The Learning Resource Program at Fort Myers Christian School is designed to assist students who are enrolled in K-8 and struggle academically. We will work with the student, teachers, and parents to provide academic support for students who have been professionally diagnosed and have an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) or 504 Plan for the following:
• Mild Learning Disabilities
• Dyslexia
• ADD/ADHD with academic difficulties
We understand that children have different learning styles, strengths and weaknesses which can inhibit their best efforts to succeed academically. The Learning Resource Program will be a place students can get specific help in math, reading, spelling, language, writing and study skills as well as address certain processing problems that may block optimum achievement through explicit, systematic and researched based teaching strategies and materials.
For more information, click on our brochure: learning resource program BROCHURE 2012-13
Check out Mrs. Stewart’s blog at http://mrsstewartsresourceroomfmcs.blogspot.com/
Message from 10/20/10:
Dear Parents,
I recently received an updated post from Mrs. Stewart regarding our Learning Disabilities Program. Our program is “maxed-out” for this year and we are very blessed by what is happening there. I thought this was great information for all of our parents and I want to share this with you.
We are just about to close the first quarter of the 2010-2011 school year. It is bustling here in the Learning Resource Room at Fort Myers Christian School!
We currently serve 29 students who either receive primary instruction within the Learning Resource Program (LRP) or accommodations and support within their general education classroom. Approximately 58% of these students are able to attend due to the Florida McKay Scholarship and have established IEP’s.
We strive to work closely with each classroom teacher to keep students as close to grade level achievement as possible. The individual educational needs are addressed within the LRP classroom through a variety of specific programs and tools. I have three certified teachers who assist me both in the Resource Room and in the student’s classroom at various times throughout the day. We are blessed with six student computers in the Resource Room with quality programs installed to address specific reading, spelling, and math needs and each has access to the internet for research and practice programs. Our school has Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, STAR Reading and STAR Math assessments online and accessible to our student body in every classroom.
Link is http://mrsstewartsresourceroomfmcs.blogspot.com/
We would also like to add a few more pieces of helpful information:
Q: Are Learning Resource students and McKay students the same?
A: No, as seen above, not all our students in the program qualify for that scholarship from the state.
Q: Are there limits on the type of students we are accepting?
A: Yes, as stated in our brochure (feel free to grab a copy in the office or http://fmcs-fl.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/learningresourcebrochure_final.pdf), “we will work with the student, teachers, and parents to provide academic support for students who have been professionally diagnosed and have an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) or 504 Plan for the following: Mild Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and ADD/ADHD with academic difficulties.” The key right now, if you are talking with prospective families, is that the word “mild.” We are not staffed and equipped to handle some of the other major disabilities.
Q: If we focus on students who are struggling as a school, does that hurt our high achievers?
A: We strongly believe the answer is “NO.” Students who are struggling below grade level now have a chance to get more individualized help by leaving the classroom for math and language arts in the resource room.
As the program reaches its third year, we have seen our overall school’s academic progress IMPROVE. Here are just a few examples:
- Accelerated Reader (AR) and our teachers have been more involved in reading than ever before.
- The new Accelerated Math (AM) program has helped improve math results. (Our own parents have been instrumental in providing resources for those programs, AR & AM, and encouraging our students to work hard in these areas)
- In comparison of our SAT scores compared with students nationally, over the last three years:
o We have IMPROVED an AVERAGE OF 8% overall in our national percentile ranking
o Our school stanine scores have INCREASED from average to above-average!
o Our school stanine scores in reading and math have also IMPROVED from average to above average!
o Last year, we not only continued to see classes score two grades levels above their grade level, but we saw FIVE CLASSES score THREE GRADE LEVELS AHEAD overall.
In the future, we hope to expand this program to help us improve this program to the point where we cannot only help students who struggle, but help “gifted” students achieve even higher levels!
Pray with us – spread the word – IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS feel free to come to the source: Mrs. Stewart or Mr. Mitchell.
Thank you,
Mr. Mitchell
