PAEC High School
Principal: Cynthia Lorek
Main Office Phone Number: 708-450-1515
Door 3A
The PAEC Therapeutic Day School is a specialized educational environment designed to serve
students diagnosed with significant social and emotional disabilities. The program provides
intensive, individualized mental health services alongside strong academic instruction to promote
both emotional stability and academic achievement. PAEC Therapeutic Day School supports
students who require services beyond those available in a general education setting to achieve
success.
The primary goal of PAEC Therapeutic Day School is to deliver comprehensive mental health
services, targeted academic interventions, and individualized supports that enable students
identified with an emotional disturbance to progress toward success in the least restrictive
environment. As a nontraditional educational setting, PAEC Therapeutic Day School differs from
traditional schools in both structure and service delivery. Students routinely participate in therapeutic
services, such as individual, group, and/or family support, as part of their educational program.
All students enrolled at PAEC Therapeutic Day School receive specialized instruction through an
Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Accommodations and modifications to the classroom
environment and curriculum are implemented to meet individual needs. Small class sizes and low
student-to-staff ratios further support personalized instruction and intervention.
PAEC Therapeutic Day School provides intensive and targeted services, which include therapeutic
supports (such as physical, occupational, psychological, and speech services), flexible scheduling,
individualized academic instruction, structured social and behavioral interventions, and transition
planning resources. While the structure differs from traditional settings, PAEC Therapeutic Day
School is committed to fostering academic growth, social development, and positive relationships. A
central objective of the program is to equip students with the skills to be successful in their home
schools.
At the high school level, students may be considered for transition by the IEP Team after meeting
established criteria, including achieving an average of 90% of weekly behavioral points for nine
consecutive weeks, maintaining passing grades of “C” or higher in all academic courses, and
demonstrating no major behavioral incidents.
The curriculum aligns with the Common Core State Standards across all academic content areas
and is designed to ensure continuity with students’ home school districts. Instructional programming
is individualized, taking into account each student’s learning style, academic level, processing
abilities, cognitive profile, and experiential background. Academic instruction, teaching strategies,
counseling approaches, and therapeutic services are aligned to each student’s unique profile.
A multidisciplinary team supports students’ needs and may include social workers, speech-language
pathologists, occupational therapists, agency counselors, and therapists. In addition, a child and
adolescent psychiatrist is available to provide consultation and conduct evaluations as
recommended by IEP Teams.
The program is structured to promote relationship-building and student engagement and includes
the following core components:
● Clear structure and predictability
● Immediate reinforcement and consistent feedback
● Motivation and encouragement for student growth
● Development of internal monitoring and self-evaluation skills
● Ongoing, measurable documentation of student progress
● Direct instruction and coaching to replace maladaptive behaviors with positive strategies
Students are evaluated on established behavioral expectations multiple times throughout the school
day. They earn points that contribute to both short-term and long-term incentives, reinforcing positive
behavior and accountability.
PAEC Therapeutic Day School maintains a strong commitment to safety and professionalism. Six
certified staff members are trained in CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) Nonviolent Crisis Intervention.
All staff participate in ongoing Behavior Management Training to ensure a safe, structured, and
respectful school climate where every individual is treated with dignity.
To further ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors, all students are searched and screened
with a metal detector upon arrival each school day in accordance with established safety protocols.