Supplemental Services
Supplemental Services (SS) at Trinity Classical Academy has been an integral part of our school culture from the beginning.
Recognizing that the Lord creates each student uniquely with their own special gifts and talents, Trinity believes that a rigorous classical, Christian education should be available to all students.
Each SS program has been prayerfully and purposefully planned and implemented. Additionally, all programs support and help Trinity fulfill its mission of "providing a challenging education , grounded in the Christian faith and the classical tradition to produce young men and women of virtue, wisdom, purpose and courage."
Our comprehensive system of academic and therapeutic support is designed to assist each learner in reaching his potential for Christ. Please contact Megan Howell at megan.howell@trinityclassicalacademy.com for more information.
*Enrollment in Trinity's Educational Therapy Programs is open to non-Trinity families as well.
Guidelines for Serving Students
The SS program at Trinity seeks to serve:
- Students with documented learning disabilities who are able to function successfully in the regular classroom with modifications and/or utilize the Success Center or Directed Studies to complete core academic courses
- Students with ADHD documentation on file who are able to function successfully in the regular classroom with modifications and/or utilize the Success Center..
- Current students in the process of receiving comprehensive individual assessment by a certified professional.
- Students with speech and language impairment.
- Students with persistent reading difficulties.
- Early elementary students who are identified as being at risk for reading failure.
- Students with developmental disabilities that are deemed, by the Director of Supplemental Services, to have a good chance of success in our Imago Dei School.
Definition of a Learning Disability
Specific Learning Disability is a chronic condition of presumed neurological origin which selectively interferes with the development, integration, and/or demonstration of verbal and/or non-verbal activities.
Specific Learning Disabilities exist as a distinct handicapping condition in the presence of average to superior intelligence, adequate sensory and motor systems, and adequate learning opportunities. The condition varies in its manifestations and in degree of severity. Throughout life the condition can affect self-esteem, education, vocation, socialization, and/or daily living activities.
ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is recognized as “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development.” The condition varies in degree of severity and can affect a student’s self esteem, peer relationships, ability to fully access the academic environment, and a student’s ability to reach his God given potential.
Seeking Support for Your Student
Although families are often hesitant to bring attention to their child’s academic difficulties, it is imperative to address areas of concern. Not disclosing a child’s struggles in fear of them being “labeled” may prevent a child from reaching his/her full potential. Knowledge gained from the collaborative observations of teachers, administrators, and parents, along with information that only formal testing can provide, can pave the way for a struggling student to receive the help he/she needs as well as facilitate a positive learning experience.
Under the leadership of the Director of Supplemental Services, Megan Howell, Trinity has a Student Success Team comprised of teachers, educational therapists, parents and administrators that work together to observe, evaluate, implement support strategies and recommend testing when necessary. In addition, a multi faceted support system of academic intervention and educational therapy is ready to meet the needs of individual students.
Testing Services
An educational battery of tests is commonly recommended when a student is having specific learning difficulties. A student's cognitive ability, perceptual abilities and academic achievement are measured through the Supplemental Services Department using the following assessments along with informal evaluations.
The Weschler Intelligence Scales for Children [(WISC) IV] is used to evaluate cognitive abilities and intellectual abilities and is administered by an educational psychologist. We have established a relationship with a highly recommended educational psychologist in the area and would be glad to assist you in scheduling your student's evaluation. However, we welcome outside evaluations using this tool if you have already completed this step in the process. We can also assist you in seeking this testing through the local public school system if you prefer.
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III)
Practitioners use the WJ-III Tests of Achievement to help assess students for learning disabilities, determine learning variations, and help in planning individual programs. Trinity has 5 educational therapists that are certified in the Woodcock Johnson-lll protocol.
EDUCATIONAL THERAPY
Trinity’s program of individualized educational therapy exists to make a Christian college preparatory education possible for students with diagnosed learning disabilities. These students have average to superior intelligence but often struggle in the regular classroom setting because of one or more difficulties in perception, cognition, processing speed, working memory, fluency or academic skills.
The goal of educational therapy is to move the student toward independence and success in the regular classroom and to realize his/her God-given abilities. Individualized educational therapy is developmentally specific, and Trinity offers three distinct programs that target the learning needs of students at different developmental levels. Our goal is to apply the most effective techniques and strategies while developing our students’ God-ordained talents in order to assist the student in reaching their full potential.
READ an article in Santa Clarita's Signal newspaper entitles "A Classical Approach to Potential" about Trinity's Supplemental Services program.
Educational Therapy FAQs
The following are questions frequently asked about learning disabilities and the NILD Educational Therapy Program:
1. How are learning disabilities diagnosed? An educational battery of formal and informal tests is used to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses and to identify the presence of specific learning difficulties. This battery includes, but is not limited to, a psychological test (Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV), which is administered by a licensed psychologist and used to determine student potential, and an achievement test (Woodcock-Johnson lll) which is used to determine current academic competency.
2. What is educational therapy? During the school day, students in educational therapy receive two 80-minute sessions of intensive one-on-one therapy per week. Educational therapy includes a variety of techniques designed to stimulate and strengthen areas of weakness in perception and cognition. Compensatory techniques are avoided. The end goal of educational therapy is to help students develop independence and responsibility in the classroom and in life.
3. Who is a candidate for this program? Potential students for this program are those experiencing obvious frustration in areas related to school performance. Poor spelling, illegible handwriting, inability to express thoughts verbally or in writing and difficulty with reading or math are common indicators of a learning disability.
4. How can we know the program works? Several research studies are available on educational therapy. A dissertation has been completed with statistical data describing program effectiveness. However, success stories of students having completed the program speak for themselves.
Grades K-2 Early Intervention is an early intervention program designed to identify young children who may benefit from an individualized program to acquire the basic skills necessary for reading. The SEARCH and TEACH© program identifies and provides pre-reading instruction that addresses perceptual weaknesses in visual and/or auditory processing, directionality or difficulty with gross and/or fine motor activities.
SEARCH is the tool used at the start of kindergarten to gather information about a child's visual and auditory perceptual skills, along with fine motor and language development. The ten subtests provide an overall picture of the child's relative strengths and weaknesses in these four major areas of processing information. The individual scanning takes approximately twenty minutes during the child's school day and is fun for the children. It identifies children who may be at risk of not achieving the academic success expected in reading.
TEACH is the subsequent learning support program based on the results of the SEARCH screening. During the school day, three times per week for ½ hour each session, TEACH allows the instructor to develop an individual profile and program of intervention strategies for the areas identified by the SEARCH scan. The goal of TEACH is for each student to develop core pre-reading skills in the areas of identified weakness in order to reach his or her God-given potential.
Educational Therapy, Grades 3-Adult
Discovery Educational Therapy students are scheduled during the school day for two, 80-minute sessions per week. Through interactive language and explicit, intentional instruction, students are taught core academic skills and self-regulation as a foundation for higher level comprehension (reading and math), written expression and reasoning. The educational therapist, choosing from 25 NILD techniques, plans an individualized program based on each student's identified needs. Enrollment is by an annual, contractual agreement; average enrollment in educational therapy is three to five years.
Parents play an important part in their child's success through faithful monitoring of therapy homework and Rhythmic Writing (one of the five core NILD techniques). There is also regular communication with classroom teacher(s) and effort is made to train students to transfer the skills they learn in educational therapy to other learning situations.
ET2
ET2, (Educational Therapy 2), is designed to benefit the student who has a very specific area of academic weakness and would benefit from intense, one on one, systematic skills teaching with a licensed educational therapist. Sessions are individualized to the student’s specific area of need and are typically scheduled twice per week for 45-minutes. Educational therapy techniques and content are focused on a student’s cognitive/perceptual and academic deficit.
Reading Recovery
Students with deficits specific to the elements of reading are given intense reading instruction utilizing a combination of systematic reading intervention and educational therapy techniques. An individualized plan is developed based on a student’s specific areas of deficit. Students are typically scheduled for two 45-minute sessions per week with a reading specialist.
Mastering Math
Students with deficits specific to the fundamental concepts and processes of mathematics are given intense, systematic calculation, number sense, and procedural instruction utilizing a combination of systematic math intervention and educational therapy techniques. An individualized plan is developed based on a student’s specific areas of deficit. Students are typically scheduled for two 45-minute sessions per week with an educational specialist.
Academic Support
Success Center Grades 3-12
The Success Center provides academic support to students in our grammar school. The Success Center teacher partners with faculty, parents, and students to provide a challenging and supportive environment for successful learning. Small groups which emphasize the conceptual learning of math and language arts are offered to students whose skills are found to be below grade level. Additionally, the Success Center teacher works with classroom teachers to provide individualized accommodations and modifications to the classroom curriculum as called for by a student's educational plan. The Success Center is available to students identified with learning needs through teacher referral and educational testing.
As students enter upper school, this program seeks to build a strong foundation for the study skills and independence required in Rhetoric school, as well as offering courses in math and language arts that seek to instruct at a student’s level of learning. The Directed Studies program is available to students identified with learning needs through teacher or parent referral and educational testing.
Speech Therapy
Trinity is a language-rich educational environment. In order to assist students in becoming learners who not only think well but speak with excellence, we offer speech screening and speech therapy services. For students who qualify, speech therapy services are offered on an individually contracted basis. A licensed Speech and Language Pathologist performs all formal evaluations. After this evaluation, the Speech and Language Pathologist will review the results and determine whether the student would benefit from speech therapy.
Resources
National Institute for Learning Development (NILD) - www.nild.net
LD Online - www.ldonline.org
International Dyslexia Association - www.interdys.org
NILD Research http://www.nild.net/pdf/research.pdf
