Differentiating Instruction…High Achievers...Intervention
Westlake Christian School embraces the basic philosophies of Professional Learning Communities. One of them, “ensuring all children learn,” provides a focus for our instructional methods. With this purpose, ensuring high levels of learning for all students, the school clarifies what each student is expected to learn, monitors the student’s learning on a timely basis, and creates systems to make certain each student’s learning style, strengths, and weaknesses are addressed.
Teachers are expected to understand the varying needs of their students. At the beginning of the year, teachers peruse the previous spring’s achievement testing results and the data from beginning of the year benchmark testing to understand the needs of each student in their classroom, to drive instruction, and to use differentiated instruction.
At both ends of the spectrum, a few Westlake Christian School students may require enrichment or intervention. In any classroom, it is not uncommon to observe the classroom teacher leading a reading group, a learning specialist working with a less-equipped group, and another teacher working with a more able group.
In striving to meet the educational needs of each learner, Westlake Christian School uses a variety of instructional methods and resources. Within the classroom as a whole, the teachers use reading groups and flexible skill groupings as well as modifications to homework, tests, and other assignments when deemed necessary.