John S. Charlton School

Principal: Pamela A. Atchison, Ed.D.
Grades: BK-PH
District: Caesar Rodney School District
278 Sorghum Mill Road
Camden, DE 19934
Telephone 302) 697-3103
Fax (302) 697-4998
E-mail pamela.atchison@cr.k12.de.us

2004-2005 School Performance Rating: Superior School

State Document No. 95-01/05/06/04

The development of the School Profiles is a joint effort between the Department of Education and the schools. All of the data and text were provided by the schools and districts and compiled and published by the Department of Education in a standard format to allow for school comparison.

DOE Web Site for all School Profiles in the state: http://www.doe.state.de.us

The John S. Charlton School is a program for students with special needs. The program serves students up to 21 years of age who have a need to learn functional life skills to enhance their level of independence. Students at the Charlton Program are educationally diagnosed as trainable mentally disabled, severely mentally disabled, autistic, or deaf blind. John S. Charlton is the Kent County Center for the Delaware Autism Program. Students are served at the John S. Charlton School, throughout schools in the Caesar Rodney School District, and at Delaware State University and Wesley College. The Charlton Program services students throughout Kent County, Delaware.

Mission

At the John S. Charlton Program, the mission is to prepare Kent County students with special needs, in partnership with parents and the community, to function as independently as possible in today's ever changing society.

The staff is dedicated to:
   Implementing an applied functional education
   program;
   Promoting safety and a positive school climate;
   Teaching self-discipline; and
   Maintaining a structured environment.

The John S. Charlton Program’s goal is to provide individuals with developmental delays with the skills and training necessary for them to function as independently as possible in today's society. The life skills curriculum focuses on communication, personal management, socialization, career/vocational, and applied academics.

At Charlton, an individual's needs are evaluated and an educational program is developed by the IEP team to address those specific needs. The program may include such service areas as psychological testing and consultation, speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy as indicated by the individual needs of the students. Services at the Charlton Program are made available to students up to age 21, who reside in the 5 different school districts within Kent County.