St. Mary's County
Public Schools
SAIL Program
The SAIL (Supporting Academics and Independent Living) Program is designed to provide special education services to students who have been identified as being in need of an alternative, adapted, and functional curriculum and daily living skills. These students have documented significant cognitive delays and meet the criteria from the Alternate Appendix A: Participation Criteria and Checklist through an IEP team meeting. SAIL classes are located in each high school and middle school and in regional elementary schools (Benjamin Banneker Elementary and Green Holly Elementary).
Learning experiences focus on developing skills necessary to gather information, make choices, carry out decisions, work with others and problem-solve. While individual student needs vary, the SAIL Program addresses academic and functional skills that are extensions of the Maryland State Curriculum based on the essential elements in English/language arts, math, and science.
Students in the SAIL Program are assessed through the Alternative Maryland School Assessment. This assessment assesses a student’s attainment of Reading, Mathematics, and Science Essential Elements. The assessment allows students with disabilities who cannot participate in the Maryland State Assessments, even with accommodations and modifications, to participate in Maryland’s state assessment program and school accountability program as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Services to individual students are delivered according to the needs of each student’s IEP. Direct classroom instruction is provided by a special education teacher and one or more para-educators assigned to each classroom. Students may be included in the general education environment and receive instruction by general education teachers, as appropriate and determined by the IEP. Related services are provided by therapists assigned to individual schools in accordance with the student’s IEP. Students in the SAIL Program have the opportunity to generalize their skills to authentic, community-based settings and experiences.
Students may have the opportunity to participate in the Individual Products and Services Program at the James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center to develop soft skills for work readiness. Students between the ages of 18 and 21, and who are anticipated to be competitively employed with minimal supports after graduation, may apply for placement in the Gateway to Independence Program. Refer to the Gateway to Independence Program description for complete details.
For further information regarding the SAIL Program, please contact:
Angela Fulp, Supervisor of Special Education
(301) 475-5511 x32206
amfulp@smcps.org