Student Academic Success LEARNING LAB Program
Our LEARNING LAB program holds middle school students accountable and responsible for their learning. It is an integral part of the school’s ‘Student Success’ program. It is built on the premise that all children can learn, but not in the same way or in the same amount of time to be academically successful. Some students need more instruction, and some need more time-on-task. LEARNING LAB is an investment in our community and our children’s futures.
The four critical elements of our LEARNING LAB are:
Parental involvement
Continuous monitoring of the student’s classroom achievement
Rewarding positive, academic behavior
Providing outside the school day support for students in need
The LEARNING LAB program is coordinated and evaluated by a LEARNING LAB Coordinator. The coordinator provides additional support for students and parents.
All decisions are based on classroom achievement data. Achievement data for each student is collected every two weeks, evaluated, and shared with students and parents.
Daily lunchtime meetings are held with small groups of students earning D/F grades. Grades and missing assignments are discussed to develop a “Plan of Action.”
The coordinator and volunteer tutors manage an after-school, on-site, LEARNING LAB study table.
Assessment and practice in basic math facts and paragraph writing are ongoing.
Additional Common Core (curriculum standards) practice sessions are provided.
Monthly evening sessions are offered to parents and students covering topics which support academic success in the middle school classroom.
One-on-one parent/student conferences are held if positive changes are not shown.
Academic Success LEARNING LAB Manual
A comprehensive step-by-step LEARNING LAB Program Manual is being published. This manual will assist interested schools in planning, implementing, and evaluating additional support which is required for academic improvement and student success. The goal is to make it available to schools throughout Washington State, especially middle schools. Academic Link Outreach is presently looking at different ways of successfully accomplishing this goal.
Public School Education Advocacy
Academic Link Outreach advocates for public education. We do this by currently providing our LEARNING LAB program at Olympic View Middle School, meeting with community groups, speaking with legislators, authoring articles, and reaching out to other non-profit groups to team together for the betterment of public schools. Students, parents, and community members must join to better meet the academic needs of students. This will greatly affect the students’ social and emotional health.
Questions to think about and seek answers to:
Should there be a guarantee that more students read at grade level?
Should we go away from using age as the criteria for grouping students for instruction in the basics of reading, writing, and math, and use achievement level instead? (Not ability or age…. but achievement level).
Is using the computer to teach reading instruction adequate? How do the results differ from having the teacher do ALL deliveries at the elementary and middle school level?
What are the ways parents and students have access to additional instruction and practice when needed (that is affordable)?
Should the parent be the client and team with the teachers to help parents and students work together for school success? (Students only have public education 10% of their life between birth and age 18)
Are there skills that must be mastered prior to middle school? Is mastery of basic reading, writing (both penmanship and sentence/paragraph) and basic math skills necessary?
Is there enough accountability for the basic reading. writing, and math proficiency of students?
Does the current school calendar have a positive or negative effect on student learning?
Should the focus be on proficiency with reading, writing, and math or is working at a foundational level adequate?
Achieving Reading and Writing Proficiency Prior to Entering Middle School
The number one change that would make the most difference in all student achievements would be if all students read proficiently at their grade level. Reading at grade standard is critical! Not reading at grade level is a major roadblock to school success. Attention must be given at the elementary level with a serious focus on the child’s ability to read. We are developing a program to help address this problem, by adding a third/fourth grade focus. Not reading at grade level is leading to lower self-esteem so monitoring this skill is very important.
