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Student support and intervention


At Gordon, we believe in child-centered learning with strong communication between home and school. Our grade-level teams, which include teachers, learning specialists, and counselors, work together to monitor and support each student’s progress.

Early intervention

In the Early Childhood division, we carefully track each child watching for key developmental milestones like speech, motor skills, and social and emotional growth. We collaborate with families on targeted strategies and support, and partner with local early intervention screenings. We understand that children develop at different rates, and some may require additional assistance to help them reach their full potential.

Learning support in Lower School and Middle School

In Lower School, students who need additional help benefit from two full-time literacy specialists and a math specialist who work closely with teachers to implement personalized strategies. Students facing reading challenges may receive specialized support through the Pathways Program, a structured, multi-sensory approach to literacy based on the Orton-Gillingham method.

In Middle School, we offer differentiated instruction, small group sessions, and WIN (What I Need) periods for academic support. Our math specialist, learning support team, and school counselor collaborate to ensure each student gets the help they need to succeed.

Formal learning profiles and accommodations

For students with formal diagnoses of learning disabilities, our learning specialists work with families to develop learning profiles that outline specific accommodations and support, such as extended time, note-taking, audiobooks, and study skills. We strive to ensure that each student understands their own learning style and can advocate for their needs.

A partnership with families

At Gordon, we work closely with families to monitor progress and adjust interventions as needed. We believe in a team-based approach, involving teachers, specialists, and caregivers to ensure the best possible outcomes for every student.
 

 

Recent milestones in student support services at Gordon:

Spring 2018: Gordon's Strategic Vision establishes a goal: “Build up Pathways and our middle school academic support services to more adequately support the neurodiversity of all learners.”
 

Fall 2021: Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning expands goal beyond Pathways and academic support to focus on building a comprehensive student support services strategy

Spring 2022: Thanks for the feedback! The education committee of the Board of Trustees launches a survey to elicit feedback from the parent and caregiver community about our social and emotional and academic support services at Gordon. We received one hundred and forty-six responses—a record-breaking numbe and only beaten by the lunch survey given the same year!—and this data, along with feedback from faculty, staff and alumni,  informed priorities that guide the student support services team today.

Spring 2022: School hires Gordon’s first fulltime School Counselor and reinstates the Early Childhood Director position, both of whom begin their tenure in the fall of 2022. 

Spring 2023: Gordon restructures the Student Support Services department to include three divisional learning support coordinators, two of whom begin their tenures in the fall of 2023.