SUNRISE Student Support Services
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the SUNRISE Student Support Services is a program that helps ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students with learning disabilities. Nonetheless, this is not a remedial program as Dorado Academy does not offer Special Education Services (SES).
The SUNRISE coordinators provide reasonable accommodations and monitor students’ academic progress and well-being at school. Diversity and individuality are embraced while promoting acceptance, tolerance, cooperation, equity, independence, a positive attitude, self-awareness
and confidence.
Objectives of the SUNRISE program:
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Give support and information to the classroom teachers about diagnosis and management strategies.
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Provide reasonable accommodations and supervise students during tests taken at SUNRISE.
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Reinforce students’ self-esteem, and give advice and guidance for everyday life.
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Offer orientation about the SUNRISE program to parents, students, and teachers.
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Review referrals for children having or suspected of having learning difficulties, behavioral disorders, or physical handicaps to determine the evaluation procedure.
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Confer with students, parents, counselors, school teachers, and health specialists to help resolve student problems, performance issues, and special situations.
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Assist teachers in the process of providing reasonable accommodations according to specialists’ recommendations as long as they do not alter the nature of the school program and do not represent an undue hardship.
REQUIREMENTS
The parents of identified students must provide any of the following:
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Psychometric, Psychological, and/or Psycho-educational Evaluation which includes cognitive, emotional, and educational assessments.
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Documentation by a psychologist indicating the existence of a learning disability and how it impairs learning.
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Documentation by therapist indicating that the child is receiving a therapeutic intervention, recommendations, and/or progress reports.
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Any other evaluation that the psychologist and/or counselor may require, such as, audiological, visual, or neurological.
Keep in mind...
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SUNRISE coordinators and school counselors will determine if the requested adjustments are adequately documented, consistent with the disability, and are reasonable.
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Eligibility will be considered based on diagnosis, the specific nature of the student’s functional impairment of major life activity, and its impact on the education or testing environment in which the student is placed
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In a school setting, reasonable accommodations are practices and procedures that provide students with disabilities access to equal opportunities, like that of their peers, during the learning and evaluation process.
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The goal of providing a reasonable accommodation is to reduce or eliminate the effects of the student’s disability. It does NOT, under any circumstance, reduce or lower grade goals or objectives.
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The accommodation must not cause an undue burden, represent unduly cost, or fundamentally alter the nature of the school program.
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Dorado Academy offers a regular education program in which each student is expected to meet his/her grade standards. Being entitled to accommodations does not guarantee that the student will be able to comply with the grade requirements or continue to the next grade level.
The parent is responsible for providing every two years up to date information on the child’s needs and recommendations given by the specialist. This documentation needs to be current, detailed, comprehensive, and include justification for the requested accommodations. Non-compliance with these requirements may affect advancement in the student’s accommodation services.
