Adult Community Transition (ACT) is a high school, community-based instructional program for adult students (18-22 years of age) needing additional transitional support once completing the required core credits at their neighborhood school. Students may continue earning elective credits with an emphasis on vocational skills/employment, recreation/leisure, and independence within the community.

Contact 907-742-3950. 

Affective Skills is a self-contained elective class for students with an IEP. At the high school level, this class may be taken for social studies elective credit. This class is provided to students who are identified with emotional and behavioral difficulties. This class incorporates a variety of direct social skills instruction, supplemental books, materials and activity resources to address individual student's needs. Occasionally, the Affective Skills classroom is used as a safe temporary location for students to de-escalate if needed.

Read the AKSDHH description here.

Consultation may include adapting curricula, using behavioral supports and interventions, or selecting appropriate accommodations. Special educators providing consultation could also assist students with study skills or organizational skills and reinforce instruction that the child has already received from a highly qualified teacher in that core academic subject. 

Students enrolled in an alternative program not requiring a full time special education teacher will continue to receive special education supports and services from an itinerant special education teacher based on the student's IEP. 

Life Skills (LS) incorporates a variety of evidence-based teaching strategies and curricula to support students in developing functional academic, social, and independent living skills. These students typically require continuous support throughout the day provided by special education staff. Students engage in a variety of community-based learning experiences to support transitional goals and independence.

• The student curriculum is highly individualized and utilizes specialized curriculum for academic progress.
• Self-help and adaptive living skills training are embedded throughout the day in various school and community settings.
• Classrooms are set up using the six elements of instruction. Students receive individualized adult support with functional academics.
  • Individualized Supports and Services
  • Systematic Instruction
  • Comprehensible/Structured Learning Environment
  • Specialized Curriculum: Communication, Social Skills
  • Functional Approach to Problem Behavior
  • Family Involvement
• Inclusion opportunities utilizing the continuum of support are available based on students' needs.
• This self-contained regional program functions within a neighborhood school. Students could have the opportunities to access Art, Music, PE, Library, and Health with supervision from paraprofessionals.
• Students are working on alternate grade level expectations.
• Typically, students are on the non-diploma track; they take the Alternate Assessment annually.

Outreach is a program housed in a classroom at Whaley School for middle and high school students with an IEP who have been long term suspended or expelled from the Anchorage School District. The program allows a student to continue to participate in the general curriculum (although in a different setting), and to progress toward meeting the goals in the student's IEP while he or she is completing requirements for reinstatement in the district. Contact 907-742-2350.

Direct special education supports and services are provided within a special education class for specific core classes as described in the students Individual Education Program (IEP) using either the general education curriculum with accommodations/modifications or a replacement curriculum. 

The highly Structured Learning Classroom (SLC) incorporates a variety of evidence-based teaching strategies and curricula to facilitate communication and social skills while teaching grade-level expectations. Students may require adaptive living skill instruction.

• Inclusion opportunities using the continuum of support are available based on students' needs.
• Classrooms are set up using six elements of instruction. Students receive individualized adult support from academics.
  • Individualized Supports and Services
  • Systematic Instruction
  • Comprehensible/Structured Environment
  • Specialized Curriculum: Communication, Social Skills
  • Functional Approach to Problem Behavior
  • Family Involvement
• Social and communication skill instruction is integrated throughout the student's day.
• This self-contained regional program functions within a neighborhood school. Students may access art, music, PE, library, and health with supervision from paraprofessionals.
• Core curriculum is introduced on an individual basis and is monitored for individual success.
• Typically, students are on the diploma track; they take the Standards Based Assessments annually (with accommodations and modifications proscribed by the student's IEP team).

Study Skills is a self-contained elective class for students with an IEP. At the high school level, this class may be taken for up to one English elective credit. This course is designed to provide instruction and support in study skill strategies and assignments to reinforce the correct implementation of these skills. Students may use time in this class to implement these skills while completing assignments from other core classes. Study skills include but are not limited to time management, test-taking skills, organizational skills, and memory strategies based on the individual student's needs. 

Whaley School is a separate day school (grades 6-12) designed to meet the needs of students whose behaviors mandate a more restrictive environment than a neighborhood school setting can provide. Students enroll at Whaley School based on their IEP requiring placement at a separate day school due to their severe emotional/behavioral needs.

The mission of Whaley School is to provide an exemplary educational program for students, including instruction on vocational, behavioral, and social/emotional skills. Whaley school offers a variety of settings and uses evidence-based strategies and curricula to address student behavior and academic needs.

Contact 907-742-2350.