Whaley School

Whaley School is an Anchorage School District special education day school providing a structured, therapeutic environment for students placed via IEP due to severe emotional and behavioral needs. The program focuses on academic instruction alongside vocational, behavioral, and social-emotional skill development.

Utilizing a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework, the school integrates preventative and restorative systems. Preventative supports include a school-wide token economy, self-regulation teaching, and specialized breaks. Restorative features include a Reset Room and the Whaley Trackers system, a high-frequency data tracking method used by BCBAs, case managers, and school psychologists to monitor patterns and develop functional behavior assessments.

School social workers provide individual and group counseling for anger management, interpersonal conflict, grief, and crisis prevention. The campus also houses the district's Outreach alternative placement program for grades 6-12. With specialized bell schedules for elementary, middle, high school, and Life Skills classrooms, Whaley School aims to provide the stability necessary for students to transition successfully back to neighborhood schools.