The Learning Support Program at CHS will strive to:

• Expand inclusionary opportunities as much as possible.
   
• Adapt and accommodate curriculum, teaching methodology and assessments as needed to serve the learners with mild learning difficulties.
   
• Assist learners to development enriched academic and social skills and knowledge to work independently.

• Provide in class support services for learners with identified mild learning disabilities, hence enabling them to succeed in the general education classroom.
   
• Provide out of class/ group services based on a comprehensive Individualized Educational Plan.  
   
• Enable learners to become productive and effective citizens.

Our Learning Support Program at the Armenian Evangelical Central High School caters for learners with mild learning difficulties. This program offers two types of intervention which include in class support and out of class pull out sessions. The in class support allows the general education teacher with collaboration with the special education teacher to provide accommodation to class work, homework and tests so that the learner can do the same work as his/her peers. The support is given in Math, English and Arabic languages. Furthermore, the number of support sessions depends on the learners need. The out of class pull out sessions has the general and special education teachers reteach particular objectives after developing an Individualized Educational Plan for each student depending on his/her area of difficulty and needs.

The Learning Support Program strives to understand learners as individual learners with special needs and learning styles. The faculty and staff work together with the special education teachers to guide the learners toward academic success. They work on teaching appropriate strategies based on individual needs of special education learners.
The Learning Support Program assists learners through:

• Monitoring of grades and behaviors in mainstream classes.
   
• Supporting in the mainstream classes.
   
• Maximizing opportunities for inclusion in mainstream curriculum.
   
• Developing independency.
   
• Developing awareness among the general education staff of individual learner’s disabilities and teaching strategies for their academic and social success.

The Learning Support Program is committed to:

• enriching the skills and knowledge of general education teachers through workshops dedicated to classroom management, implementing different teaching strategies and methodologies, and accommodation/modification and adaptations that can be done to tests and curricula.
   
• providing opportunities to all the teachers for continual learning in order to best serve an increasingly diverse special education population.
   
• constant collaboration  between general education and special education colleagues.

The Learning support program provides learners with special needs:

• support for the regular education curriculum.
   
• adapted and remedial curriculum through smaller group and resource rooms that parallel the regular education curriculum to provide extra services that are appropriate for special needs learners as dictated by the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP).

The Special Education Program (Learning Support Program) at CHS aims to support students with mild learning difficulties (such as difficulties in reading and writing, ADHD...). It fosters an inclusive environment where students with difficulties can learn alongside their peers in general education settings.

v Inclusion criteria for Special Education students at CHS involve various factors and assessments, including:

· Observation and evaluation of the special education department coordinator at the beginning of the scholastic year, if the student is new and he/she might be a candidate to join the special education program.

· Documentation of difficulty: Students must have documented WISC-V Psycho-educational Assessment done by professionals such as psychologists, and educational diagnosticians. The test measures several cognitive abilities: measures a range of cognitive abilities, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed, and fluid reasoning. The assessment mentioned above is used as evidence of a difficulty that affects their ability to learn and participate in a general education setting.

· Individualized Education Program (IEP): Development of an IEP tailored to the student's unique needs, outlining specific goals, accommodations, modifications, and services required to support their learning.

· Parental Input: Collaboration with parents in the decision-making process regarding the student's educational plan and accommodations.

v Brief description of the Learning Support Program's Process:

 This program offers two types of intervention, which include:

· In-class Support: The in-class provides support for the regular education curriculum. It allows the general education teacher with collaboration with the special education teacher to provide accommodation to class work and tests so that the student can do the same work as his/her peers. The support in class in the Elementary department is given in Math, English, and Arabic languages. In the Intermediate department, support is given in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, English and Arabic languages.

· Out of class pull-out sessions: The out-of-class pull-out sessions where the special education teachers re-teach particular objectives after developing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each student depending on his/her area of difficulty and needs. During these sessions, the special educators use the Montessori Education Methodology of teaching by providing the students various activities and materials that fit their specific needs.

v Progress Monitoring:

Regularly assessing students' progress special educators adjust and modify instructional strategies, and accommodations, to meet the needs of students.

v  Parents meeting:

Organizing regular meetings with the parents to give detailed reports about the students' progress.