What Is FAC?
At Hopewell Middle School, our Functional Academic Classrooms (FAC) are lead by highly qualified educators and staff who genuinely believe that all students are able to learn in various ways and rates. We currently have two FAC units at Hopewell that serves 25+ students with unique individualized abilities.
In FAC, our primary focus is to build skills in the areas of academics, functional communication, activities of daily living and pre-vocational skills. We follow our students' Individual Education Plan, which their strengths, educational needs, and present functional skill levels closely parallel to the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). In our classrooms, we directly teach 6th through 8th grade TEKS and proficiency requirements based on the Vertical Alignment in the form of prerequisite skills.
Our classrooms are designed to be highly structured by utilizing elements such as creating predictable routines, providing visual supports and clearly defining work areas to promote academic/pre-vocational, communicative, and behavioral success.
We utilize a combination of approaches to facilitate academic goals and build functional communication skills. Such approaches include direct teaching, Cognitive Picture Rehearsal, and strategies based on Applied Behavioral Analysis, including discreet trial, task analysis and chaining.
Social Skills and Pre-Vocational training is one of the best ways to practice communication. We encourage social interactions among school staff and students across various settings, including peer in general education. Many of our students participate in lunch, electives, and other special activities with peers in the general education classrooms to help generalize or maintain skills in communication and socialization.
In FAC, our primary focus is to build skills in the areas of academics, functional communication, activities of daily living and pre-vocational skills. We follow our students' Individual Education Plan, which their strengths, educational needs, and present functional skill levels closely parallel to the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). In our classrooms, we directly teach 6th through 8th grade TEKS and proficiency requirements based on the Vertical Alignment in the form of prerequisite skills.
Our classrooms are designed to be highly structured by utilizing elements such as creating predictable routines, providing visual supports and clearly defining work areas to promote academic/pre-vocational, communicative, and behavioral success.
We utilize a combination of approaches to facilitate academic goals and build functional communication skills. Such approaches include direct teaching, Cognitive Picture Rehearsal, and strategies based on Applied Behavioral Analysis, including discreet trial, task analysis and chaining.
Social Skills and Pre-Vocational training is one of the best ways to practice communication. We encourage social interactions among school staff and students across various settings, including peer in general education. Many of our students participate in lunch, electives, and other special activities with peers in the general education classrooms to help generalize or maintain skills in communication and socialization.