About our School
Vision Statement: The Stephen Knolls School’s community, consisting of students, parents, and staff, strives to be a respectful and collaborative student-centered educational environment composed of individuals committed to student achievement and professional development.
Mission Statement: The mission of Stephen Knolls School is to increase the acquisition of academic and related developmental skills by providing a safe and nurturing educational environment filled with meaningful opportunities designed to maximize each student’s unique abilities.
School Improvement Plan
Voluntary State Curriculum
Stephen Knolls School provides collaborative comprehensive educational services utilizing a transdisciplinary approach within a center-based school. Students who attend Stephen Knolls live in the southern part of Montgomery County.
Classes are comprised of pre-school students in the Preschool Educational Programs (PEP--Intensive Needs Class, Beginnings, Classic, and Collaborative), PreK, Head Start, as well as, school-aged students 5 to 21 years old with severe to profound/multiple disabilities.
Instruction is based on the Voluntary State Curriculum, MCPS General Education Curriculum and/or the Fundamental Life Skills Curriculum. Stephen Knolls School adheres to the Success for Every Student philosophy to assure that each student maximizes his or her potential.
Art, music, physical education, and media/library classes are provided to all of our students.
Our Special Education students receive instruction based on the state’s general education Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC). For the students who are working toward a MCPS graduation certificate, the Fundamental Life Skills (FLS) curriculum is implemented to teach students daily living skills.
An individualized aquatics program is provided, unless contraindicated, as a complimentary method to help students access the curriculum. The educational and physical needs of our students are addressed by modifying instructional materials and incorporating resources such as adaptive equipment and augmentative communication devices.
Each student is supported by a multidisciplinary team that also functions as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, headed by a special education teacher who serves as case manager. This team is composed of teachers, paraeducators, related service providers, health care providers, a psychologist, and other personnel deemed appropriate for the student.
The parents are an integral part of this team and provide input at all stages of decision making. IEP goals are identified for each student to help him/her access the VSC. At fourteen years of age students are eligible for transition services. These services consist of a set of coordinated activities and linkages to community resources that prepare the student for the transition from school to adult living.
Our students, as do all students nationwide, participate in an assessment program that has been developed by the state of Maryland and aligned with the VSC to meet the federal requirement of No Child Left Behind.