Thank you, Tom, for putting forth so succinctly the essence of education -
strategies that would do well in all classrooms.  I can imagine that the
learners you reach now might have well avoided an institution had they
received the tender and competent care you describe.  Lucille Cuttler

-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Woods
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 8:59 PM
To: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 899] Re: LearningDisabilities Digest, Vol
17, Issue 2




Andrea Wilder wrote:


> How do you get away from testing requirements?

> Could you outline more about your school?


We are in corrections education and excempt from state testing that public
schools are required to do.

We are extremely fortunate that we have been able to develop our own "best
practices" which is necessitated by the extremely unusual institutional
conditions found inside our prisons and by the frequency and severity of
cognitive and behavioral problems we find among our students (e.g. emotional
disorders, stress, adhd, learning disorders, conduct disorders, personality
disorders, mental illness, poverty, substance abuse, etc.)  Previous schools
have tried everything they could think of, and nothing worked. Now they are
incarcerated and we are the school of last resort.

Our school is far from perfect and we have a long way to go as we strive for
our vision, but we have found an effective way to offer an education to our
students. It includes many interrelated components. Some of the more
important ones are:
1. It is very highly student-centered. Students are very active in the
pursuit of their educational goals.
2. Relationships. We work hard to develop trusting respectful relationships
with students.
3. Highly individualized instruction.
4. Self-paced instruction. Contrary to other opinions expressed, we find
that many students need more time or less time to complete work. In other
educational settings, they "fail" if they can't complete requirements before
a course ends or before the class moves on to a different unit. It is such
an easy remedy to just give them the time they need.
5. Motivation. Student-centeredness combines with many other motivational
factors to build a milleux in which students are excited about learning, and
formulating and pursuing their own educational goals -- fully re-engaged in
education.
6. Basic needs. Despite a prison environment's high stress levels, the
institution does provide for the student's basic needs of food, shelter,
warmth, and healthcare. This can be a better environment than where the
student came from, and it enables a school environment conducive to
learning.

You can learn more about the Community High School of Vermont by Googling
the name, or more simply, "CHSVT."


Tom Woods
Community High School of Vermont

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