St. Paul’s commitment to each student’s success is supported by Intervention Services including a reading specialist, a speech pathologist, a school counselor, a math intervention tutor, and several intervention specialists. Working closely with administration, teachers, staff, and parents, the intervention team provides in-school academic and social-emotional support and intervention based on individual student needs. Additionally, St. Paul’s intervention team collaborates with six public school districts and private professionals to comprehensively evaluate and effectively service the needs of all students. St. Paul provides accommodations through Diocesan Written Plans (Diocese of Columbus) and Individual Education Plans via Jon Peterson Scholarship (Ohio Department of Education).
The role of the reading specialist is to provide literacy expertise, insight, and support to ensure that all students reach their fullest potential as language arts learners. The reading resource teacher assesses the strengths and needs of individuals and groups of students by formal and informal assessments, assists teachers in using and interpreting assessments to inform instructional decisions, and document student progress. The reading specialist provides direct reading instruction for students in grades K-3 with literacy needs.
The role of the intervention specialists is to implement research-
based assessment and instructional strategies to address the academic needs of students. The intervention specialists provide specially designed instruction and accommodations outlined in qualified students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEP) or Diocesan Written Plans. Specific services are provided to students based on determined patterns of strengths and needs in the general classroom inclusion setting, small group, and individual settings. St. Paul intervention specialists work closely with parents to continuously assess and consequently address unique student challenges. Intervention specialists collaborate with teachers in meeting the various needs of students using current trends in education, curriculum, and educational research. Intervention Specialists support assessment accommodations at all grade levels and work with teachers to facilitate students’ academic progress throughout the curriculum.
The school counselors provide individual behavioral, social, and emotional support to students and lead guidance classes with groups of students on a variety of topics. Our school counselors communicate closely with parents, teachers, and administration to gain insights into individual student needs and plan appropriate behavioral interventions. The school counselor facilitates efforts in school-wide positive behavior initiatives and organizes annual standardized testing for St. Paul Students. The school counselors support the referral process of students in collaboration with the administration and teachers.
The speech pathologist provides individual and small group speech and language therapy to students with Service Plans. In order to receive services, students are screened and observed based on parent and/or teacher referrals. Our speech pathologist evaluates students that show weaknesses in articulation, expressive, or receptive language that interfere with their classroom performance. If a student’s speech or language is determined to meet the criteria for a disability in this area, a Service Plan is developed in collaboration with parents and public school districts. Our speech pathologist consults regularly with teachers to facilitate inclusion classroom supports for students receiving services.