Programs and Services

General Education with Supports

For some students, the least restrictive environment may be all general education classes with support to ensure the student is receiving his or her accommodations.  This can be met by the general education teacher with case manager collaboration. Instructional assistants support general education classes and can provide accommodations to students.

For some students, their special education programming is minimal due to the appropriateness of general education access.  For these students, a lunch resource for 20 mins at a time/two days per week may be the individualized amount of direct service.  This details the least restrictive type of IEP a student at MHS may have.

Co-taught Classes

MHS offers an extensive continuum of co-taught offerings.  Consecutive 1-3 level core courses are offered in co-taught settings. Science and Social Studies courses are also offered in co-taught environments.

Co-taught classes are taught by two teachers.  This could be two general education specialists or one special education teacher and one general education specialist. 

Mundelein district 120 provides training opportunities for our co-taught teachers to ensure that the instruction is seamless and meets the needs of students with IEPs.  Co-taught classes include both students with and without IEPs.

Instructional Classes

MHS offers Instructional level classes for all core courses.

These are taught by a teacher experienced in the content who holds the LBS special education teaching credentials. If a class has 10 or more students, in addition to the LBS teacher, an Instructional Assistant will work full-time with the class to provide support.

In addition to the core courses, we offer additional levels of Mathematics to prepare a student for Algebra 1.  Some students may need one to two years of high school math services before taking the Algebra 1 class and we offer the small group environment taught by an LBS certified teacher with math background.

We also offer Strategies instructional small group classes.  These help students with executive functioning, time management, self-advocacy, study skills and other individualized needs.  Several students benefit greatly from the check-in opportunity this type of class offers. Students are determined appropriate for a Strategies course through the IEP process.

Strive Program

The Strive Program supports students who demonstrate challenges socially or emotionally within the academic school setting.  The program offers skilled LBS teachers who specialize in working with these students. The teachers focus not only on academics, but can focus on adaptive skills as well such as social skills, communication skills, independence, self-advocacy, executive functioning, soft skills and more. Classes allow for small group learning opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere with differentiated seating options.  While students receive social-emotional supports, the teachers maintain the same rigorous academic standards as the general education setting.

The Strive program has its own dedicated social worker working full-time with the program.  The social worker pushes in to the classroom, meets with students 1:1 and in groups. The social worker also co-teaches lessons in the Strategies and Service class.  This class empowers our students to take on leadership opportunities as they engage in community service opportunities that have a positive impact both inside and outside of Mundelein High School.

We have three teachers and one social worker currently supporting the Strive program.  Related service providers, vocational staff, counselors and instructional assistants also support the Strive program.

Supported Learning Program

The Supported Learning Program provides an enriched student experience that includes bringing functional life skills and real-life opportunities to the classroom.  Students in the SLP program receive core instruction for these courses: English, Math, Science/Social Studies. Students also take Vocations class and Life Skills, as determined by their IEP.  

The students have their own apartment that includes a full kitchen, laundry and bedroom area.  This allows consistent opportunities to practice life skills and independence.

The four teachers in this program run four levels of SLP.  Related services work closely with the SLP team on a regular basis.  This includes speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, vocations, vision/mobility and hearing services.

The SLP program supports a range of students within the different levels.  Students with verbal communication and students that communicate primarily with an assistive device are part of the program.  Students reading pre-primer through a middle school reading level are also supported in the program.

Students take weekly community trips and run two very successful school businesses at Mundelein High School.

Transition Program

Our Transition Program is open and we are so excited!  This will allow many students, serviced in their home school in grades 9-12, to continue receiving their services at their home school site within their own community.  

The students’ day will include functional academics in reading and math, as well as a strong emphasis on independence.  Built into the program will be recreational and leisure components to assist students in navigating their opportunities to be socially engaged with peers and in their community.  

Each student will have the opportunity to have a vocational experience for half a day each day.  (The amount of time in a vocational setting will be adapted based on individual student needs per the IEP process.)

The transition program will have its own apartment where the students will have many  opportunities to practice independent living skills.

Additional Resources

Special Education Curricular Resources

Related Services

Related services include:

• Social Work
• Speech/Language
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Vision
• Orientation and Mobility
• Hearing