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The Brentwood School is a private, coeducational school located in Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States. The school offers alternative education for grades 9 to 12.

History
The Brentwood School is owned by Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC). In 1981, the Brentwood School for emotionally handicapped students opened its doors, providing needed services to this population of students.

Since then Brentwood has continued to thrive, accepted students from over 20 different districts throughout southern New Hampshire, from as far as Merrimack Valley's school district.

Mission
The school’s mission is to engage, support, and inspire learning. The school’s philosophy is that every individual can learn in that inherent in this belief is the responsibility to prepare each student for a productive future by providing him/her with a broad education commensurate with his/her abilities and aspirations. Its faculty aims to recognize individual differences while promoting mutual respect and help all students succeed.

Governance
The Brentwood School is governed by the Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC) cooperative which is run by a Board of Directors.

Educational Leadership
Michael McMurray, Ed.D. has been the principal of The Brentwood School since 2012. He is a graduate of Wilton‐Lyndeborough Cooperative High School and Syracuse University. Dr. McMurray completed his doctoral degree from Walden University in September 2012. Recent experience in school administration includes positions at Hillside Middle School in Manchester, and Mascenic Regional School District in New Ipswich, NH.

Admissions
The Brentwood School addresses the needs of students identified with an educational disability. The program is approved by The State of New Hampshire, Department of Education to accept students identified with the following disabilities:

- Emotional Disturbance - Other Health Impaired - Specific Learning Disability

Prospective students between the ages of fourteen (14) and twenty-one (21) must demonstrate the potential to be academically and socially successful in order to be considered for enrollment.

Students seeking admission to The Brentwood School cannot present a physical threat to self and/or others and must not be actively chemically dependent. An identified support system should be in place to collaborate with the school in order to assist in meeting the individual needs of each student.

The school has "rolling open admissions", admitting new students throughout the school year.

Referrals
Referrals to The Brentwood School originate from the local school district of each prospective student. The LEA (school district special education department) representative provides a package of information which helps to develop a full picture of the student’s background and educational needs. This package includes, but is not limited to:

- Current immunization records - Official copies of all transcripts - Current proposal for Special Education Placement - Current signed Individual Education Program - Initial and most recent testing [including educational and psychological evaluations] - Discipline record from present placement - The Brentwood School “Permission to Obtain/Release Information” form - Evaluation summary report

Once this information has been received, an interview with the student, the parent/guardian, and the LEA representative will be arranged. A guidance counselor and/or the principal will interview the student to determine if The Brentwood School appears to be an appropriate placement.

Once it is determined the student may be a good candidate for admission, a full-day visit is arranged. This visit allows the student to experience a typical day at The Brentwood School and gives the faculty an opportunity to provide feedback regarding the student’s performance in class and throughout the school day.

If the result of the full-day visit indicates the student would be a successful member of The Brentwood School community, he/she will be accepted on a provisional 30-day diagnostic placement. After the student has been in attendance for thirty (30) days, a placement review meeting will be held to determine:

1) if The Brentwood School can successfully implement the student’s Individual Education Program (I.E.P.); and

2) the student has demonstrated they can contribute positively to the school community. Placement at The Brentwood School will be continued at this point if all are satisfied it is appropriate and beneficial to the student.

Curriculum, Programs, Policies
A broad curriculum content is challenging and goal-oriented, and applicable to real life problems and opportunities. Students work toward individualized goals to achieve personal/social growth, academic learning, and career development.

The school has high expectations for all of its students achieving success, and, together with parents, teachers, students, counselors and administrators. They have created programs and policies that encourage students to reach higher, to try harder, and to achieve more than would otherwise be possible.

Extended Learning Opportunity (ELOs)
The goal of The Brentwood School's Extended Learning Opportunity Program is to create educational opportunities for students to work in conjunction with current educational programs to provide enrichment, curriculum differentiation, social and emotional support, and awareness of learning opportunities for students beyond the general curriculum.

An Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) allows for the acquisition of knowledge and skills through instruction or study outside of the traditional classroom methodology. Emphasis is on personalized learning, student engagement, and alternate approaches to student assessment. ELOs are designed to match students’ diverse learning needs, talents, interests, and developmental levels. ELOs can play a crucial role in helping students develop essential workforce skills, positive social behaviors and attitudes, improved engagement in learning, and development of skills such as problem solving and/or higher-order thinking. An extended learning opportunity typically comes from a combination of student interest, teacher support and inspiration, and opportunities available in the community or the school. Extended Learning Opportunities provide authentic learning experiences for all types of students. Given the individual nature of ELOs they may be especially beneficial for students who struggle with the regular high school academic program. Transportation to ELOs will be determined by the student’s special education team as part of the planning process.

The goal of The Brentwood School’s Extended Learning Opportunity Program is to create educational opportunities for students to work in conjunction with current educational programs to provide enrichment, curriculum differentiation, social and emotional support, and awareness of learning opportunities for students beyond the general curriculum. What is done specifically for each student will depend on their needs and available opportunities. Programs for students do not begin with different curricula or different structures for learning, but with the different needs of each student.

At The Brentwood School, students have the opportunity to work with their counselors and teachers to establish an Extended Learning Opportunity that takes place inside or outside the classroom through:

To begin an Extended Learning Opportunity, an ELO team consisting of the student, a counselor, a parent, a teacher and sometimes a community partner, meets to identify available resources and to develop a plan for the student to follow. The same team evaluates the success of the ELO at completion. Assessment of student work typically takes place through teacher check-in, reflections, or student presentations. Credit for ELO is based on measurable standards as defined in course competencies. Extended Learning Opportunites are graded on a pass/fail basis.

Job Shadowing: Students have the opportunity to observe an employee on the job in a field of interest to him or her. A job shadow can last from a partial day to several days, and is unpaid. Job shadowing increases career awareness, sets a positive example for students, and reinforces the link between classroom learning and work.

The Independent Study option will be offered to motivated students interested in earning competency based credit in place of classroom activity. This person centered planning process must include a mentor, the school principal and the interested student. The student must demonstrate competency in a variety of curriculum standards measured against the state frameworks. Students should follow the Extended Learning Opportunity Procedures to develop and participate in an independent study. The Private Instruction option can include lessons or classes outside the school, including, but not limited to, art, music, theater, martial arts, foreign language, and equestrian lessons etc. Some benefits of private instruction can include self discipline, entertainment of self in a healthy and productive manner, increased self confidence, and enhanced social skills. Students will follow the ELO procedures to earn credit. Financial responsibility for the private instruction lies with the student’s parents/guardians.

Work-based learning, known as internships, in which the student is learning the job, taking an active part, and ultimately, engaged in a personal project that is of value to the work site. Components of an internship include a one on one relationship with an adult, doing real work in which the student is interested, either in or outside of the school building.

These are small businesses operated at the school, which are often set up to allow students to learn business operations such as managing costs, ordering supplies, working under pressure, conserving supplies and maintaining facilities. This can include such opportunities as a school store, the lunch program, or a fund raising activity. School-based enterprises are unpaid work experiences.

Service learning combines academics with a community service project. For example, while cleaning trash from a stream, students will also analyze the trash and where it comes from, then create ways to educate the community on reducing pollution. Students would learn about water quality and laboratory analysis, and communicating with the public. Students might also be asked to reflect on how the service-learning project relates to their personal and career interests. Service learning is unpaid.

Students can enroll in high school level courses on Plato or through Virtual Learning Academy Charter School. E-Start classes are also available to students to earn college credit through the New Hampshire Technical College system.

Student are exposed to careers in other ways as well. At career fairs, representatives from various businesses provide information about their employment opportunities at booths set up in a single location (such as the school gym).

Teachers or counselors may arrange for guest speakers to come and talk to a group of students regarding their field of expertise.

Field trips to local businesses, where students are taken on a tour of the business and get to see workers at their daily tasks allowing students to learn how the business works, the types of tasks performed, and to get a sense of the work environment in that particular industry.

Counseling
Comprehensive school counseling and guidance programs are an integral part of the total educational program. All students benefit from programs that are developmental in nature, preventive in design, and comprehensive in scope. The Brentwood School employs strategies to enhance academics, provide career awareness, develop employment readiness, encourage self awareness and advocacy, foster interpersonal communication skills and impart life success skills for all students.

The goal of The Brentwood School’s Guidance and Counseling Program is to help students develop and successfully complete an educational plan that meets state graduation requirements and fits the students’ personal needs, interests, abilities, and career aspirations. The schools believes the personal/social aspects of the student cannot be totally separated from the academic. The goal is to assist students with coping/resiliency mechanisms, and personal/interpersonal skills that will enable them to better succeed in the classroom and in life.

Technology
Technology instruction is valued at the school. Wireless internet access is offered throughout the school's facilities. Computers support classroom instruction at all grade levels. Many computers have the latest suite of collaborative Web 2.0 tools. Most classrooms have "Smart Boards" and the high school lab is equipped with the latest electronic equipment.

Transition Services
In order to prepare the students for their adult lives after high school, Brentwood School provides them with a variety of transition planning activities including:

- Presentations and workshops from local college Admissions representatives and community employees - Curriculum and course options: Senior Seminar, Consumer Math, Consumer Education, Junior Transition Planning - College and Technical School Program Tours

The Senior Seminar curriculum focuses on preparing for life after high school. Goal setting, the college application process, career exploration, job search resources, interview techniques, resume writing, budgeting, life planning and time management are all discussed at length and documents in a student centered portfolio.