High School Grade 9
Who This Program Serves
Hillside's 9th grade is designed for students with language-based learning differences — including dyslexia, ADHD, and dyscalculia — who need a structured, therapeutic day school environment to access a rigorous, credit-bearing high school curriculum. Students receive individualized placement in reading and math, IEP-aligned related services, and a full complement of core academic courses, all within a school day built around their learning needs.
Curriculum & Programs
English Language Arts
Block 1 delivers SAVVAS myPerspectives Grade 9 — six thematic units over 30 instructional weeks,
each anchored by a major performance task (argumentative essay, literary analysis, multimedia
presentation, personal narrative). Wordly Wise 3000 is embedded within this same block, building 300
vocabulary words across 20 lessons without requiring a separate period.
Mathematics — Two Tracks
On-level students (TrueProgress GE ≥ 7.5) receive Algebra 1 instruction via enVision AGA (primary,
visual-spatial design ideal for dyslexia-informed teaching) or Saxon Algebra 1 (procedural alternative). Intervention students receive TransMath at the appropriate level: Level 1 (foundational number sense), Level 2 (rational numbers and intro algebra), or Level 3 (expressions, equations, and functions, bridging to Algebra 1). TransMath is the only program beginning Day 1 — math placement is determined by theentry screener alone.
Reading Intervention — REWARDS & SPIRE Next
Three groups run concurrently in Block 5. REWARDS Secondary (Weeks 3–6) provides a focused 20-
lesson decoding sequence for students with significant word-reading deficits, with students exiting on October 15 to either SPIRE Next Level E or Enrichment based on Acadience ORF data. SPIRE Next is a year-long comprehension program moving students through Levels D, E, and F — from narrative
fiction to informational text to complex literary and argumentative reading. Exit criteria are data-driven,
using TrueProgress comprehension domain scores and Acadience Retell benchmarks.
Credits & Graduation Pathways
Students completing the 9th Grade Program earn 5.0 credits toward Pennsylvania's 21.0-credit diploma requirement:
