Transition Learning Support Program
In Woodward Academy’s Transition Learning Support Program, we level the playing field for students with mild to moderate learning challenges so they can flourish in a demanding college preparatory environment.
A Comprehensive Program with a College-Preparatory Curriculum
With smaller class sizes, a faculty comprised of specialized experts, and proven pedagogical approaches for every academic area, our Transition Learning Support Program goes well beyond a few learning support aids dropped into traditional classrooms and instead provides a comprehensive environment designed exclusively for our Transition Program students. Our students learn the same demanding college-preparatory curriculum as their Woodward peers in the mainstream track, but do so while cultivating the tools and strategies needed to convert different learning styles into confidence, social and emotional stability, and tremendous academic success.
who are our students?
They are bright, creative, and most of all—driven. Whether they have challenges in reading (dyslexia), written expression (dysgraphia), math (dyscalculia), language, areas of processing, executive function or attention, our students go on to succeed in the Upper School, college, and every career path imaginable. This program is for students who have a specific diagnosis documented by either a private or school psychologist, and it is not designed for students whose learning problems exist primarily because of below-average intelligence, poor motivation, or behavioral issues, and students with those issues will be better served in other environments.
"My path to both academic and social success at Woodward began in my 5th grade Transition classroom. The Transition Program provided the small classroom environment that I needed to cultivate my strengths and heighten my awareness of how I needed to approach my learning difference in a committed and determined manner."
-Daniel Oberti '15, Wake Forest University
A Deeper Look at Our Program
Woodward North
Primary & Lower School
Middle School
Additionally, while study strategies are emphasized in all disciplines, students may take a study strategies class in order to enhance their skills in that area. The classes remain small and highly structured, with class sizes of 10-12. Tutorials for individual clarification and reinforcement are held daily, and group instruction during regular class periods contributes to the growing independence of the students. To further this independence, teachers present and reinforce specific learning strategies and require students to apply organizational skills in all classes.
Admissions Criteria & Procedures
All applicants to the Transition Program must file a regular Woodward Academy application for admission, provide a report of a current psychoeducational evaluation with a diagnosis written by a private or school psychologist, and be interviewed by the Director of the Transition Program. Admission criteria include evidence of average or above-average intellectual capability, a mild to moderate diagnosed learning difference, grade level achievement scores in some areas, and evidence of motivation toward academic achievement. The admissions committee will individually review each application, and decisions of the committee are final.
