Wesley Spectrum Academy

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The Wesley Academy is a private academic school with a special education component. Kids in our program have been identified by their parents, their school, or both, as being at risk for school failure. That can mean several things. They may simply not fit into a large school environment, and their grades are suffering. They may be the victims of ongoing teasing and abuse from other kids; they may themselves have bullied other children. They need the same educational opportunities as other children, but a higher level of support and counseling.

Wesley’s Kid-Centered Decision Making Methodology ensures that kids at The Wesley Academy are grouped according to their individual ability, not their disability. We are a private school with a special education program integrated into the classroom in order to properly provide exceptional educational, emotional and behavioral support. The Wesley Academy places children in academic classes based on the needs and achievement levels of the individual child. By eliminating the traditional grades of 4-12 we are able to provide more flexibility to gear programs around the needs of an individual child. Graduation is based on credits.

How does a child come to Wesley?
How decisions are made for the kids at Wesley Academy
Better outcomes through a Kid-Centered plan
A better environment begins with each child
Measurement: progress along the way
A dedication beyond words

How does a child come to Wesley?

Children enter our program one of two ways. Either a parent calls directly seeking placement, or a school refers the child here (a process that obviously involves the parent). Either of these actions starts a process.

Prescreening: after a phone call with the parent(s) to gauge if Wesley is an appropriate fit for the child’s needs, we gather information such as
- Testing
- Academic grades and transcripts
- Psychological evaluation, if available
- Individualized Education Plans
  This information is reviewed to further determine the circumstances a child is facing.
Interview: In a group meeting, a school administrator gives an overview of the profile of the child and their assessment of the current education situation. A counselor is on hand to help identify the needs of this child. Parents and, most importantly, the child are present to participate and add information so the group has a detailed and rich understanding of the needs of this individual child. At the end of the interview, a decision is made as to whether Wesley is a good fit for the child.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP): If the child is referred through the school district for special education services, an IEP will be developed. This is a formalized plan for the outcomes to be achieved for the child, and how the school will meet that need. There is flexibility as to how the plan is created, and Wesley’s approach is tied directly to Kid-Centered Decision Making. We take into account three key components when creating an IEP, and when helping children in our care grow and excel: Kid-Centered Planning, Kid-Centered environment and Kid-Centered Measurement.

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How Decisions are Made for the Kids at Wesley Academy

The Wesley Academy relies on a unique methodology called Kid-Centered Decision Making to create better outcomes for each child who enters Wesley Academy. We believe that to achieve the best outcomes for a child we must make the best decisions every step of the way, and that starts by asking “what is best for this individual child?”

Kid-Centered Decision Making relies on the idea that improving the skills each child needs to succeed requires a better plan, a better environment and better measurement. The outcome of our approach is that resources are directed most efficiently to best serve the needs of each child ahead of all other considerations.

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Better Outcomes Through a Kid-Centered Plan

Planning is all about creating the best outcomes. For the students who attend The Wesley Academy, those outcomes are defined in great detail for each individual child. While the capacity for growth and achievement are often limitless, only through the establishment of realistic goals can we effectively manage the care for an individual. This is not to put limits on that child, but to create milestones which, once reached, allow for new planning and new goals. Often this may be integration back into a public school setting, or accelerated academic advancement once a personal issue is resolved.

Kid-Centered Planning occurs in conjunction with parents, teachers, the child and a counselor. The outcome of the planning varies, but always results in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) outlining the specific outcomes to be achieved for a child. The individual plan for each child creates the blueprint from which we work to build a better future.

At Wesley Academy we work to support every child’s involvement in the IEP process; in fact they often assist in the writing of it. That involvement in the Kid-Centered Planning helps the child become invested in the outcomes he or she will be working toward, and can be very empowering. It’s not uncommon for kids working on an IEP to say “I don’t agree with that.” It focuses the child and ensures that there is awareness that the child is involved and responsible for the outcomes to be achieved. Assisting in the actual writing of an IEP is largely determined by the maturity of the child and is not appropriate for every student.

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A Better Environment Begins With Each Child

The environment is a critical component in the creation of successful outcomes. At The Wesley Academy, Kid-Centered Planning ensures that there is better interaction among every element of the child’s day, from the moment she (or he) enters school, to her experience in classes, to interaction with her counselor. All of these elements are considered for each child, and will vary to a great degree based on that child’s plan. For instance, one child may meet hourly with a counselor, and attend lunch with a small group of classmates, if the child finds large group interactions overly stimulating or frightening. Another child may meet once a day with a counselor, but need special time alone to study without interruption. Each is working toward an individual goal that requires a different experience. Few organizations are as flexible as Wesley to repeat this for 150 students. The key aspect of a Kid-Centered Environment is that it adapts to the needs of individual children, rather than requiring the children to fit into the confines of a single approach.

However, children cannot grow in isolation, and our environment acknowledges that. At Wesley Academy, children have a high degree of collective input into the group school environment, guided by a professional staff that also understands how to create a positive atmosphere. Community is a big part of learning how to grow as an individual, and we ask kids to be a part of larger issues as well.

For example:

We hold a town hall meeting where we talk about issues ranging from food in the cafeteria, to lockers, to the influence of seeing other kids smoking. It’s a barometer of what’s working well and where everyone feels improvements can be made. Real changes are made as a result.
We use student surveys to identify needs and make changes. And we encourage kids to be honest. Our cafeteria came as a result of student surveys, as did the introduction of classes such as ceramics and other electives.
We have homeroom ambassadors that meet with new kids. They give feedback on how to make it easier for new students as they enter our program, and in the process learn that others share their anxieties about school and life.

Typical class size at Wesley Academy is 12 students. This enables students and teachers to build very close relationships. If a child is in distress, involved in a conflict or being teased, we can identify it very quickly and address it. Our skilled counselors are present and accessible as well as teachers and administrators, resulting in a supportive environment. We know every child very well.

Every student is assigned a counselor. How often the child meets with his or her counselor is largely dependent on the needs of the child and the IEP. For some, it may be every day, even multiple times a day. In our environment, we place an enormous emphasis on creating a feeling of security and safety so children begin to get comfortable in the educational setting. Our counselors have an open door policy, not structured on time. It is no stretch to say that to succeed for an individual child, the abilities of the counselor is pivotal. And so we seek, retain and continually work to improve the skills of our counseling team.

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Measurement: Progress Along the Way

Effectively measuring progress along a child’s path to improvement requires specialized processes, tools and techniques. It involves measuring the needs of the individual child, while at the same time measuring organizational performance. In the end, our ability to measure the effectiveness of our organization is directly impacted by our ability to measure the progress of each child.

In addition to goals which must be followed in order to meet state requirements, Wesley Academy uses leading qualitative and quantitative tools as part of its Kid-Centered Decision Making methodology to gauge a student’s progress.

Qualitative tools:

Our teachers document student behavior and academic performance on daily basis, and submit to administrators weekly so each child’s progress can be tracked toward his or her individual goals. Dips or changes can more easily be tracked. They allow for us to reward effort and encourage more progress as we see children achieving their goals. They can also be a red flag that something is happening with a child. In these cases, we take immediate action to “staff” that child by providing additional attention. A counselor is fully aware and follows up with parents or a doctor.
Counselors are the liaison with parents. Parents as well as students appreciate scheduled feedback. So we make it easy to be in touch, and provide weekly or monthly updates in a way that keeps parents informed. And we are vigilant about sharing both good and bad news, so there is an accurate picture.

Quantitative tools:

Teachers and counselors use student reports for both traditional school measurement and to gauge how a child is progressing socially and emotionally, including:
- Academic testing within the curriculum to gauge progress against standards.
- The child’s relationships that have been formed at school, and how they deal in general with other children.
- Documenting the time the counselor has spent with a child each month
- Follow-up when crisis intervention is required.

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A dedication beyond words

We take our responsibility to help kids as the most important job on earth. We believe each child can achieve great things in our program. From greeting children every morning in the halls, to standing watch during class changes, to meeting at night with a parent to accommodate their schedule, we believe better outcomes come as a result of great people using a great process to help our kids grow. That’s the whole idea behind Kid-Centered Decision Making, and a reason, in our 40th year, and thousands of children later, Wesley Spectrum Services continues to help kids grow.

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For more information and details on Wesley Spectrum Academy, call 412-833-6444.

Contact Information

Amy Townsend
Director
243 Johnston Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Phone: 412-833-6444 x234
Fax: 412-308-0168
atownsend@wesleyspectrum.org

Melissa Garvin
Associate Director
243 Johnston Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Phone: 412-833-6444 x228
Fax: 412-308-0168
mgarvin@wesleyspectrum.org