HIGH SCHOOL
Springer High School is an emerging program developed from the foundation of more than fifty years of experience as Greater Cincinnati’s most trusted private school for students with learning disabilities, feedback from families, and years of study.
The design of Springer’s High School program has been built upon best practices, latest research and recommendations from some of the most respected schools specializing in learning differences, across the map. Accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Springer’s expertise and renowned programming were put into practice at the ninth-grade level in 2023. In 2027, Springer will graduate its first senior class.
Knowing our students
Our students need to focus on academics and not on understanding the expectations or worrying about what comes next. Springer faculty and staff implement common procedures for consistent instructional routines, providing a strong foundation of procedure in each and every classroom. Students engage in daily targeted intervention for their specific learning needs. Research-based curriculum builds skills the students need to be successful.
Student Learning
Springer's curriculum is designed to provide the opportunity to engage in rigorous academics while experiencing high levels of support from trained faculty. Students are scheduled into grade-level core academic courses and three hallmark courses, designed specifically for our learners. Learning Lab, Quest and SOAR classes are unique to Springer and provide direct instruction in a variety of areas. These elective courses help all students build on language skills that will be beneficial for college preparation, allow them time to learn about themselves as learners and advocates for their own success, and help them to organize and prioritize their work and long-term projects.
Instruction and Support
Small class sizes make for an environment where every individual student is seen. Students have more opportunity to grow and feel safe taking risks. This fosters curiosity, increases confidence and builds potential. Students feel a sense of belonging as they grow into compassionate members of our community.
- Dynamic, engaging and targeted curriculum
- Multisensory Instruction
- Individualized intervention and services
- Courses and systems specifically designed for students with LD, Dyslexia and ADHD
- Small class sizes
- Individualized college and career planning
- Culture of belonging and community
High School students have access to extended blocks for English and Math. This allows the opportunity for scaffolding and/or extensions in the areas of English and Math. Students who are behind in these areas could master the content with foundational instruction and reinforcement. Those students excelling have the opportunity for enrichment in the areas in which they thrive.
We believe that curriculum must be designed in a way that:- Ensures students are learning the objectives outlined in the Common Core Standards
- Is engaging and interactive
- Allows for modification and flexibility
- Is developed to allow for more than one year of growth in math and English/Language Arts
- Is centered around clear learning goals for each individual child
- Is designed with a diverse perspective in mind
- Is an important tool in providing accommodations and strategies that can level the playing field and increase independence
- Must be used intentionally for learning purposes and strategies
- Must be modeled for students by teachers
- Requires instruction in order to be used effectively
- Helps students keep pace with the outside world
- Prepares students for future career goals
- Be highly engaging, fun and flexible
- Be multisensory in nature allowing students to be fully immersed in learning
- Be built on a foundation of research based instructional practices and interventions
- Be designed in a way that a gradual release of responsibility and independence can occur
- Be systematic throughout an educational environment
- Be created with a constant awareness of cognitive load capacity
- Assist students in building academic confidence by allowing them to experience success
- Reinforce critical concepts taught in the classroom
- Allow the teacher to have an increased level of awareness of student strengths and limitations, thereby guiding a more individualized instructional approach
- Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate knowledge and mastery
- Minimizes student and parent anxiety and frustration
- Honors individualized learning styles and needs
- Recognizes and respects competing demands for students’ time outside of school
- Meets individual student need and is strategically designed for each child
- Recognizes attempts at completion, not just accuracy
- Recognizes and respects the value of play and recreation outside of school
We are committed to keeping core content class sizes at 14 or less. In this setting students have more opportunities to learn and grow and feel safe taking risks. The outcome of such an approach fosters curiosity, increases confidence and builds potential on their path to a successful future.
Throughout a student’s time at a Springer High School, students and families meet regularly with a staff member to discuss plans. Our staff will develop options for students based on their individual needs and future goals. This includes exploring the next steps in their high school journey, assessing their career interests and planning for college.
With our small class sizes, holistic Student Growth will be an integral part of the day at Springer. Students will feel a sense of belonging, as they grow into compassionate members of our community.
We believe that Student Growth:- Must be an integral part of what we do
- Happens when Character Education is explicitly taught
- Happens when Positive Behaviors are recognized and celebrated
- Happens when expectations are explicitly taught, practiced and reinforced
- Is important in order for our students to navigate difficult situations successfully
- Will help our students approach situations with confidence and a growth mindset
- Is an important part of long-term success
- They have been diagnosed with a learning disability, ADHD and/or have executive functioning needs
- They thrive in a small, individualized academic setting
- They are ready to work hard
- They have a growth mindset- or are ready to learn what that is
- They have a bright successful future ahead of them, but need certain supports and systems to help them achieve their goals