Instructional Support

Philosophy

Instructional Support is a student-centered educational supplement designed to enhance the learning experience for our students with learning needs. We strive to instill self-motivation in our students so that they may learn to advocate for their education and become strong, independent individuals in society. Instructional Support encourages open, positive communication among all parties: students, parents, teachers, and administration. Through the use of academic, social, emotional opportunities, and opportunistic learning, we endeavor to not only meet student goals but also exceed them, so that students can develop a habit of surpassing all expectations.

Rationale

In an effort to enable a student to successfully participate in the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Harrisburg, and to fairly assess their progress and effort, it is necessary to provide accommodations in the class instruction.

Qualifications for Services

To qualify for Instructional Support Services the student must meet one of the following criteria:

1. The student has been processed through the Student Support Team and/or admission process.

2. The student has received formal testing administered by their public school, or another education consultant.

3. The student has received a psychological/educational evaluation by a licensed psychologist and has the diagnosis of a specific learning disability, or other learning need.

Lancaster Catholic will maintain documentation of such diagnosis in the student's confidential file. Documentation should be no more than three years old. Based on the individual's exceptionality, accommodations may only be needed in specific subjects. Eligibility will be reviewed and determined on a year-to-year basis. Please note that Lancaster Catholic cannot accommodate all exceptionalities.

Implementation

Instructional Support classes will be placed into a student schedule in place of their traditional study hall. Freshmen and Sophomores will be placed into IS study halls automatically, Juniors and Seniors will be placed into IS study halls by request. Prior to entering LCHS as a first-year student, the Instructional Support Coordinator will meet with the student and student's family to determine appropriate accommodations to be used in school. The accommodations will be typed in a Student Accommodation Sheet and shared with the student's teachers to ensure the least restrictive educational setting. While in IS, students will work on the following concepts:

• Learning strategies

• Strategies for acquiring, storing, and retrieving information

• Strategies for oral and written communication

• Time management and organizational skills

• Critical thinking operations, processes, and enabling skills

• Note-taking techniques

• Problem-solving skills and strategies

• Test-taking skills and strategies

• Strategies for linking new information with prior knowledge

Student progress will be monitored on a day-to-day, week-to-week, and quarter-to-quarter basis.