The Learning Center
Welcome to The Learning Center! I am very glad you’ve joined me today to learn about academic support services available at Hill Country Christian School of Austin.
Prior to being called to serve the students and families of Hill Country Christian School, I spent 19 years working in special education programs in various school districts, both as a Speech/Language Therapist and an Educational Diagnostician. I consider it a privilege and an honor to be a part of what God is doing at Hill Country Christian School.
I hope you will explore the information below to learn about the various services available through The Learning Center (TLC) which are designed to enhance academic success at Hill Country Christian School. I would love the opportunity to speak with you about these services and to learn more about the unique needs of your child.
In His service and yours,
Irma Plaza
Director
The Learning Center (TLC) Services
The Learning Center exists to enable Hill Country students to succeed and thrive in a rigorous college preparatory environment by providing tutorial services, specific accommodations for learning differences, and enrichment programs in order to address the educational needs of all learners. Consistent with the school’s overall mission, The Learning Center seeks to prepare students to become independent, life-long learners and effective communicators as they achieve their God-given potential as image-bearers of Christ.
The following services are provided through TLC:
Comprehensive Program
Students with identified learning differences may be enrolled in the comprehensive program. TLC staff work closely with classroom teachers to provide appropriate instructional accommodations and strategies for enhancing academic success, based on the student’s Personal Learning Plan (PLP). These accommodations may include extended time to complete assignments or tests, preferential seating, note-taking assistance, reducing homework assignments, etc. Additionally, students with dyslexia, dysgraphia and/or vision-related learning differences may require further accommodations which include reading assistance, access to audio books and/or test reformatting provided by TLC staff. Students may take their tests or work on projects in TLC and have the option of enrolling in a TLC study hall (as appropriate). Furthermore, students in the comprehensive program may be eligible for test accommodations on standardized achievement tests (i.e., CTB-4, ACT, PSAT/SAT).
*Additional fees apply for the direct instructional assistance of a Learning Specialist.
The Tutorial Program
TLC offers individual academic tutorials for any Hill Country student in grades 1-12 who may be struggling in a particular academic subject. Tutorials are also available for note-taking, study skills and organizational skills. *Students enrolled in the comprehensive program receive a discounted hourly tutorial rate.
The Gifted and Talented Enrichment (GATE) Program
The Gifted and Talented Enrichment (GATE) program is designed to extend and enrich learning opportunities for students in grades 1-12 who qualify academically for the gifted and talented program. While Hill Country offers a challenging, Christ-centered, college preparatory curriculum for all students, there is a smaller group who can benefit from and are motivated to achieve at a different level. These students gain from further challenges, designed to stretch their creative problem solving capacity.
The curriculum varies according to grade level but will include depth and complexity in core subject areas through special projects, field trips, creative writing and problem-solving activities that will engage their intellect and stretch their critical-thinking skills.
Lower School GATE
Students in the Lower School GATE program meet once weekly for a period of three hours. Services will be offered for a total of thirty-two weeks of the school year, from September through May.
Upper School GATE
Students will meet one Friday each month for a full instructional day. Rhetoric students will be eligible to pursue independent study opportunities and receive academic credit for completion of approved research and study (additional fees may apply).
GATE Eligibility Criteria
Students are assessed using multiple measures of general intellectual ability, aptitude/achievement, creative/divergent thinking, and non-verbal reasoning. Students must score at or above the 95th percentile and demonstrate superior cognitive and/or academic skills on nationally standardized tests in order to be identified as gifted and talented.
Rocket Readers Program
The Rocket Readers Program is a small group supplemental reading program available to struggling readers in grades K-3. The program is designed to reinforce the development of phonemic awareness skills and complements the reading strategies and instructional approach provided in the classroom setting.
Evaluation Services
TLC offers educational evaluation services which assist in identifying students’ relative strengths and weaknesses and in determining further educational needs, and provide valuable information that assists in the development of instructional accommodation plans.
Comprehensive Educational Evaluations. Comprehensive evaluations consist of the administration of a complete battery of individually administered standardized tests, which provide a comprehensive measure of the student’s academic achievement and cognitive/intellectual abilities.
Dyslexia Evaluations consist of the administration of a complete battery of individually administered standardized tests, which provide a comprehensive measure of the five components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension).
ADHD Screenings consist of the administration of the Connor’s Behavior Rating Scale-Third Edition (Conner’s 3) or the Attention-Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale-Second Edition (ADDES-II) in order to identify the presence of characteristics which are consistent with ADHD.
TLC Fees
Services offered through The Learning Center are fee-based and space is limited. Contact Wendi Trevino for current fee schedule.
