Learning Strategies

Our Director and Associate Director of Learning Strategies are available to consult with any student who needs study skills, time management and organization support. They collaborate closely with Grade Level Deans, teachers and advisors to facilitate students’ growth. The following learning supports are embedded within Urban’s program for all students:

• Week Sheets uploaded weekly for every class, describing the in-class activities, homework and assessments for the upcoming week 
• Peer Tutors
• Smartboards in every classroom, with class notes uploaded to Urban’s online learning management system
• Distraction-free software on all student computers (Isolator, Self Control, Time Out, Write Room)
• Tutorial periods to meet with teachers
• Supervised study periods for 9th/10th graders
• Detailed Interim Reports halfway through each term 
• One-on-one conversations with teachers about Interim Reports

To access accommodations at Urban, the student must have a formal diagnosis and documentation that meets the following criteria. These are standard criteria utilized across many educational and testing settings to determine eligibility for accommodations. The documentation must:

1. State the specific disability as diagnosed: The diagnosis should be made by a person with appropriate professional credentials and should relate the disability to the applicable professional standards (typically DSM-V).
2. Be current: The diagnostic testing should have occurred within five years of the request for accommodations. For psychiatric diagnoses, an annual evaluation update must be within 12 months of the request for accommodations.
3. Provide relevant educational, developmental and medical history.
4. Describe the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the diagnosis. Include test results with subtest scores for all tests.
5. Describe the functional limitations. Explain how the disability impacts the student’s daily functioning.
6. Describe the requested accommodations, including the amount of extended time required, with a rationale connecting each accommodation to the functional limitation.
7. Establish the professional credentials of the evaluator (license, certification).

For other conditions that impact learning but do not fall under the Learning Differences category, please get in touch with the Director of Learning Strategies to discuss relevant documentation and process. 

Following the receipt of complete documentation, Learning Strategies staff meet with the student and parent(s)/guardian(s) to create the student’s Learning Plan. The Learning Plan is a snapshot of the student’s learning that teachers, advisors and students reference on a regular basis. It describes the student’s diagnosis, accommodations, strengths, challenges and individualized strategies for growth. While Urban’s Learning Plans are confidential documents, they are also intentionally designed to be user-friendly and accessible for students.

For incoming 9th graders, the initial Learning Plan meeting typically takes place at the end of 8th grade. The accommodations listed in the Learning Plan come directly from the student’s evaluation, while the specific strengths, challenges and strategies listed are often generated during the meeting. Students are actively involved in the development of their Learning Plan.

Each year, students meet with Learning Strategies staff to update the strengths/challenges portions of the Learning Plan. This ensures that the document is useful and relevant for students throughout their time at Urban. (Formal accommodations, however, are only amended upon receipt of additional documentation.)

Students without a formal diagnosis who suspect that they may have a learning difference should contact Rachel Herbert, Director of Learning Strategies (9th and 10th graders) or Alyson Kaneshiro, Associate Director of Learning Strategies (11th and 12th graders), to schedule a meeting. During this initial meeting, the student will be asked questions to help identify the root causes of their academic challenges. Learning Strategies staff will suggest a range of strategies and connect the student with additional resources within the school, in coordination with the student’s advisor and Grade Dean. When appropriate, the student and family will be referred to a licensed professional for a formal assessment to identify any learning differences.

The Learning Plan for students diagnosed with learning differences is based on the recommendations listed in the student’s formal documentation. All approved accommodations must be appropriate for a college-preparatory environment. Urban does not permit modifications to the curriculum.
 
Appropriate accommodations can include (but are not limited to):

• Extended time on tests
• A small-group setting in which to take tests
• The use of a basic four function calculator during tests
• The use of a computer during tests and class lectures
• Use of assistive technology devices and software

While in-school accommodations can be approved quickly, students are not eligible to apply for accommodations on standardized tests until at least four months after the Learning Plan has been in place.

The organizations that sponsor standardized tests have strict criteria for approving accommodations. Students who qualify for accommodations in high school may not be eligible for those same accommodations on standardized tests, even if the documentation recommends them. Additionally, the sponsoring organization’s decision regarding a student’s application may take up to two months to process. Once a student has documentation and a formal Learning Plan in place, they will work with the Director of Learning Strategies to file online applications for accommodations directly to the testing companies.

For more information about accommodations on College Board tests (PSAT, SAT, AP), see the Services for Students with Disabilities page.

For more information about ACT tests (PreACT, ACT), click here. Please note that the ACT organization is separate from the sponsors of the SAT, and its application for accommodations is also completely different. Learning Strategies staff can help negotiate this process.

For both organizations, students must have a Learning Plan in place for at least four school months before they are eligible to apply for accommodations on standardized tests.