Upper School (9-12)

Upper curricula builds upon the student’s areas of strength and remediates areas of need. Teachers utilize evidence-based curriculum programs, while tailoring lessons according to the unique learning profile of each student.  Academic class levels range from remediation to rigorous college preparatory classes. The outcome is a powerful learning experience that cultivates the student’s abilities while developing critical skills needed to become independent and confident learners.

In addition to a solid academic program, students also enjoy the benefits of a traditional high school experience.  Elective and extra-curricular opportunities include a robust athletic program, Student Council, yearbook, technology and entrepreneurship, home economics, art, public speaking and theatre productions.   

The Upper program is designed to directly teach grade level concepts while addressing the learning differences of the student.  The psycho-educational evaluation provided by parents, with its diagnoses and recommendations, enables us to design specific interventions targeting each student’s needs.  This diagnostic-prescriptive process leads to optimum remediation and growth for the student.

All Briarwood teachers attend intensive training in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.)  Developed by literacy expert Dr. Louisa Moats, LETRS equips teachers for the challenging task of teaching structured literacy to students with language-based learning disabilities.  Additionally, Upper School teachers frequently engage in professional development opportunities specific to their content area, as well as the latest research of best instructional practices and strategies, understanding students with LD and ADHD, and social-emotional needs of adolescents.

Many Upper students benefit from individual sessions with one of our on-site speech and language therapists.  To best support the student’s language skills and application of strategies in class, the speech and language therapist collaborates closely with the student’s classroom teachers.

Briarwood offers small class sizes with no more than 10 students per group; many core academic courses have 5 or 6 students in a class.  Academic groupings are based upon a student’s areas of strengths and needs.  This diagnostic-prescriptive approach allows teachers to customize the learning for each student, weaving together grade-level expectations with support for skills needing remediation.  Teachers pace instruction as quickly as possible but as slowly as necessary to insure students can apply the skills, strategies, and concepts they are learning in class.

Briarwood graduates pursue college and career opportunities post high school. Our goal is to cultivate independent and confident learners with self-awareness and the ability to self-advocate.  Students gain a better understanding of their personal strengths and diagnosis, as well as identifying which accommodations, strategies, and learning environments benefit them most. Structured learning strategies are directly taught and practiced across the content areas with consistency from one grade-level to the next.  Together with a focus on developing executive function and organizational skills, students are well prepared to meet the challenges of the next step of their journey beyond Briarwood.

Briarwood students must be able to effectively learn, collaborate, and socialize within a small group environment, and emotional health is necessary for successful academic learning to occur.  To support the student’s social-emotional and physical development, middle-upper students participate in required elective courses that augment the academic experience; these include Choices class in 9^th grade, and Foundations in 11^th grade.  Effort and attitude is recognized and rewarded, and service learning is required for high school students.  Additionally, there is an overall emphasis on developing positive character attributes that contribute to the student’s personal development and future success as an adult with learning differences.