Learning Support Middle and Upper Schools

In the Middle and Upper School Learning Support Department, we work as a multi-disciplinary team to provide opportunities for students to explore learning and organizational styles in a warm and supportive environment. 

Students who come to us learn new skills and learning strategies and are encouraged to develop scholarship habits that will serve them so long as they pursue educational endeavors.  Our team approach to scholarship excellence includes students, parents, teachers, specialized support faculty, and administrators.

Our philosophy towards learning support is constructivist, a paradigm that draws from many disciplines for its theoretical foundations, including cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, education, and sociology.  A constructivist approach to Learning Support honors the student as an active participant in the educational process rather than as a passive recipient.  This approach is supported both neurologically and emotionally: the brain functions best when working in an associative manner and when working with information and material that has meaning to the individual student.  A constructivist approach means that we put a premium on developing individual relationships with students as we seek to encourage and motivate them to pursue academic, social, and athletic endeavors that are new and often challenging.  These relationships are also key as we encourage students to develop the skills required to attend to tasks which they find tedious, repetitive, or boring, but which are necessary for scholarly success.

One of the cornerstones of our constructivist approach is our firm belief in the spirit and resilience of our students.  Thus our strength-based approach is heavily reliant upon formal resiliency theory, which seeks to identify psychological attributes of self that are unique to each person.  These attributes of strength provide the starting point for our work in Learning Support and offer an avenue for us to track the developmental trajectory of individual students.  Utilization of a resiliency approach encourages students to work from an interior place of strength rather than to rely exclusively on external support.  You can see our clear commitment to this approach reflected in the structure of all Learn Support Plans that are produced.  These plans provide the foundation for all Learning Support guidance that students receive. 


FAQs about Middle & Upper School Learning Support

Q

What services are available to students new to Wakefield School?

A

New students to Wakefield who have received Learning Support services at a previous school should discuss this as part of the admissions process, particularly if continued Learning Support services will be needed. When appropriate, we will create Learning Support Plans as part of the admissions process. In order to receive services, students do need complete psycho-educational and/or clinical documentation.

Q

How are current students referred to Learning Support?

A

Students may be referred to the Learning Support Department by teachers, administrators, parents, outside professionals, or themselves. The referral process will differ depending upon the point of origin for the referral. Parents wishing to refer their students to the Learning Support Department should call the Learning Support Office during regular school hours to make an appointment or to have questions relating to the Learning Support process answered. Teachers and administrators who feel a student may benefit from learning support services will discuss their concern with a member of the Learning Support Department. If the department shares the concerns, they will contact the student's parents to discuss the matter. Once a student has formally been referred to Learning Support, this referral will go to the Learning Support Committee, which is comprised of the Learning Support Chair, the Learning Support Specialist or Coordinator, and the Head of the respective division the student attends (Middle or Upper). The Committee will discuss what steps, if any, need to be taken at that time. If a student is determined to have potential learning support needs, that student may be referred for psycho-educational testing or a clinical evaluation relating to the identified area of concern. A provisional learning support plan may be created at that time, depending upon that student's specific situation.

Q

When do students go to the Learning Support Office?

A

Students who receive regular Learning Support services will have time built into their schedules to work with the Learning Support staff.



Students who need only occasional time with the Learning Support staff may sometimes be taken out of class to receive services. If a student needs to miss a class, the Learning Support Department will communicate directly with the teacher to inform them of the circumstances. Students will be responsible for making up missed work.

Q

What types of services are available via the Learning Support Department?

A

Wakefield School's Middle and Upper School Learning Support offers four formal levels of Learning Support Services. Students will be assigned to one of the levels as part of their formal Learning Support Plan.

Level I - Classroom Accommodations

This level of support is the minimum level that we offer. Students at this level need minor classroom accommodations and are able to utilize them at their own discretion after coordination with teachers (i.e. 50% extended time). A wide variety of clinical documentation is acceptable for this level of support, including clinical interviews and psychological and educational testing. Plans of support for students at this level are reviewed on an annual basis. This level of support is almost entirely classroom-based.

Level II Classroom Accommodations – One period per week in Learning Support
This level of support provides students with a regularly scheduled time each week to receive learning or other support services for general areas of concern. Learning support provided will assist students to enhance both their study and organizational skills. Students at this level of learning support will generally be working towards Level I accommodations, particularly at the Upper School level. Students are highly independent at this level, and are expected to be self-motivated. A wide variety of clinical documentation is acceptable for this level of support, including clinical interviews, psychological and educational testing. Plans of support for students at this level are reviewed twice during each school year.

Level III - Classroom Accommodations - Two periods per week in Learning Support
This intensive level of support provides students with two days per week of support services for specific areas of concern. Learning support may consist of general study and organizational skills combined with specific study skills relating to discrete academic domains of study. This support may also combine limited counseling support services with learning support for specified periods of time. Students at this level of support will generally be working towards Level II accommodations, particularly at the Upper School level. We expect a higher degree of independence and self-responsibility once students are at this level. Specifically, students must begin to concretely demonstrate the ability to work in the learning support area independently. Specific psycho-educational and diagnostic testing from school approved sources is required for this level of support. Plans of support for students at this level are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Level IV - Classroom Accommodations – Three-four periods per week in Learning Support -
This is the most intensive level of support offered by Wakefield School. Students receiving this level of support meet with support staff three to four times weekly to work on both general and highly specific areas of concern. This level of support assumes that students are actively engaged with staff in addressing the difficulties that they are facing, and are prepared to invest significant time outside of school in applying new skills to academic efforts. This support may combine limited counseling support services with learning support for specified periods of time. Students at this level of support will be actively working towards Level III accommodations. This level of support involves active contact between Learning Support and instructional staff regarding specific points in the learning support plan. Specific psycho-educational and diagnostic testing from school approved sources is required for this level of support. Plans of support for students at this level are reviewed on a quarterly basis. Students who are not able to effectively utilize this level of support as evidenced by failure to come prepared to the Learning Support office for a period of three consecutive meetings, or who are unable to work independently for a ten minute period of time, will be placed on Review and will have a specified period in which to re-engage their academic efforts. Students who are unable to effectively utilize this level of support may be in need of a more intensive learning support program. These students will be referred to the Headmaster of the School with a recommendation for a more intensive therapeutic setting.

Q

What documents are required for students to enter the Learning Support Program?

A

A formal learning disability may be recognized upon receipt of a written diagnosis by a qualified professional and supporting psycho-educational testing that includes full Weschler and Woodcock Johnson scales. All testing must include all full scale and subscale documentation, clinical assessment and clinical recommendations. (Please note, recommendations in a psycho-educational document will be reviewed by the Learning Support Committee. It is the Committee that will make the final determination as to which, if any, recommendations will be included in the final Learning Support Plan).

Documentation submitted for consideration must not be more than 3 years old.

Wakefield does not administer any diagnostic testing, but the Learning Support Department would be happy to provide a list of clinicians who can administer the necessary testing.

Q

Are there Learning Support Services for students who have physical disabilities or are experiencing temporary emotional disorders and difficulties?

A

Yes, while the Learning Support Department exists primarily to serve students with identified learning disabilities or learning differences, there are circumstances in which services may be provided to students with other needs. Please see below for a description of other types of services:


  • Physical Disabilities: Learning support services may be provided to students with physical disabilities when a physical disability has significantly interfered with that student's ability to perform academically. In such situations, the Learning Support Committee will request specific medical documentation from parents and/or guardians to assist in the planning phase of the Learning Support process. Students coping with multiple stressors will be monitored through the Learning Support Department, with particular attention paid to maintaining open communication between school and home.
  • Temporary Emotional Disorders and Difficulties: Wakefield School recognizes that a wide variety of Emotional Disorders exist that may negatively impact a student’s ability to perform in the academic setting. In order to determine if we are able to assist a student with specific, long-term needs, we require specific clinical documentation from a licensed mental health or addictions professional, or from a professional in a licensed agency. A Learning Support Committee member will provide guidance to parents or legal guardians regarding the specific nature of the documentation that is required based upon individual needs.
  • Acute Emotional Needs: Students who are experiencing difficulty with a life event (often unexpected) to the extent that it is interfering with their ability to succeed academically may receive Learning Support Services for a limited period of time. The extent of the services, and the duration they are provided, will depend upon the needs of the individual student and their family.
  • Other Acute Needs: Certain types of accident or injury may require that a student receives learning support services for a limited amount of time. Such incidents may include occurrences of head injury (from sports, horseback riding, auto accident, etc.) or other physical injury (injured dominant hand) that impairs a students’ ability to effectively engage with the academic environment.
We will work with families individually in these situations to tailor a short-term learning support plan to their students’ needs.

Q

How are the classroom teachers involved in Learning Support?

A

Learning Support Plans are created for each student in the program and are shared with the student’s teachers. All plans are considered confidential documents are distributed only to the student’s current teachers. Learning Support staff are in frequent communication with the classroom teachers about student’s work, progress, and on-going needs.



In addition, members of the Learning Support team regularly make presentations to the faculty as a whole about ways that they can use best teaching practices in their classrooms to the benefit of all of their students.

Q

If a student is approved for services at Wakefield School, will they automatically receive extended time on standardized tests such as AP exams, SATs, and PSATs?

A

Documentation requirements for the PSAT and SAT tests are set by the College Board, not Wakefield School. ACT documentation requirements are set by their own agency.

Parents of students eligible for accommodations when taking these tests will be notified by the Learning Support Office regarding required documentation and deadlines. It will be the responsibility of the parent and/or guardians to secure all required documentation for these tests, and to fill out all related forms. The Learning Support Office will be available for limited consultation in this area.

Older students (11th and 12th grades) will be encouraged to take an active role in this process and to become familiar with procedures required for requesting accommodations in various settings. It is hoped that this will help students gain a sense of responsibility and empowerment as they approach college, where they will be required to have an active role in advocating for themselves regarding accommodations.

Parents wishing to seek accommodations with partial documentation, or who wish to seek accommodations beyond those established in the Learning Support Plan, will need to seek those accommodations independently from Wakefield School. Parents may apply through the College Board directly, utilizing their website for guidance. Parents may not sign or fill in the school portion of the documentation.