Bartlett Community Partnership School

Preschool - 8th grade

LEAP Program - Lifeskills, Education, and Planning

Special Education Team

Evaluation Team Chairperson (ETC) - Tracy Bowers

Psychologist- Mellanie Eichelberger

Special Education Social Worker - John McCord

Speech Language Pathologist  - (SLP) - Alice Lee

Occupational Therapist - (OT) - Linda McElhinney

Occupational Therapist - (OT) - Kelly Finn

Physical Therapist - (PT) - Deborah Webster

Physical Therapist (Life Skills) - (PT) - Carol O’Neil

Board Certified Behavioral  Analyst - (BCBA) -  Heather Frugoli

Board Certified Behavioral  Analyst - (BCBA)- Dan Davis

LEAP Program

Lifeskills, Education and Planning

Mission Statement: The mission of the Lowell Public Schools LEAP (Lifeskills, Education, and Planning) Program is to provide students with cognitive disabilities with the skills they need to reach levels of independence and academic growth both within their school careers as well as in their transition to adult life. Our program accomplishes this goal through educational activities that integrate academic, social, recreational, adaptive, and vocational opportunities. These opportunities are developed through student participation in a structured environment based upon the student's individualized needs. We educate the whole student by working collaboratively with all staff, families, and community members. Our goal is to educate students who are ready to participate in their own personal next step in school leading toward adult life. 

Program Description: The LEAP program provides students with an atmosphere that encourages independence and allows for individual success. Each classroom is staffed with a highly qualified teacher providing students with rigorous academic instruction. Classroom supports include a full time paraprofessional, Special Education Social Worker, Behavior Specialist or BCBA as well as occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech language therapists. The program is also supported by the building based team, which includes a School Psychologist and Evaluation Team Chairperson, 

The Bartlett Community Partnership School, as well as our high school program also provides access to two special education nurses. Our students who also demonstrate medical needs beyond that which the general school nurse can care for will be placed in this building to ensure their healthcare needs are met. 

The foundation of our LEAP program is centered and grounded on teaching procedures based upon the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Applied behavior analysis is the science of human behavior. ABA seeks to find ways of increasing behavior necessary for success (such as independence in academic and social skills) while decreasing behavior which interferes in independence and learning.