| Students who attend the Columbus School district | | | | related services, such as: Adaptive Physical |
| may rest easy knowing that they study in an | | | | Education, Attendant Services, Audiology |
| area that is doing all it can to ensure they receive | | | | Services, Braille Services, Counseling/Guidance |
| an excellent education. District leaders are striving | | | | Services, Medical Services, Occupational Therapy, |
| to make their schools top notch; from opening | | | | Orientation/Mobility Training, Parent Involvement, |
| new schools to offering a plethora of programs | | | | Physical Therapy, Reader Services, Sign Language |
| throughout the Columbus School district. But how | | | | Interpretation, Special Transportation Services, |
| close are they to meeting the district's mission | | | | Speech and Language Therapy, and Supervisory |
| statement?: 'Each student is highly educated, | | | | Services. |
| prepared for leadership and service, and | | | | Columbus Schools are implementing many other |
| empowered for success as a citizen in a global | | | | innovative programs. Among them is a centralized |
| community". | | | | Pre-Kindergarten program, which will provide |
| While there is still work to be done, some great | | | | school readiness activities for students close to |
| results are starting to show. Newsweek's Top | | | | entering kindergarten. Also, the creation of an |
| High Schools annual report shows some evidence | | | | Autism Program in Columbus Schools has been |
| of this improvement. Two of Columbus Schools' | | | | recommended by the Autism Task Force. It |
| high schools, Columbus Alternative High School and | | | | would consist of six classrooms which would |
| Centennial High School remained in the magazine's | | | | serve students at the preschool and kindergarten |
| top five percent nationwide for the second year | | | | level. The program would be served by an |
| in a row. In addition, the Ohio Teachers of the | | | | "Autism Team" consisting of a school psychologist, |
| Year in both 2003 and 2005 were Columbus | | | | a speech & language pathologist, an |
| Schools' teachers, and the Columbus Schools' | | | | occupational therapist, and a physical therapist. |
| district leads the state with more than 100 | | | | Also, the Columbus Children's Hospital of |
| National Board Certified Teachers on staff. | | | | Behavioral Health would provide consultation, |
| The Columbus Schools' district also provides | | | | professional development, and other resources. |
| special education services to approximately 8,700 | | | | Mainstream students are not left out of these |
| students; that's 15.5% of the district's total | | | | improvements in Columbus Schools. Middle school |
| student population. The Special Education | | | | students can benefit from the "Summer |
| Department for Columbus Schools provides | | | | Discovery Academy" which strives to meet |
| academic and behavioral support to disabled | | | | individual needs in reading, math, science, and |
| students in order to enable them to achieve | | | | social studies. The STAR (Science, Technology, |
| academic excellence in the general education | | | | and Algorithms) Academy is a Math/Science |
| curriculum. The department also strives to help its | | | | focus program that is also available. The HOTS |
| disabled students acquire independent life skills that | | | | program (Higher Order Thinking Skills) is a |
| will prepare them for work or college, as | | | | regularly scheduled class within the STAR |
| applicable. In addition to these goals, Columbus | | | | academy for sixth and seventh grade students. |
| Schools' students with disabilities may receive | | | | |