The mission of the Wichita Collegiate Learning Lab is to provide specialized instructional support for students whose academic success is at risk or limited by specific learning disabilities or by deficiencies in basic skills. We believe that many students with learning disabilities are capable of flourishing in our program. Historically our goal has been to allow each student capable of handling the rigors of the Collegiate curriculum to have the tools necessary to do so successfully.

The Learning Lab supports the Mission of Wichita Collegiate School which states, "The mission of Wichita Collegiate School is to provide the highest quality education for each student which will maximize his or her ability to understand and enjoy the complexities of the world and successfully meet the challenges of life."

Approximately ten percent of the population has diagnosed learning disabilities. A large percent of those people are gifted or above average in intelligence. Experts believe that up to 20% of the population is learning disabled. It is no surprise, then, that the student body at Wichita Collegiate School includes students with learning disabilities. As our knowledge about learning disabilities increases, our responsibility to these students and their parents increases. There are professional, moral, ethical, and legal guidelines that help us determine our responsibility as well. We are committed to helping these students be successful in our program.

Overall Philosophy of the Learning Lab Program
Students in the Lower, Middle and Upper School are placed in Learning Lab by the Division Head in consultation with the division counselor/psychologist. Input from the teachers and parents is considered critical. Students typically have a diagnosis of a learning disability from a psychologist or doctor; the diagnosis includes accommodations and suggestions for the school. Occasionally a student will be referred for help in Learning Lab who has not yet been officially diagnosed with a learning disability. A student in this category may be weak in a particular skill that is affecting educational success or may be suffering from a temporary academic struggle due to self-esteem, family, or personal issues.

Our learning lab program includes specific skill building, as in the Alphabetic Phonics program, and classroom support, as in homework preparation, study skills and strategies, organizational help, and exam preparation.

Collegiate teachers are expected to:
1. learn about learning disabilities
2. recognize signs that indicate possible learning disabilities
3. work closely with administrators, counselors, parents, and Learning Lab personnel to aid these students
4. make classroom accommodations
5. develop personal expertise and empathy for dealing with students who have  learning disabilities.

Parents evaluating whether Collegiate is a good fit for their learning disabled child may need to consider the following general facts. There are features of our school that may make the match a good one: we have highly qualified, experienced teachers, small student-teacher ratio, interesting and interactive classroom presentations, support staff in counseling and learning lab personnel, and all our staff are trained in learning disabilities. There are features of our school that may make the match problematic: the curriculum is accelerated; we move fast; there is a large quantity of traditional written work; there is a heavy load of reading; there is homework every night; the curriculum is prescribed with limited academic choices; graduation requirements include four years of math and English; three years of foreign language, science, and history; and the senior Humanities course. Students are expected to accomplish the Collegiate curriculum. Occasionally in Lower School and Middle School, a different approach is taken in a particular course to bring the student in line with our program. For example, a student could be in an individualized math program or a student might begin the study of Latin a year late. Ultimately, most families, including those whose children have learning disabilities, choose Collegiate, just like every other Collegiate family, because of the academic program and the other features of the program.

One way we evaluate the continuance of a student is by answering the following two questions.
Can the student learn in the classroom? Can other students learn while he/she is in the classroom?

What accommodations does WCS offer to LD students?
The following accommodations are typically allowed depending on the diagnosis and the individual recommendations:

1. don't grade on spelling
2. use of calculator
3. provide a reader or a tape for quizzes, exams
4. use of word processor for assignments (or AlphaSmart)
5. use of a scribe
6. oral testing
7. extended time on test
8. testing in a quiet room
9. provide notes
10. allow students to use books on tape
11. provide preferential seating
12. consider mastery approach to learning (i.e. shortened assignments on skill building exercises)
13. encourage normal Collegiate routines such as after-school tutorials

What accommodations does WCS NOT offer to LD Students?
We do not allow accommodations that contradict our curriculum. We do not allow accommodations that suggest a student not accomplish the goals of a particular assignment.

How does a student become qualified for accommodations?
Accommodations come from the diagnostic psychological/educational testing given by a psychologist or doctor. We decide which suggestions from the listed recommendations fit in our program. We allow the use of resources consistent with our program.

What equipment and facilities are made available for LD students?
There are learning lab rooms in each division staffed with teachers. The rooms have computers. We have cassette tape recorders for student use, as well as Alpha Smarts to encourage word processing in class. Students are allowed to bring their own aides as well, particularly their books on tape, spell checkers, calculators, and laptops as defined by their learning plans.

How does WCS provide feedback to parents regarding the performance of their LD students?
Commentaries are sent home at the regular commentary intervals. In Middle School this includes a chart of the work done in each session. In addition, learning lab teachers may sign planners, and frequent phone conversations and meetings take place informally between learning lab personnel and parents.

What is the role of the parent volunteer in the LD program? A list of trained parent volunteers is available to division counselors. The volunteers may be called to help with testing, particularly during standardized testing, semester finals and PSAT's. A parent support group meets periodically to discuss the latest research in learning disabilities.

Does every student receive an individual learning plan?
Yes, beginning formally in the 5th grade. Individual learning plans are developed by the division counselor or psychologist with input from professional educational testing, classroom teachers, parents, and student. The counselors inform the teachers of the plan. Beginning in Middle School, the counselors accompany the student to the teachers so that the student can discuss the plan with them. Early Childhood and Lower School follow an informal process led by the school psychologist and including learning lab personnel and classroom teachers. In the Upper School at the beginning of the academic year, there are meetings of all the students, their parents, and their teachers to review the individual learning plans.

What three factors help predict the academic success of learning disabled students at WCS?
Learning-disabled students who have successfully completed our academic program have all had the powerful combination of ability, motivation, and support. That formula is the one we use to predict success.

Are there extra fees associated with an LD student and WCS accommodations?
The Learning Lab is fee-based. The fee schedule is available in each division office.

What does WCS do to train its teachers to help LD students in the classroom? All WCS teachers are required to take a 28-hour course, "Teaching Collegiate Students with Learning Differences". In addition, professional development is available for further training. Many Early Childhood and Lower School teachers have taken Alphabetic Phonics training, Reading Readiness, or other appropriate coursework.

What are the qualifications for Learning Lab teachers? 
Our learning lab teachers usually have  particular specialized training such as Alphabetic Phonics, Reading Specialist, or Special Education certification. They may also have a particular curricular specialty - reading, math, science. These teachers are considered a part of the division they work in and are evaluated and contracted just like other WCS teachers.

What is the procedure for allowing outside contract tutors to work on campus? Approval of the division head after consulting school counselor or psychologist at the division level is required.

Who recommends students to the learning lab system and who completes the individual learning plan?
The division head is ultimately responsible for placing a student in the learning lab. Individual learning plans are developed by the division counselor or psychologist with input from education testing, classroom teachers, parents, and student.