News

BY AYSHE ALI

Assistant to the Adviser

One priority in District 302’s mission is to make sure students are prepared for life after high school. Whether someone chooses to go to college, start working or join the military, everyone should be given the opportunity to prosper. That is why the Kaneland High School special education department has implemented a new program to prepare their students for a successful and self-sufficient life after high school. “We just wanted to see more from this program,” Special Services Department Chair Larry King said. “And we wanted these students to get more. We took that vision and we rolled with it, and that’s where we’re at now.” The new special education program is based on the Practical Assessment Exploration System, or PAES. PAES allows students to experience working in the real world while building skills that can be used either in the workforce or living independently. “This program is for postsecondary students to develop postsecondary skills. The main goals are for it to develop work ethic, knowing when we do get to a work environment how to behave, being prompt, understanding that you have a boss and supervisor and also giving them the opportunity not to step back,” special education teacher Douglas Mavity said. During the PAES lab classes, each student will receive a “job box” with a certain task that they need to complete. The jobs can range from using a hammer to measuring out ingredients. While these jobs are being completed, Mavity and para-

Photo by Ayshe Ali Junior Janaisy Hernandez has to copy a pattern that is on a sheet of paper. This is one of the many exercises students can do to improve various skills. Special education teacher Douglas Mavity oversees students as they work and do their jobs. In this program, he acts more as a boss than a teacher.

Photo by Ayshe Ali There are numerous jobs listed on this board that students can do to test different skills. Because there are many options provided, there is a lot of variation in what the students do with each one.

professional Wendy Haacker track data on the students’ work. A student can only move on to the next task if they complete it with 100 percent accuracy. “It’s not your traditional sense as a teacher. We’re sort of going to step back and let them figure out what they need to do within that job because not everyone is going to support you when you get out at work,” Mavity said. Preparing students for life after high school is only one part of the program. The different tasks given to the students also tie into the other academic classes that they take throughout the day. If the students are having a difficult time on a task pertaining to a certain subject, that topic will be addressed in that separate class. “We can go to the math teacher and say, ‘You know what, we’re not really good on time management at this point,’ or, ‘We’re not understanding what some of our fractions are measurement wise,’ and then they can simulate from the work environment bringing that back over to culinary,” Mavity said. “If we are having trouble with some of the language within the work area, we can use that within the English portion and build on the terminology. So we are sort of cross categorizing all of our classes.” This is the first year that the PAES program will be running in the Kaneland district. The goal is for students to start the program their freshman year and continue until they graduate. Throughout the years, they will develop relationships with members of the community and get chances to experience working outside of school. “Our goal is for them to have a job once they get out of high school and hopefully to live on their own and to be able to just, for example, follow instructions on the box of mac and cheese. That is our goal,” Haacker said. “We want to set them up for success once they leave high school. They’re all so talented in their own ways, and they might as well soar with that talent outside of high school.”

We just wanted to see more from this program. And we wanted these students to get more. Special Services Department Chair Larry King

Photo by Ayshe Ali

“I think there has to be a balance between playing a sport and having a job because you have to provide for yourself, but you also need to be able to make friends and have fun.”

Kyle Hesselfeldt (Sophomore) IS YOUR MAIN FOCUS ON SCHOOL, WORK OR EXTRACURRICULARS?

“I would like to do extracurricular activities rather than a job because it’s more important to get those experiences in high school, and with a job, you can get those experiences at almost any time.”

Connor Haley (Junior)

“It’s nice to have a job when you are a junior or senior, but I prefer sports because you get to interact with more people.”

Casey O’Brien (Sophomore)

Cartoon by McKenna Goss

IS YOUR MAIN FOCUS ON SCHOOL, WORK OR EXTRACURRICULARS?

“I would rather work than do a sport because I need money, and I am able to save up for college. Also, when you’re at the stage when you have a car, you need money in order to pay for gas.”

“I would much rather be doing cheer than a job because it’s more fun, and I get to see my friends every day.”

Angelina Campise (Freshman) Jack Wolff (Senior)

Kaci Randall (Sophomore)

“I’d prefer to put my time into sports because I can be with my friends, and I prefer doing sports more than homework.”