Special Programs

If your student has a disability that impedes their learning, they can receive Special Education (SpEd) services and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) when qualified. IEPs are customized to include information about your student’s academic levels, annual goals, and class and testing accommodations.

Our specialized team of educators helps identify each qualifying student’s unique strengths to develop their IEP. IEPs are written to support the specific needs of the student and give them the resources they need to progress in school. The Special Services team monitors student's goals and shares data with all involved stakeholders, including parents.

For more detailed information, please review the Parent & Student Handbook (linked below in the footer).

The Colorado Department of Education defines gifted and talented children as "those whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their needs.” 

Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by one or any combination of the following areas of giftedness:

• General or specific intellectual ability
• Specific academic aptitude
• Creative or productive thinking
• Leadership abilities
• Visual Arts, performing arts, musical or psychomotor abilities

At WAC, the GT program helps to ensure that your gifted and talented student has learning opportunities that support their needs and extend their thinking within the school environment. GT students are inspired to maximize growth and cultivate talent in both academic and affective domains (feelings, attitudes, and emotions).

We use research-based strategies for optimal learning to help GT students perform at levels equal in measure to their abilities.

If your student has a physical or mental impairment, they may qualify for a Section 504 plan. These plans are determined on a case-by-case basis, as outlined below.

WAC's 504 coordinator, along with a screening committee, will review your student’s individual profile to determine whether there is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. During the review, the screening committee will consider the following:

• Nature and severity of the impairment
• Duration or expected duration of the impairment
• The long-term impact of the impairment on the child’s opportunity to access the school curriculum

If your student qualifies for a 504 plan, they will be provided accommodations as deemed necessary by the screening committee, allowing them to access and benefit from the programs and activities offered at WAC.

If your student’s primary language is a language other than English, they can receive specialized instruction through our ELA program to help them access the school curriculum. 

At WAC, we use WIDA testing to determine each student’s language level. This helps us provide instruction that best serves your student when ELA services are needed. Once your student’s appropriate language level has been determined, research-based ELA strategies are used to support their learning.

WAC uses a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to support its students. This multi-level system includes three tiers of intensity for instruction and intervention as follows: 

• Tier 1: High-quality, schoolwide academic, social, emotional, and behavioral programming that is designed to meet the needs of all students
• Tier 2: Small group, standardized interventions that target the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students identified as at-risk
• Tier 3: Intense individualized interventions to meet the needs of students who have not responded to Tier 2 interventions and/or may have low achievement or ongoing, intensive needs

If you suspect your student needs additional academic support, please reach out to our Special Services team.

Special Education and Services for Special Populations at WAC

Like all Colorado Schools of Choice, WAC is a public school. WAC serves students with disabilities and English Learners and provides services to students as required by state and federal law. Colorado Schools of Choice are subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, need for special education services, and certain other grounds. Laws applicable to students with disabilities include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The services a student requires under IDEA are described in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Under Colorado law, the provision of FAPE and specific services required by a student’s IEP are a joint responsibility of the Colorado School(s) of Choice and the local educational agency, most often the authorizing school district.

Applicants to WAC are not required to identify whether the applicant has an IEP, and admission to the school is made without considering a student’s disability. After a student with an IEP is initially admitted to the school, an IEP team meeting may be required to determine whether this school is an appropriate placement for the student based on their needs. In most cases, the services required by a student’s IEP can be provided at WAC. In some circumstances, a student’s individual needs require that they be placed in a different program or location.

• Grammarly
• Read and Write Google Chrome Extension

• Colorado Dept. of Education- Office of Special Education
• What is IDEA?
• WAC Special Education Grievances

• Colorado Dept. of Education-Gifted Resources for Parents
• Davidson Institute
• National Association for Gifted Children
• SENG-Supporting Social Emotional Needs of Gifted
• Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
• What is Twice Exceptional

• What is WIDA?
• Colorin Colorado
• Resources for students, parents and teachers

• What is MTSS?