Special Education

The Terra Nova High School Mild-Moderate Support Needs Program coordinates specialized academic instruction and related services to support students with Individualized Education Plans to meet their educational goals. Students receiving support through this program pursue a high school diploma. 

The Terra Nova High School life skills program serves students who benefit from specialized support across multiple areas of learning including academics, social-emotional skills, and communication skills. The program implements a standards-aligned curriculum with modifications to support educational progress. Students in this program have opportunities for inclusion and enrichment activities across the school campus. In addition to functional academic skill development, students in this program receive support in developing independent living skills such as cooking and meal preparation skills, as well as pre-vocational skill development. Students attending this program graduate with a certificate of completion and go on to attend the District’s Adult Transition Program (ATP) after graduation, which provides students with the opportunity to continue their learning while developing vocational skills through supported work experience. 

The Terra Nova High School Therapeutic Day School (TDS) program serves students who benefit from activities and services that address mental health, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. Students who attend the TDS program have the opportunity to take core academic classes for diploma credit in a therapeutic setting. These classes are offered outside of the regular setting and include reduced class size and increased adult support. Students attending the program take one or more classes in the general education setting and graduate with a diploma from Terra Nova High School. The program includes embedded therapeutic support as well as access to individual, group, and parent counseling services provided by Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) through the County of San Mateo.