Education Support Services

Spicewood Christian Academy (SCA) curricula and course content are aligned with state and national standards for grade level.  Students are studying and working at grade level, and as a small school, we do not offer Honors courses with accelerated content, nor IEPs for curricula modifications and classroom accommodations.

As part of the enrollment process, all families are advised that we can enroll and partner with them to educate children who benefit from group/classroom instruction, and who can participate appropriately in that environment.   We have defined this scope for our students because we are not in a position to accommodate non-traditional learners who need a learning environment that differs vastly from a traditional classroom.  Our teachers are not trained Special Education teachers, so we are best positioned to teach students who are traditional learners.

However, we can partner with parents to accommodate some non-traditional learners through our Education Support Service.

The sequence and scope of these services will generally be as follows:

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  • A parent or a teacher requests a conference with the ESS to discuss issues that have been identified as possible impediments to the student fully mastering the course content.
  • The ESS will interview the teacher, student and parent in this conference.
  • The ESS will provide feedback on the level and type of support recommended.
  • The ESS may recommend adjustments to student practices, and the parent support of these adjustments: time management; study practices; organization of study materials; classroom participation. These adjustments will not require retaining ESS services.
  • The ESS may recommend engaging ESS services, and the parent makes the decision whether or not to do so.
  • If/when ESS services are retained, the ESS begins with observation of the student and teacher(s) in the classroom.
  • The ESS provides a written plan of action encompassing the following elements:
  • Recommended classroom accommodations. These must be compatible with our classroom environment, but may include a different seating arrangement, use of a recorder, additional time for assessments, quiet space for work or assessments, and similar. Although we expect this to be a rare occurrence, SCA will consider the classroom accommodation of the presence of an Aide for a student, hired and retained by the parents, if recommended and trained by the ESS.
  • Recommended at-home modifications. While SCA does not modify curricula as would occur in an IEP, we do encourage parents to make modifications to the curricula as needed and recommended by the ESS. This is more comparable to a 504 plan. Examples of at-home modifications include obtaining audio versions of course texts; partner-reading and discussion with parents of assigned reading from texts; outside subject tutors; dictation for writing assignments.
  • Continued support and input: The ESS will evaluate the student and the student’s work, will observe the student, and will provide feedback to the parents for as long as ESS services are needed.
  • The ESS will regularly confer with the teacher(s) to answer questions, act as a resource, make recommendations, and communicate implementation and adjustments to the student and the parents.
  • Additional conferences between ESS and the family can be scheduled as needed, up to once per month.

The Service Agreement will conclude at the final week of the school year, but parents are free to request and retain ESS services on an hourly basis over the summer break.

For additional information about the ESS which will be offered in the 23-24 school year, contact: [email protected].