Admissions
The Phillips Academy Middle/High School Program provides for the educational and emotional needs of students from 11 to 21 years of age. Students served as those who have been identified through the IEP process as having any or all of the following: attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, specific learning differences, emotional disability (anxiety, depression, PTSD), mild intellectual disability, and autism (level 1 or level 2).
Students with other special education qualifying conditions may be admitted if all members of the IEP team agree that The Phillips Academy’s range of programs and services offer the most appropriate placement for the student and The Phillips Academy’s teaching staff has the necessary credentials.
As we expand our program to serve private pay families, it may not be necessary for the student to have an IEP. We will conduct our own assessments to best determine the students’ needs and to develop educational goals.
Admission Policy:
Referrals are accepted from any recognized public or private agency, or from any caregiver, or physician. Ideally, students should have an IEP in order to be considered for placement. If they do not, psychoeducational and academic assessments will be conducted as needed upon admissions. All applicants are considered for admission regardless of race, sex, color, religious or fraternal affiliations, or national origin.
A student may be admitted to The Phillips Academy if the following requirements are met:
Staff and caregivers consider the school to be a good fit to address the needs of the student.
Caregivers read and accept all conditions stated in the Enrollment Contract.
The student is physically manageable by current staff (TPA staff do not engage in physical restraints or holds and is not equipped to support students’ with this level of need)
*Tuition and means of payment are agreed upon. Placements are usually, but not exclusively, district funded. Admissions through private pay and unilateral placements are also possible. Enrollment can occur at any time throughout the school year and extended school year (ESY).
Admission Procedure:
1. Contact by School District or Caregiver.
2. Conference held with Caregiver
3. Prospective students may be observed at present placement.
4. Prospective student visits The Phillips Academy and spends time in the designated classroom
5. The Executive Director confers with the family to evaluate the student's experience during the visit and the school and family’s assessment regarding the appropriateness of placement.
6. The Executive Director meets with staff, to determine appropriateness of placement.
7. The Executive Director contacts the school district and/or the caregiver with an offer of placement if appropriate or provides an explanation for declining to offer placement.
8. The Caregiver completes the required forms.
9. The appropriateness of the student’s placement is further evaluated during a 30-day diagnostic period.
10. A meeting is scheduled within 30 days of the student’s placement to review the
appropriateness of the placement.
*TPA has historically only accepted students who have been referred to the non-public school through the district or who may attend through a settlement agreement. The school is currently considering a small number of private pay placements for students. TPA will follow best practices with private pay families to include a 30-day review, quarterly progress reports, annual IEPs to review and re-evaluate the appropriateness of placement, and the provision of a 20-day notice if TPA should, at any time, determine that they cannot meet the student’s needs or a less restrictive setting becomes more appropriate.
If you are interested in scheduling a tour or an informational virtual meeting please contact us by emailing info@thephillipsacademy.org, or Click here