Schools for Children, Inc. — Dearborn Academy and Dearborn STEP

Dearborn Academy and Dearborn STEP are two programs of Schools for Children, a Massachusetts nonprofit that runs therapeutic, independent and extended learning schools. Dearborn Academy is one of New England’s state-approved day schools for students with special needs in grades 3 through 12, and its therapeutic mission calls for specialized instruction with therapeutic support in partnership with caregivers and school districts. Dearborn STEP provides intensive clinical and therapeutic assessment.

Dearborn Academy began 70 years ago as a lab school for Lesley College, a setting for educational experimentation, research and teacher training, and it was a pioneer in reading instruction and special education. STEP was an innovator in independent short-term assessment. Both share the organization’s aim of helping students reach ambitious learning goals and develop social-emotional literacy in a caring community where new students feel welcomed when they arrive.

What to Know

• Dearborn Academy is a Massachusetts 766-approved school.
• STEP stands for Short Term Educational Placement and serves students in grades 5 to 12 for up to 40 school days.
• Schools for Children also runs Lesley Ellis School, Seaport Academy and Winn Brook Extended Learning.
• The parent organization hosts a Different Choices Transition Fair.