Support Services
What Is Support Services?
The Director and Staff of Support Services work with students who need extra assistance in academic subjects. The director, with input from teachers and administration, selects students to receive services. He/She administers educational tests and acts as a liaison when outside testing and tutoring services are recommended. The director will also serve as a teacher to serve eligible students in all grades.
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- Christina Duel
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- Patty Lamothe
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- Carole McLenithan
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- Leslie Sem
Kindergarten-Grade 3
At this level, the main focus of Support Services is to provide intervention that will increase student understanding in reading, writing, and math. Individual or small group instruction for eligible students using Fundations or Orton-Gillingham methods is given first priority. After these groups are scheduled, Support Services may be used to assist students with in-class assignments and/or assessments. Parents are notified of a student’s participation in the program. Progress is monitored through scores earned on the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Reading Assessment and/or the Developmental Spelling Analysis, in addition to teacher input and observations- both formal and informal.
Grades 4 and 5
Support Services in Grades 4 and 5 is meant to provide students with additional opportunity/instruction to complete assignments across all content areas. The Support Services teacher communicates regularly with the Intermediate teachers to become aware of what assignments need to be addressed, and which students are in need of support. All students complete the Developmental Spelling Analysis and Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Reading Assessment. Some students may have additional testing on file that documents a need for support. Services can be provided in-class, in a small group, or individually as needed. Parents are notified of a student’s participation in the program.
Grades 6-8
Students who receive Support Services in Grades 6-8 meet with the teacher in lieu of World Languages. This class meets 4 times per week and is part of the student’s daily schedule. Each class can not exceed 4 students, so priority is given to students with a documented need for support. Eligibility criteria may include a learning disability or other impairment that impacts academic performance. Before the start of each school year, teacher input is provided,and parent meetings occur. Once in the program, students can access support with their course expectations in all content areas. Priority is given to the area of student need. This placement decision is reconsidered each year to determine if continued service is warranted.