4+ Programming
Applications to 4+ Programs are made through the student’s IEP team. To find out how to start the application process please contact the Work Experience teacher or Case Manager in your high school. For more detailed or contact information regarding STEP: click here
There are currently three 4+ Programs being offered within the Des Moines Public Schools:
STEP:
STEP stands for Secondary Transition Employment Program. Goals of the program revolve around employment and helping with some basic living skills. All students must be on an IEP. Students train at community business sites 2 – 5 days per week for up to 5 hours per day. Students will be off campus and a STEP job coach is responsible for overseeing the training and supervision of the students. Students then meet individually with STEP staff to monitor progress and evaluate needs. A classroom setting will provide opportunities to learn and practice life skills.
- For more information, check out our brochure here
SEARCH:
Project SEARCH offers students that have completed their graduation requirements, a one-year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at Mercy Medical Center and Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training obtained through three strategically designed internships.
- For more information, check out our brochure here
STRIDE:
Stride is a 4+ program for individuals with an IEP that focuses on building the foundational skills that students need to move toward independence in adulthood. Stride facilitates personal development by providing rigorous instruction in the classroom and allowing students to apply that instruction to the real world.
- For more information, check out our brochure here