Introduction
In order to complete this activity, I interviewed LP, one of our school counselors, BE, an upper school science teacher, JD, the parent of a student with Asperger’s Syndrome and DA, the principal of our Lower School. Additionally, I spoke with teachers in the school’s Learning Center and the Special Needs School which is in residence on our campus.
Findings
The school at which I work could serve as a model for effectively supporting the needs of underperforming students. A number of formal programs exist to offer students opportunities for assistance, whether their difficulty is caused by a deficiency is study skills, a learning disability, a home issue or some other cause. our program breaks down into three basic categories:
Classroom Support
An expectation exists at my school that teachers will make themselves available for students who require extra attention. In addition to the basics of student-centered classrooms, teachers each have a duty period during which they are available in their classrooms for meetings with students and, during a special period at the end of the school day, all faculty remain on campus for 40 minutes for the same reason. In this way, students and parents know they will never have to wait more than 24 hours to meet with a particular teacher.
Additionally, the school offers a free Homework Lab in the Media Center every afternoon, staffed with tutors, for no charge. Students K-12 can simply drop by with no appointment for everything from a quiet place to do their homework to a one-on-one session with a specialist prepared by the teacher to assist.
Learning Center
If a student has significant challenges that prevent success in a number of classes, teachers can recommend to the the principal that the Learning Center be involved. Analogous to a public school’s resource staff, the Learning Center is an internal group of specialists who can offer assistance to a student along a wide spectrum of services ranging from additional instruction in coursework or study skills all the way to classroom shadowing, note-taking and tutoring. Students with no identified learning issue are welcome to visit the learning center for assistance with these issues.
Special Needs School
Further needs are addressed by a separate school, in residence on our campus, which services students with learning disabilities. Students can earn a certificate of attendance, a diploma from this separate school or, with support, earn a diploma from our school upon graduation. Each student’s needs are considered individually and recommendations are made.
JD, the parent of an Asperger’s child I interviewed explained that she and her family relocated to Miami from the Midwest because of this program. The idea that her son could go to the same religious school as his siblings, sit in the same classes as “everyone else” and still receive specialized support from experts made the decision easy, she told me. Her son, currently in grade 8, is expected to graduate from our school in four years with a standard diploma, earned with the support of this special school.
DA, the principal I interviewed, explained that she saw her role in this regard to be one of identification. She said that her job is to identify which students require assistance and then work with the family to select among the options. She is gratified to be working in a school with so many options for families and is proud of the successes the school has achieved.