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Through this page we hope to be able to answer some of your questions, and offer insight as to what we do here at C.O.P.E. If you have a question that is not answered here, please e-mail it to info@cope1.org

What ages of students attend C.O.P.E.?

C.O.P.E. serves students in middle school and high school. The majority of students enrolled in our programs are aged 11-17.

Are there "bad" kids at COPE?

This is a term we hear less and less, but still too frequently. We often say that we have as many reasons for having kids here as we have kids. The number one thing our students have in common is a barrier to functioning well in a traditional school setting. We actually have LESS problems than most public schools, due to our extremely low student to teacher ratio. Because of this low ratio, and a high rate of supervision, we can often head off problems before they begin. We invite you to come out for a site visit yourself, if you'd like to see how C.O.P.E. students function throughout the day.

How do I get a student enrolled at C.O.P.E.?

The referral process generally starts with your student's home school, or with the juvenile court. School counselors, social workers, probation officers, special education instructors, or administrative staff are the most common initial contacts we have. Due to the fact that the schools and court have a certain number of slots to refer students to C.O.P.E., they have the ability to decide which referrals are made and how to use them for what students.

After you have spoken with the appropriate school or court personnel, they will contact a Program Coordinator at one of our sites. At that point in the process, the school or court contact and C.O.P.E.'s Program Coordinator will assess if the student is an appropriate candidate for the program, and will create an individual plan. This may involve site visits by the parent or guardian, student, and/or school personnel.

There are some circumstances under which an agency other than a participating school district or court will make a referral. For further information on how this may be done, please contact us at 734-547-0419.

What school districts participate in C.O.P.E.'s programs?

Well, the short answer is Washtenaw County schools. However, different schools utilize our programs in different ways. We also sometimes have out of county schools purchase slots in our programs. If you would like to know if your student's school or school district is participating in a program, please contact us at 734-547-0419.

What is the difference between C.O.P.E, O'Brien, Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti C.O.P.E.?

C.O.P.E. has been around for more than 35 years. In that time, we have had some transisitons in programs and locations that have caused name changes. C.O.P.E./O'Brien was originally a bigger program with more components. Similarly, Ann Arbor C.O.P.E. and Ypsilanti C.O.P.E. were at one time in different locations. C.O.P.E. is now the one name used by all of our programs.

If you have a question you have not found the answer to here, or elsewhere on our site, please e-mail us at: info@cope1.org