Resource Program

The St. Jerome Academy Resource Program is a program designed for the service of students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The program was created with the aim of making our classical education accessible to all students, especially those students with diverse learning needs. Whether students have Individual Education Plans (IEP), 504 plans, private evaluations, or are in need of intervention, the resource program seeks to provide assistance in the form of reading, writing, and mathematics instruction. In the resource program, students are either pulled out of their classes for more individualized instruction or are instructed within classrooms using an inclusion model. St. Jerome Academy has two full-time Resource Teachers that work with teachers, parents, and the Student Assistance Team to oversee the progress of all students.

The St. Jerome Academy Resource Program has two educational plans: The Catholic Accommodation Plan (CAP) and the Individual Catholic Education Plan (ICEP). The Catholic Accommodation Plan (CAP) documents accommodations to be provided in the student’s classes. An Individual Catholic Education Plan (ICEP) includes accommodations, modifications, intervention services, annual goals and short-term measurable objectives. Both plans are evaluated on a semesterly basis and include feedback from the classroom teachers and academic specials teachers.

The primary reading intervention is the Orton-Gillingham Program. The Program teaches students how to read and spell decodable words as well as sight words. Students that receive instruction in the program may receive one to five 50-minute sessions per week depending on educational need.

Other programs available at the school are the Great Leaps Reading Fluency Program and Learning Ally. Great Leaps is an individually administered program that builds reading fluency with individual sounds, word phrases, and passages. Learning Ally is a text to speech program. Unlike some programs that use a robotic voice, Learning Ally uses a human reader that is able to read with emotion.

St. Jerome Academy has a Student Assistance Team (SAT). The Student Assistance Team (SAT) is a school-based group whose purpose is to provide additional support to students experiencing difficulties that prevent them from benefiting from general education. These may be students who are performing below expectations, or gifted students who are not challenged sufficiently. The SAT's mission is to investigate and arrive at appropriate solutions to problems in the school environment through a cooperative team effort. Although the team may make referrals to special education and other special programs, the SAT is not part of the special education process, but rather a general education responsibility.

The SAT addresses problems found through screening, or those brought up as concerns by parents, teachers, or other staff. The SAT designs interventions for those students who show need for individual consideration, taking the students' strengths into account. Further, the SAT suggests interventions that may alleviate or resolve the situation prior to referral for a multidisciplinary evaluation. In many cases, the SAT is able to assist students who need interventions in order to succeed.

The Student Assistance Team at St. Jerome Academy meets weekly. Team members and roles are listed below. Homeroom/classroom teachers are part of the meeting when their particular student is being discussed.