Many disabled students struggle to integrate and apply the information learned in the daily lessons of 40 to 50 minute class periods into concepts used within everyday living. The C.R.E.S.T. program of Summit School is trying an alternative schedule and approach to facilitate students generalizing their learning. C.R.E.S.T., Curriculum Regarding Everyday Social Themes, will organize the school day into integrated time sequences based on five general components of Communication, Character and Personal Development, Daily Responsibilities, Self Organization, and Leisure. These components will be within weekly units that will cycle throughout the school year. The program will organize units along themes such as celebrations, seasons, animals, travel, safety, grooming, and jobs. Academic skills development will be designed into classes that will build the foundation prerequisite for the successful completion of projects involved within each unit. The projects will provide hands on experiences designed to integrate learning.

Students also have difficulty integrating the skills learned in related services. C.R.E.S.T. will integrate the speech language, occupational therapy, physical education and counseling services directly into the program except when an individual studentís IEP indicates direct one on one service for a specific reason. Speech language and counseling will be integrated into pragmatic language counseling groups and pragmatic social lunch groups. Movement breaks throughout the studentsí day with specific types of physical activities will support studentsí sensory needs and help them learn how to use movement to help them focus and learn.

The ultimate goal of C.R.E.S.T., is to help students develop the skills necessary to learn in a school setting and then use what they learn in a typical setting away from school with their family and in the community.