The Martin de Porres School serves co-ed special education students, ages 7 to 15, in 15 classes staffed by 70 people. Programs are available at the elementary and beginning secondary level depending on student ability. Classes consist of 12 students in a 12:1:1 classroom ratio. The certified special education teacher has one full-time teaching assistant. The NYS Learning Standards and NYS Curriculum are used as a basic framework for designing content, with adaptations made relative to the range of student cognitive ability and learning styles. A thematic learning approach focusing on school-wide themes has been effectively used for nearly a decade.

The students and families benefit from the services of one of the school’s full-time social workers. Counseling in-group occurs at least once a week, and complemented with frequent family, agency collaboration, individual student and milieu-based contacts. An anger management program has been added recently, which compliments the unified behavioral management & behavioral reporting system along with daily home contact. Other support staff includes a registered nurse, speech teacher, school psychologist, transitional services coordinator, and three Crisis Intervention Workers.