Academics
Chesapeake Learning Center
The Chesapeake Learning Center (CLC) was founded to provide direct services to students with learning differences in our small boarding school environment. While WNA has a history of providing individualized attention to its students, the CLC recognized the need to provide specialized support from faculty with a deeper understanding of educating exceptional students.
The CLC program recognizes the strengths of each student and strives to enable students to understand their challenges and employ strategies to succeed – academically and socially -- in a college preparatory environment. Many students with exceptional profiles have been under-served in their previous placements, and the CLC works in partnership with students to guide their development to become effective self-advocates who confidently engage at the post-secondary level as WNA graduates.
The CLC program is proportional to the size of the school; approximately 10 percent of WNA students receive CLC services on either a part-time or full-time basis. The CLC offers an array of services as appropriate for individual students, including:
- Development of an individualized Learning Profile, disseminated to each of the student’s teachers
- Scheduled time to work with the Learning Specialist -- two or three 80-minute blocks per week in an individual or small group setting
- Academic skill development (study skills, literacy skills, strategy instruction)
- Support to address and remediate executive function challenges with organization, planning, and time management
- Self-advocacy support and development
- Coordination of testing and other classroom accommodations
- Regular monitoring of grades and assignment submissions
- Observation and support throughout the school day, after school hours, and on weekends
- Frequent communication with parents/guardians
- Collaboration with the Director of College Counseling to facilitate and enhance the college search and application process for a strong transition to post-secondary life
