Learning Support

At Jesuit High School, individualization is at the heart of our efforts to support the diverse learning needs of our students. Each student's needs are different, so each student's plan is different; there is no one path through Jesuit.

Our Learning Support Program offers academic accommodations, seminar classes, and extra help to about 300 students at Jesuit who fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. Students with well-documented learning differences and other diagnoses, like dyslexia and ADHD (about 250 students at the start of school year 2024-25)
2. Students whose dual-language status can impact their academics (ELL/ESL)
3. Students, referred by staff, who would benefit from support with work completion (0/8th period)

To maintain the integrity of our program, and out of respect for the significant challenges many of our students face, we take very seriously our responsibility to carefully document that our students qualify for accommodations. 

Jesuit uses the College Board Standard for qualification, meaning that we use the same guidelines and rules as the College Board (administrators of the SAT) for documentation standards. We apply for College Board accommodations for all of our students before their 10th grade year; if they can meet that documentation standard, then they meet the standards for qualification at Jesuit. As part of that standard, they must also routinely USE accommodations at school if they plan to use those accommodations on standardized tests, ideally for a period of several years. 

In short, we require very robust documentation of a learning difference/ADHD, mental health challenge, or medical condition. – which means that a 3-sentence letter from a doctor or therapist will not be enough, but a 2-3 page letter or psycho-educational testing report probably is. Sometimes evaluators don’t really read the guidelines we send, but that can lead to wasted effort; please encourage your provider to read the guidelines and follow them 100%. We have also attached the College Board criterion by condition, linked here. 

 As you can see from the links, there are generally 7 areas a report or letter needs to cover very completely:

1. Diagnosis Clearly Stated with codes
2. Information Current
3. History Stated
4. Diagnosis Justified
5. Functional Limitations (on tests and in the classroom) described
6. Recommended accommodations listed and justified, including 1.5x extended time on tests
7. Professional Credentials Listed

We have also included letters you can share with medical or mental health providers. 

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: 

• If you are getting an evaluation for your child, please share that information with their counselor, and ask them to pass along to the CLARC testing/documentation staff.. It will make the coordination process much easier. 
• If there are inventories/questionnaires to complete, please send them directly to us (Colleen O’Mahony, Director of the CLARC)  and we will distribute and send directly to the evaluator (they can’t travel with students.) PLEASE do not distribute directly to teachers. Also, e-mail links tend to be unreliable and prone to suspicion. We have a good system for distribution and collection, and it will get done faster and more reliably. 
• PLEASE do not pay thousands and thousands of dollars for testing. Most evaluations should be covered by insurance. If not, there are sliding scale and lower cost options. Please reach out to us and we can help: Colleen O’Mahony, Director of the CLARC 503-291-5410. 

Once students pass through the documentation process and qualify, Jesuit offers a simple menu of accommodations that we can do well; we offer no modifications to classes, assignments, deadlines, or tests. (Even with evaluator/doctor recommendation or previous IEP/504, we cannot make exceptions.) If a student needs more expansive accommodations, Edison classes have the flexibility for many more options.

Accommodations commonly offered at Jesuit to qualified students/when recommended by evaluators include the following: 

• 1.5x extended time on tests, quizzes and finals
• Ability to take tests and quizzes in a quiet space if requested (CLARC testing suite)
• Learning Ally audiobooks
• Strategic seating in the classroom noted as a preference (not a guarantee, given the volume of students on learning plans)
• Spelling does not count against students (except in world language classes)
• Student can rehearse before reading aloud/get a “heads up”
• Specialized academic language explicitly taught
• Ability to use word processor for written exams

Accommodations we do not offer* (examples, not an exhaustive list):

• Extended deadlines on assignments and projects as a routine accommodation. (We find this just creates a backlog of work. Instead, we offer strategy work on meeting deadlines in seminar classes.)
• A reader or scribe for tests.
• Use of a calculator, multiplication table, notecard, outline or other tool on a test, quiz or exam (when the rest of the class cannot use these tools) 
• 2x time on tests
• Re-takes on tests or re-dos on homework as an accommodation
• Headphone or earbud use as an accommodation

*All of these accommodations ARE, however, available at our sister school, Edison High School. If students need an accommodation Jesuit does not offer, we highly encourage them to speak with their counselor and/or the Director of the CLARC about the possibility of taking that class at Edison.

Jesuit has been very lucky to have Edison High School on our campus for almost 50 years. Edison is a fully accredited high school for students with learning differences, offering small classes and specialized instruction. Our students share a campus, sports programs, school plays and dances – and coursework when appropriate. 

In the 2024-25 school year, 70 Jesuit students are taking one or more classes at Edison, and 55 Edison students are taking one or more classes at Jesuit. This “hybrid” program offers us the truly unique opportunity to scale our learning model to the exact needs of our students. A student can take an Edison English class with 8 other learners one period, and then head straight to a Jesuit tech theater or calculus class the next period. Edison has been an invaluable partner as we continue to improve our ability to serve all students who fit Jesuit's overall mission.

There is no special application process, and the roster of hybrid students changes every year. Incoming ninth-grade students are typically placed in Edison classes upon admission. 

Parents often ask, “How do I know if my student belongs at Jesuit or Edison?” To learn more about the admission process at both schools, view this video. 

Information on multiple kinds of learning differences

• Understood.org

Dyslexia

• Unlocking Dyslexia NPR Series

• Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity

• Dyslexic Advantage

Local Dyslexia Advocacy Groups

• Oregon Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (ORBIDA)

• Decoding Dyslexia Oregon

AD/HD (ADD)

• AD/HD Awareness

• Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)

Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Understanding the Spectrum by Rebecca Burgess

• Autism in Girls

• Autism Speaks

Important Video Resources

• Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator TED

• Study Less, Study Smart

Our 0/8th period program is the reactive piece of our intervention strategy, offering a chance for students to recover quickly when they hit a bump or get more long-term support if needed. 

Students are placed in 0/8th period via the Students of Concern process, where teachers are asked every 3 weeks to share the names of students who may need extra support. A team of counseling, administrative and learning support professionals then come together to consider the best interventions for referred students. One possible intervention is placement in 0/8th period. Placement is reconsidered every 3 weeks, and a vice-principal can release a student when they have made sufficient progress. 

Learning Strategist Jeannie Kennedy Hermann oversees this program with Mr. Paul Klausenburger, joined by members of the CLARC staff and peer tutors. 

Zero Period meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:10 - 7:55 in the Cardoner Room (CLARC).

8th Period meets Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:50 - 3:35 in the Cardoner Room (CLARC).

Students may create a schedule of morning and afternoon sessions that works for them, but must attend 3 sessions or more per week.

Our Seminar classes, a proactive intervention for Jesuit students, is one of the most effective tools we have to offer students consistent academic success. Taught by Learning Strategist Jeannie Kennedy Hermann, a career educational specialist with specializations in executive function skills and literacy, students learn to become successful learners and self-advocates in high school - and those skills translate to college students who advocate for themselves, talk to teachers, and know how to use and find resources. 

Freshman Seminar:

About sixty 9th graders in 3 sections take Freshman Seminar to start their Jesuit education, and learn how to be effective Jesuit students for all four years. This curriculum-based class also offers some time to start homework and meet with tutors/CLARC staff. From the course catalog: Freshman seminar participants master current, brain-based strategies for effective learning and test-taking throughout their years at Jesuit. Using leading-edge educational research, the class will focus on the most efficient ways to take notes, memorize material, manage time, minimize distractions, utilize technology and prepare for exams. Additionally, students in this class receive a high level of individualized mentoring and support as new students navigating a challenging, college-prep environment; teachers conference regularly with individual students and connect with a student’s other teachers and parents at regular intervals. Students will also have class time to work on assignments and get individual tutoring. Finally, freshman seminar participants will gain insight about their own learning preferences and profiles, and think critically about character and habits as they pertain to becoming a successful student and a person for others. This course fulfills one year of an elective graduation requirement.

Magis Seminar:

About 35-40 students in grades 10-12 take 2 sections of Magis Seminar, a supported study period where our learning strategist can help guide academic efforts, like homework, test prep, e-mails to teachers, time management, and Christian Service planning.  From the course catalog: Magis Seminar is a supported study period available by administrative/counselor placement only. Students receive a pass/fail grade. Students in Magis Seminar develop executive function skills in the practical context of completing graduation requirements (academic coursework, Christian Service requirements, etc.) Topics include the following: self-advocacy, time management, organizational skills, task prioritization, project management, communication with teachers, and appropriate use of technology. Students are challenged to better develop the ability to see how present choices are connected to future outcomes. This course fulfills one year of an elective graduation requirement.