Learning Choices is a school-based initiative to assist students who would benefit from a smaller classroom environment with the consistency of a small group of teachers.
The aim of the program is to build individual students’ abilities and strengths to assist them in transitioning back into mainstream classes with more skills and confidence to succeed. Social skills are explicitly taught with a focus on workplace preparedness and the curriculum differentiated to ensure students can access the content and to also further their academic strengths.
Students will engage in similar units and assessment tasks to other students in the school to ensure consistency. The methods in which students are taught and the mode of assessment is altered based on ability to provide more opportunity for success.
Students who are in the program are held to the same, high standards as the rest of the school. They are expected to attend class on time, demonstrate the school values of respect, responsibility and excellence, as well as attend all elective or chosen mainstream classes.
Many accommodations are made both academically and socially, including the creation and management of personal goals. Learning will be individualised and targeted to assist them according to their need and strengths. There will be more opportunity for one to one assistance and alternate tasks will be provided for their personal and educational success.
As students’ progress, they will be offered the opportunity to transition into mainstream and retain the support for some classes. The aim of this is to prepare students to succeed in their senior years of school.