Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES

The 8:1:1 therapeutic program is designed for students who benefit from academic rigor within a highly supportive learning environment to address significant mental health concerns and social-emotional needs. This program provides a flexible, structured setting where students work toward earning a Regents or Local Diploma while developing the social, emotional, and coping skills necessary for lifelong success.

The program is offered in a BOCES setting and includes up to eight students, one certified special education teacher, and one teaching assistant, allowing for prioritized instruction, consistent support, and strong relationships between students and staff.

Students enrolled in this program must have a mental health diagnosis, and previous outpatient services alone have not been effective in meeting their needs. Students require mental health services and therapeutic strategies to manage behavior, build emotional regulation, and develop effective coping skills. Students and families must actively participate in psychiatric treatment, which may include medication management,  and counseling services to support continuity of care across home, school, and community settings.

Instruction is aligned with New York State learning standards and Regents requirements, while being thoughtfully adapted to meet students’ social-emotional needs. Students are expected to meet grade-level academic expectations with appropriate supports and accommodations. The program places a strong emphasis on emotional regulation, self-awareness, coping strategies, problem-solving, and positive peer interactions, all of which are embedded throughout the academic day.

The 8:1:1 therapeutic program collaborates with East Hill Medical Group to provide comprehensive and clinical psychiatric supports embedded within the classroom environment.

Program highlights include:

• Small class size with intensive, clinical therapeutic support
• Embedded psychiatric services through collaboration with East Hill Medical Group
• Explicit instruction in social skills, coping strategies, appropriate behavior and self-regulation
• Strong collaboration with families and community providers

The goal of the program is to support students in achieving academic success while strengthening their mental health, resilience, and capacity to manage challenges effectively—preparing them for success in school and life beyond the classroom.

The 8:1:1 Alternative Education Program is designed to provide students with engaging instruction and intensive emotional support to help them realize their potential as learners and contributing members of the community. This program offers a structured yet flexible environment that responds to the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of students who benefit from a smaller, highly supportive, non-traditional setting.  Community service is a strong component of the program and is built into multiple aspects of the school day, including curriculum.

The program is offered in a BOCES setting and includes up to eight students, one certified special education teacher, and one teaching assistant, allowing for priorirized instruction, consistent behavioral support, and strong relationships between students and staff. The school team collaborates daily to cultivate instructional and behavioral approaches that best meet the needs of our diverse student population.

The goal of the program is to provide a supportive and adaptable learning environment where students work toward earning a Regents Diploma while developing the social skills, appropriate behavior for social settings, coping strategies, and self-regulation skills necessary for lifelong success. Instruction is aligned with New York State learning standards, and students are expected to meet grade-level academic expectations with appropriate supports and accommodations.

Students in this program typically present with behavioral challenges and social-emotional skill needs that require intensive behavior management and support within a small-group setting. A school social worker provides counseling services and supports to aide the development of emotional regulation, problem-solving, and positive decision-making skills, which are integrated throughout the school day.

Program highlights include:

• Regents-aligned academic instruction with high expectations
• Small class size with intensive behavioral and emotional support
• Explicit instruction in social skills, coping strategies, and self-regulation
• Counseling services and SEL support provided by a school social worker
• Focus on student engagement, accountability, and positive behavior growth

This program is committed to supporting students in building the academic skills, emotional resilience, and confidence needed to succeed in school and in the broader community.

The 6:1:2 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program is designed for students who require intensive social-emotional and behavioral supports to maintain in a school setting. Students are developing functional academic skills, including reading, math, communication, independence, and sensory regulation.  Students may be designated as alternatively assessed.

This program is offered in a BOCES setting and provides a highly structured, supportive learning environment. Each classroom includes up to six students, one certified special education teacher, and one teaching assistant, and one aide. This allows for consistent support, close supervision, and individualized instruction throughout the school day.  Counseling, occupational therapy, and speech & language support are built into the program.

The primary focus of the program is to help students develop the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills necessary to be successful in the school setting. Students receive explicit instruction and ongoing support in emotional regulation, problem-solving, communication, and positive peer interactions. Social-emotional learning is intentionally embedded into academic instruction, daily routines, and behavioral supports.

Students in this program require intensive interventions and supports to self-regulate and manage their behavior. Instructional and behavioral strategies are individualized and may include structured routines, visual supports, positive behavior interventions, and skill-building opportunities to help students generalize strategies across settings.

Self-regulation skills and counseling needs are supported by a school social worker, who collaborates with instructional staff to provide counseling services, teach coping strategies, and reinforce emotional regulation skills throughout the school day.

Program highlights include:

• Small class size with intensive social-emotional and behavioral support
• Explicit instruction in self-regulation, emotional awareness, and interpersonal skills
• Highly structured environment with predictable routines
• Counseling services and SEL support provided by a school social worker
• Collaborative approach to meeting individual student needs

The goal of this program is to support students in building the emotional regulation, social skills, and confidence needed to engage successfully in learning, develop positive relationships, and thrive within the school community.