How it works at MSC

Parent-Driven Special Education

• The role of the parent/guarding in this program is absolutely vital. Choosing MSC also means you are responsible for providing or accessing services.

• The parent/guardian educator is responsible for providing all support that is related to academics.

• Speech/Language services are provided by our full-time speech pathologist. The schedule is mutually agreed to and the parent provides transportation.

• Other speciality services are provided at the neighborhood school. (i.e. OT, PT, APE, counseling, etc.)

• MSC Special Education staff support parents/guardians throughout the year with resources and advice as a partner in student education.

Enrollment Process

Learn some tips and tools for enrolling at Mat-Su Central

A family enrolling with MatSu Central will follow the same initial steps of school enrollment for our district:
- Begin with online registration after July 1.
- When the school option is presented, choose “MatSu Central.”
- Wait for our front office to contact you about enrolling your student(s).
- It is important to let them know, and to indicate on any and all paperwork, that your student has an IEP. This will help ensure a smooth start and correct advisor assignment.

Curriculum: The home educator (parent) will make choices about curriculum such as level, style, and rigor with the support of their advisor. If a student has a learning disability, the curriculum choice may be limited. All curriculum must be advisor approved. For middle and high school it must also match one of the class titles in the program of studies. Parents are responsible for planning, scheduling, teaching, and grading. It is also helpful if the home educator has planned out a schedule for completing the courses at home. Home educators (parents) of students with IEPs are also responsible for tracking progress on goals and implementing the strategies agreed upon to help reach those goals. Progress on the goals is reported to the advisor every quarter.

Early screening for families through Project Childfind
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Project Childfind is a screening program for children birth to five years old to identify any educational or physical needs that must be addressed to enable the child to fully benefit from an educational program. The screening is offered by the Mat-Su School District and is free of charge.

Call the Childfind Appointment Hotline at 907.761.4049

Childfind Locations:
Central Administration Building Palmer
501 N. Gulkana Behind Swanson Elementary School


CCS Early Learning, Meadow Lakes Center, Mile 49 Parks Highway

For more information refer to the district information page:

Supplemental Education 
Web Sites

These websites are an excellent way for students to engage and build their skills. Here are a few recommendations from teachers and parents:

readingeggs.com
The Reading Eggs program has been developed by a highly experienced team of teachers, educational writers, animators and web developers. The Reading Eggs program focuses on a core reading curriculum of skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. It completely supports what children learn at school and will help to improve your child’s school results.
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starfall.com
Starfall has been a free online resource since 2002, teaching millions of children to read and inspiring a love of learning through exploration. There is no advertising and the site does not collect any personal information from children. Members enjoy mathematics, additional reading activities, and songs.
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phet.colorado.edu
PhET provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. All simulations require Java, Flash, or HTML5, and can be run online or downloaded to your computer. All simulations are open source.
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khanacademy.org
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Choose between math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We’ve also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content..
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An additional resource for apps for students with special needs:
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/01/a-handy-chart-featuring-over-30-ipad.html