The Archdiocese of Baltimore invites families to reach out to your high school of choice to learn more about the following programs and resources available for students with learning differences. If your child is part of a program for students with learning differences in an Archdiocese of Baltimore elementary school, you may contact Kathleen Russo-Garcia, Director of Student Support Services, at 410-625-8495 for assistance in the high school search process.
Coeducational High Schools
Archbishop Spalding High School
The Learning Resource Center supports students who would like to enhance their learning experience through the development of improved study skills, organizational skills, and time management. The Aquinas Program and Seminar Program offer additional academic services designed to meet the needs of students diagnosed with a learning difference and/or ADHD.
Contact: Shelby Smith | smiths@spaldinghs.org | 410-969-9105
Bishop Walsh School
The Pratt Program is for students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia and organizational challenges. Individualized Orton-Gillingham tutoring and coaching are available.
Contact: Stephanie Pratt | spratt@bishopwalsh.org | 301-724-5360
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
The USS Star Program provides an opportunity for students who may struggle with grades, have a documented learning difference, or need a stronger support system to achieve educational success.
Contact: Trevor Quinn| tquinn@olmcmd.org | 410-686-1023
Saint John’s Catholic Prep
The Seton Scholars Program provides an academic support resource class for students with mild diagnosed learning differences, as documented by a current psycho-educational evaluation. Without foregoing the high standards set by SJCP, the Seton Scholars Program restructures the student’s schedule to allow for a lighter course load, while providing classroom and testing accommodations, and learning strategy instruction. Seton Scholars have demonstrated the ability to learn in a classroom of approximately 25 students without curriculum modifications. Students who do not need an intensive resource class may enroll with a typical schedule supported by a formal accommodation plan only.
Contact: Janet Ryczko | jryczko@saintjohnsprep.org | 301-662-4210, x108
St. Mary’s High School
The Learning Center at St. Mary’s is dedicated to helping students diagnosed with learning differences and/or ADHD achieve their academic and personal goals. The Learning Specialist reviews psycho-educational testing to develop an accommodation plan that embraces and values students’ unique learning abilities. The Guidance Department works as a team to enhance self-advocacy skills, creating an important link between students, families, and our supportive faculty.
Contact: Brooke Richardson | brichardson@stmarysannapolis.org | 410-990-4229
The John Carroll School
The St. Joseph Program provides highly motivated students with documented learning differences an opportunity to succeed in a challenging college preparatory environment. Recognizing that each student has a unique approach to learning, the St. Joseph Program endeavors to make students aware of their personal learning styles and then establish strategies to accommodate that style. Students receive individualized accommodations in the classroom and monitoring toward the achievement of personal goals. Additional fee applies.
Contact: Kelly Roiy | kroiy@johncarroll.org | 410-838-8333
Boys’ High Schools
Archbishop Curley High School
The Saint Anthony Program is a multifaceted college preparatory program that addresses the needs of boys from diverse educational backgrounds who face academic challenges. Maximum learning potential is achieved through the implementation of cross-curricular instructional strategies, individualized assessments to measure academic performance, and a supportive team-teaching approach.
Contact: Peter Snarksi | psnarksi@archbishopcurley.org | 410-485-5000, x275
Calvert Hall College High School
The La Salle Program serves highly motivated, college-bound boys with identified documented learning differences in reading, writing, spelling, and/or math due to conditions such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or a specific language difference. Students are fully integrated into the academic and co-curricular environments, but their academic programs are tailored to meet individual needs through daily 1:1 or 1:2 instruction with a language and learning specialist. Additional skills addressed include organization, time management, study strategies, SAT/ACT prep, and assistance with the college selection and application process.
Contact: Jennifer Healy | healyj@calverthall.com | 410-825-4266, x133
Loyola Blakefield
Murray Learning Services is a fee-based college preparatory program that supports bright, motivated students with documented learning differences in their efforts to complete Loyola’s graduation requirements, while preparing for success in their collegial pursuits. Murray Services’ mission is to assist in creating an accessible community where students with learning differences have an equal opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of the educational environment. We cooperate through partnerships with students, teachers, and staff to promote students’ independence, self-advocacy, and a level playing field for all students with learning differences. This ensures recognition of a student’s abilities, not disabilities.
Contacts: Kevin Selby | kselby@loyolablakefield.org| 443-841-3248
Stephen Abrams | sabrams@loyolablakefield.org | 443-841-3684
Mount Saint Joseph High School
The DePaul Program is designed for motivated, college-bound students with specifically diagnosed mild learning/language differences. The four-year program aims to help each student recognize and nurture his strengths, while improving his overall performance in the classroom. Mount Saint Joseph believes academic excellence is an achievable goal for all students, as each one learns and grows according to his own unique talents.
Contact: Brion Townshend | btownshend@msjnet.edu | 410-644-3300
Girls’ High Schools
Maryvale Preparatory School
Maryvale offers two programs for students with learning differences.
The St. Julie Billiart (SJB) Program serves students with a diagnosed language-based learning difference, and the Ford Program serves students with a diagnosed learning difference.
As gifted, college-bound students, SJB and Ford participants attend traditional college preparatory classes, as well as honors and Advanced Placement courses.
SJB students’ learning needs are addressed through daily 1:2 sessions with SJB staff, and Ford students receive daily support in 1:4-5 cohort sessions with a learning specialist. The Directors of the Learning Support Department personally configure Individual Education Plans (IEPs) that utilize proven Orton-Gillingham, Phono-Graphix, and other instructional methods appropriate to each student’s profile.
SJB and Ford staff then collaborate with classroom teachers to make effective accommodations for course work. The goal for each student is to develop as a confident, independent critical reader and writer with strong organization, time management, and student test-taking skills. SJB and Ford students have access to assistive technologies that have been configured for their use. Consistent communication between school and family supports program participants in their progress through the curriculum. Weekly reporting and frequent updates provide families with time-sensitive information to enhance student learning.
Contact: Rachel Mays | maysr@maryvale.com | 410-252-3366
Contact: Erin Rothwell | rothwelle@maryvale.com | 410-252-3366
Mercy High School
The Sister Michelle Carroll Learning Services Program is a four-year program that supports students who have documented learning differences, or who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate language-based learning differences as they access Mercy’s rigorous college prep academic program. Our highly experienced learning specialists create an individual support plan for each student that formalizes the student’s accommodations and is based on her full educational-psychological evaluation. Each student is placed in appropriate Mercy classes, with support meetings based on the level of service needed. Our learning specialists help students develop organization, note-taking skills, time management, self-advocacy, and study strategies to become more confident and successful in the classroom. Reading instruction and remediation is provided when appropriate.
Contact: Christine Blake | cblake@mercyhighschool.com | 410-433-8880, x253
Mount de Sales Academy
In seeking to respond more fully to the mission of forming young women in a way that nurtures the whole person, The Sacred Heart Program provides testing and classroom accommodations, as well as academic support and instruction to meet the individualized needs of college-bound students with mild, diagnosed reading and math-based learning differences. All students in the program are enrolled in a credited course, “Sacred Heart Seminar,” in which they work directly with one of our learning specialists to improve academic, executive functioning, and self-advocacy skills, while receiving subject-based tutoring as needed. Named after the devotion that is beloved both in the Visitation and Dominican traditions, this program is close to the heart of the mission of our school, providing the support, accommodations, and specific instruction each of our students needs to develop skills that will allow them to achieve their full potential at Mount de Sales Academy.
Contact: Mattie Wood | mwood@mountdesales.org | 410-744-8498, x270
Notre Dame Preparatory
The Batza-Simon Academic Services and Enrichment Center has learning specialists who support students in all grades and areas of academic need. Students with and without a documented learning difference can work with specialists. Services offered may include:
- Assisting with time management, study skills, and organization.
- Individual or small group meetings.
- Review of skills and strategies.
- Consultation with classroom teachers and counselors on behalf of the student.
- Developing a formal education plan for a student with documentation that warrants accommodations.
- Requesting accommodations for extended-time testing (50%) for classroom and standardized testing (ACT, SAT).
Additionally, learning resource specialists work collaboratively with administration, faculty, library staff, and counselors to ensure that NDP provides the most complete and holistic learning support for all students.
Contact: Jennifer Caine | cainej@notredameprep.com | 410-825-6202
Contact: Kathy Wilder | wilderk@notredameprep.com | 410-825-6202
The Catholic High School of Baltimore
The Archangel Program provides opportunities for educational support. All Archangel students proceed through a personalized college preparatory program that offers small class sizes, as well as frequent student-teacher interaction, close cooperation between home and school, and open dialogue on the student’s commitment to success. By junior year, Archangel students are integrated into other class levels based upon academic achievement. To enhance the learning experience, students utilize state-of-the-art technology, including Chromebooks with various educational applications.
Contact: Kristin Green | kgreen@thecatholichighschool.org | 410-732-6200, x1213
National Guidelines for Documentation of Special Learning Needs
The presence of an IEP, 504 Plan, or professional evaluation does not necessarily mean a student is eligible for special accommodations. Documentation to support the need for requested accommodations must:
- State the specific learning difference as diagnosed, using a DSM V classification.
- Be current (no older than three years).
- Provide complete educational, developmental, and relevant medical history.
- Describe the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the diagnosis (including evaluation date(s) and test results, with subtest scores from measures of cognitive ability, current academic achievement, and information processing).
- Explain how the learning difference impacts daily functioning abilities.
- Describe the specific accommodations requested, and state why the learning difference qualifies the student for such accommodations.
- Establish the professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification and area of specialization.
Alternative Intervention Strategies (AIS) Plans and Personal Progress Plans (PPP) can be used as supplemental information, but they do not replace a professional evaluation.
