Learning Services
Stillwater Christian School is committed to meeting the needs of all our students in pursuit of our mission, to equip students with the tools for learning through a Christ-centered education. Our K-12 Learning Services Program is for students who have been identified as struggling academically. A variety of compensatory support and direct intervention programs provide tools for learning for students based on their needs. The goal is for students to develop into competent, confident, and independent life-long learners. Stillwater Christian’s Learning Services Program serves students in Title I, SEARCH & TEACH, Learning Services, and National Institute for Learning Development Educational Therapy.
Title I
Title I is a federally funded program that provides academic support for K-12 students who are below grade level in Reading and/or Math and qualify for Title I support. The goal of the Title I Program is to provide remediation in Reading and/or Math so that students who are below grade level reach at or above grade level proficiency, thereby exiting Title I and returning to the general education classroom without support. Title I support may occur in the classroom or in small group pullout sessions. Stillwater Christian uses diagnostic and standardized testing data as well as teacher recommendation to identify students who meet the established criteria for academic support.
We are currently hiring a full-time K-6 Title I and a part-time 7-12 Title I teachers. Please use this link to apply.
SEARCH and TEACH
SEARCH and TEACH is an early identification and intervention program that targets foundational skills necessary for reading. All kindergarten and new first grade students are scanned to identify underdeveloped perceptual skills. Students identified as benefitting from the TEACH program meet with a specially trained SEARCH and TEACH instructor for 30 minutes 2-3 times per week. The goal of SEARCH and TEACH is to meet the educational needs of young learners before they experience learning failure. The SEARCH and TEACH program is recognized by the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD).
SEARCH, a 20-minute individual test designed to identify 5 and 6-year-olds vulnerable to learning difficulty, provides profiles of individual strengths and weaknesses in the foundational skills necessary for reading success. TEACH, a program of 55 learning tasks, was carefully developed and tested during a four-year investigation of pre-reading skills to address the needs revealed by SEARCH. It is an individualized program, but does allow for some small group work of review activities with children of similar needs.
Learning Services
Learning Services exists to support students who have been identified, through formal testing, as having mild to moderate learning differences or who have a formal diagnosis. Students in Learning Services have a Student Learning Profile. A Student Learning Profile is a formal individualized document that follows a student as they move through the grade levels. A Student Learning Profile outlines individual strengths and weaknesses, learning goals, classroom accommodations, and support plan at Stillwater Christian School. Student Learning Profiles are set by the Director of Learning Services in consultation with parents, teachers, and principals.
There are two categories of students within Learning Services:
- Students who have been formally tested and/or have a diagnosis and are enrolled in Stillwater Christian’s NILD Educational Therapy Program.
- Students who have been formally tested and/or have a diagnosis, who do not require educational therapy as a direct intervention, but who do require classroom accommodations and support to be successful.
Placement in Learning Services is reviewed annually to reevaluate the Student Learning Profile, set learning goals, and determine appropriate classroom accommodations. Students in Learning Services must have current formal testing (within three years) as well as medical documentation of related diagnoses, when applicable. Students are required to be reevaluated triennially providing an updated evaluation.
NILD Educational Therapy
Stillwater Christian is affiliated with the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD). NILD educational therapy is language-based cognitive therapy. NILD educational therapy uses research-based techniques to strengthen areas of deficiency identified through academic and cognitive testing. Educational therapy provides dynamic intervention, meaning it is individualized. This direct intervention is explicit and intensive. Educational therapy is not tutoring or remediation. These compensatory approaches focus on what to learn. Educational therapy focuses on teaching individuals how to learn by targeting cognitive and perceptual deficits that are impacting academic achievement and performance. Students in educational therapy meet with an NILD trained educational therapist multiple times per week. Placement in educational therapy is a long-term commitment on behalf of the school, student, and the family.
This program is currently at capacity.
“I am thankful to the Learning Services program which provided the extra support my child needed to do grade-level work. They identified her areas of weakness and she was provided with one-on-one support to fill in the gaps she had academically and to make sure she had the skills necessary to learn to her fullest potential. Several times a week, Title I services provided small group intervention that allowed my child to practice reading and math skills at her own level in a fun and caring environment. Due to her hard work and the support she was given, she was able to reach grade-level expectations and exit the Learning Services program with confidence.”
“Stillwater Christian’s Learning Services program is committed to educating the whole child and meeting the diverse needs of students where they are. In my years teaching at SCS, I have been impressed by the effort and dedication the Learning Services staff take when observing, evaluating, and working with students who need additional support. Children are seen as image-bearers of Christ, and they develop increased confidence, independence, resilience, and academic competence in a caring and nurturing environment.”
“I was intimidated and overwhelmed when I first heard that my child was behind grade level academically. I knew what the implications were. The Learning Services department came alongside me, answered all of my many questions, and walked me through the whole process. With their partnership and the classroom teacher's support, my child's year has looked incredibly different than past years. We are seeing successes where there have been frustrations. There is joy in accomplishing tasks and a better overall attitude towards school! I am so thankful that my child’s teachers saw him for who he is and acted on it. I am thankful for the Learning Service personnel and how they have come alongside and supported my child. I am just thankful.”
“We are so grateful to partner with the Learning Services program at SCS to support our son in his learning and academic growth. While his ADHD and processing deficits make some tasks more challenging, his educational therapist and teachers echo the message we speak into his life: God doesn't make mistakes and He creatively and intentionally designs each one of us for His glory and to accomplish His plans. Through accommodations in the classroom and individualized intervention, he is experiencing success and developing personal responsibility for his learning. The support and encouragement he receives is an important component of his overall engagement in school.”
“As an employee of Stillwater Christian School it has been an absolute joy to work alongside the Learning Services team. The support, encouragement and dedication the Learning Services team shows our students is immeasurable. They truly have a heart to see each student succeed and that every student in and out of their program be treated with dignity and respect. Another thing that has been great to see is the relationship the students in Learning Services have with the Learning Services team. Many times, these students are beaming with smiles as they walk out of their sessions with Learning Services. The confidence and skills students gain from these services is priceless.”
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14
Psalm 139:13-14 states that God has created us all in a unique fashion making every person with a divine purpose. We all are created with a unique learning style and possess our own personal gifts and talents. I value our Learning Services Program as it strives to teach each individual to their fullest potential, enhancing the gifts and talents God has instilled in them.
"It has been my honor to be part of the SEARCH & TEACH program for the last three years. I love building relationships with the students as I work one-on-one with them. Their curiosity and joy as they master a new task is contagious. I love that they are eager to learn and to please. It truly is a great pleasure to watch these students grow."