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Five Star Pre-K and K through 8th grade Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Learning Support

Learning Support  
 
Our Lady of Mercy School embraces the Learning Support Statement issued by the Diocese of Charlotte: 
The purpose of these programs is to recognize and facilitate a successful learning environment for each student experiencing learning differences in the classroom. Through need identification, consultation and referral services, every school strives to support each learner as an individual. The school strives to provide assistance and programs to serve students with mild to moderate learning disabilities according to the resources available within/to the school.

In order to accommodate a student who has been evaluated for special learning needs, parents are obligated to share educational/psychological testing results and any resulting plan with the school. If a student has a documented disability, a Student Accommodation Plan (SAP) will be maintained in the student’s confidential file. Students who have a documented disability but do not qualify for services through the local public school may be eligible for accommodations through a Student Accommodation Plan written at the school.

Learning Support Services 
Learning support is based on the student need and may include individual or small group instruction and/or accommodations in their regular classroom. 

Testing and Accommodations 
Outside evaluation through private agencies or the school system may be requested if a student is experiencing difficulty. Learning Support maintains a list of outside evaluators used by OLM families. Students who are tested privately may be eligible for reimbursement through their insurance programs. Public schools provide the testing services at no charge for residents of that locality. When an outside evaluation is requested, parents will be given a release form to be given to the provider. A copy of the test results and the resulting Student Accommodation Plan is kept in the student’s confidential file. A student must have a documented disability on file in order to receive classroom and/or testing accommodations.

Confidentiality  
Records, which include documentation of students’ needs are confidential and will be kept in a separate file. When a student graduates or leaves Our Lady of Mercy School parents are given the option to release these records to the new school or to remove them. Confidential records will only be released after the school has received a written statement from the parents and/or court subpoena.

Response to Instruction 
In addition to serving students who are identified with learning disabilities, Our Lady of Mercy School follows the Response to Instruction model defined by the State of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. This model utilizes universal screening to aid in identifying students who need assistance. This screening identifies whether a student is on level (core), below level or well below level in reading and math. Students who are identified as being below level receive interventions and progress monitoring in their classroom. Students who are identified as being well below level receive intervention and progress monitoring in learning support.

Other Programs  
Our Lady of Mercy School partakes in government programs available to non-public schools. Students who meet Winston-Salem Forsyth County eligibility requirement are offered a place in our Title I program. Speech Therapy to address articulation difficulties may by provided by the WSFC schools though Title VI at a public school location.

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