In the past 20 years, the number of special education students enrolled in the Yosemite Union High School District has increased from eight to over 100.

Complete mainstreaming and lots of support are the philosophies of the program. Part of this philosophy includes student aides in the special education classes. Each class has four aides and there is an abundance of students who want to be aides. These students take the special education students to lunch, go with them to sporting events, spend time with them on campus and escort them at graduation. The students in the program find acceptance on the Yosemite High School campus.

Mainstreaming philosophy is a wonderful thing for all students and staff on campus.

Two special education programs are located on the YHS campus, one operated by the Yosemite Union High School District and one operated by the Madera County Office of Education. The county class is for the severely handicapped. Although that program is operated by the county, the students are residents of the YUHSD and the district is responsible for their education.

Special education placement is not a matter of intelligence. It's a matter of handicap and language handicaps are the same as physical handicaps.

The student's handicap is "very, very mild" with the student having an identified problem in processing language.

Students in the resource program in the district are very bright with reading or computing problems far below grade level. There's a serious problem processing language.

There are also special day classes for students who generally receive all of their academic education from the same person all day. These students are sometimes mainstreamed into appropriate classes during the day where reading skills are not involved.

Additional services provided to the students include full counseling, job placement, transition planning, work ability (the state pays an employer to place a student) and individualized instruction based on the student's Individual Education Plan goals.

The commitment of this community to serving the needs of all students is wonderful. It's great how the students on the campus accept all students without prejudice. There is an equality philosophy from everyone on campus toward our special education students.