It may be a new school year, but the mission remains the same at Open Door school in Ironton.

Open Door School is implementing new curriculum this academic year.

The Failure Free Reading program will be used in language development, reading comprehension and spelling for all students.

The curriculum is already used by several other school districts in Lawrence County and provides a solid foundation on which students can learn.

“Failure Free is a software-based curriculum, which will increase our students’ computer skills, not to mention the benefits it provides to literacy,” said Kendra Kelley, principal Open Door School. She added that they have changed the school’s math curriculum, which are based on national math standards and are compliant with the Ohio Educational Content Standards.

“We’re using hands-on activities in the implementation of a new math curriculum,” Kelley said.

Sarah Diamond Burroway, the grants and special projects coordinator for the Lawrence County Board of Mental Retardation / Developmental Disabilities, said their focus remains the same at the school, to get the students educated and prepared for life.

“We focus on what we can do, that is our disability awareness theme,” she said. “So what we try to do at Open Door School is develop the strengths that live within the child and help them move towards a higher functional independence regardless of their developmental disability.”

Burroway said she thinks they are moving to that goal.

“We work with students and help them realize their goals and help them find their place in the community,” she said.