Life Centered Education

Guiding Principles

  1. The whole community benefits from an inclusive program including shared experiences & relationships

  2. The whole community (teachers, students, parents) can learn and develop the skills to support ALL students with a diverse range of abilities 

  3. Variability among learners is the norm

  4. All learners are expected to participate in and contribute to the academic and social community

  5. All students can develop new skills and grow their potential

Least Restrictive Environment. The starting point for all students is the general education classroom -- and a few students may benefit from additional support in a separate setting (including Life Centered Education)

alt text

Costs

Students receiving Life Centered Education services are enrolled just like all other students at IST. They pay the same standard tuition as all other students. This tuition covers the cost of the classroom teachers and the LCE teacher as well as facilities and equipment (just like tuition covers those costs for all other students).

If a student will need additional support through a Learning Support Assistant or TA, there will be an additional cost of approximately $12,000 (USD). Most students receiving Life Centered Education will pay this additional cost. The decision about additional support through a Learning Support Assistant will be made at the time of admissions. This decision can be revisited as part of the annual Student Support Plan (SSP) process.

Maximum Capacity for LIfe Centered Education

IST has the capacity for 4 students receiving Life Centered Education in grades 6-12 for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. We are aiming to grow our capacity to 6 students in the future.

Students who fit the Life Centered Education profile may be admitted to the elementary school (KG-5) on a case-by-case basis.

Application Process

To apply for Life Centered Education, parents will contact the Student Support Services Coordinator (sts@istafrica.com) as well as submitting an application through the standard IST admissions process.

alt text

Personalization in LCE

Life Centered Education (LCE) is a personalized model of instruction. It is not a self-contained program. Students spend most of their time in general education classrooms alongside their peers. Depending on their individual level of need, students may spend time in small groups or 1-to-1 to focus on modified grade-level content, foundational academic skills and independent living skills. Teachers, parents and the student will collaborate to create a Student Support Plan (SSP). The SSP outlines the student’s long-term and short-term goals as well as the services IST will provide to help the student meet those goals.

 

Overview of LCE services

 

Profile of Students for Life Centered Education