The ARK (Academic Resources for Kids) Program

The ARK (Academic Resource for Kids) Resource Program exists to provide the enhancement or remediation of our existing curriculum and is staffed by specialists in a variety of areas. Students requiring extensive resource help will be referred to appropriate on-campus or off-site programs to achieve optimal assistance. Some programs may require additional fees.

On-campus services are provided in a 3-tier plan ranging in scope from:

Tier 1 Classroom Intervention: Provided by the classroom teacher and in consultation with the resource staff. This begins with the formulation of an Accommodative Education Plan (AEP) based on a current (within the past three years) educational and/or neuropsychological evaluation. The teacher then uses this plan to assist in differentiation of classroom instruction. This includes accommodations and modifications which are made to the classroom instructional expectations and will be used for regular review with parents, teachers, and resource staff. If your child qualifies for accommodations or modifications, CLS will do its best to meet his/her needs. CLS may not be able to meet all of your child’s needs. A new plan will be written each year based on a current educational evaluation with an associated fee for this service.

Tier 2 Small Group Intervention: Provided for students who are not making adequate progress in the general classroom. An academic intervention is a strategy used to teach a new skill, build fluency in a skill, or encourage a child to apply an existing skill to new situations or settings. These small groups are pulled out of the classrooms 3-5 times a week for specific support in a subject area, with progress monitoring to determine achievement and needs. For older students, interventions may involve support and encouragement in the areas of planning, organizing, managing time and routines, and the development of coping skills necessary for student success. Small group learning labs or pull out subject-area support are commonly set up for the upper grade students and may require an educational and/or neuropsychological evaluation to qualify for these services. Fees are assessed for many of the programs. Tier 3 Individualized Intervention: These interventions are offered for students who need intensive, systematic, and cumulative learning strategies and approaches. These programs address learning differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and executive functioning delays that include deficits such as ADD/ADHD. Among interventions offered at CLS, the Barton Reading and Spelling Program and Wilson Reading System have proven to be successful for qualifying students.

Other services of the resource staff include the following:

● Assist and coach the classroom teachers by providing ideas and resources for effective teaching strategies and differentiated instruction to best meet student needs.
● Coordinate with outside specialists to offer assessments and/or therapies for students with special needs on the CLS campus.
● Provide additional tutoring resources during after school hours or in the summer months.
● Provide assistance and encouragement to parents and teachers.

Connections Program
The Connections Program is a partnership that was created between CLS and Gentry Pediatric Behavioral Services. In early 2021, GentryPBS located one of its evidence-based ABA clinics within our building to be able to give their young clients the opportunity to gain social, learning and adaptive skills within a more naturalistic environment, while also giving them access to a religious experience. Children enrolled within the GentryPBS clinic will not only receive the ABA services they need due to their neurodivergent diagnoses, but because the clinic is located within CLS, we are able to give these kids access to neurotypical peer relationships, extracurricular activities, and a deeper relationship with Christ. Families of children who enroll in the Gentry PBS clinic are asked to pay a fee to CLS for access to our special education staff and teachers, as well as obtain access to all of our special activities, like art, music and lunch/recess. Together with this partnership between CLS and GentryPBS we will be able to give a diverse set of kids a truly unique opportunity to get the best therapeutic/educational experience and a place to generalize their skills, while also strengthening a place in their heart for God.