How We Make a Difference

Park Place School provides at-risk elementary school students from low-income households the opportunity to learn the basic reading, spelling, and math skills necessary for academic success. When students first begin Park Place School they are working at least one to two grade levels below where they should be. Students finish the program after three years of intense educational intervention (3rd, 4th , & 5th grades) working at or above grade level, and have educational strategies to utilize throughout the rest of their academic careers as well as their lives.

CURRICULUM

• Saxon Math (math)
• SRA Morphograms (spelling)
• Expressive Writing (writing)
• Ed Con (literature)

 

CHARACTER COUNTS

Each year our, team of educators utilize the Character Counts curriculum to develop a code of conduct to address moral development and social skills. Character notebooks, role-playing and problem solving strategies are used to instill the following character traits: self-government, honesty, attentiveness, responsibility and perseverance.

ASSESSMENTS

Formal and informal classroom assessments and observations by teacher/educational therapist evaluate student performance. Regular progress reports and report cards are issued based on these assessments quarterly. Pre-, annual, and post student testing consisting of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement II (KTEA II), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC – IV), and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT). The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS Test) is administered only during the third grade.

National Institute for Leaning Development (NILD) Educational Therapy

NILD Educational Therapy® was developed to treat assumed, underlying causes of learning difficulties rather than simply treating the symptoms. It is a true therapy in that it aims the intervention just above the student's level of functioning and raises expectations for performance. Students are trained to view themselves as competent, confident learners. The goal of NILD Educational Therapy® is to help students develop tools for independent learning in the classroom and in life.

Students are taught by educational therapist, who are state certified teachers, as well as trained specifically in NILD methodology and receive on-going graduate level training leading to NILD certification.

CLASSROOM SIZE

Classroom sizes never exceed 12 students per classroom with one teacher. Student teacher ratios are kept low in order to instruct students utilizing the direct instruction model. When students attend Educational Therapy® the student teacher ratio varies based on the types of Educational Therapy®:

• One-on-One Educational Therapy® has a 1:1 student teacher ratio
• Group Educational Therapy (GET®) has a 4:1 student teacher ratio
• Rx for Discovery Reading has a 4:1 student teacher ratio

 

TYPICAL STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

• Students living in low-income households
• Students that have been retained one or more times
• Students that have failed their VA SOL's (Virginia Standards of Learning Tests)
• Students struggling in at least one or more of the core academic subjects. (math, reading, writing, and spelling)
• Students who are not eligible for special education services
• 68% of current Park Place School Students live in single parent/grandparent households