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What's New:
The Center for Academic Support
The St. Stephen’s Center for Academic Support and Service The creation of St. Stephen’s Center for Academic Support and Service (the Center) solidifies our school identity as a place where all of our students are given the tools to develop toward their full academic potential. For its entire history, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School of Wimberley has responded to individual needs without formalized process, nor policy in place. Our experience has demonstrated to us that at some point in their academic life all students will likely need academic support and service through remediation and/or acceleration. Further, it is our belief that minor strategic academic accommodations support individual student needs, thereby fulfilling our school academic standards, identity, and mission. This document serves as a written description of the Center for Academic Support and Service program, a statement of related definitions, policies and procedures for extensive academic services, a description of the billing mechanism for these services, and job descriptions and qualifications for Center staff. In establishing these new policies and procedures, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School will be able to better to serve the academic needs of all of our students and help them meet their full academic potential. Specifically, services will be provided to identified students free of charge based on staff availability. However, note that the allocation of staff will be prioritized with paying students receiving top priority. Also note that scheduled services are only guaranteed to paying students. Individual Academic Plans Teachers at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School make every possible effort to meet the individual academic needs of each student. Therefore, all students have an Individual Academic Plan (IAP). The Center is under the direction of the IAP Coordinator. The IAP Team for each student is comprised of the homeroom teacher, specials teachers and/or the appropriate Team Coordinator, the IAP Coordinator and Center learning specialists, and the Parents. Individual Academic Plans are thus maintained by the Center for Academic Support and Service track student academic progress, noting both deficiencies and proficiencies and the plan for accommodating each. That is, noting areas of proficiency and deficiency, the IAP Team meets at a minimum of twice yearly to further develop the Individual Academic Plan and make specific accommodations when necessary. Accommodation While St. Stephen’s Episcopal School will not modify its academic standards for a student, we can accommodate with variations on time, content, and volume of work. Accommodations in the IAP must involve a shared and documented dialog between students, teachers, parents, and the Center for Academic Support and Service staff. Accommodations are made only when we have tried every other possible option. Accommodations may include, but are not limited to, quiet and individualized testing environments, extended time for testing and assignments, and the use of school laptops for note taking and in-class testing. Services Services from the Center for Academic Support and Service are coordinated by the IAP Coordinator and are for curricular acceleration and/or remediation. These services are available to students with or without learning differences. Student evaluation at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School is ongoing, relating to Individual Academic Plans, however the Center for Academic Support and Service, nor St. Stephen’s Episcopal School will make professional diagnoses. The Center for Academic Support and Service serves all St. Stephen’s Episcopal School students via the IAP, academic evaluations, in-class observations to assist teachers, and extensive one-on-one out of class services. Extensive services Extensive academic services are defined as one-on-one classes scheduled during the academic day by a learning specialist when students are pulled out of a regularly scheduled class. Extensive services should no disrupt the defined core curriculum; mathematics, language arts, literature, physical education, science, and social studies. Extensive services are billed in advance, and must be documented in the IAP. The Center for Academic Support and Service will do the best it can to service the academic needs of all students, but to be guaranteed scheduled extensive services the bill must be paid monthly in advance. Extensive service classes may include: Reading/Spelling: phonics, vocabulary, comprehension. Language Arts: Grammar/Composition writing Academic Language Therapy (dyslexic methodology) Math Acceleration Science Acceleration (after school) History Acceleration (after school) Math Computation Remediation Speech and LanguageTherapy Individual classes for Grades 1-8 are available in 45 minute sessions and Early Childhood Classes are 25 to 30 minutes long. Student services may be indicated as needed because of one or more of the following: Teacher/parent concerns Student IAPs Current test results including: Language Arts computer tracking of student progress Standardized Achievement tests Six-week tests Mid-term tests Center tests Medical Diagnosis Frequent absences Student grades New student's academic deficiencies as determined by previous school The Six-Step Process for Special Services *Note: The parent may request extensive scheduled services at any time throughout this process. 1. The IAP Team) meets to discuss current student progress, define areas of concern, and further develop the IAP. The IAP Team should meet a minimum of twice yearly and can schedule meetings as needed. 2. At IAP Team meetings the goals and objectives within a current IAP are determined. Specific intervention strategies are selected (e.g. use of a laptop computer, moving the child to the front of the class, helping with organization, extra time for tests and assignments). A follow-up conference is scheduled. The learning specialist may observe the student in-class during strategic times to see if the adjustments are effective and to document the student's learning needs to determine the need for further formal and specific evaluations. 3. As the student makes progress, the plan is continued, with follow-up in-class support from the learning specialist. Any adjustments to the IAP should be documented on the IAP form and shared with the IAP Team. 4. If the student continues to struggle academically, the IAP Team meets with the parents to discuss the results of the specific academic evaluations and the Individual Academic Plan (IAP) is further developed. Specific classroom accommodations and an individual academic coaching schedule during school and/or after school may be determined at this meeting. The individual academic coaching schedule is then submitted to the school controller who issues a bill. Payment of this bill in advance guarantees the scheduled academic coaching from the Center for Academic Support and Service. 5. Follow-up conferences between at least the parent and homeroom teacher, and possibly the IAP Team, will be scheduled at a minimum of each 6 weeks to determine progress or need for adjustment. Center Services Fees: Individual pull-out classes during the academic day (eg: Dyslexic academic tutoring, math tutoring, and speech therapy) will be billed at the rate of $35.00 per session for grades 1-8 and $25.00 per Early Childhood session. These fees are paid in advance of the service and are billed monthly. After School Academic Services: Parents may also enroll their students through the Extra-Curricular Program in the after school Center for Academic Support Services at the rate of $35.00 per hour. These fees are paid in advance of the service and are billed monthly. After school academic services, like all of our extra-curricular programs are offered to SSES students and to students in the community at large. Services include: Academic Organization Coaching Reading/Writing/Grammar assistance Reading Improvement Math Computation Remediation Math, History, or Science Acceleration Academic Language Therapy (Phonics) Academic after-school services will be planned and coordinated by the Center for Academic Support and Service. Income derived from these services shall be dedicated to the Extra-Curricular Programs to defray salary and the cost of teaching materials. Center employees will teach after school classes, but additional staff members may apply. The Center for Academic Support and Service Staff Qualifications and Job Descriptions: Laura Romano, IAP Coordinator. B.A. Elementary Education, Certification in Special Education, M.Ed. Educational Diagnostician. Completion of Doctoral hours in Bilingual Early Childhood Education. The IAP Coordinator is the coordinator for the Center of Academic Support and Service. The IAP Coordinator mediates with students and parents, in conjunction with Individual Academic Plans (IAPs) and Teacher’s Student Files to facilitate student academic full potential. That is, the IAP Coordinator is charged with the managing, planning, coordination, supervision and evaluation of student academic progression. The IAP Coordinator, under the direction of the Headmaster, works as a student advocate in conjunction with the IAP Team. The IAP Coordinator works in the classrooms with the students to evaluate student progress related to the IAP. Further, the IAP Coordinator of students helps maintain and monitor the Student Files, comprised of the IAP, report cards, standardized test scores, and disciplinary notices. The IAP Coordinator ensures that Teacher’s Student Files move from Teacher to Teacher, following student matriculation. The IAP Coordinator coordinates schedules for extensive academic services and ensures that these schedules are submitted to the school controller for billing purposes. Ruth A. Harwell, Reading Specialist. Certified Academic Language Therapist, B.S. in Education, MEd in Reading and Special Education, Completion of Doctoral hours in Reading and Administration and 820 clinical/teaching hours in dyslexics. As an assistant to the IAP Coordinator, the Reading Specialist tracks Individual Academic Plans (IAPs), and Student Files to facilitate academic and social full potential. The Reading Specialist works in the classrooms and with individual students to ensure the proper reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills critical to academic success. Further, the Reading Specialist, under the direction of the IAP Coordinator, works as a student advocate to compile, analyze, and prepare data for the IAP Team. 512-847-9857 |