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Directed Studies

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Mrs. Leonard teaching.
Mrs. O'Hanlon teaching.

What is Directed Studies

The goal for the Directed Studies program is to provide the necessary scaffolding for our college-bound students with mild learning differences.  This program will allow students to graduate from MCA with their peers.

The program is designed to assist students with recognized learning differences to achieve their maximum potential in the mainstream.  Two underlying principles are essential to the success of the program.  One is that learning different students can succeed in the mainstream with the appropriate accommodations and support.  The second is that the learning different student may need special help in all areas, not just reading and math.

The model being implemented for the Directed Studies program is a problem-solving model.  It constantly analyzes student performance in the mainstream.  The teachers in the Directed Studies program work with the regular education teachers to match the demands of the class with the skills of the student.  We estimate that 5-10% of the MCA population will be involved in the Directed Studies program.

The Directed Studies program is designed to be proactive.  Trained instructors will secure materials which will complement the regular classroom lesson plans, in an effort to strengthen the quality of support for both the regular education teacher and the student.  The program utilizes as many different strategies as necessary to teach an objective.

The goal of the Directed Studies program is to help the learning different student master the following skills:
  • Assignment Sheets
  • Organizational Skills
  • Self-Advocacy
  • Time Management
  • Memory Skills
  • Test-taking Strategies
  • Enhancement of Comprehension Skills
  • Enhancement of Math Skills
  • Enhancement of Language Arts Skills
To be eligible for the Directed Studies program, a student must show a diagnosed mild need and have scored above 50% in reading and math on the Admissions test.

We view this as an opportunity to form a partnership between the students, parents and teachers, in order to provide these students the necessary tools to be successful in all aspects of life.

  Melissa Nations
Director of Directed Studies

For more information,
Contact Melissa at
(214) 544-7253
or go to our Contact Us page.