The Creekside School

The Creekside School is a nonprofit 501(c)3 private and nonpublic school.
Creekside ONLY serves students on the severe end of the moderate-to-severe autism spectrum. A "typical" student is nonverbal with significant sensory issues who is working towards a high school certificate of completion.
We are devoted to discovering untapped potential often overlooked due to communicative and/or sensory motor-based issues.
Our school is licensed to serve grades Kindergarten through 12, and includes an Adult Transition Program for students up to age 22.
Creekside is a year-round school that begins in August and ends in July.
Curriculum: The Creekside School is a functional skills program leading to a certificate of high school completion. Functional academics expose students to a mix of academic skills, concepts and curriculum while teaching the everyday life skills our students need to be as independent as possible in adulthood.Curriculum at The Creekside School is individualized for each student based on their IEP goals and in alignment with the standards-based functional-skills curriculum guide developed by the Special Education Administrators of County Offices (SEACO) as well as the California Common Core standards.All students learn daily living skills at Creekside including cooking, laundry, hygiene, gardening, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Students also participate in pre-vocational and volunteer activities on and off campus such as weekly meal deliveries for Meals on Wheels and stocking shelves at nearby stores.

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Special Education School
  • Grades: Kindergarten-12
  • Enrollment: 24 students
  • Average class size: 6 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

School Overview

Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Kindergarten-12
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
Autism
Year Founded
2007

Student Body

Total Students
24 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
33%
State avg.: 51%
Students by Grade
The Creekside School Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
4 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
35%
Average Class Size
6 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Tuition Notes
Tuition is based on a daily rate of $440.00 plus any Related Services needed per a students IEP.
Admissions Director
Katie Shepard

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
2 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Arts and Music Programs:
Art Therapy, Music Therapy

School Notes

  • Our Mission: To holistically enhance quality of life for individuals with profound autism and their families through empowerment, community engagement, and collaborative partnerships.
  • The Creekside School's emphasis on family stems from our recognition that autism doesn't just impact parents.It impacts the whole family:siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.All families play animportantrole in their students' success. The families of students with autismplay acrucialrole in supporting their child's journey to adulthood.
  • We believe that anyone can learn once we learn how to teach them.
  • Guided by this simple premise, it is each student's unique set of interests, strengths and needs which are the driving factor for their comprehensive program. Through active collaboration between professionals and those who comprise the family unit, we strive to gain a greater understanding of the student as a whole so that we can develop programs accordingly.
  • Philosophy
  • Our foundation is based in the DIR/Floortime model, created by Drs. Greenspan and Wieder. Though this model was originally intended for young children in clinical and/or home-based settings, TCS uses principles of DIR and Floortime within a curriculum appropriate for a school environment serving students ages 5-14. The Developmental, Individual difference, Relationship-based (DIR/Floortime) model is a framework that helps clinicians, parents and educators develop intervention programs tailored to the unique challenges and strengths of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental challenges (for more information on DIR/ Floortime, please visit www.icdl.com or www.profectum.org).
  • The components of the DIR framework that TCS emphasizes include individualizing students` educational program and placing emphasis on students` interests and autonomy as the primary drive for learning. TCS takes an eclectic approach, using a variety of educational and therapeutic interventions, including but not limited to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), SCERTS (focusing on Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support), and/or Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), adapted to the needs of each student. Our team strives to stay current with progressive methodologies as potential intervention options.
  • TCS Student Goals:
  • All students will achieve greater independence through:
  • -Developing effective means of communication
  • -Learning positive behaviors/ self regulation skills
  • -Building relationships and acquiring social skills
  • -Gaining community skills/access to community
  • -Developing academic skills to be generalized across multiple life contexts
  • Organization Goals
  • -Foster open communication and collaboration with parents/guardians and across all care providers, to allow for consistency in care/interventions, meeting the individual needs of every student
  • -Provide a supportive community for families to learn, participate, and foster healthy family relationships
  • -Use a holistic approach in thinking about students; this includes TCS staff collaborating with other professionals (including private therapists and physicians) as needed to promote further development and find solutions to challenges related to the needs of each student
  • -Provide a safe, nurturing environment where students thrive and develop to their highest potential
  • -Educate students at their developmental level with age-appropriate activities
  • -Provide functional and meaningful, multi-sensory, experienced-based learning opportunities leading to the development of academic, vocational, and daily living skills that can be practiced and integrated across all environments and people
  • -Raise greater awareness and understanding within the public community of autism and those with sensory and communicative challenges
  • Educational Program and Curriculum
  • Individual student programming and participation in specific activities is based on IEP goals and the student`s Developmental and Individual Differences Profile (DIDP). The DIDP is a document created by the teacher and therapists using input from assessments, observations, family members, and outside providers working with the student. It is recommended that parents share this document with all those working with their child to have a greater understanding of the students` needs. The classroom team further uses the DIDP to design activities and the learning environment in a way that promotes sensory regulation, communication, and active participation.
  • Class sizes are small (up to 6 students) in order to effectively organize and manage the environment, and to ensure the students receive the attention needed to support learning throughout the day. We currently have two classrooms, separated by the age range of students enrolled.
  • Classroom Team
  • TCS classroom staff support the varying needs of the classroom and individual needs of students by utilizing a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary approach in which team members consult with each other regularly and provide training across disciplines. The classroom team consists of:
  • -Educational coordinator and Behavior Intervention Case Manager (BICM)
  • -Special education teacher
  • -Speech-language pathologist
  • -Occupational therapist
  • -Inclusion specialist
  • -Experienced teaching assistants
  • All classroom team members bring various areas of expertise in order to provide a high quality educational and therapeutic program for all students. The progress and development of each student is evaluated regularly through observations, data collection, team discussions, ongoing communication with family members, care providers, and other professionals, as well as through data analysis sessions, staff to staff consult, coaching and observations, and video reviews to ensure the students continue to progress and flourish. Should challenges arise, team members collaborate and problem solve ways in which to best support the educational needs of each student.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the application deadline for The Creekside School?
The application deadline for The Creekside School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
In what neighborhood is The Creekside School located?
The Creekside School is located in the Anderson East neighborhood of San Jose, CA. There are 1 other private schools located in Anderson East.

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Special Education School
  • Grades: Kindergarten-12
  • Enrollment: 24 students
  • Average class size: 6 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in San Jose, CA is $22,976 for elementary schools and $28,366 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in San Jose, CA is 85% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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