a huge undertaking that can be overwhelming.  Some days these activities are highly successful and some days they are not, but only through repeated exposure to these tasks has he learned to adapt to changes in his surroundings while repeating these necessary activities.  Some of his favorite trips have been going to the movie theater, going bowling, going to McDonald's, going to Dollar Tree, and the Bedford Gallery.  In all of these trips he has been learning how to cross the street safely, how to participate in the activity, how to stay with his group, and how to enjoy these experiences.  -Parent

 

  • The faculty and staff at CVCHS were instrumental in helping {my child} learn to navigate the campus with any level of independence.  To date, our son is able to participate in all of the school activities required of him as a student and his use of language has been steadily expanding, not only because of the specific tools like his AAC device (for communication) but also the amount of trust that he and your faculty/staff have developed. -Parent

 

  • I love the way they learn to order their own food, and travel to the grocery store to buy food for recipes they make in class.  It is so important that they get a taste of real life, other than with their parents.  It will help them in the future when they may not have their parents there to help them. -Parent