Department Overview

The Learning Services Department is an integral component of the Town School community. The department includes three learning specialists who support the school’s wide range of learners. To meet this goal, the learning specialists play several key roles, including the following:

• Attend weekly meetings with teachers and administrators to identify struggling students and design support plans that are targeted to the students’ individual needs

• Meet with teachers one-on-one to discuss student progress and to make sure students are receiving appropriate classroom accommodations

• Provide direct support to students in the classroom, in small groups, and one-on-one

• Conduct informal screenings to provide a learning profile for the parents, teachers and support staff

• Coordinate support teams that include students, faculty, parents/guardians, school administrators, and outside professionals if needed

• Provide resources and strategies for parents and teachers to assist them in supporting students of diverse learning styles

• Collaborate with the Division Heads in order to provide professional development opportunities for teachers and to make the curriculum accessible to students with learning differences

If a student needs intensive individual services such as comprehensive psycho-educational testing, counseling, or extensive one-on-one remediation, then parents/guardians are referred to outside professionals. The Town School learning specialists are part of an extensive network of Bay Area professionals and will assist parents/guardians in finding the outside support that best fits their child’s needs. 

The learning specialists, teachers and parents work collaboratively to support the best learning experience for each child with a diagnosed learning difference. There are several ways a student can be supported by the learning services team: small group pull-out by a learning specialist to work on identified areas of need, push-in collaboration in the large classroom to support small group instruction, and 1:1 individual remediation in a specific area for that student.

Although the learning services department directly supports students with diagnosed learning disabilities, the school works to provide intervention and best practices for all the students at Town.

Learning services support in grades K-4 and 5-8 function differently to align with the specific schedule, structure, and developmental needs found in the Lower and Upper Schools. More information can be found through these Lower School Support and Upper School Support .