Special Education School

Ozanam School Mission: Ozanam School provides a safe, structured and academic environment, using grace and accountability and innovative behavioral and therapeutic strategies, to help diverse children and families become successful in an ever changing world.

Ozanam's regular and special education programs are accredited by the North Central Association and are also certified by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The school operates year-round, with summer classes focusing on remedial reading and math. Classroom sizes are small (8-10 students) and designed to help students reach their full academic and social potential.

Students are assigned to each classroom based on age and level of achievement, and they advance grade levels when they complete the necessary requirements. Each student's prior educational experience is also taken into consideration. Ozanam's curriculum consists of traditional classes including English, math, science and social studies, as well as special classes including gym, art and computers. All of Ozanam's teachers are certified in their instructional area.

From the time a child is admitted to Ozanam, educational placement decisions are made. Options for placement include attending Ozanam's on-campus school program or to attend an appropriate class in the Grandview School District. Most youth in our Residential Treatment Program are enrolled in the Grandview School District with the exception of some students who the treatment team feels may be unable to attend public school due to treatment issues. Students in our Day Treatment Program attend Ozanam School.

Vocational Education

At Ozanam, we value the importance of hard work and dedication. In order to teach work skills to our boys and girls, vocational education is a component of our school program. Students ages 16 and older have the opportunity to participate in vocational or job skills training classes. These classes focus on determining areas of job interest, resume writing, interviewing skills, and other skills to assist students with developing vocational competencies. Students also have this opportunity to enroll in a variety of courses geared toward teaching specific skill sets, including but not limited to horticulture, general maintenance, carpentry, and computer technology. A final component of the program would be placement in a work setting on- or off-campus, with possibilities including lawn care and landscaping, general maintenance, food service, clerical, or a variety of "support" positions for campus operations.

Since the vocational program is integrated into the school, students can also earn credits toward their high school diploma for all class work and work experience. In addition to the high school credit and the fact that they're receiving valuable life skills, the students are also paid for their work efforts. Read more about the Vocational Work Program in Ozanam's Spring 2009 Newsletter. (Adobe PDF)