List of 10 items.

• Academic Resource Center

  The Academic Resource Center, located next to the Fuisz Media Center in Walter Hall, provides a focused place to study as well as support services for the entire upper school. The Center is designed for both individual studying and small-group collaboration. The Coordinator of Learning Services oversees the Center and coordinates academic support together with teachers, advisors, and Grade Deans.

  
  

  In the Academic Resource Center, students can receive guidance and support with organization, goal setting, short and long term planning, time management, note-taking and test-taking skills, the writing process, and making effective use of other learning strategies. Through the Center, students can also get assistance scheduling meetings with teachers during school hours.

• Advisors

  Each student has an advisor who provides academic and social support for the students in their advisory group. The advisor serves as an advocate for students and a point-person for families. Advisors help students set goals for their upper school experience and create plans to realize those goals, and can teach a student to monitor their academic progress, attendance, and feedback on myMA. Advisors help students navigate the autonomy that comes with being a high school student. Advisors also help students nourish the social connectedness that we all need to thrive.

• Education Plans 

  The Coordinator of Learning Services oversees the development and implementation of individualized Education Plans for students with documented learning needs. The Coordinator of Learning Services conducts a professional review of documentation including 504 plans, IEP’s, testing, psychoeducational evaluations, and physician’s recommendations to inform accommodations that best support a student’s learning. Documentation must be current, identify the diagnosed condition, describe how the condition impacts a major life activity, and outline the recommended accommodations. In instances where there is a need for further evaluation, the Coordinator of Learning Services makes the appropriate referrals. 

  
  

  The Coordinator of Learning Services creates and revises Education Plans annually. Faculty and advisors, as well as students and families, receive access to individual students’ Educational Plans through our learning management system, myMA. Teachers implement Education Plans to provide the appropriate support and accommodation within their classrooms.

• Gifted Programming

  The academic program at the Moravian Academy Upper School provides opportunities aligned with best practice in gifted education for this developmental stage:

  • Honors and AP classes across all subject areas allow students to cover content at a faster pace and a greater depth according to their interest and ability.
  • Acceleration in math and language, where approved, allows students to assume ownership of their education and complete required levels through summer study. 
  • The Program of Studies allows a student to add a sixth major course to their schedule, with approval, allowing them to explore additional subjects in depth beginning in Grade 10.
  • Independent projects feature in most courses, allowing students to cultivate curiosity and pursue the study of unique interests. 
  • The Comenius Independent Study Project allows students in Grades 10-12  to pursue and present on specific topics of academic interest that are not available in the program of study, in addition to their required coursework, under the guidance of a mentor. 
  • The High School Scholars Program allows a limited number of highly motivated, academically gifted students to apply and be selected to take college courses at local colleges and universities during their senior year.  
  • Opportunities to apply academic skills, compete, and interact with other gifted students across grade levels and schools through competitions and collaborative projects feature in both the curriculum and co-curricular clubs and activities.
  • Classes involve interactive teaching in which students work together, learn from one another, and actively participate in their education, with both homogenous and heterogenous ability groupings. Students are encouraged to explore many points of view, critically analyze and evaluate knowledge, think actively, and debate ideas.

• Grade Deans

  Grade Deans provide an additional layer of support. Their primary function is to support the holistic development of the students in their class, including individual student growth and the development of a strong class community. They oversee class programming and student leadership, and at various times serve as a teacher, academic counselor, social-emotional support, behavior coach, and cheerleader. Grade Deans are also experts in the challenges, opportunities, and academic requirements experienced by students at their grade level.

• Guided Study

  Small group Guided Study is a supervised study hall that is scheduled up to 2x per week in the Academic Resource Center for select students with an Education Plan or Student Support Plan. During Guided Study, the Coordinator of Learning Services supports students with goal setting, short and long term assignment planning, and communicating with teachers. A student is added to a Guided Study roster so that the study hall appears on the student’s schedule on myMA and attendance can be tracked.

• Learning Accommodations

  Moravian Academy is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). Reasonable accommodations afford students equal opportunity to participate in the school's academic program without fundamentally altering the nature or purpose of the school's program or causing an undue burden on the school’s resources. The final accommodations implemented on a student’s Education Plan may differ from the accommodations requested. A list of accommodations that Moravian Academy can provide is available  here.

• Office Hours

  Twice per week, built into the daily schedule, all teachers hold office hours for individual or small-group conferences with students who need help or wish to enhance their subject-area knowledge. While all students have access to this resource, and advisors or teachers may encourage visits during Office Hours, it is primarily the student’s responsibility to seek extra help at the first sign of academic difficulty or if they anticipate having difficulty. All teachers are committed to being available and offering extra help and support during these blocks.

• Standardized Test Accommodations

  When students request accommodations for standardized tests, including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP examinations, the College Counseling Office assesses the request in conjunction with the Coordinator of Learning Services. The school provides and files the appropriate forms for family permission to apply for accommodations on behalf of the student. These requests typically begin to be processed in the spring of a student’s ninth grade year.

• Student Support Plans

  The Student Support Team, led by the Coordinator of Learning Services, includes Grade Deans, the upper school counselor, the upper school nurse, and the upper school Director’s office. The Student Support Team may develop a short-term individualized Student Support Plan in order to document and provide a student with supplemental academic, attendance, health, and behavioral support for a period of time, with the goal of helping the student return to thriving at the upper school. A Student Support Plan may be put in place in the case of a concussion, medical leave or extended absence, Academic Probation, or for any other set of challenges that a student may face.

  
  

  These plans take into consideration student behaviors, strengths, and challenges, and detail the partnership between the school and students and their families. The family meets with members of the Student Support Team to review and agree upon these plans with the student, and follow up with subsequent meetings during the period of implementation to review the plan, document improvement or continued challenges, and modify the plan as needed.