Student Support at St. Luke
Providing Tools for Success
The St. Luke Learning Center provides both support and enrichment for the students across our school. The staff is comprised of two learning specialists, a school counselor, a speech pathologist, and a social worker. Our learning specialists work closely with classroom teachers to provide instruction to students who benefit from small group settings and individualized support.
Support of Classroom Teachers and Students
One focus is to provide support for the classroom teachers – that support comes in the form of both working with students, as well as providing supplemental materials and resources. When a classroom teacher designs a lesson plan, the learning specialist is able to provide differentiation and modification to those lessons for students who need extra support. While working with the students, the learning specialist is also able to devote time to focus on executive functioning, such as keeping track of assignments.
Students of all abilities are able to receive the help that they need to reach their full potential. The Learning Center is currently serving students in grades 1 – 8 through both small group pull out and classroom push in model. When students are pulled out of the classroom, whether for enrichment or resource, student learning is supported. The students who are pulled receive individualized instruction, while the students in the classroom benefit from a smaller class size and more time to interact with the classroom teacher. When the learning specialist pushes into a classroom, then the learning specialist is able to both assist the teacher during instruction time, as well as assist any student who needs guidance while completing classwork.
Psycho-Educational Evaluations
At times children are recommended for evaluations through the River Forest Public School District. The Learning Specialist submits the necessary paperwork and coordinates the evaluations. The learning specialists along with the homeroom teacher attend all staffings. When appropriate, the learning specialists advise parents of programs at the private and public high school, as well as attend transition meetings. In relation to the case studies and the results of a meeting to determine any services to which a student is entitled to, the learning specialists also assist both the social worker and the speech therapist. The Learning Center oversees outside support to ensure that students receive their services mandated by the students’ IEPs.