Student Support

It is the mission of Priory's Learning Consultant and School Counselor to support the development of each student as a whole person and child of God. As a team, we strive to build upon students' God-given strengths to aid in the development of healthy and effective coping skills, learning strategies, and relationships as well as self-awareness and ability to take responsibility to oneself. 

LEARNING CONSULTING

Mrs. Jung, the Learning Consultant, focuses on students' academic needs. She manages learning accommodations plans for students with learning differences. Priory offers learning accommodations tailored to the needs of the student, based on medical and psychological evaluations and recommendations. A student must be clinically diagnosed with a learning disability, speech impairment, physical disability, or emotional impairment, and it must be clear that this disability directly impacts his learning. If you would like more information on getting a formal accommodations plan started for your son, please contact us. 

Students may need to see the Learning Consultant for: 

• Academic skills support
• Organizational skills
• Study and test-taking skills
• Learning plans and accommodations

Priory offers the following approved accommodations:

• Extended time
• Distraction-reduced testing
• Preferential seating
• Use of computer (for essays)
• Use of calculator (4-function)
• Record answers directly on test instead of Scantron
• Use of recording devise/smart pen
• Enlarged print

Mrs. Jung is available each school day in the Writing Center. Students can request a meeting by email (jjung2@priory.org) or stop by her office. Students can also be referred by Priory faculty or parents.

Academic Support - Accommodations

Saint Louis Priory School offers reasonable accommodations for students with diagnosed learning differences so they have the opportunity to more effectively demonstrate their knowledge. We have a scaffolded approach to accommodations, in an effort to promote the development of the student’s self-advocacy skills. The goal of Student Support is to promote the development of self-advocacy skills for Priory and beyond.

For students with comprehensive evaluations, such as a psychoeducational evaluation*, a learning plan will be developed by the learning consultant. The learning consultant works with the student in conjunction with the school counselor, teachers, and parents to help the student understand his learning style and use of appropriate accommodations. 

Accommodations do not change the curriculum. All students at Saint Louis Priory School are expected to participate, complete all work, and take the same assessments as their peers. Accommodations are granted to students with a diagnosed learning need to enable them to more effectively demonstrate their knowledge and skills. 

Saint Louis Priory School uses two types of support plans for students with diagnosed learning needs. In Form A (6th grade) and Form I (7th grade), we use a Learning Plan, which focuses on strengths, areas of concern, and recommendations. Once a student enters Form II (8th grade), they will transition to an Accommodations Plan, which includes diagnoses, approved and recommended accommodations, and any other relevant information. 

Parents sometimes inquire about IEPs or 504 Plans. IEPs and 504s are plans that are direct results of federal laws affecting public schools and agencies. Since we do not fall under those categories, our Learning and Accommodations plans are a little different, but include much of the same information. 

*A psychoeducational evaluation is a comprehensive assessment that aims to identify and understand an individual's cognitive, academic, emotional, and behavioral strengths and weaknesses. It is typically conducted by a qualified professional, such as a psychologist, school psychologist, or educational diagnostician. It is important to note that a psychoeducational evaluation is not to be confused with a pediatric recommendation or a medical diagnosis provided by a pediatrician. 

The responsibility of the Student Support team is to promote the academic, personal, and social development of all students. It is a collaboration with parents, teachers, administrators, the community, and the students themselves to help achieve these goals.