March 2022

Dear Winston Families, Colleagues, and Friends,

As WPS highly values the role of research in driving program development for our students, the Winston Innovation Lab continuously delves into and highlights evidence-based practices for our faculty. More specifically, WIL shares up-to-date research findings and applicable examples with leaders and faculty through the WIL Faculty Learning Library Portal. WIL team members work with WPS faculty members to incorporate this research into their classroom programming and then present jointly on specific, research-driven remediation tools and discuss how they impact student learning and further WPS’s mission of creating independent learners through our Research to Practice professional learning series. Throughout the fall semester, the monthly Research to Practice seminar series focused on best teaching practices in mathematics and mathematical thinking for students with learning disabilities.

To illustrate, here is an example of how the collaboration unfolds: Field research supports the crucial idea that math fluency does not lead to successful math development without number sense, which is the understanding of the relationship between numbers, leading to more flexible and efficient mathematical thinking and problem-solving. Memorizing basic math facts in isolation is not as effective as strengthening number sense in an effort to build fluency. With this research in mind, WIL leaders collaborated with WPSNY math instructor, Dan Roeder, on exploring ways to target number sense with his math class of middle schoolers who primarily struggle with executive functioning skills. After seeing the success of targeting number sense to improve math fluency with his class, Dan and WIL team members presented to faculty and leaders on the remediation methods he used and shared recordings from his lesson. Working collaboratively with WIL team members, Dan supplemented these clips with an explanation of how he utilized the Continuous Feedback System to guide his assessment of students’ skills and breakdowns in their number sense, and further, how his lesson aimed to develop not only math fluency skills, but also the Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner.

Sincerely,

Scott Bezsylko

Executive Director

Elizabeth Mendelsohn

Director of Winston Innovation Lab
Chief Operating Officer

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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.