About

What We Do


Winston Preparatory School's

Individual Education Plan Process

At the heart of the Winston Prep learning methodology is understanding each and every student’s individual learning needs and profile—often for the first time in their lives. 
Typically, individual learning plans for special needs students are limited. They focus on short term goals and don’t account for social and emotional needs. We do things differently. 
At Winston Prep, we connect research with practice, and understand how to identify individual learning and development strengths and needs. Through our Continuous Feedback System, our expert faculty will continually assess how your child is responding to their skill development plan. They will constantly adjust and refine their teaching approach based on that.

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Your child is changing every day. At Winston Prep, so is their individualized learning plan. Click below to learn more about our admissions process.

At Winston Prep, Science Meets Practice.

  • Continuous Feedback System Continuous Feedback System
    Our Continuous Feedback System (CFS) is an in-depth assessment process. It allows our educators to evaluate both the learning challenges and strengths of each student. As an active, real-time communication and operating system, this process lets our teachers see and understand exactly how your child is doing day-to-day.
  • Focus Program Focus Program

    Our Focus Program provides daily, one-to-one remedial instruction for each student. We seek to target individual goals in the areas of greatest need. Focus instructors are responsible for developing a thorough understanding of each students’ learning profile and creating individualized goals that target remediation in various areas.
  • Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner
    Based on research, we’ve identified eight qualities that matter most and correlate closely with postsecondary success. While developed and employed over time, these skill sets allow students to become independent learners. Over time, they profoundly expand the possibilities for students with learning differences.


List of 3 items.

  • Where Do We Begin?

    Before your child spends their first day at Winston Prep, we spend weeks designing an academic program for their specific needs. Our individualized educational process begins with the review of each student’s standardized testing, informal testing, and social-emotional development. We also look at anecdotal information provided by parents, teachers, and the students themselves.

  • Grouping by Learning Profile

    Winston Prep then groups students based on their learning profile. This allows our expert educators to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of each student in a small group setting. No teacher must “teach to the mean,” ensuring every learner gets the support they need to succeed. As a result, students feel they are exactly where they belong.

  • Individualized Learning Plan

    The design of an individualized program that encourages skill acquisition and independence is one of the most challenging tasks for an educator. To do so successfully, one must fully assess, understand, and evaluate the responses of each student as an individual learner. We commit to doing this work for every single Winston Prep Student. The results speak for themselves. 

Parent

The supremely skilled faculty at Winston Prep were able to help our son through those rough spots. He is 16, and we’re beginning to discuss which colleges might be a good fit whereas when he was 9, we merely hoped he would make it through the school day. The groundwork for that transformation was laid over by the faculty and Focus teachers at the Winston Prep. For that, we are eternally grateful.

Examples

Goals and methods employed with students with the following primary learning difficulties:

List of 3 items.

  • Nonverbal Learning Disability

    Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD) is a specific learning disability rooted in weaknesses in visual-spatial processing leading to pervasive and overlapping academic and social challenges.

    NVLD is often characterized by challenges in reasoning and comprehension, socialization and communication, mathematics and executive functions.
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  • Language Processing

    Students with a core deficit in language processing are challenged with the concrete pieces of language and typically demonstrate strengths in comprehension and reasoning. Dyslexia, falling under the Language Processing umbrella, is a specific learning disability, neurological in origin characterized by persistent deficits in working memory, phonological processing, and rapid automatic naming. Students with dyslexia will often not only struggle with reading and spelling but also written expression, calculation, and following directions. Reading comprehension can also be impacted due to weak decoding skills. 
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  • Executive Functioning

    Students with an executive function disorder struggle with the supervisory and self-regulatory mental processes involved in planning, organizing and responding in a flexible, strategic and appropriate way. Researchers highlight a variety of processes associated with executive functions, including (but not limited to), goal selection, planning, regulation of goal directed behavior, delay of gratification, mental and behavioral flexibility, metacognition, adjusting to changing rules, utilization of attention and decision making. 
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The Results?

Over the last decade, our specialized academic process resulted in a 99.7% high school graduation rate. 

80% of those graduates were college-bound. The remaining 20% of Winston graduates enrolled in transitional, vocational, or other post-secondary programs.

More importantly, our students developed the skills necessary to lead independent, satisfying lives.
Winston Preparatory School is a leading school for students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, executive functioning difficulties (ADHD), and non-verbal learning disorders (NVLD).

WPS does not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin. The Winston Preparatory School provides programs and services and equal opportunity in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, financial aid programs, employment, and the selection of its governing board without regard to gender, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, or any status recognized by federal, state and local civil rights and non-discrimination laws.